3-4-3 Formation

Image Courtesy of Field Insider

Cc Wilson Oluoch

Flash back to 24^th September, 2016 in the Premier League 7:30 pm kick-off (EA time) at the Emirates Stadium and at full-time the score is 3-0 in favor of Arsenal. First half goals from Sanchez, Walcott and Ozil gave Antonio Conte (during his first season as Chelsea boss) his second successive defeat in the Premier League. The first having been a 2-1 home loss against Liverpool in the previous matchweek. Stamford Bridge faithfuls will always look back at the London defeat as a turning point and a blessing in disguise. Conte had lost the game to Liverpool while playing a 4321 and lost to Arsenal while playing a 4141. He went on to win the next six PL games without conceding (2-0 Hull, 3-0 Leicester, 4-0 Manchester United, 5-0 Everton, 1-0 Middlesbrough) and this was thanks to a switch to the 343. Chelsea ended up lifting the title for the fifth time that season earning 93 points, (very impressive considering it was Conte’s first season managing in The Prem) That Chelsea campaign saw them drop only a further 13 points after switching to the 343 (3 losses, 2 draws). They also reached the FA Cup final but failed to win it at the expense of London rivals, Arsenal.

 

Years on later, 27^th January, 2021 also in the Premier League for the very first time, newly appointed Thomas Tuchel manages for the first time in the Premier League and his first task just a couple of hours after being announced to replace Frank Lampard was to play his 9^th place side against Wolverhampton Wanderers and the game played out to a goalless draw but something had changed; the 343 was back. Tuchel went on to lead the team to a 4^th place finish, FA Cup final (lost to Leicester) and won them the Champions League for the second time.

 

Let’s dive deep into what this formation can help achieve. Conventionally, teams use a 4 man backline nut here is one that utilises a 3 man centre-back setting. Note that the middle centre back is usually a ball playing defender who carries the ball forward to help initiate attacks by picking players far up the pitch. The other two cover the middle centre back and primarily receive the ball when play is initiated by the goalkeeper. The wingbacks are positioned wide in a more advanced role. They allows the two wingers to operate as wide forwards in support with the central striker all this while they (wingbacks) push up the field and overlap.

From an on-paper look one would think that this formation is usually a very defensive one, but it in fact is super offensive.

The wing back role, however is very demanding as they are required to track back when defensive plays are called on.

Thomas Tuchel has however best prevented overworking his wing-backs, as opposed to Conte’s system. Tuchel’s philosophy is one of strategic and disciplined attack that is involves making very little risky passes forward. His team also presses highly up the pitch and most times they win the ball in the opponents half. All this prevents them from being caught out on the break when they lose the ball and allows them to have much of the possession always. If needs be, which rarely happens, then the system changes to a back 5. But always, it is a 3 man backline.

 

The midfielders are expected to be very tactically competent for this system to work. Ideally, the pair should consist of a deep lying playmaker and a box-to-box midfielder. All variations of midfield partnerships to have played this system posses superior qualities of being able to read the game above others, ball carrying ability, spreading play wide to the wingbacks, ability to penetrate passes and directly dictating play from deep.

 

The wingers are essential for counter-attacks and pace here is such a bonus. They play as wide forwards with license to drift inwards and get into the box as well. During defensive plays or periods of intense pressure from the opposition, they track back to cover the wingbacks and form a 5-4-1 formation. The focal man could either be a false-9 or an out and out striker depending on the manager’s decision and/or tactical preference or sometimes is limited to the players available for selection.

 

This formation requires very fast and athletic defenders to be able to cover the length and the width of the pitch and the midfielders need to be very technically gifted and even more disciplined to shield the defence and cover for deep spots. It is a proven winning formation and perhaps its greatest advantages being that with a midfield four, the team in possession has more width, it is also a very impressively strong defensive formation and allows forwards and attacking midfielders to switch positions freely, making it very difficult for defenders to know who to pick out.

 

Note that it comes in many variations such as the 3-4-2-1, 3-4-1-2, or the 3-5-2 but the idea is generally one of dropping one or two players into midfield during the build-up phase.

 

When used right, this formation has proven to deliver the goods !