Systems and formations go in and out of fashion, almost cyclically. 3, or 5 depending on how you play it, at the back used to be a mainstay in English football until 4-4-2 became commonplace. Elsewhere in Europe, they were moving on from 4-4-2, discovering 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, which we in England then adopted. We're often behind on these fashions, but we seem to be a bit quicker this time. Though Italian clubs have been playing 3 centre-backs for years, we seem to be trying to adopt to the dominant styles of the Spanish and German teams - or at least some teams are.
The most high profile change to a 3 centre-back system is the much discussed change from Manchester United under Louis Van Gaal. Playing 3-5-2 allows them to play their three most dangerous players - Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie - at the same time. Last season, Man U tried to play a 4-2-3-1 system, which didn't allow them to play all three in their positions. This may also get the best out of Shinji Kagawa too, as he will have room to playmake in his standard position. Not only this, but Man U had trouble controlling games last season, and having more 5 in midfield should help them control the game. Defensively, there have been many a concern expressed about the quality of their defenders, so playing 3 centre-backs should help them defensively.
Van Gaal obviously has previous with 3 centre-backs, having played it with Netherlands at the World Cup. This obviously worked well for Netherlands against very good teams, like Spain, but they struggled to break down the more defensive teams such as Costa Rica. That can be an issue with the formation, which depends mostly on the wing-backs, who are the possibly the most important players in the system. Netherlands had fairly defensive wing-backs in their system. Daley Blind is a superb player but won't stretch a game and fire crosses in, and neither will Dirk Kuyt. In this system, the wide players are needed to add an extra dimension to the attack, otherwise they risk becoming predictable and easy to defend.
They mustn't forget their defensive duties however, as this can be another main weakness of the formation. The flanks can be left open for exploitation if wing-backs either aren't good enough defensively, or push too high up, so teams must be careful against top wingers. This could be an issue for Man U when they play against Eden Hazard for example. Rafael, if he plays, struggles to deal with top class wide men and if doubled up on would really struggle. If they sign Cuadrado, for example, he may be required to go forward to add more going forwards, leaving gaps that can be exploited.
One of the best wing-backs in English football at the moment is Ahmed Elmohamady, for Hull. Steve Bruce implemented a very successful system at Hull that allowed him to bomb on from wing-back, which he did with aplomb last season. Hull played a deeper trio in midfield, allowing Huddlestone to control games whilst Livermore and Meyler protect him and break forwards. Having the 3 at the back system meant that Huddlestone could play in a 3, which is where he excels, whilst Hull can play 2 up top, which meant they threatened teams instead of being toothless up front, which they may well have been playing 4-5-1.
Hull played with 3 'standard' centre-backs, whose jobs were defending almost exclusively, whereas many teams prefer to have a sweeper, who is more liberal. Defensively, he cleans up behind the defence, but on the ball he controls the game with his passing and leadership. Mexico did this particularly well in the World Cup, with Rafael Marquez pulling the strings, strolling around the pitch and spraying the ball around. Harry Redknapp appears to be trying to recreate this with Rio Ferdinand at QPR. QPR are trying to play 3-5-2 or maybe even the lesser seen 3-4-3, presumably with Isla and Traore as wing-backs, which should suit them down to the ground.
With Hull, QPR and Man United all playing 3 at the back in the Premier League, and many other teams using it at times (Everton have been known too, for example) it seems that 3 at the back systems are coming back into fashion. With attacking full-backs being the norm nowadays, the transition into wing-backs could be a very simple one, meaning we could see more and more teams switching over. 3 at the back is making a comeback, so jump on the bandwagon.
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