Liverpool’s successful implementation of an inverted full-back system is not the first time they have experimented with a defensive back three during the Premier League era.
A 3-5-2 formation was famously the Reds’ go-to system for the majority of Roy Evans’ stewardship in the nineties, while Brendan Rodgers would briefly experiment with a 3-4-3 set-up during the 2014/15 season as he looked to rescue his struggling side’s fortunes.
The former Liverpool boss would stumble upon such a system by accident, during a 1-0 defeat to Basel in the Champions League in October 2014. The Swiss outfit lost full-back Behrang Safari to injury inside the opening 10 minutes, with manager Paulo Sousa replacing him with winger Derlis Gonzalez.
