So within the 442 within the thinking you've got to win a game of course why was I in my
back of my mind what what could we give these players the best to bring the best out themselves
so to give you a view of Life at Burnley football club and the main reasons why I often went for a
4-4-2 um sometimes literal got no problem with that you know people talked about it for years
sometimes we adapted it as I'll hopefully show you so the basic principle of a 442 and against
popular belief you know the modern era of kind of four three three and now more so in the last
couple Seasons the 352 or 343 whichever way you look at it these formations have been there for
years I mean uh you know like 50 60 70 years there's there's books out there telling stories
of World Cups you know 67 years ago where people were playing a version of a 433 so
before we go into the detail this is my opinion on football we're talking about yardages you know to
give you an overview before I go into specifics about us you drop a player in here and that
becomes a number 10 but it's literally five yards so you drop a player in here and then adjust that
player there and that becomes a big difference and yet literally you're virtually on this anyway
it's a matter of yardage some teams obviously Express this considerably differently Man City
probably the best components of making this really feel different by making the pitch so expensive
so I'll start with it with us not having the ball so we're defending so if you're playing against
the 433 which is which is often uh particularly in the Premier League so all we're saying is can
we lock on can we be brave from start points like goal kicks but once the game gets going
then we know we're gonna have to drop our Midfield to deal with our Midfield and all
it is is one of our Center forwards he's dropping around this play here against the real top sides
sometimes this player has to go south side when you're defended particularly as the game moves
into this area of the pitch often we're trying to keep this by north side and then they just pivot
across the pitch so sorry to make that clear they're playing now across their
back four they open up two seven hours split and they start playing here so Center forward
locks on stays north side if they play a fast pass across there he breaks off and he drops
back in so it's a very simple situation to start from a 4-4-2 the benefit being
in theory it's quite logical for the players to follow you know there's not loads of
information that should be quite standard for Center forwards to understand that scenario
a Midfield then as these are working here we're always asking can you be brave and
lock on and for him to be brave and like I'm not literally for that kind of in between then
this player imagine then the ball's out this side this player has to tuck in and
cover him so therefore the the pressure covered that scenario is important for this player
and I suggested we all get across and now we're trying to lock on that side of the pitch slight
difference remember we're talking defensively slight difference comes if they now got the two
and the one so now they're playing with the number 10 let's say so yeah you're going to exaggerating
here so they've got their back four opened up which often happens in the Premier League
the sitting holding two Midfield players number 10 wide players going quite expansive and the
main number nine you'd call it who's a bit more free to work against the two seven halves let's
put it that way so that's slightly different but all we're saying then is so if the ball yet again
just to keep it simple is this side we're saying come on them in betweens here for the first center
forward to kind of get that soft press and guide it that way and all we're saying is coming to this
in between position so now we're saying we almost want to slightly either in between or actually to
this this opposite side midfielder the reason is we're encouraging it now to go to that side
so once it goes and if they do find that pass into that he comes out of his slot and we get round or
he now works to go and press that side but the fact is we've kept on that same side and stopped
them not easy sorry stop them from getting here getting turned and now playing out this side so
whatever way we work the 442 in general Play We want to keep one side we don't really want them
keep shifting and shifting and shifting which is difficult because often the Premier League clubs
do and they give real depth and they fire the passes quickly around the Horseshoe we want to try
and keep them one side and lock them on once we do so let's imagine yeah again I'll keep it this side
how crunched can we make the pitch get over Channel Side always Channel Side
get round get round and we leave this side of the pitch that's my risk as a manager
now and again it's difficult for the fallbacks because they'll say Cafe you know like if he
unloads it quickly how do we get across now the reason for that I talked with the players
about the body language so this plan now at any given time this player I'm going to put that deep
lyrings it's more familiar in the Premier League this player now when he opens up his head and he
opens up in his body language we call that the quarterback so now he's in that position where
he can now fire it so if you see him opening up even in the Premier League with some of the you
know amazing players and they can disguise things can't disguise a 67-yard pass you need a certain
body of a certain power so what we'd offer then if we can't get the Press on or certainly not in
the diagonal passing Lane and he gets time then we're offering can he start early so on his body
language when he finds it can he start early to get out there early give him a chance to get there
as quick as possible he sets off he's got to drop him we get across we get across we get a crossover
this is where the hard work comes in these are the hard yards as I call it Nick tell Freddie
Jones by the way hard yards you know this is the work this is when you Burnley not every game not
every home game but when you're playing the real top side so I'm imagining now I'll put them in
you know you're playing top six people who keep the ball well because obviously I'm talking about
the defensive side this is the bit that really counts how quickly can you operate to press one
side good teams will unload the other side how quickly can you get across how can you can you
shut down the other side and yet again compact it leave the opposite side not many some not many can
do the diag back the diag back the dag they can't do it three or four times at the Trot on the Trot
so it's this first time is really important to get across and go lock the play down very quickly
as they develop let's say they develop the game and now they're working into
corners and they're bringing fullbacks in they're bringing their Midfield their higher
