The following is provided for your learning. It explains why on this recent Europa Cup game against Midtjylland on 2 October 2025, Ange's Nottingham had more possession and shots on goal, but why Notthingham leaked goals, as per the story at Tottenham. Thus, you can appreciate the stupidity of Ange using a back 3 when one of his backs, Murillo, was just coming back from injury, and got re-injured in the game after less than half an hour of play. As you recall from Ange's time at Tottenham, his formations require great athleticism from his back players - thus Ange having TWO seasons at Tottenham ravaged by injuries.
"In association football tactics, having 3 defenders at the back line is generally regarded as a formation that can be more attacking but also leaves the defense thinner and potentially weaker."
"A formation with three central defenders, such as the 3-4-3, often includes wing-backs (wide midfielders) who push high up the pitch to provide attacking width and support offensive plays. This allows the team to have more players involved in offense, often making the formation more aggressive and dynamic in attack. The wing-backs and midfielders can advance to overload wide areas and create more scoring opportunities. This formation enables fluid positional changes and can stretch the opposition defense by focusing on wide areas."
"However, having only three defenders inherently leaves the back line thinner compared to a four-defender setup. The three defenders, especially the wide center-backs, often have larger spaces to cover and may face more one-on-one defending situations. This can leave the team vulnerable to fast counter-attacks and overloads in the wide areas if the wing-backs are caught too far forward. The formation demands significant defensive discipline and stamina from wing-backs and midfielders to balance offensive support with defensive cover. Defensive lapses can be costly if the back three is stretched or caught out of position."
"Thus, the tactical trade-off with three defenders at the back is gaining attacking flexibility and width but potentially sacrificing defensive solidity and coverage. Teams using this system must manage the balance carefully to avoid leaving themselves exposed."
"Based on analysis of Premier League data and expert tactical reviews, using a back three formation has indeed been successful for certain teams, but its success largely depends on how it is implemented rather than the mere fact of using three defenders."
"Chelsea's 2016-17 Premier League title under Antonio Conte is one of the most prominent examples of a successful back three system. Conte switched to a 3-4-3 formation after an initial rough start to the season, and the team lost just three of 26 games in this setup, which was pivotal in their title run. The back three provided defensive solidity and allowed wing-backs to push forward and create attacking width, contributing to a strong balance of attack and defense."
"Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, has also used variations of a back three effectively. Their approach often emphasizes possession and pressing, using the back three alongside an attacking midfield setup to dominate the game. This helped them maintain both defensive strength and offensive potency, exemplified by their very low goals conceded and high ball control rates with this system."
"The popularity of back three formations in the Premier League rose steadily over several seasons, peaking around 28-30% of games in some years but has recently seen some decline back to about 18% in 2024/25. Many teams experiment with three-center-back setups to exploit wing-backs' attacking roles while maintaining a strong defensive base. However, it's more commonly a strategic choice suited to specific teams' personnel rather than a universal solution."
"Despite these successes, a back three formation requires specific attributes from wing-backs who must be athletic and able to contribute both offensively and defensively. When these roles are not well executed, or the center-backs hesitate to press forward, teams can struggle defensively. Some teams have found difficulty adapting to the demands, resulting in defensive weaknesses. It's not a guaranteed winning formation but a tool that can be highly effective if well-suited to players and managed tactically."
"A back three formation tends to work well only with very good center-backs and fast, athletic wing-backs or wide players. Such players are necessary because the system puts higher physical and tactical demands on defenders and wing-backs, who must cover large spaces both defensively and offensively."
"If the wing-backs lack pace or defensive awareness, or if the center-backs are not comfortable covering wide areas, the back three system can collapse badly under pressure. The team risks getting stretched too thin defensively, allowing high-quality opponents to exploit space and score through counters or pressure on the flanks."
"It is not surprising that Premier League teams that have succeeded with a back three, such as Manchester City and Chelsea, are among the top teams, because this formation often requires very good players in the back three and fast, athletic wing-backs for it to work effectively."
"In contrast, many other teams have struggled with this formation because it demands specific player attributes and tactical discipline. Without very good centre-backs comfortable in wider defensive roles and wing-backs capable of both attacking and covering defensively, the formation can leave the team exposed and result in defensive instability. This makes it more suited to well-equipped and tactically astute teams at the higher end of the Premier League."
"So, top Premier League teams adopting a back three formation generally have the quality and tactical setup to make it successful, while less equipped teams might find it more challenging or risk collapse. This explains why the formation is more often seen with successful clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea."
During Ange's time with the Socceroos -- with particular focus on those last few months where his back-3 strategy was questioned by more and more people who understood what a back 3 is -- including me -- it became evident that Ange's stubbornness would be his downfall. And now at Tottenham and Notthingham Forest, we are seeing a rinse and repeat of that stubbornness that Ange showed with his insistence on a back 3 with the Socceroos at a time when we were losing so many games with WC qualification in doubt.
Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat its mistakes.
