The Boot Room Blog

Why is the 3-5-2 my favorite system to employ, well it’s simple I gives me 2 forwards at all time which is great for the counter attack, I always have 3 center backs which means I can be protected against the oppositions counter and typically I will have numerical superiority in the midfield. Surely, it’s that simple! I wish….

Just like any system, it really depends upon the players within it and the philosophy of the coach behind it. There are many strengths to the 3-5-2 and but again, just like every system it has its downfalls. As a coach before you employ your system for a game, it is very important that you look at the players you have available and what can they do within certain systems.

Looking at it from the perspective of someone who would like to see their team hold a higher percentage of possession throughout the 90 minutes, the first thing to do would be to find yourself 3 very confident, physically dominant, ball playing center backs. They also need to have a high level of game intelligence that enables them to recognize the key moments in the game, whether that’s during organizational possession where they can advance into the midfield area or a transitional moment that requires them quickly nullify the oppositions attack. A back 3 comprised of technically savvy ball players enables the team to build against various opposition shapes, whether they press or sit in a block. Simple rotation and the #6 dropping deep can allow for overloads and ultimately help progress the ball forward into the midfield 3rd or higher.

The wing backs are vital in this system, it goes without saying that they must have the ability to attack and defend throughout the full game. The attacking instinct to make positive influences in the final 3rd and the defensive awareness to ensure they work well as part of a compact unit when defending. The two wing backs must always provide maximum width for their team, unless you are Sheffield United who have overlapping center backs that provide the width. As the game of football evolves, we are seeing a new brand of full backs becoming more prominent. Trent Alexander Arnold & Andrew Robertson are two of the more exciting full backs in the game right now, continually providing positive contributions in the attacking end of the field. However due to their attacking mindset they can be caught high and out of position in transitional moments. With 3 center backs at home, they are afforded the opportunity to attack with a little more freedom. Although they will still have defensive duties, a back 3 would allow one of the 3 center backs to cover the wide channels if necessary while the wing back is high.

The center midfielders can be set up in a variety of ways but the most common is the traditional #6, #8 & #10 set up. The #6 is the platform upon which many of the teams attacks will be built, #8 will be working “box to box” and the #10 will be the vital link between the midfield and the two forwards. These central midfielders will find themselves either numbers even against many midfields that comprise of 3 such as a 4-3-3 or at times having the extra player when they play against a 4-4-2.  Depending upon the opposition’s defensive shape, during the build the #6 and possibly the #8 are vital to ensure your team has controlled possession, allowing your wing backs to get into a high and wide position where they can impact the oppositions back line. This is a key moment because if you are committing to build with your back 3 and release your wing backs and you turn over the ball, you will be very vulnerable in wide areas when the opposition counters you. Giving your #10 the freedom to roam between the opposition’s lines can create havoc for their shape and create many goal scoring opportunities. We have seen players like Ozil who thrive in these areas, they are continually imposing themselves on the oppositions #6, does the #6 continually screen him which allows passes to find your front two? Or Does he pass on the responsibilities to his back line who is already been occupied by your front two while the full backs will likely be forced to deal with your advanced wing backs.

The front two in this system can come in all shapes and sizes, you can go old school with a little and large combination like Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips, alternatively you can go with a partnership such as Dwight York & Andy Cole who were very dynamic and continually occupying both center backs and forcing them to play on the back foot. As you already have a natural #10 occupying the space between the lines it allows for more flexibility in the characteristics you look for in your front 2.

Defensively the 3-5-2 can be used to set up a low block and frustrate the opposition, you might see the shape look more like a 5-3-2 as the full backs have now joined the back line and will concede the space in front of them rather than behind them. This would see them defend zonally through most areas of the field. Alternatively, you may see this used as a pressing shape such as a 3-4-1-2. There are many ways in which a coach may utilize this however, the most common would see the front 2 being responsible for the opposition center backs, with the #10 underneath taking responsibility for the opposing #6 and ensuring that they can limit their ability to influence the build. If the play comes centrally you are numbers even and able to apply adequate pressure to prevent the opposition from progressing the ball forward. If they choose to play wide, the wing backs have the ability to step aggressively on the opposing fullbacks, while the outside center back can step high on the opposing wide player, during this press the players would become very man orientated in their defensive approach. Tottenham who made it to the Champions League Final in 2019 used this high pressing approach to great success against Dortmund in their Semi- Final. They set up a pressing trap on the sideline meaning the onus was on their wing backs to press high (Aurier & Vertonghen). This worked to great success for them as Vertonghen was able to assist Son for their first goal and Aurier assisted Vertonghen for their second goal.

Obviously just like any system, there are weaknesses within the system. If the opposition can draw out your wingbacks and then play around them into the outside channel they are left exposed and you can find yourself dropping deep very quickly to reorganize, particularly, if you do not have mobile center backs who are comfortable working 1v1 in the wide channels. The wing backs can find themselves in a very dangerous game of cat and mouse if there are many continual transitions within the flow of the game. Deciding whether to get into an attacking position can be dangerous from a defensive standpoint. Conversely during these moments in a game they may decide to sit deep and turn the back 3 into a 5, which hampers their ability to join the attack.

As someone who is a true believer that “you should attack how you want to defend and defend how you want to attack”. It is not always that simple but certainly something to considering when choose what tactics you want to employ. For me the great thing about a variation of the 3-5-2 system is the fact that you can sit deep and defend while still having two forwards that will help you counter the opposition. Alternatively, if you commit numbers high up the pitch to your attack, you still have a solid defensive structure under the ball to prevent or at least limit the oppositions ability to counter you. Throughout the Champions League in the 2018/19 season there were 366 goals scored from group stages to final with 185 of these coming from regains in the final third. This number shows the importance of establishing a system that allows you to press your opponent high up the field and force turnovers. Additionally the average period of time it took to score last year was 12.5 seconds with an average of 3.89 passes required to accomplish this, eventual winners Liverpool had the lowest average time in possession prior to scoring at 7.81 seconds and needing only on average 2.51 passes to find the back of the net. Liverpool typically play a variation of a 4-3-3 with a certain Mo Salah given many liberties during the defensive moment with the stipulation that as soon as they win the ball he is an outlet along with Firmino, essentially setting up as a lopsided front two when defending deep in their own half.

Ultimately everyone has their preferences of how they like to see the game played, there is no one way that it should be done. There is no end to the factors that must be taken into account when choosing your system, what players you have, do you want to press, what system does the opposition utilize? A variation of the 3-5-2 is coming back around as the game continues to evolve, we will see on many occasions that when you have the right players who understand their roles and responsibilities it can be magnificent, however if you get this wrong it can be a total disaster, just ask Unai Emery.

Follow Christy on Twitter: @Christyeholly

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