The front two, meanwhile, can either block off central access, or press the outside shoulders of the opposition centre-backs.
The four-player midfield unit provides a staggered defensive shape that makes it easier to defend spaces between the lines, and gives numbers in central areas. The front two, meanwhile, can either block off central access, or press the outside shoulders of the opposition centre-backs. This cuts off the full-backs and forces play into central midfield, where there are lots of defenders.