Three at the Back: Fashion, or Function?

The three at the back formation comes round every few years like a bad fringe. Sometimes it's right. Mostly people wear it because they saw someone else in it.

What it does well: three centre-backs give you cover, and wing-backs give you width and runners. What it does badly: it asks a lot. Those wing-backs are basically full-backs and wingers in one body, up and down the whole line. And three at the back only works if at least one of them is comfortable stepping out with the ball at his feet, not just lumping it.

Antonio Conte brought it roaring back at the top level, and within a season half the league had copied the shape. What they couldn't copy as easily were the wing-backs — the specific players who made it sing. The shape's free. The personnel isn't.

So here's the gate, and don't kid yourself through it: do you have two genuine wing-backs with the engine for both jobs, and at least one centre-half who can pass out from the back without panicking? Two yeses, have a go. Any nos, leave it. You'll be better with a back four you can actually staff.

Monday, test the wing-backs before you commit: a game where they have to defend their corner and arrive in the box. Watch who's still doing both after twenty minutes. That tells you everything.

Ask the Gaffer if your squad's shaped for it or if you're chasing a look. We go again.