Utilizing the wings is not the same thing as gameplanning to exploit the wings. Exploiting the wings is when you purposely attack that side of the field with numbers to create mismatches and overlaps, much like Madrid did with di Maria, Ronaldo and Marcelo in the 4-3 Clasico at the Bernabeu. That is how you exploit a wing.
With a bus parking team, you cannot do this because you simply do not have the numbers on a counter. Bus parking teams against Barca counter with 2-3 players on a break, and the counters almost always originate from the middle of the field where a pass is made to the space between the midfield and the CBs. The problem is, counters against Barca also catch the fullbacks up the field, and basically leave the 2 CBs to cover both the center and the wing, so when the pass is made from the middle onto the wing, the CB has to go cover the wing then leaving the middle open.
With a 3 CB set up, you can cover the middle and the wing against a 2-3 man counter breaks and allow the team to recuperate better. With that particular formation, you would be actually defending with more players than the current Barca formation.
Again though, this is only vs teams who are going to park the bus against you. Madrid does not park the bus, they play counter, but they do not park the bus.
I don't agree with that reasoning at all. Barca's shape in normal 4-3-3 when attacking a "parked bus" looks somewhat like this:
---------Neymar-----------------------Alexis---------
----------------------------Messi----------------------
--------------Iniesta----------------------------Alves
--Alba------------------------------Xavi---------------
-----------------------Busquets-------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
-----------Masche-----------------Pique----------------
The proposed "3-5-2" will look exactly the same except taking Alexis out and putting the imaginary additional DM (Javi Martinez) somewhere alongside Busquets like this:
----------------Neymar---------------------------------
Alba------------------------Messi----------------Alves
--------------Iniesta----------------Xavi--------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------Busquets-----------------
---------------------Martinez------------------------
-----Masche-------------------------------Pique--------
(Let's ignore the exact personnel for a second, imagine Cuadrado instead of Alves if you like).
All you achieved is take out an attacking player, exploit your wide areas (no more wingers pressing from the front nor tracking back) for another defensive minded central player at the base of the midfield who will just try to make up for this flaw.
Breaking the bus will actually be harder. Who provides the movement in such a lineup? Diagonal runs from the wings? Surprise overlapping runs from fullbacks?
If you are only worried about getting counterattacked then "3-5-2" again is pointless as you can just play your normal 4-3-3 but deeper. Like this:
----------Neymar----------------------------------------
----------------------------Messi--------------Alexis
--------------Iniesta-----------------------------------
-------------------------------------Xavi---------------
-----------------------Busquets-------------------------
--Alba--------------------------------------------Alves-
-----------Masche-----------------Pique----------------
Now you actually have 5 defenders at the back but also enough bodies upfront with 3 forwards + Iniesta and it's still more balanced. The ball will also move faster without an oaf like Martinez in the middle.
1000 reasons why this proposed formation is crap.
