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Arsenal opted to change to a back three in win at Middlesbrough... but the system is not so easy to perfect

The last time Arsene Wenger played with three at the back, I was in the team alongside Tony Adams and Steve Bould at Derby in May 1997.

If you want to play with a back three, you have to know the system inside out. It is not something you can simply adapt to overnight.

We first started playing this way under Bruce Rioch. Even though we had a group of experienced central defenders, the system was initially difficult to pick up. It required walkthroughs every Monday morning in training of scenarios we might face.

Arsenal reverted to a back three against Middlesbrough for the first time since May 1997
Arsenal reverted to a back three against Middlesbrough for the first time since May 1997
Derby County's last game at the Baseball Ground was the last time Arsenal played a back three
Derby County's last game at the Baseball Ground was the last time Arsenal played a back three
Martin Keown (right) challenges Robin van der Laan the last time Arsenal played a back threeu00a0
Martin Keown (right) challenges Robin van der Laan the last time Arsenal played a back three

Arsenal may have won on Monday night but they had a few teething problems — particularly when it came to Alvaro Negredo's equaliser.