Chelsea increasingly committed to being a three at the back side

Chelsea has never really been set in their ways like other clubs. Barcelona has long been known as a team that uses 4-3-3. Real Madrid too with a few occasional diversions. Bayern Munich has almost exclusively used 4-2-3-1 for the better part of the last decade. Some of that is a conscious decision by the club. They determine their style and, from the bottom of the academy to the top of the first team, decisions are made that coincide with that idea.

This is a notion that can supersede the manager. Barcelona and Bayern Munich, for example, both go through managers regularly like Chelsea. The former, in recent years, has brought in managers with ideas different than the “Barca way” and that’s likely why they have faded. Bayern, meanwhile, is often able to find managers that suit their style, allowing them to pick up where they left off time and time again.

Chelsea hasn’t had a set formation or style but that may be changing. Rumors and recent seasons indicate Chelsea is aiming to be the three at the back team. That’s skimming the surface, but there are many reasons why it makes sense and why it may benefit the Blues.

Two trophies stand above all others for Chelsea: the Premier League and the Champions League. It surely isn’t a coincidence that the last time Chelsea won either, it came with a 3-4-3 formation. It also isn’t a coincidence that some of the Blues’ best youth teams of recent years also found their success in a 3-4-3. Even Frank Lampard dabbled in the shape and it made his team look more solid.

3-4-3 can create overloads more easily than other formations while also masking the weaknesses of most players. The only players that don’t really find an advantage in 3-4-3 are the two center mids and the wingbacks, but Chelsea has plenty of quality in both right now.

Furthermore, the potential Achraf Hakimi signing would only further indicate that the Blues are sticking with three at the back. Reece James is too good to leave out, so a Hakimi signing would have to work with James in the side as well. Three at the back makes that simple where the line between centerback and fullback can be blurred.

The biggest knock against 3-4-3 is the perceived lack of creativity and goal scoring. While three at the back formations do rely heavily on great movement in possession, the Blues have only truly struggled against teams that have sat off and dared Chelsea on. That was the case with four at the back for Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard as well. The pursuit of Erling Haaland is one solution to this. Any additional super creative player would also be a potential solution. Basically it comes down to creating more chances or finishing the chances already created better.

The notion that three at the back is defensive is also pretty well debunked too. Managers like Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann have shown that three at the back can be used very effectively to create chances because of the vertical spaces it creates. It comes down to execution and the longer and more frequently players play in the system, the better it will get.

But, this is something that should also survive past Tuchel too. When Chelsea was looking for a new manager, both Ralf Rangnick and Julian Nagelsmann were discussed before Tuchel. The indication is that Chelsea is shifting away from getting whoever the best available manager is and shifting towards a particular style of play. All three Germans prefer a high pressing team that attacks quickly with verticality. Three at the back can create that verticality as well as overloads that can wreak havoc.

This shift brings Chelsea more in line with the Bayern Munich’s and the Barcelona’s of the world. Both clubs know what style they want and they get managers that suit that style, for the most part. That ensures continuity from coach to coach. If Chelsea settles on three at the back being their go to, then the Blues can do the same. Should Tuchel leave for any reason, they can find another 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 manager to continue the work. That can also be the case in the academy so players are ready made for the first team.

Chelsea’s best successes in recent years came with three at the back. Current transfer rumors imply that it will remain. The Blues can only gain from developing their own set style that transcends the personnel at the club. If Chelsea is going to fully become the three at the back team, they will only benefit.