This week let us continue with one of the most important systems in football called four on two.
It is called four on two because when properly executed the opposition’s normal back four defence will be left with only two centre backs against four attackers.
This system works more effectively for a team that plays with outright wingers. In the so called modern football where most teams prefer to use overlapping fullbacks instead of outright wingers, this system will not work to it’s maximum potential.
This is basically because the four on two system encourages wingers to play as strikers and to make box entries as often as the main strikers.
Teams which play in this system have no difficulty whatsoever when it comes to scoring goals. Goals don’t just come, they must be created. Yes you might get lucky and score unplanned goals in some games but that will only happen when the opponents are weak defensively.
This is why there are teams that seems to play good football but always fail when it comes to scoring goals.
To use this system well a team must have two centre forwards. One of the centre forwards must play like a number ten slightly behind the target man to allow creativity between the two strikers. That is because in this system strikers have an important and creative role of supplying defence splitting passes to wingers in to the box.
This attacking system is designed to make box entries. There is nothing as dangerous as a defence splitting pass from a centre forward because it is bound to land behind the defence in to the box.
Wingers must stretch out wide on the flanks and make a run in to the box at the right time to receive a pass from strikers behind the defence. At this point the full back is eliminated by the defence splitting pass from a striker giving the winger the luxury to score from the acute angle.
The winger from the other angle must be able to easily lose his marker to connect with the ball at the far post. The full back is already disadvantaged by the fact that he is now defending while facing his own goal posts.
At this point the fullback is unable to easily track the winger who might choose to make a run in front or on the shoulder of the defender to score from a simple tap in. When the two fullbacks are eliminated by wingers the scenario is called four on two.
The two central defenders at this point will focus on trying to stop the free winger in the box and to defend the goal thereby losing track of the centre forwards. If properly practiced teams can repeatedly score many goals in this system. Practice this system repeatedly with your team in training sessions in a real match situation. If you can produce results in a training session against defenders who know exactly what you are trying to do, you will be unstoppable in any match. Good luck.