Up next within our 5 at the back series is the popular 5-2-3 formation. This one’s a treat to talk about as many teams in today’s era have decided to play this formation due to its ability to provide a good balance for defensive minded coaches when it comes to having a solid back 5 and players within the attacking area that can still pose a threat to the opposition. The 5-2-3 consists of 5 Defenders, 2 Central or Defensive Midfieders and 3 Forwards. Many will look at this formation and consider the 2 man Midfield to be a liability, and to an extent, they may be correct. But the beauty about this formation is that it has the capability to convert into various different formations when in and out of possession. So, the 2 man Midfield can easily become a 4 man Midfield if the wingbacks decide to step up and provide support to the Central Midfieders. It can also become a 5-4-1 ( more about this formation in the last 2 episodes of the season) as both Wide Forwards drop back into the midfield; and it also allows front foot Center Backs (like a Rudiger, Lisandro Martinez or Joel Matip) to get into the midfield regions due to the space that this formation provides within that area on the pitch.
Modern day managers, from the likes of Conte, Tuchel, Potter, and Simeone have all used this formation sparingly, but the manager who was ever consistent in its implementation was the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno Esperito Santos. The reason I’ve picked Nuno’s Wolves as the main example is because he rarely switched to a different formation throughout his time as their nanager. The 5 at the back consisted of players like Conor Coady, Roman Saiss ( who was the front foot Center Back). The Wingbacks such as Jonny and Doherty, the Midfield orchestrates like Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, and the front 3 of Pedro Netro, the underrated Raul Jiminez and the beast himself Adama Traore made this Wolves team very difficult to play against .
PROS
• One of the few 5 at the back formations that allows a team to press all over
• The front 3 can be left to only attack all game which means they’ll have less defensive responsibilities
• Formation can convert into many other different formations based on your use of the arrows
CONS
• The Central Midfielders must have extreme levels of stamina and work rate
• Formation tends to struggle against any other formation with a diamond shaped midfield
• Front 3 must all be versatile and extremely quick ( except for Strikers like a Raul Jiminez or Harry Kane )
A brilliant formation that is now one of the hottest properties for many teams in today’s game. We’re almost at the end of the season and coming up next, we’ll be taking a look at the most defensive formation of them all.
Leave your comment below and remember to check out our Facebook page: The SoccerManager blog for daily news about the best online managing game in the industry! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084360973117
The Soccermanager Experience 