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As Gareth Southgate prepares to take perhaps the youngest and least experienced England World Cup squad of all time to Russia 2018, the biggest source of optimism lies in how the Three Lions gaffer has set up his side in the last four friendlies. The utilisation of a system that combines 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 (perhaps best described therefore as 3-1-4-2) has produced respectable performances and decent results against traditional footballing nations in Germany, Brazil, Italy and the Netherlands.
And there’s a logic to Southgate’s setup as well, especially compared to the mentality shared by many of his predecessors – shoving square pegs in round holes and hoping by some miraculous fortune that England suddenly emerge as a well-balanced, cohesive unit.
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Rather, Southgate’s formation seems to get everybody in their natural positions and even the one exception, Kyle Walker, has brought something crucially different to the back three in his pace and quality with the ball.
Much more than that though, it seems to address England’s two long-term problems at World Cups; breaking down teams of lesser ability and being continually pinned back by sides of similar or superior calibre.
Indeed, if England aren’t struggling to beat Algeria or USA in the Group Stages, they’re failing to gain territory as one-or-two-person counter-attacks against top teams amount to incredibly little. Eventually, that pressure and lack of control over the game tells as the attacking traffic moves in only one direction.
But the ball-playing tendencies of the three-man defence lure the opposing forward line and midfield that bit closer to the ball. A few cute passes in tight areas to beat the press and suddenly the key strengths of this England team – it’s dynamism, energy and mobility – really come to the fore.
This England side has the ability to stage counter-attacks from every department, it’s just a question of having the space to do so. That, more than anything else, is what Southgate’s setup creates in the areas where England are usually so congested.
Yet, there is a worrying counterargument which will resonate with anybody who has watched England at major tournaments over the last 20 years; is Southgate bringing something new and fresh to the World Cup with his 3-1-4-2 formation, or are England once again one or two tournaments tactically behind the rest of the world? For how quietly effective Southgate’s system has proved to be in friendlies, it’s not a revolutionary idea. Four years ago in Brazil, however, it very much was.
Coinciding with Antonio Conte’s success at Juventus, where 3-4-3 became a key part of the Old Lady’s armoury, three-man defences took an incredibly unspectacular Netherlands team to the third-place Playoffs and saw Chile emerge as the Group Stage entertainers before a penalty shoot-out exit to Brazil in the Round 16.
Since then, three-man defences have really hit a new wave of popularity, especially in the Premier League where Conte’s utilisation of it at Chelsea has resonated throughout the division.
It’s original impact remains unequivocal; not only Conte’s utilisation of the system but also his ability to implement it so quickly in a team and a top flight with almost no experience of it, at least at the division’s summit, left the rest of the Premier League trailing in Chelsea’s path en route to the 2016/17 title. It’s long-term effects, however, probably haven’t been as deep as you might think.
Two seasons ago, all but four Premier League clubs took Chelsea’s lead and attempted a three-man defence in at least one game. Amongst the top six, meanwhile, it’s success appeared to directly influence team selections at Manchester City, Tottenham and even Arsenal – a club that hadn’t previously used such a setup since the first year of Arsene Wenger’s reign, but embraced it to provide a positive end to an otherwise disappointing season.
Compare that to last term. Aside from Chelsea, there were just 40 occasions from a possible 190 in which big six clubs used three-man defences in the Premier League. That’s still a massive gain from prior to Conte’s arrival in England, but it’s still less than a quarter of all the games in question. Likewise, Tottenham stopped using the formation in November, while Arsenal reverted back to type in January after a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth and Chelsea – sticking with it indiscriminate of results – finished in fifth place.
So, what is the top tactical setup across the world right now? Well, it may sound like old hat from a few years ago, but the story of this season has really been the quick revival of 4-3-3 – at least, in the Premier League. That was the most regular formation for the two clubs who finished top of the table, and it also took Liverpool to the final of the Champions League where they lost to a Real Madrid team that only really took control of the match after the introduction of Gareth Bale changed their diamond setup to a 4-3-3.
England too, have all the tools to play in that way. In fact, the World Cup squad includes eleven members who ply their trades with teams that finished the season using 4-3-3, and pretty much every position – perhaps excepting the ever-problematic left flank – has an obvious natural candidate. So, Three Lions fans, should Soutgate make a sudden switch to 4-3-3 for the World Cup? Let us know by voting below…
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