There are positives to the 4-3-3 formation, just as there are positives to any shape,” says Wright. “First, there are a few different options regarding how you can set up that midfield three. And it’s good for working on the relationships between players — whether that’s wingers and fullbacks or between the central midfielders.” One notable advantage of the 4-3-3 formation is the versatility it affords the three midfield roles. “The players’ strengths are really important in terms of how that midfield three shapes up,” says Wright. “If you have two particularly good defensive midfielders, you might play a 2 and a 1. Conversely, you might play with two 10s, or you could have your 8 to the side and have one 6 sitting. There are lots of different ways to twist up that triangle in the central areas. “I also love wingers rolling inside and fullbacks going beyond. You can use this shape to exploit width and create 2v1s on the flanks while your number 6 sits in there, meaning you effectively move to a 3-5-2. I think that’s the beauty of the shape, and why it’s proved to be so popular: its flexibility.