We Can Play A Solid Midfield Four
4-4-2 has endured as long as it has because it is a sturdy system.
With the personnel we have we can make good use of it. It will let us play a solid block middle four.
The system I see being useful here is the central midfield diamond; now, our 4-4-2 allows us to put Callum wide left and Christie wide right, but it also lets us play Callum and Christie in the middle where their running and energy will be useful, pushes Turnbull in behind the strikers and let’s Soro or Brown (and it’ll be Brown, of course it will) drop back to protect the defence.
The solid midfield middle three – with Brown pushing forward into it – will have their midfield three on their toes.
It will give Gerrard a decision to make; does he drop one player back to cover Turnbull or does he hope his defence can do that job instead?
It would be easier for them if Turnbull wasn’t also supported by two front men instead of one.
That might make it seem like an easy decision for them.
But if Gerrard does drop the one man back, we’ll have his two outnumbered by our three.
This game will be won and lost in the middle of the pitch.
A 4-4-2 diamond is an excellent system for putting the blockers on them.
And because if we play narrow, we can, if our players are focussed, cut off all the passes their midfield usually plays to their full-backs.
That requires a deeper look … so let’s take it now.