It’s more the RCB who will cover for Trent, not Fabinho (or whoever plays it on the day), if the opponent tries to exploit us quickly right side of Trent, before we have time to revert back to our 4-3-3 shape and Trent goes back to RB.
Trent already spoke about it post-Arsenal. It depends where we lose the ball. Sometimes we will remain in the 3-box-3 shape trying to regain it quickly with the counter-press, sometimes go back in our 4-3-3. Yes, communication, understanding and then quality individual defending will still be needed from both our RCB (whoever it is) and Trent.
But it’s certainly not the first time we kept one of our full backs more back and pushed the other one higher. And especially against some top opponenents. It’s not always been both of them pushing up equally.
I remember PSG at home in 2018, Trent pushed up really high and Robbo remained more (back then it was Mbappe more on the right).
We had a lot games when Trent remained deeper, to help the build up phase. Robbo then pushed up more, allowing the left attacker to receive more between the lines (as opposed to Salah, going more from slightly wider then into his favourite zone very high). And then we had a few layers whether he plays a bit more inside or more wider.
I re-watched the final in Paris without commentary with a brilliant camera showing the whole pitch, almost all players at the same time. And a lot of the time, especially when we were without the ball trying to press, it was more of a 3-4-3 actually. Trent positioned higher than Robbo and Konate actually defending closer to Vinicius than Trent.
Not many games left this season, I think we might still toy with it, but perhaps there won’t be much sample. Pre-season will definitely be interesting to see what we’re trying to do and then that + the start of the season will give us a clearer idea.
I don’t get all this twisting and squirming trying to keep Trent at right back but also in midfield.
Why not just play him as a midfielder? Let him use his range of passing from a right side of midfield position and have a right back behind him who is solid defensively and able to support in attack.
There are valid concerns about the new formation, but to simplify the reasons why it’s worth sticking with, it forces Konate and Robertson to do more defending, and it allows our best passer of the ball to have as much possession as possible. It also gives Fabinho a little more support at times in the middle of the park when we lose the ball.
It is playing to the players strengths. It may come apart tactically as teams work it out, but it looks a ton better than what we were doing previously.
