Playing with 3 CBs would suit our fullbacks and midfield but we simply do not have 3 CBs to play... Pepe is 38, Fonte is 37, wouldn’t be surprised if there are injuries/suspensions and we end up playing Danilo at centreback at some point.
Also, I think the biggest question mark for this team is the midfield. Bruno will start but who would you play in the other two places? Between Danilo, Palhinha, William, Neves, Renato, Oliveira and Moutinho two will start, I have no idea what combination we’ll end up going with.
Regarding the 3 at the back, I wasn’t thinking exactly on a Fonte/Pepe/Dias scenario for this tournament. More a transition to the next WC in Qatar (on a post Pepe scenario), something like Fonte/Dias/Danilo, where Danilo would have a similar role like Coates.
At the same time would prepare Leite or Inácio to succeed Fonte after Qatar (hopefully the rumours of Leite going into the Bundesliga are true, he has to play).
Let’s see if Eduardo Quaresma on the medium term can be also a prospect. Regarding the midfield it’s other issue, but Moutinho, William, Oliveira, Sanches, Neves, etc, none of them is stuff of dreams.
And if I see Danilo playing on a 3 at the back system is precisely because I don’t think he is nothing special. As it was seen at PSG, only in Portugal this days the fans and the press think number 6 like Danilo are top midfielders.
At best he is a good midfielder, nothing special. And don’t ask me what I think about current Bernardo Silva. Or how the hell has Semedo been a Barcelona player ( feck me, Mendes yes, that 1 is the real special one).
We don’t have world class midfielders to play behind Bruno, but would try to see if Palhinha and Oliveira could play together. Sincerely doubt. Not a fan of Neves.