One of the best footie mags out there is Four Four Two, in tribute to the formation which is a staple in the world of football, the most basic and common formation used by every team from your secondary school team to Brazil. For years on end, the 4-4-2 system has proved popular and successful, offering a good balance in defence and attack.
Yet a new trend has emerged where the 4-4-2 is becoming a system of old and a modern tactical revolution is taking place. English clubs, traditional 4-4-2 proponents, offer some examples. The likely reason for this being the new internationl, cosmopolitan atmosphere to club football. In truth, this new system has been used in Europe for long periods but now we begin to see that a lot of the successful clubs (the table toppers in England, Spain and Italy) all use the same system.
Newcastle
Shearer and Bellamy and now Shearer and Kluivert and Souness proposing Shearer and Owen, possibly a dream England strike pairing. His club is stuck some where in mid table. Whilst problems with prima donnas and a change in management might have something to do with Newcastle's predicament, they have underperformed with the 4-4-2.
Liverpool
A team in formational transition. They've adopted various systems and its taking the Reds some time to understand the new way but at least they're chasing 4th spot. Rafa's old club Valencia, used a lone striker formation and won La Liga and the UEFA Cup. Early on there was Cisse or Baros alone up front, Kewell and Luis Garcia as supporting attackers and Gerrard in a new attacking role in the middle. With the arrival of Morientes, its likely they will adopt a 2 striker system. Benitez's mentality is that his team should be able to quickly change formations to adapt and not stick to a rigid 4-4-2. This is what underlines the new revolution in footie tactics.
Everton
Overperforming in 4th place. They used Marcus Bent alone up front for the first half of the season to get to where they are. New signing Beattie would fit the lone striker role well. Bent was always more of a forward than an outright centre forward in any case.
Arsenal
3rd right now they don't really use a 4-4-2 either. When they're defending it might look more or less like a 4-4-2. But in attack they shift formations constantly, largely because they don't have a definite central striker. Bergkamp likes to play behind the striker, in the hole. Reyes drifts wide left and sometimes operates as a winger. Henry runs all over the place and was never a striker, he was converted. In my opinion, they use a strikerless system, with Henry/Bergkamp/Reyes in free roles.
Man Utd
2nd in the table. The devils use a horse faced Dutchman up front, supported by a gangster, a guy with frizzy hair and a gay guy who likes ballet dancing on the pitch as their strikeforce. Fergie tried to change early on, buying Veron and hoping that he would be the final piece to his jigsaw in a system that would differ from the 4-4-2 but his Ginger hero wouldn't fit into the hole behind the Horseman. Exit Veron, enter Gangster boy. Gangster boy fits into the hole perfectly behind the horseman. (anal sex pun intended) Ginger then lines up next to insane Irish guy where he belongs and now Manyoo look back on track.
Chelsea
Top of the Premiership, they employ a lone striker system that is the perfect example of the new formation. Mourinho is the man behind the change at Chelsea, which used to rely on Gudjohnsen and Hasselbaink, who between them shipped loads of goals. The difference now is a watertight defence. Largely thanks to a 5 man midfield and not just John Terry alone. Porto used the same system en route to the Champions League title last season.
Its not just the big clubs either. Bolton, Charlton and Crystal Palace employ lone striker systems with fantastic results. Bolton might have a whole bunch of pensioners but they can irritate the big boys. Charlton are riding high up as well despite having spent very little. Palace, look the most likely of the 3 promoted teams to escape relegation.
Today's formation is dynamic. It's a 4-5-1 when defending which crowds out opposition midfields and uses quick wingers to launch counterattacks. There's still the solidity of the back 4 as with the old 4-4-2 but there are 3 central midfielders who are stingy with space. In attacking the formation can shift to a variety of different formations.
Chelsea adopt a 4-2-1-3. That's their usual back 4, Makelele and Tiago, Lampard then Robben, Duff and Drogba. In need of a goal, Makelele and Tiago push higher up to make a 4-3-3. Man Utd use a 4-1-4-1, with their back 4, Keane, Giggs, Ronaldo, Scholes and Rooney then Van Nistelrooy. This changes to a 4-1-2-3 at times, with Ronaldo and Giggs pushing up.
With more central midfielders, the wide players can play higher up. The 4-4-2 has just one defensive midfielder covering the entire pitch so the wide players can't push up as much. So the idea behind the new system is to free up the wide players and encourage counterattacks from the quick pacy wingers. The wide players don't play as wide as traditional wingers who stuck wide right or left and stayed there, usually going straight down the byline to deliver a cross or cutting inside to show off flashy dribbling skills. Today's wingers do all that and switch flanks often, also exchanging positions with the other forwards and midfielders in a new dynamic formation. Ronaldinho is not really a winger or a central attacking midfielder. He's the archtypical hybrid of the two, with dashes of a striker or a forward mixed in as well. His World Player of the Year award underlines the idea that the system has allowed him to flourish. You wouldn't really know where to stick him in a 4-4-2.
Together with the wingers, there is a forward who plays in the hole behind a lone striker. This 4 man attack system puts 4 players close to one another, promoting a quick passing game that uses short, clever little passes to unlock tight defences. The supporting forward plays deep and receives the ball from midfield. His primary role is a playmaker. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard fit a 4-4-2 system perfectly but seem to have been given new leases of life in their new roles, so much so that everyone thinks these two are the best midfielders in the world at the moment. Again, its the system that has allowed these guys to flourish. In the 4-4-2, they would have to do equal parts defending and attacking. Under the new systems at Chelsea and Pool, they concentrate on driving the team forward something they do best. Rooney fits into the hole either behind Owen or Van Nistelrooy. The maturing of his playing ability has coincided with his new place in the England squad and at Man Utd. He's not a bustling centre forward ala Shearer but rather, a skillful forward who plays better in a deeper role, we only begin to see his passing range and inventiveness now where previously we only saw his finishing and skill.
The one lone striker is the main goal threat. Together with the change in tactical structure has come a crop of strikers adept at playing alone. Van Nistelrooy is the more traditional lone striker. A big burly guy who stays in the 6 yard box. But earlier on in the season, Gudjohnsen fulfilled that role just as well, as he adapted his passing and movement to match the wingers. Eto'o at Barca similarly underlines the idea that the structure of the new system allows more than just one type of striker to fit well. The quick, pacy striker can go it alone too. But perhaps the best person to plonk up front would be Shevchenko, as a complete striker, with power, skill and pace can do everything.
The basis of the new system is a quick passing game with lots of movement and switching of positions. Attacking is swift and lethal and there is a desperate need for lots of pace, skill and inventiveness from all players involved. Clubs in continental Europe have been using this system as they favour keeping the ball on the ground, whereas English clubs tended to employ long balls more often. With the changes in focus toward ball skills, passing and movement, attacking flair and style has become what fans crave. Under the old 4-4-2, attacking teams would suffer from defensive lapses, with Newcastle today being a case in point. Nicky Butt has to cover a lot of ground, whilst the Magpies' back four were never really solid to begin with. Under the new system, Chelsea have a watertight defence on the one hand, but always look dangerous going up front. Although their mentality might be defensive and conservative, their attacking style emerges when they get the ball and you see Robben and Duff in full flow. The only reason why they haven't scored as much is because of inept strikers. Gudjohnsen is not in the same class as the Ronaldos and Shevchenkos. Drogba remains a waste of money, while Kezman seems to like the woodwork a lot.
I don't know who will win the Champions League but I'm predicting its a team that doesn't use a 4-4-2.
