EnglandYou may want to choose whether you would like to play a back 3 or 4 at the same time. World Cup next month, just as they did when progressing to the final of last year’s European Championship.
ChelseaGraham Potter can switch systems even in the same match. His former club. BrightonWhile many others have lost that ability, a few people still possess it. Premier LeagueFrom one game to the next, both sides can alter the shape of their back lines.
Other head coaches apparently yearn for such flexibility, constantly implying that they do not have the personnel at their disposal to play one system or the other — that their hand is effectively forced.
But why? What advantages does a three-man backguard have over a traditional quartet? What is the point of a head coach favoring one type of formation over another? And how does it affect the minutiae of a player’s individual game, from where they stand to the duties bestowed on them what kind of runs they are expected to make?
The Athletic asked a trio of former international defenders all with experience of playing in a back four and a back three — Sol Campbell, Matthew Upson and Danny Higginbotham — and the highly regarded former Wolverhampton Wanderers and
