They rely on maintaining possession of the ball and looking for the perfect variant to attack. They don’t push an opportunity and if there isn’t one they just keep repeating the sequence of passes until another chance appears.
In the early phase of the attack, they take the shape of 4-2-3-1, in which the defensive midfielders are responsible for the choice of the playing variant and the central midfielder is responsible for vertical movement and options allowing to cross the first and sometimes a second line of rival’s pressing.
Bournemouth smoothly moves to 4-3-3 with progressive wings and defensive midfielders coming in from the depths as they progress. Woodgate’s defensive approach is a continuation of the ideas of his predecessors: a hard-working whole team in which even the forward is entrusted with many defensive tasks. Constant pressure on the opponent when taking the ball, sectors in which the game is played crowded (even doubled), close protection, limiting space.