How to counter 4-4-2

[Narf]

Like you I have never had much luck using the 4-5-1V against 4-4-2.
I have switched to either narrow diamond (i know it's not what you want to hear) and had success with that or against weaker opponents just face them with the same formation and overpower. For the diamond, i used it when the opponent was weaker in the middle (for example weaker DC/MC than DL/DR/ML/MR.

4-4-2 vs. 4-4-2 against a weaker team I've had good success with down the flanks attacks, attacking (hard attacking if the need is there), whole pitch pressing , zonal marking, no counter/offside trap and normal tackling.

So honestly, not much different from what you already have in your head

Edit: the best result i ever had (4-1 against a slightly stronger 4-4-2) was with a slight variation on the 4-4-2. using an "S/Z" formation, simply because the players I had available demanded it. It worked well. AMR instead of MR and DML instead of DL. That was a mixed passing.

Actually, a Z-shaped formation would make perfect sense in my situation, only with inverted flanks in my case. If I got it right you're talking about something like this:

-----ST-ST-----------
AML------------------
------MC---MC-------
------------------DMR
DL---DC-----DC---DR

Especially given that I don't have a DML, my first-choice MR/AMR isn't of that great quality AND his best players attack on my right side. Obviously, I'll be focusing on the left flank and with a red arrow on the DL, I'm just not sure if having an attacking mentality with all my attack focused on one flank is a good idea. And I do need at least 2 goals.

Either way, this looks like a match winner, thanks mate!

I never failed to win using narrow diamond, even tho lately is a little less effective. Basing myself on simply intuition, i reckon Wide diamond could be an even better choiche (DMC MR ML AMC).

Yeah, I hear that a lot of people have used the narrow diamond effectively against 4-4-2, but you also confirmed that it isn't that effective anymore, and I need to turn it from 1:2 down at home ... I'm really not feeling like experimenting with it.
The wide diamond does look good though ... that's an attack through the middle, right?