This book illustrates how to effectively coach your team to beat an opposing team that is playing the 4-4-2 system (including the 4-5-1).  The 4-4-2 is perhaps the most common formation used by teams all over the world.  Regardless of the formation you employ with your team, understanding how to tactically beat the 4-4-2 formation is a must for any coach.

We begin by recognizing the strengths of the 4-4-2, how to negate them, and how to take advantage of its weaknesses.  After a brief summary of the main components of the 4-4-2, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of it, we look at some effective tactical planning to play against and beat it.  To do this we look at and compare how the world’s top teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid and the Portuguese and Italian National Teams have success against the 4-4-2 system.

Inside you will also find many training sessions showing how you can practice those tactics on the training field, through sessions and drills designed to effectively prepare in a manner to overcome the system.

The Author
David Platt had one of the finest playing careers of his era.  He played with Arsenal and Aston Villa in England and Juventus, Bari and Sampdoria in Italy. Platt also played 62 games for the England National Team of which 20 of them were as captain.

Platt also coached in both England with Nottingham Forest and Italy with Sampdoria. Between 2001 and 2004 Platt was the head coach of the England U21 National Team where he helped develop the talents of John Terry, Jermain Defoe, Shaun Wright-Phillips amongst others.

Platt is now the head of AFKUK a coaching education company.