She Kicks Tactics: The 3-5-2

The third instalment of the tactics series takes the 3-5-2, a shape Lee Burch says goes in and out of fashion and is coming back as fitness and athleticism rise across the WSL and Championship. Its strength is the wing-backs, who provide natural width across all three phases and give good passing angles into midfield, with three central defenders forming a solid unit against crosses. Its weakness is rigidity and a dependence on specific players who can do the wing-back job. Andy Cook’s Nottingham Forest are the case study, dropping a holding midfielder into the back three in possession and pressing player-for-player out of it. A closing panel puts England in it, with Kirby behind England and White.