TACTICS FOCUS: The Re-emergence of the 3-5-2 Formation

Formations and tactics in football seem to come in and out of fashion in an almost cyclic manner. It is difficult to pinpoint how long each of these cycles last but there are certain characteristics that trigger a formation to be used again or to stop being used. In the 90s the 4-4-2 came into fashion due to the tendency to play more direct football using strong, tall strikers. It became less prevalent once players were coming through in the mould of Messi, Robben or Hazard, small but technically gifted. The 4-3-3 became the standard in the last ten years as teams were looking to dominate possession and play attractive football at the same time, highlighted by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. In the last few years the 3-5-2 formation has been making a comeback, which hasn't been widely utilised in nearly fifteen years. The 3-5-2 uses three central defenders, five midfielders (two being "wing-backs") and two forwards. We'll take a look at why the formation is becoming popular again, it's strengths and weaknesses and why it probably won't work in the Premier League.

What Did The Mid-Week Fixtures Deliver?

Crystal Palace 1 - West Ham United 0

Tony Pulis may just pull this off. He of course has the record of never seeing a team demoted, and this first win is a good step towards maintaining that record. In what was a tough fixture for both teams who were equally desperate for all 3 points. I’m sticking to my early prediction of Palace going down and now Pulis’ record going with it. Pulis has reportedly been given the go ahead to spend money in January and I hope he can put it to good use because it’s great to see Aussie Mile Jedinak playing brilliant football week in and week out in the Premier League.

A Breath of Fresh Air in the Premier League

On this day, exactly one year ago, Chelsea were sitting top of the Premier League table, one point clear of United and City who were separated only by goal difference. The Gunners were 7 points off the pace, Liverpool were down in 12th with only 2 wins under their belt, QPR and Reading were in the drop zone, a sign of things to come, and nestled in between them was Southampton.

How times have changed. And by God do I love it, which in part is my bias as a Liverpool fan, but to a much larger degree is my bias as a fan of the Premier League. In recent years the title race has been a predictable occasion with a handful of teams fighting it out. In particular the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea, with Arsenal not far behind.