Right back to the future: Southgate’s return to 3-4-3

The talking points from England’s 5-0 win over Albania on Friday were largely surrounding the players who had been out of form. Harry Kane scored a first-half hat trick, while Harry Maguire’s celebration for the opening goal certainly prompted a response. However, one aspect of the game that claimed fewer column inches was Gareth Southgate’s decision to reward in-form players with a return to a 3-4-3 formation.

This was, of course, used to great effect in the Three Lions’ World Cup campaign in 2018. Here, Kieran Trippier’s performances at a wing back earned praise, while former Tottenham team mate Kyle Walker instead took up place on the right of a defensive trio. Three years on, Southgate switched a 4-2-3-1 as England reached the final of European Championships.

Why has Southgate returned to the 3-4-3?

This change could have been prompted by absences in attack. The main criticism of the 3-4-3 system is that a designated playmaker/winger must make way to accommodate the third centre back. For Friday’s game, regular Mason Mount was injured, while Jack Grealish has not started often since his summer switch to Manchester City. Jadon Sancho’s absence from the squad removed another option.

Declan Rice’s injury also deprived the Euro 2020 (sigh) runners-up of their regular double pivot behind the attack. Jordan Henderson stepped in alongside Kalvin Phillips, but an additional defender provided security in the West Ham midfielder’s absence.

However, given the status of England’s opponents, and the wealth of attacking talent at Southgate’s disposal regardless, these theories seem unlikely. Instead, the impressive form of Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold so far in 2021/22 makes it hard to only include one of the duo, as well as incumbent right back Walker, in the starting XI. The former two were already pushing for a starting place ahead of the Euros, and their influence at Chelsea and Liverpool respectively has only grown so far this season. As such, Southgate’s return to 3-4-3 provides option to select two of them.

Alexander-Arnold left looking in

It was James who was started on the wing at Wembley, with Walker playing to the right of Harry Maguire and John Stones, just as he had in Russia in 2018. Alexander-Arnold had to settle for a place on bench, replacing James with 13 minutes to play.

The decision could be seen as somewhat harsh on the Liverpool defender, who has contributed one goal and three assists in his last two appearances for the Reds. In fact, given the 23-year-old’s ability and output at club level over the last four years, it is astounding that he has just 15 caps to his name.

Of course, injury in a warm-up friendly against Austria meant that he could play no part at Euro 2020, but it should not be forgotten that his place in an already extended 26-man squad was in doubt regardless. If anything, his enforced absence saved his manager from a difficult decision.

In September’s victory over Andorra, Alexander-Arnold started out in central midfield as Southgate opted for James at right back. Although this was the first time it had been tried, it had long been suggested that the Liverpool player’s future could lie here. However, the experiment did not work. As a result, his club manager Jürgen Klopp asked:

“Why would you make the best right back in the world a midfielder?”

As discussed, the answer to that is straightforward: Southgate has several exceptional players to fit in. Indeed, Trippier also started in that match as a traditional left back.

If anything, Klopp’s question raises another: if Alexander-Arnold is the best right back in the world, why can’t he start regularly for his country?

Three players in form

Since his arrival at Manchester City in 2017 as the most expensive defender in history, Walker has been a regular starter for arguably the best team in the world over that period. Moreover, he has rarely disappointed in an England shirt, making it all the more difficult to justify his omission.

His pace means that he is comfortable bombing forward when playing in a back four, or allowing him to recover possession by sweeping across a back three. He has reached the final of a European Championship and the semis of a World Cup in each role, respectively. His speed when tracking back has been invaluable and allows Southgate to switch between systems and formations easily.

This is something James can do too. Following a loan at Wigan in 2018/19, where he featured regularly at right back, James returned to Chelsea where new manager Frank Lampard used him both in a back four and at wing back. Since Thomas Tuchel arrived in January, the German has stuck to a system involving a back three and wing backs (either 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-1-2).

Having spent the second half of last season operating as a right wing-back for Chelsea ahead of Cesar Azpilicueta, he swapped positions with the Spaniard for the Champions League final against Manchester City, where he was tasked with tracking Raheem Sterling. There is no reason why he could not alternate with Walker in that role for England.

This season, James’ stats at wing back have made him arguably Chelsea’s influential player. He has registered four goals and three assists to date in the Premier League, tallies that could well have been higher had it not been for a suspension following his red card at Liverpool. He is contributing an average of 1.9 key passes and 1.4 shots per 90 minutes.

In contrast, besides three England appearances in 2018 and 2019, Alexander-Arnold has almost no experience of playing as a wing back. He has not been sent on loan since breaking into the Liverpool senior team, where Klopp almost exclusively deploys a 4-3-3 formation.

Why does this matter?

Alexander-Arnold’s credentials as a creative force cannot be underestimated. Interestingly, he tends to take more touches toward the central channel, as opposed to wide of or inside the area. Unlike most full backs, he prefers to cross from a deeper area just outside of the area, away from the wing.

This approach has brought remarkable success at Liverpool, where right winger Mo Salah is comfortable driving inside from the wing, and centre forward Roberto Firmino is allowed to move to wherever he is most needed.

However, Southgate’s shift from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3 means that the wingers must come inside more; this not only compensates for the absence of a central attacking midfielder, but also gives the wing backs space to overlap and drive into the area. With fewer defensive duties due to the additional centre back, and greater attacking responsibility to stretch and break through the opposition defence, it is vital that the wing backs offer a threat both on the flanks and in the final 18 yards.

Tellingly, this not Alexander-Arnold’s strong suit. In Liverpool’s last five games in which he has featured, he has managed only ten touches inside the opposition box. He has also taken just 17 touches in open play in the zone to the right of the area. Those 27 touches account for 4.7% of the combined 573 he has had across all five appearances.

In comparison, across his last five appearances for Chelsea, James has taken 18 touches inside the area and 17 touches just wide of it. These numbers might not seem like a significant increase on his compatriot’s, but he spent one of those games at the right of a back three, while in another he did not appear from the bench until the 66th minute. The touches listed above account for 10% of his total – over twice as many as the corresponding figure for Alexander-Arnold.

Indeed, James’ touch map from Friday’s victory over Albania (Fig. 1) shows just what is expected of a wing back, as he recorded eight touches inside and wide of the box.

Fig. 1: Touch map for Reece James (playing L-R) in England’s 5-0 win over Albania – eight came in the final 18 yards of the pitch. Stats via WhoScored.

Taking up these positions has been a key factor in James’ contributions for his club so far this season. The tone was set in just Chelsea’s second game, against Arsenal, when he tormented the Gunners with a goal and an assist before half time. More recently at Newcastle, his desire to get into the box was rewarded with a well-taken brace.

His performance in Chelsea’s last game, at home to Burnley, is worth highlighting. His 91 passes and 104 touches were match highs, and the fact that such a high proportion of his touches were passes indicates the speed at which James plays. His assist for Kai Havertz came from just wide of the area as the Blues stretched the visitors. Interestingly, later on another first-time cross from “Trent territory” was nearly converted by Thiago Silva, whose headed effort could only find the woodwork. If James can continue to create chances from this position, as well as inside and wide of the box, then Alexander-Arnold’s specialist skills may be even less in-demand.

The decision to go back to 3-4-3 allows Southgate to choose one more of his exceptionally talented right backs. Unfortunately for Alexander-Arnold, the two positions that are open are now round holes, and he has to prove that he can provide more flexibility than a square peg.

Ironically, despite there now being room for two right backs instead of one, Alexander-Arnold’s chances of inclusion might have just gotten slimmer.

Stats via WhoScored and Transfermarkt.