The best managers are vultures: Chelsea’s current three at the back
By Travis Tyler
5. Pep Guardiola’s blurred lines
Guardiola has been criticized before for not changing his tactics which is half true. He does largely stick to the same principles but his tactics have evolved league to league and over time within the leagues as well.
At Barcelona, he was all about overlapping fullbacks and Lionel Messi as a false nine dropping deep to pull the strings before ghosting into dangerous positions in the box. At Bayern Munich, his fullbacks would invert and join the midfield, allowing the midfielders to join the attack in numbers. At Manchester City he tried the latter first and the former second before combining the two for his dual eight system.
Also notable is how often he has used “3-5-2” in the Premier League. But really, that was just a tweak on how he used Fernandinho. It was not unusual for the Brazilian to drop between the centerbacks in possession, creating a 3-4-3. 3-5-2 just got rid of the middle man. He has even taken it a step further and used Fernandinho as a centerback in more recent years.
Tuchel used Marquinhos similarly at Paris Saint-Germain. Marquinhos, a center back by trade, would often start in the pivot of a 4-2-3-1. But what was most important was he allowed Tuchel’s side to switch between three at the back and four at the back defensively, in transition, and offensively in reply to the opponent. It meant, regardless of the starting XI, Tuchel could adapt without a change.
At Chelsea currently, this role or a similar one has often been touted for Andreas Christensen. Azpilicueta joining midfield without overlapping would have the same effect. Reece James could also do it too, especially if someone can cover for him at right back if he does so. Jorginho could also do this, though he often struggles most when he is forced into the back on buildup.
The rumors have cooled but Declan Rice would also be ideal for such a role. He could, on paper, be the defensive midfielder behind or part of the pivot and he could drop deep if it was required.
Overall though, Tuchel has shown he has drawn ideas from all over the world. If issues at Chelsea arise, he has plenty more he can draw from before having to switch formations.
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What ideas do you see Tuchel using so far and what ideas could he use in the future? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!