How Neville’s Switch To a Back Three Has Revolutionized Inter Miami

Fort Lauderdale, FL – After the 0-5 loss to New England, Neville’s switch to a back three has given Inter Miami a new lease on life.

Normally lining up his teams in a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1, the Inter Miami job has pushed Phil Neville to his tactical limit. The club’s six-game losing streak had Miami’s coaching staff looking for a solution.

That solution was a change in formation.

The back five isn’t a glamourous way to play football.

Often synonymous with uber defensive sides that bunker down and refuse to attack, these last few matches have shown that Neville has found a happy medium.

Let’s break down why this formation works so well for the Herons.

Defensive Solidity

Since the draw against the Philadelphia Union on July 25th, Neville has lined up Inter Miami in a 5-3-2/3-4-2-1.

That has solved several defensive issues.

Before this change, Neville stuck with a 4-2-3-1. Due to the roster construction, Miami failed at using the aforementioned formation to its maximum potential. Not only were there gaps in the middle of the field, but the double pivot would often be disconnected from the front three,  leaving the Herons toothless in attack and scrambling defend.

In Miami’s traditional 4-2-3-1, there were numerous instances where a Miami attacker would lose the ball in a bad spot, forcing the back four to panic, scramble, and then ultimately give up a goal because of defensive disorganization.

It’s safe to say Inter Miami doesn’t have the right personnel to play this way.

With the back three, the security of having three center-backs who are excellent one v. one defenders and aren’t afraid to throw themselves into tackles gives the team an edge should the opposition break out into a counter-attack.

If the opponent has the ball, Miami can comfortably shift back into a flat back five where they have no problems letting the midfield and attacking line high press the opposition’s ball carrier.

Neville on the formation change:

"The system is something I've looked at for a [long] time. With our CBs we've got players who are comfortable on the ball. We know we have two or three systems the players are comfortable with."#InterMiamiCF

— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) August 9, 2021

Attacking Width

One of the biggest problems Inter Miami has had this season was creating consistent offensive chances.

Against Nashville SC, Miami posted a season-high nine shots on target, ending the game with a 1.35xg (expected goals) tally. They outshot Nashville 9-2 and created 15 chances throughout the match.

That is a significant improvement compared to other games.

The back three/five has given the team balance. Looking at whoscored.com’s average player positions, the midfield is compact, the wingbacks push high and wide, and Higuain stays higher up the pitch:

Looking back at Miami’s win from Sunday, I've notice how much more balanced the team looks in regards to average positions.

The wingbacks are high, the centerback are spread and Gonzalo is pushing up a lot more:#InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/U8Smcg3HYo

— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) August 10, 2021

Referencing the graphic above, it’s clear that when Miami lines up this way, Higuain doesn’t drop deep as much as he used to. Having two attacking midfielders under him means that he can stay up high, make runs into the box where he can finish.

This has allowed Miami to play from the outside in.

Kieran Gibbs and Kelvin Leerdam have added to this dynamic.

Both Gibbs and Leerdam are phenomenal offensive full-backs. Looking at the graphic below, the back five has given the duo the liberty of joining the attack. Due to Kieran’s exceptional technical ability, it’s only natural that Miami plays down the left-hand side a lot more:

The back three has seen Miami attack from the wings more often now as well. Specifically Gibbs at left wing back: #InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/iS8MLXb7t1

— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) August 10, 2021

As Miami grows into the formation, the wingbacks will be an important cog in the machine.

Support For Gonzalo Higuain

Lastly, the formation change has given Gonzalo Higuain more freedom. As seen against CF Montreal, the 33-year-old can be lethal when he’s put into dangerous spots on the pitch.

Take his first goal for example. Blaise Matuid pounces on a loose ball, has the awareness to slot it into Gonzalo, and the Argentinian finishes for his eighth goal of the season:

Matuidi ➡️ Gonzalo!
GAME ON at #DRVPNKStadium
#MIAvNSH | 1-1 | #InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/umI0VdpFoR

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 8, 2021

Throughout the year, Gonzalo was known to ghost games because of the lack of touches he was receiving. During the match, Higuain had 44 touches, three shots on target, created one chance, and completed 84% of his passes.

This is the type of performance that Inter Miami needs from him if they want to make a late run at the playoffs. Higuain is Miami’s highest-scoring player and most dangerous goal-scoring threat.

The formational switch has been just the thing Neville needed to get his team going. Let’s see if the Herons can keep up the momentum.

📸 Credit: Kathy Hitchcock