Dundee United Opposition Report

Dundee United’s 2026-27 league season so far: 9 games. Event data (WhoScored) for the last five.

1. 01Summary

   • Recent form: Unbeaten in four and eight points from the last five. The one defeat, 0-3 at Motherwell, is the oldest game of the five.
   • What changed: A back three in all four meetings with Aberdeen last season, a 4-3-3 in each of the last five this season. Jim Goodwin has said the change was deliberate.
   • How they play: More of the ball than in last season's meetings with Aberdeen (51% over nine games against 41%), but only an even share by league standards: 48% of the passes in their games, seventh of 12, and 10th for passes a game. 55% possession at Tannadice, 48% away.
   • Variation: Their approach swings from game to game. Across the last five, possession from 29% to 62%, PPDA from 9.9 to 29.9, and Walton's long passes from 12% to 50% of his open-play passes. Home and away differ too: better process at Tannadice, better results away.
   • Tannadice: The odd one. They shoot 20 times a game and average 1.83 xG, but have scored three goals from 7.3 xG.
   • The weak spot: The counter-press. Only 4% of losses in the opposition half are won back within five seconds.

   Earlier fourLast five

   Points a game

   1.00

   1.60

   Goals scored a game

   1.25

   1.20

   Goals conceded a game

   1.75

   1.00

   xG a game

   1.71

   1.46

   xG against a game

   1.56

   1.35

   Possession

   55%

   48%

2. 02The change of approach (published context)

   This section is published information only: line-ups and match stats from meetings with Aberdeen, FotMob's league possession table for 2025-26, and Goodwin's own words. We have no complete WhoScored event data for 2025-26, so nothing in the rest of the report is compared with last season.

   • Last season: A back three in all four league meetings with Aberdeen: 3-4-3 on 23 September, 24 February and 9 May, 3-4-2-1 on 27 December.
   • This season: A 4-3-3 from kick-off in each of the last five league games.
   • Possession: 28% to 49% in the four meetings, an average of 41%. This season it is 51% over nine games and 48% over the last five. Different opponents, so context, not a like-for-like comparison.
   • Last season, whole league (FotMob): Dundee United averaged 42.4% possession over the 38 games, 11th of 12, with Kilmarnock below them on 42.3%. Aberdeen were 6th on 48.1%. This season United are on 51% over nine games from the same source, so the rise shows on FotMob's measure, though not in share of passes (see In possession).
   • Goodwin before the 2025-26 opener: "Defensively, the back three and the goalkeeper again, were excellent", and "we know we have to do better in possession".
   • Goodwin this season: After the win at St Mirren, it was "well documented that we've tried to change the style of play and the recruitment has been built around that". In the Daily Record on 6 October: "we are clearly a team that is enjoying a lot more possession" and "we have a lot more control of games".

   Meetings with Aberdeen (grey) against the 2026-27 league games (red). Different opponents each time, so context, not a like-for-like comparison.

   FotMob, 2025-26 Premiership, all 38 games, league positions 4 to 12 (the top three are not shown). Dundee United were 11th of 12 at 42.4%; Aberdeen 6th at 48.1%. This season United are on 51% over nine games from the same source.

3. 03Results and underlying form

   • Last five: Lost 0-3 at Motherwell, drew 1-1 with Falkirk, won 3-0 at St Mirren, won 1-0 against Hibernian, drew 1-1 at St Johnstone. Twelve points from nine in the season.
   • Process: 1.46 xG for and 1.35 against in the last five, from 1.71 and 1.56 in the four before. Aberdeen's nine games: 1.29 and 1.56.
   • Goals: 11 scored and 12 conceded, from 14.1 xG for and 13.0 against.
   • At Tannadice (four games): 55% possession, 20.0 shots and 1.83 xG a game, 1.25 xG against. Five points and three goals from 7.3 xG.
   • Away (five games): 48% possession, 12.6 shots and 1.35 xG a game, 1.60 xG against. Seven points and eight goals from 6.8 xG.
   • Reading it: Better process at home, better results away. Different opponents each time, so a pointer.
   • Possession and results: The biggest shares brought a defeat and two draws: 68% v Dundee (lost 0-2), 62% v Falkirk and 62% at St Johnstone. The wins came at 48% (Kilmarnock), 41% (St Mirren) and 45% (Hibernian).

