BOOK REVIEWS
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An Ode to Four Four Two
John McNicoll
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BOOK SYNOPSIS
An Ode to Four Four Two: Football's Simplest and Finest Formation examines how coaches in Europe, and particularly England, settled on the 4-4-2 formation to build iconic teams which would dominate both domestically and in Europe. Formations have continually evolved since the birth of the game in the mid-19th century. From teams playing with four or five forwards, to the modern era of teams with just the one, arguably the greatest formation has been 4-4-2. Some of the greatest teams have lined up in this multi-functional system. Flick through the football history books and it is filled with teams like AC Milan, Manchester United, Liverpool, Leeds United and Barcelona, all enjoying glorious eras playing 4-4-2. But it isn't just the elite of world football. Who can forget Leicester City, led by Claudio Ranieri, reviving the system against all odds to outperform the Premier League's big six to claim a historic title in 2016? Author John McNicoll looks at how and why these teams used the formation to such effect. How they dominated in their era to stand out from the rest. It is the story of how teams, both big and small in status, have played the system to perfection.
OUR REVIEW
Formations and tactics have evolved across the last 100+ years and will continue to evolve in the future but there is one formation that has continued to take its stage amongst an ever changing tactical evolution and John McNicoll’s An Ode to Four Four Two takes a look at some of the most well known teams that have become famous for using this formation and with great success. Each chapter is filled with a recap about a team that has used this formation and it shows just how timeless the 4-4-2 system has been over the last 50 years in particular and why even with the modern evolution of the game, whilst the system is not as widely used, particularly at the top levels of football, there are teams in recent history that have used this to success.
What the book does is focus on the teams but in essence, its largely a focus on a Manager’s psyche and how they are the proponents of this 4-4-2 formation and how they pierce together the players to fit their system and putting their own stamp on a side with slight tweaks here and there. The author has clearly done the research on some of the most famous sides to have used the 4-4-2 system and there is a mix of singular seasons that heavily exploit their formation, yet each one of them are built over a longer period and there is clearly growth in the system that needs to take place before the success comes.Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the first team that is focused in the book is Spanish side Atletico Madrid and when you think of the teams that have become known for using the 4-4-2 system, they are not a side that certainly I would come to associate with the system but reading that chapter and how they navigated to their success over a long timeframe and how effective it became in Europe against some of the best sides in the world.
The legend that is Brian Clough is than profiled by the author and his time at East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest and Derby County and what screams out of you very quickly is the personnel that is used by Clough during both spells. Rightly or wrongly when you think of the classic derby matches in English football, there is not many players that play for both sides in a derby. However, Clough clearly had a tried and tested formula and why would you try and re-invent the process at a different club using different players when a large number of the original components of the side can be shifted down the A52. Like Clough, when you think of the greatest Manager’s within the game, Sir Alex Ferguson is right up there and what stands out in the chapter on his time at the helm of Manchester United is the cycle’s that this formation goes through under him and how he kept to his tried and tested formula over an incredible time span, yet brought in new players when the cycle dictated it. Remembering some of the classic games over the years is what is the biggest triumph of this book and is certain trip down memory lane.
One of the most fascinating chapters for me was the look at AC Milan and their period in the 80s and 90s that they helped to revolutionise European Football and how they prioritised the competition at times over winning a Scudetto. Arrigo Sachi’s brilliant side made up of the finest names to grace World Football bring the 4-4-2 system into a deep focus and though of course we all know about this side, that in-depth focus for me was a definite highlight of the book. As a LCFC fan myself, I was excited to see the perception of the Foxes amazing Premier League triumph a few years back and how it was perceived by fans of other clubs and McNicoll does the club justice in taking a look back further beyond that amazing season and how it started under Nigel Pearson, with his bullish persona and ended under Claudio Ranieri, who negated his tinkerman image to turn this story into one of the biggest spectacle’s ever seen in sport and is very unlikely to be seen again.
The book is a brilliant insight into many of the great sides of the last 50 years that used the 4-4-2 system and if you had to look at constructive criticism of the book, the lack of unique quotes to the book is where it probably falls down. I’m sure some first-hand accounts from those involved would have enhanced the book further but its only a minor in my eyes. There are a whole host of fantastic books out with Pitch Publishing and An Ode to Four Four Two is another that has ticked this box and is highly recommended to our followers to read. Those that are fans of the clubs that are focused in the book, will love reminiscing about their most prized periods in their history but if you are a football fan in general, there is little doubt that this book will tickle your fancy.
