Why Tottenham's 3-4-3 is Here to Stay

Among the most talked about matters at Tottenham this season is simply a matter of shape. How will Mauricio Pochettino line his team up this week, or next or the week after that?

Tottenham’s manager seemed open to experimenting from day one. Compared to the club’s rather rigid 4-2-3-1 fundamentalism from last season, these shifts were frequent — sometimes coming midmatch.

The shifts ran the gambit of modern football tactics. The 4-2-3-1 would reappear for a match or two at a time, but soon enough some new twist was added.

What finally stuck, come December, was a three-at-the-back formation that happened to be similar with the one in vogue throughout the Premier League. While Chelsea in particular became synonymous with the style, Pochettino is making it his own with this Tottenham team.

Whereas once the three-at-the-back formation seemed situational, there are hints Pochettino will utilize it more often in the coming weeks and months.

In theory, three centre-backs are best used against an opposition that fields two strikers. That leaks both players marked, with an extra defender for clean up duties. Against teams like Watford, then, it made perfect sense for Pochettino to make this kind of switch.

That he would continue with that formation for the following two matches was, to say the least, notable. Neither Chelsea nor Aston Villa favor two striker formations, and yet the formation still worked well enough to earn Spurs two important wins.

The whys and hows of that are questions that evidently don’t concern Pochettino. He is confident in his team regardless of their shape. That shift in attitude might explain his increasing flexibility.

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Tottenham’s newest formation does have some clear advantages however, and West Brom might find themselves the latest example.

Like Chelsea and Villa, the Baggies don’t typically field a two striker system. Tony Pulis prefers one towering strikers flanked by two aggressive, pacey wingers. The rest of the team is typically more concerned with denying space and defending deep. Such a balance allows West Brom to defend in number and break forward with some hope to threaten the opposition goal.

A Spurs three-at-the-back scheme seems rife with potential difficulties. With Tottenham’s fielding advanced wing-backs, West Brom’s wingers might find ample room the receive the ball in wide areas. On the flip side, Danny Rose and Kyle Walker might be forced to play against centre-backs refitted as sturdy full-backs.

What three centre-backs would afford Tottenham is sheer numbers in higher areas on the pitch. With West Brom so committed to essentially two banks of five players in defense, Tottenham need as many men forward as possible. In possession, this tactical set up would allow Tottenham to press with as many as seven outfield players. If that doesn’t crack the visitors, not much else will.

That is essentially how Chelsea and even Manchester United earned their clean sheet wins over West Brom. The former, of course, fielded three centre-backs, while the presence of Michael Carrick covering the centre-backs freed up more players forward for United.

Next: Strong Tottenham Squad to Face West Brom

Ultimately Pochettino’s experiment with the 3-4-3 formation at Tottenham is about liberating the club’s at times stuttering attack. Getting more quality players forward — particularly Rose and Walker — forces the opposition back and create more opportunities. There’s no reason why Pochettino shouldn’t embrace this formation’s potential yet again Saturday.

Why Tottenham’s 3-4-3 is Here to Stay

By Ryan Wrenn | Jan 12, 2017

Among the most talked about matters at Tottenham this season is simply a matter of shape. How will Mauricio Pochettino line his team up this week, or next or the week after that?