   ■ Dundee United xG   ■ xG against

   HOME V AWAY, ALL NINE LEAGUE GAMES

   Tannadice (4 games)Away (5 games)

   Possession (%)

   55

   48

   Shots a game

   20.0

   12.6

   xG a game

   1.83

   1.35

   xG against a game

   1.25

   1.60

   Points (total)

   5

   7

   Goals scored (total)

   3

   8

   FotMob, per-game averages unless marked total. Different opponents each time, so a pointer.

4. 04Shape and selection

   • Shape: 4-3-3 from kick-off in all five. At St Mirren they went 4-2-3-1 from the 49th minute and back to 4-3-3 in the 86th.
   • Ever-presents: Jack Walton, Joshua Rawlins, Bert Esselink, Michael Forbes and Daniel Bennie started all five.
   • Midfield three: Lyall Cameron, Dylan Tait and Zidane Iqbal have started together only in the last three: a 3-0 win, a 1-0 win and a 1-1 draw. Iqbal and Cameron missed Motherwell, and Iqbal came off the bench against Falkirk.
   • Cameron plays higher: Labelled 4-3-3, but in the last three games Tait and Iqbal sit at an average touch position of about 51 (0 is United's goal line, 100 is the opposition's) and Cameron at 65 to 67, level with Bennie (63 to 67). In practice it is two holders and a number 10.
   • Last XI (St Johnstone): Walton; Rawlins, Esselink, Forbes, Kevin Ciubotaru; Iqbal, Cameron, Tait; Jesse Randall, Idjessi Metsoko, Bennie.
   • Team news: Not in the data. Injuries and suspensions need checking before the game.

   Average positions, last three games

   The same XI in each of the last three games. Dots: average touch position (0 is United's goal line, 100 the opposition's), nudged apart where they overlap. Tait and Iqbal sit deep; Cameron is level with the forwards. Attacking upwards.

   at MotherwellL 0-3

   v FalkirkD 1-1

   at St MirrenW 3-0

   v HibernianW 1-0

   at St J'stoneD 1-1

   Starting XI in each of the last five league games, oldest first, in WhoScored’s position slots (all 4-3-3 at kick-off). Within a position, left to right follows where the players actually played. Attacking upwards.

5. 05In possession

   • Midfield three: They made 57% and 54% of United's progressive passes in the wins at St Mirren and Hibernian, and 42% at St Johnstone. Per 90: Cameron 11.4, Tait 10.8, Iqbal 9.0.
   • Links: Passes between the three have gone from 17 to 25 to 48 over those games (a rough count, one touch to the next).
   • Iqbal: 101 open-play passes at St Johnstone, behind only Esselink's 103 among United players in the five games.
   • Build-up: Walton plays 35% of his open-play passes long, from 12% at St Johnstone to 50% at St Mirren. The centre-backs average 110 passes a game, 15% long.
   • Where chances start: Of 49 open-play chance-creating passes, 10 came from the left, 21 from the centre and 18 from the right.
   • Crosses: 10 of the 11 chance-creating crosses came from the right. Eight of those 10 came in two games, Falkirk (five) and St Johnstone (three).
   • Against the league: An even share of the ball, not a possession side: 48% of the passes in their games, seventh of 12 (Celtic 62%, Motherwell 58%), and 10th for passes a game (399, average 445). Their games have fewer passes overall (824 a game, both sides, against an average of 889). Eighth for pass completion (78.5%, average 80.6%), but second for cross accuracy (27.6%, average 22.8%). Sportmonks, eight games each; FotMob's possession figure above is time-based, so the two will not match exactly.

   Red: the three games they started together.

   Open-play key passes and assists, no set pieces. Red: from the right.

   Against the rest of the league

   Share of all passes in their games48.4% · 7th of 12

   Passes a game399 · 10th of 12

   Pass completion78.5% · 8th of 12

   Long balls (share of passes)14.7% · 5th of 12

   Passes into the final third a game57 · 9th of 12

   Crosses a game21.2 · 6th of 12

   Cross accuracy27.6% · 2nd of 12

   Dundee United in red, the other Premiership sides in grey; the line is the league average. Ranked highest first. Sportmonks player stats, all league games this season.

