Five teams went for a three-at-the-back system at the weekend, including Liverpool and Manchester United.
Pat Nevin joined us on Off The Ball tonight and looked at why it is only re-taking root in England again.
"If they are out and out centre-backs then you drag them wide. Most centre-backs are not good at playing left full-back or right full-back. So for years it wasn't a complicated system to overcome because always knew what to do about it. But if you get good players who have got the ability to play a full-back and centre-back position, very few are British. It's a decent system but you need the personnel," he said, before looking at the intricacies of implementing it.
Meanwhile, Pat was at St James' Park for Off The Ball for the Tyne-Wear derby in which Sunderland prevailed by a late Adam Johnson goal.
"He did go and tackle back a lot more and cover his full-back more then he had been doing," said Pat of Johnson.
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