Squad profiles
How to read it. Each position has three or four types — a full-back can be an overlapper, an inverted passer, or mainly defensive. Every player gets a rank for each type.
The numbers are ranks, not success rates. 47th means he does more of that thing than 47 out of every 100 Aberdeen players in his position over the last five years. It says nothing about how often it comes off.
Types describe how someone plays, never how well: goals, assists and conversion are deliberately excluded, and sit elsewhere on the site.
What would suit these players
Built from the types in the 2025/26 squad — the most recent season with enough minutes to profile anyone. Shape covers which formations have worked; this asks what the group is asking for.
Players marked not seen in 2026/27 have no minutes this season. Nothing in this data records transfers, so that may mean departed or may mean not yet used — but their profile should not be read as part of the current group.
- Width will not come from the full-backs — 3 of 4 profile as defensive, and the best overlapping score in the squad is 32nd. Either the wide forwards hold the touchline, or the shape has to create the width itself with wing-backs.
- The centre-forwards are competitors rather than runners: they want delivery to contest and someone arriving off them, not through-balls to chase. That points at crosses and a second body in the box rather than a high line to run behind.
- The centre-backs pull in two directions — one profile steps out and passes forward, the other defends deep and keeps it simple. That is a pairing decision more than a system one, but a back three lets you field both without choosing.
- Taken together: width from wing-backs, a second body in the box, and forwards who compete for delivery. That is a back three with two players between the lines — which is also the shape this squad has taken most points from.
The types are computed; what each one needs is football judgement, written down in one place rather than hidden inside a score. There is no data here on how a player performed in a given shape — that was checked and the samples are too small to separate: Nisbet scored 0.38, 0.42, 0.44 and 0.45 per 90 across four formations last season, which is noise rather than a preference.
Only 15 players have played enough for a rank, and 15 of them are on too few minutes to mean much yet. The rankings below are shown for interest; nothing here counts as a gap until players have real minutes behind them.
Centre-back
4 in 2026/27 · 23-season poolNumbers are percentiles against those 23 Aberdeen centre-back seasons — 47th means he did more of it than 47% of them. Not a success rate.
The standard: Slobodan Rubezic 2023/24 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Aerial contests | 8.26 | 5.75Happe |
| Aerial win rate | 74.0% | 87.0%Happe |
| Duel win rate | 64.8% | 73.7%Happe |
The standard: Kristers Tobers 2024/25 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Clearances | 8.97 | 7.87Happe |
| Defensive actions | 11.24 | 11.20Mayo |
| Pass completion | 88.7% | 94.3%Knoester |
| Progressive passes (lower) | 3.72 | 2.37Molloy |
The standard: Stefan Gartenmann 2023/24 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Tackles + interceptions | 3.25 | 4.52Knoester |
| Recoveries in the opposition half | 0.72 | 0.25Happe |
| Progressive passes | 6.80 | 5.75Happe |
| Pass xT | 0.341 | 0.282Knoester |
| Into the final third | 3.57 | 3.25Happe |
Style only — no goals, assists or conversion feed these. Model support 65% — clustering the same seasons without our labels puts 65% of them in the group these names would predict. Read the spread, not the label.
Full-back
2 in 2026/27 · 17-season poolNumbers are percentiles against those 17 Aberdeen full-back seasons — 47th means he did more of it than 47% of them. Not a success rate.
The standard: Calvin Ramsay 2021/22 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Crosses | 8.26 | 4.00Guinness-Walker |
| Final-third touches | 21.68 | 22.66Cadden |
| Passes into the box | 2.77 | 1.90Guinness-Walker |
| Take-ons | 2.34 | 3.58Guinness-Walker |
The standard: Dean Campbell 2021/22 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Passes | 50.96 | 34.71Cadden |
| Progressive passes | 6.85 | 6.53Guinness-Walker |
| Pass xT | 0.492 | 0.507Guinness-Walker |
| Crosses (lower) | 2.92 | 3.53Cadden |
The standard: Mitchel Frame 2025/26 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Tackles + interceptions | 3.65 | 3.58Guinness-Walker |
| Clearances | 3.21 | 3.18Guinness-Walker |
| Aerial contests | 3.01 | 2.74Guinness-Walker |
| Duel win rate | 55.8% | 64.4%Guinness-Walker |
Style only — no goals, assists or conversion feed these. Model support 71% — clustering the same seasons without our labels puts 71% of them in the group these names would predict.