midfielder in other midfielders arriving in the Box opposite player reminded that we're planning
at sort of the top sides then I mentioned the concept four sorry there we go a 4-4
goalie I think those wouldn't change that 442 so once we're in this area here now we've got
to work extra hard because we've got to shut down their clever play and while we're shutting down
their clever play making sure that we lock off this V it's really important for us at Burnley
particularly wide player fall back come and tag team if they've got the big Diagon now they're
working in this really aggressive position to try and create chances we've done well we've got them
moving by the time they get here now it's all eyes are alive Red Alert these get across we've got to
shut down these players here because these players often in the Premier League try and combine
first center forward might come into this first position to try and get play into them which
case our Midfield rust to sink our midfielders certainly has to sink into the front side of the
penalty spot usually and that opposite wide man we asked a lot of our wide players they have to
drop in as well so then we get this real compact situation inside of the Box usually one of our
Center forwards this kind of North Side ideally but sometimes it has to be south side and then
we're leaving just rearrange their players we're leaving one set of forward up the pitch because
we still need an out even if we're defending like this really compact we still need an out
so that's a kind of scenario start point we lock on they get playing we Shuffle one side we try
and stop the diagonal pass and keep them the same side if they do get that pass how quickly can we
Shuffle and slide across or really work hard to dominate that and stop them continuing to shift
the play then once we get into this final third how can we lock down and Safeguard the position
a maximum opportunity which is that kind of second six yard box they call it many
different names but this key scoring Zone and what we do is try and crowd out that key scoring Zone
and it takes a lot of effort from the players but football is about effort as well as skill
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when we've got the ball what are we going to do with it so defensive structure is in place the
team should know that we keep the 442 we use the four two four two wisely because the simple lines
of movement and we look during that 442 defensive scenario to use cover space cover distance not
always man for man but at some point you have to go lock on man for man of course once the ball's
now in our favor and now we've got a chance to play so of course like anyone and again it's some
popular belief we wanted to play out quickly if we could we wanted to get it out to our Center for uh
Center back sorry quickly or particularly if the opposition were attacking and it was one end where
it over ran to the keeper or something like could we play quickly from the back and we talked a lot
which I'm heating down the ears and it Pope down the ears about changing the tempo so we didn't
want the opposition to go back and Retreat and sit in their shape so how many ways could we create a
different kind of tempo and feel to the game from a start point being the keeper on this occasion
could he for example throw quickly usually if they've attacked out to one of our fullbacks or
our y plays for example could he roll quickly and we get playing quickly sometimes could he get to
the edge of the box and kick it purely to change the feel of a game because often as everyone will
know games look formatted particularly early in a game we were saying to probably can you
change the feel of it can you change it in many different ways can you throw quickly can you play
quickly we're not against playing out for the back as long as it's done quickly before they
can sit in and reorganize because we think that's harder to break down but equally get to the edge
of the box and kick one early throw it early to change the field while it's expansive like this
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Banks I've got a chance to build we're still saying to the the Midfield players can you
come and get the ball we still want them into these Pockets to turn and play forward so that
was a key for us playing forwards first if not Timeless backwards but always forward as many
times as possible if they lock on then this deep line Midfield player can only do one of two things
he can't can't be cover everything all at once unless you can't say he can then you get across
so if he comes across on this side we're saying why can't you land it into the second Senate
forward so imagine you're now let's use talk as a as a player an individual player on our side he's
got a real good passing range so why shouldn't he go and use it wisely and pass into the front
that was one example sometimes we'd get more so at home we'd try and get our fallbacks in advance our
why player slightly more inside get our Center Force to run the center after way as long as
possible a lot of teams thought we were going to play forwards anyway so therefore run the play
and then the play gets more expansive reminding you of a key thing often we're two versus three
so if you're two versus three it's harder for these to operate it's harder for these to lose
their Midfield players so therefore once you play here we kind of were hoping to take that play not
out the game but make it awkward so that player now has to turn around the other way facing the
other ways not facing the play see what happens here of course if we can land this into chess keep
holding the ball then these players are now 2v2 and they can come alive to give you a view of it
so we are still looking for these to play now sometimes we could get these in advance these
players Wesley was really good at corki as well actually in different ways would come really wide
almost into the full back slot the reason for that is because this midfielder doesn't really want to
go out here and if you get your timing right even their wide man has to come back with your
fullback allowing this bit of room here so this is your central Midfield player by the way the risk
of that is obviously turnover but then you're looking for this player to be more assured with
his touch other midfielder comes in to give a bit of balance and this is where it's important the Y
player comes into that inside position when you're attacking because the thing is in the Premier
League that we learn and we act to change at times transition kills you in the Premier League so if
you're going to open up like this at times even Burnley I mean other teams do it you know because
they've got a bit more prowess as a team and a bit more technical quality sometimes so less turnovers
but if we're trying to keep the bottom work from this shape you have to be ready for transition so
