Why do teams still play 4 (or 5) at the back?

[Code13 10]

Spurs played 4-5-1 the year Clive Allen got 49 (I think) top flight goals, and used it as quite an attacking system, with the midfielders storming forward.

 

The Northern Ireland team that won the 1981 Home Internationals and beat Spain in the World Cup finals played the rather unusual formation of 4-3-3 BUT with two out and out wingers and one centre forward making up the 3 forwards.

[CHAIRBOY 10]

The 1970s Dutch team was a pretty good team that never won it either. But the Hungarians were fabulous. I remember a hilarious anecdote involving a couple of the England reserves standing watching the Hungarians come out at Wembley and saying "I feel sorry for this lot, look at that little fat guy at number 10, this is going to be embarrassing", or words to that effect. Think Malcolm Allison told the story on a "Big Match" in the 1970s.

 

I watched that 3-6 live on TV and one embarrassment was Billy Wright. A subsequent report read something like: "Wright attended the fire but got the wrong site!" - as the Hungarian pulled the ball back under his foot before smashing it into the net.