Central midfielder
4 in 2026/27 · 27-season poolNumbers are percentiles against those 27 Aberdeen central midfielder seasons — 47th means he did more of it than 47% of them. Not a success rate.
The standard: Sivert Heltne Nilsen 2024/25 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Passes | 62.76 | 61.08Armstrong |
| Pass completion | 82.9% | 88.5%Armstrong |
| Possession kept per touch (lower) | 0.166 | 0.169Lyons |
The standard: Graeme Shinnie 2022/23 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Tackles | 2.62 | 4.08Lyons |
| Interceptions | 1.56 | 2.04Lyons |
| Recoveries | 6.80 | 6.86Aremu |
| Duel win rate | 53.0% | 64.3%Lyons |
The standard: Lyall Cameron 2025/26 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive passes | 8.49 | 13.78Armstrong |
| Pass xT | 0.719 | 1.113Armstrong |
| Into the final third | 5.49 | 7.84Armstrong |
| Take-ons | 2.16 | 3.21Smith |
The standard: Leighton Clarkson 2023/24 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Key passes | 1.93 | 2.70Armstrong |
| Passes into the box | 2.92 | 4.05Armstrong |
| Pass xT | 0.584 | 1.113Armstrong |
Style only — no goals, assists or conversion feed these. Model support 82% — clustering the same seasons without our labels puts 82% of them in the group these names would predict.
Attacking midfielder
2 in 2026/27 · 8-season poolNumbers are percentiles against those 8 Aberdeen attacking midfielder seasons — 47th means he did more of it than 47% of them. Not a success rate.
The standard: Jesper Karlsson 2025/26 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Key passes | 2.02 | 1.40Ronan |
| Passes into the box | 2.58 | 2.33Ronan |
| Pass xT | 0.411 | 0.586Ronan |
The standard: Jesper Karlsson 2025/26 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 3.49 | 0.93Ronan |
| npxG | 0.228 | 0.044Briedl |
| Box touches | 3.70 | 0.93Ronan |
Style only — no goals, assists or conversion feed these. Model support 75% — clustering the same seasons without our labels puts 75% of them in the group these names would predict.
Winger / wide forward
1 in 2026/27 · 17-season poolNumbers are percentiles against those 17 Aberdeen winger / wide forward seasons — 47th means he did more of it than 47% of them. Not a success rate.
The standard: Duk 2023/24 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Take-ons | 4.62 | 2.16Yogane |
| Take-on success | 44.0% | 60.0%Yogane |
| Fouls won | 2.37 | 3.03Yogane |
The standard: Junior Hoilett 2023/24 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Key passes | 3.25 | 0.00Yogane |
| Passes into the box | 3.68 | 0.00Yogane |
| Pass xT | 0.752 | 0.085Yogane |
The standard: Duk 2024/25 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 2.40 | 1.30Yogane |
| npxG | 0.248 | 0.024Yogane |
| Box touches | 7.38 | 0.43Yogane |
| Shots in the box | 84.0% | 33.3%Yogane |
The standard: Jamie McGrath 2024/25 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Crosses | 4.55 | 2.60Yogane |
| Cross completion | 32.6% | 0.0%Yogane |
| Into the final third | 2.57 | 0.43Yogane |
Style only — no goals, assists or conversion feed these. Model support 65% — clustering the same seasons without our labels puts 65% of them in the group these names would predict. Read the spread, not the label.
Centre-forward
2 in 2026/27 · 9-season poolNumbers are percentiles against those 9 Aberdeen centre-forward seasons — 47th means he did more of it than 47% of them. Not a success rate.
The standard: Bojan Miovski 2023/24 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 2.97 | 2.75Nisbet |
| npxG | 0.373 | 0.166Nisbet |
| xG per shot | 0.164 | 0.415Olusanya |
| Box touches | 5.60 | 4.00Nisbet |
The standard: Ester Sokler 2023/24 — what it takes, and how close we are
| per 90 unless shown | target | best now |
|---|---|---|
| Aerial contests | 7.42 | 5.50Nisbet |
| Headed passes | 6.30 | 2.50Nisbet |
| Lay-offs | 1.73 | 0.75Nisbet |
| Fouls won | 1.48 | 2.02Olusanya |
Style only — no goals, assists or conversion feed these. Model support 67% — clustering the same seasons without our labels puts 67% of them in the group these names would predict. Read the spread, not the label.