often we'd keep this wire player in this inside position when the ball's on the opposite side
now once we're playing we're asking so I put Wesley back in it's our fullback can we play into
the front that's our first door can we play short here if we lend it back can we play to the front
if they're playing High which a lot of teams in the Premier League attempt to do if we can play
into the first Midfield player can he shape it in behind while they're trying to play high to open
up the game the more times we open up the game in different ways the more chances we felt we could
create and the more um more of a different feel we could create against the opposition rather than
them just sitting in their shape and just trying to pass through them all the time how many ways
can we make it feel different often trying to play into the front got no problem with that at
all play into there and sometimes playing to the front come inside come inside lock the game off
so we'd sorry that's our fall back out there so we get these from four they'd come inside
two Center points in wide men inside Midfield crunch we'd go lock the game in as best possible
if we were playing a longer style of football more so away from home probably than at home
So within that did we want to play from a start Point yes did we want to play early
and change the feel of a game sometimes by kicking it without a doubt once we are
playing everyone's got to want the ball one of the keys is everyone's got to want the
ball because if you don't you lose that kind of fluid play and then it becomes really disjointed
when we finish seventh went into Europe still in the 4-4-2
as what people would see recognize Burnley rather there's a 442 but what we did often
so there's therefore I'm just using the four three days it's the most likely in the Premier League's
not always of course we've got Jeff Hendrick to try and play in this role here and it was from
a defensive start point but Jeff had a real good engine he had a good eye for arriving in the Box
in my opinion felt he could have got more goals but it was creative in the way press is creative
in the runs he'd make and just almost causing the discomfort for them from even from having the ball
in an attacking format it was slightly different for us you know if it weren't as familiar with
it worked really well that season amongst other things but dropping Jeff and now I think it's
probably half the season we played with that kind of four four one one scenario everyone's still
obviously telling us all it's a 442 of course but we were trying to adapt this idea so over
the time that I was at Burnley yes I believed in the 442 as my go-to we did change it many many
times and sometimes with success sometimes not so much success but the season we finished seventh
often or at least half the season play with Jeff Hendrick coming out of this role here and make no
bones about it it was a defensive start point of a position we hadn't been in the Premier League
that long then we're still learning we've we got our defensive shape right it'll give us a benefit
of attacking better and we did so really well over that season so we tried to adapt this for varying
Seasons we had to change the first season but we stayed up um I think it was we didn't have an away
win until third from last game of the season our home form was really strong for a team that you
know not that powerful in Premier League well so yeah again away from home that was part of the
thinking we had to go in and say right what can we change so we decided particular way from home we
dropped Jeff Hendrick into this kind of number 10 but a defensive number 10 as a start point
stay in the game stay in it to win it as we say then you're saying it to try and win it
especially away from home but we found it was working quite well so we did it at home as well
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one thing I think that's important is I think to remember is in the early days I'm getting an
example of a player and it's a food for thought piece is when when everyone's talking about
passing 10 yard football and passing and short passes which the game is more or less dominated
by now or certainly that thought we had Kieran trippier here right back now kieran's a player who
could possible any distance with quality seriously any distance he's got every Club in the back
so if you've got dunnings here at the time and we didn't stay up that year in the Premier League but
you know there wasn't a major investment in all the rest of it building a training around all
that but just give you a view because I think it's important to remind people if you've got um Kieran
trippy here who's got every Club in his bag I would be doing him a disservice as a player by
saying you can only play 10 yards into Midfield I'd actually taken away from his talent base
if you imagine that thinking across the whole of what I my staff tried to achieve and the
players tried to achieve it Bernie I'm looking at each Bago how can I give you the best chance
of being successful both as an individual and as a team and therefore knock that on as a club
and he was a good example of that because I just found hang on I'm absolutely doing this
guy a disservice by saying I only want you to play into Midfield because if we got Danny Enzo come
right off the shoulder for fun at that time and he could find it and did do many many times with
a direct pass the most penetrative pass in the game is that first pass there and in my lifetime
Glen oddly you're going to tell Glenn noddle in my lifetime for those who are going to remember
to only play 10 yards I don't think so so just to give you a little view of it and I think
it's fair of me to do so because a lot of the 442 a lot of the design a lot of the defensive
design and all these things at Burnley was to to give the players a best chance to operate
individually and collectively and I think that was shown not only by the Premier League situation but
the players that we bought in for very low money have moved on for fortunes you know and they
didn't do that for no reason they did it because their game developed So within the 442 within the
thinking you've got to win a game of course well I was on in my back of my mind what what could we
give these players the best to bring the best out themselves so that was part of our format not just
getting involved in modern Trends modern thinking because it's hard to resist that by the way
because people are bombarding you why don't you do this why don't you do that well part of it is
and a big part of it is because I'm looking at my players going how can I give these the best chance
to develop to improve themselves to improve their livelihoods to improve the way they play but to
improve their chance being in the Premier League so something that was actually quite logical
thank you
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