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.
