Effective defending using the two banks of four formation.

I know that the diagram above is fairly obvious but I thought it would help to visualise what the two banks of four means on the pitch. Ideally, the opposition will be facing two lines of four players covering the entirety of one half of the pitch. 

The defensive line is particularly important as, with proper communication and synchronised movement, it can exploit the offside rule and prevent all long-balls and through-balls succeeding. 

However, it can be fraught with danger if any individual fails to cover his area of the pitch. We have to move as two units of four which means talking to each other and being aware of where each of us are in the pitch. This will cut down the space and provide protection for our defence.

We need to build a solid foundation and that starts from the back and permeates through to the midfield and our forwards closing down space. Let's try this out tomorrow.