Can a three-man defence really work for Inter?
In the last few days there's been a lot of talk about Andrea Stramaccioni trying out a three-man defence formation with Inter, this has caused a lot of debate amongst Interista, with some willing to give it a chance and others, who still have Gian Piero Gasperini's woeful attempt last season fresh in their minds, absolutely refusing to even consider it as an option.
I, for one, would like to see Inter try it again as if played right it can bring a lot of balance to a team, as well as giving plenty of options going forward in attack. Much has changed with the Nerazzurri since the beginning of last season and as Stramaccioni is still experimenting to find the optimal formation for his squad this is the ideal time to give it a go.
As I've mentioned in previous articles, Stramaccioni is in a unique position with regards to the amount of patience both the club management and more importantly the fans will give him. This means he has a free reign to try different things without the pressure of an expected instant result, this should give him a little time to get his ideas across to the players for them to perfect on the pitch. Unlike Gasperini though, he has the tactical sense to revert back to a more trusted formation if things look to be going wrong during a game instead of just hoping that things will be ok.
In my opinion, a 3-4-1-2 would be the ideal formation for Inter to use, this would make the best use of the players we have available, while at the same time solving the problem of Diego Milito not being a suitable lone striker.
The main reason the three-man defence failed last season was the fact that Lucio, Walter Samuel and Cristian Chivu were all getting too old and slow. Now however we have three younger, more able defenders in Matias Silvestre, Andrea Ranocchia and Juan Jesus, admittedly these three still aren't the fastest defenders in the world but I do feel they would do a better job of it than the old guard defenders managed last season.
The key to making the formation work will come from the midfield, whose roles will change depending on whether Inter are in possession or not. The wings should be run by wing-backs Javier Zanetti on the right and Alvaro Pereira on the left, this will provide width to Inter's attack going forward and when the opposition have the ball they can drop back to create a five man defensive line giving more security to Samir Handanovic in goal.
In the centre of the pitch either Walter Gargano or Gaby Mudingayi will act as an anchorman in front of the defenders, giving yet more backup to the three centre-backs.
The other central position would be taken up by either Fredy Guarin, Ricky Alvarez or Esteban Cambiasso, who provide the engine of the team and the link between the midfield and the attacking third of the formation.
In the trequartista role behind the two strikers, Wesley Sneijder or Phillipe Coutinho do what they do best, providing the creativity to unlock the opposition defence and control the tempo of the attack.
Up front Diego Milito will play his usual role of poacher but Inter will also have the added benefit of either Rodrigo Palacio or Antonio Cassano up front with him, not only bringing added creativity to the front line but also an additional goal threat, which is something that has been missing in recent matches with just a lone striker up front.
With Inter's squad depth there is plenty of scope to try other players in various positions too, for example, Ibrahima Mbaye could replace Silvestre in central defence, Yuto Nagatomo would make an excellent back up on either wing and Marko Livaja in place of Milito up front.
Long term if this does work I think the only position that would be lacking slightly is the right wingback so I would love to see the club sign a player like Mathieu Debuchy from Lille in January. He would fit the position perfectly.
The one thing that Stramaccioni has to bear in mind with this formation is that if at any point he wants to play either Walter Samuel or Cristian Chivu in the starting line-up, then he absolutely cannot use a three-man defence. But apart from that I'm really hoping to see this formation tried out soon and if it is implemented in the right way I can see it bringing a perfect balance to Inter's game that will benefit them hugely for the season to come and let's face it if anyone can make a three-man defence work for Inter, it's Stramaccioni!
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