6. 06Out of possession

   • Press: Not consistent. PPDA runs from 9.9 at Falkirk to 29.9 at Motherwell. Median 15.1, against 13.8 for Aberdeen this season.
   • Counter-press: Weak. 4% of losses in the opposition half are won back within five seconds, 12% within ten.
   • High regains: 4.2 a game, from one against Falkirk to seven at St Johnstone.
   • Motherwell: The deepest block of the five. 29% possession, 25 shots against, 0-3.
   • Against the league: Second for ball recoveries (51.6 a game, average 47.6) and for tackles plus interceptions (28.6, average 25.6). Sportmonks, eight games each.

   Red: the last two games.

   Against the rest of the league

   Ball recoveries a game52 · 2nd of 12

   Tackles + interceptions a game28.6 · 2nd of 12

   Fouls a game12.2 · 6th of 12

   Dundee United in red, the other Premiership sides in grey; the line is the league average. Ranked highest first. Sportmonks player stats, all league games this season.

7. 07Losing the ball

   • Volume: 61 own-half turnovers a game. Only 5% were followed by an opposition shot within 15 seconds.
   • The exception: Motherwell, with eight shots inside 15 seconds of an own-half loss.
   • Errors: Three recorded in the five games, all at Motherwell: Forbes 16', Panutche Camará 46', Neil Farrugia 66'. Two led to a shot within 20 seconds.
   • Since then: Shots within 15 seconds of an own-half loss were 9% of losses in the first two games of the five and 2% in the last two.
   • Against the league: Third for possession lost a game (146, average 141). Sportmonks, eight games each.

   Red: five or more in a game.

   Against the rest of the league

   Possession lost a game146 · 3rd of 12

   Dundee United in red, the other Premiership sides in grey; the line is the league average. Ranked highest first. Sportmonks player stats, all league games this season.

8. 08How they create and score

   • Threat: 1.57 xG a game over nine, against Aberdeen's 1.29. Last five: 51% of xG from open play, 39% from set pieces, 10% from fast breaks.
   • Set pieces: 2.83 of 7.28 xG. Two of the six goals in the last five came from a corner or set piece: Forbes in the 92nd minute against Falkirk and Ciubotaru at St Mirren.
   • Corners: Cameron takes them from the left (10 of 14) and Randall from the right (12 of 13). Yoro took seven from the right in his 127 minutes. 39 in the five games. 19 had a shot within 15 seconds, 11 of the 14 at Falkirk and none of the seven at St Mirren.
   • Aerial targets: Forbes had four headers from set pieces, all at Falkirk, and Esselink one, at Hibernian. Both are 6ft 2in or taller, and they win 17 of 23 and 18 of 27 aerial duels.
   • Creators: Randall has nine open-play chance-creating passes, Cameron seven, Tait six. None came from a through ball in the five games.
   • Against a deep block: St Johnstone sat deepest of the five opponents. United had 62% of the ball and 27 open-play crosses, 17 from the right, eight completed. They managed 14 shots and 1.02 xG.
   • Same possession, different return: Falkirk, also 62%, brought 27 shots, 2.66 xG and 17 chance-creating passes against seven at St Johnstone. One game and a rough proxy for defensive depth, so a pointer.
   • Against the league: Third for chances created a game (13.4, average 10.9), fourth for shots on target (5.4, average 4.7), fifth for shots (16.2, average 14.5), ninth for successful dribbles (6.2, average 7.0). Sportmonks, eight games each.

   FotMob xG: 7.28 in total. Red: set pieces.

   Successful open-play key passes and assists.

   Corners: how they swing and where they land

   Inswingers13 delivered, 7 with a shot

   Outswingers14 delivered, 10 with a shot

   CORNERS TAKEN (STRONGER FOOT)

   Cameron (R)

   14

   Randall (R)

   13

   Yoro (L)

   7

   Ciubotaru (L)

   3

   Ferry (L)

   1

   Iqbal (R)

   1

   CORNERS, AND THOSE WITH A SHOT WITHIN 15 SECONDS

   Motherwell

   2 of 3

   Falkirk

   11 of 14

   St Mirren

   0 of 7

   Hibernian

   4 of 8

   St Johnstone

   2 of 7

   The 27 corners delivered into the area of 39 (the rest were short), WhoScored events, last five league games. A right-footer from the right or a left-footer from the left swings away from goal; the other two swing in. Foot is the one on most of the taker’s passes, so the swing is inferred, not measured from the ball’s flight. Lines run from the flag to the delivery’s end point; orange where United had a shot within 15 seconds (a ring marks the goal, Forbes at Falkirk). It records the shot, not who won the first header. Attacking upwards.

   Against the rest of the league

   Shots a game16.2 · 5th of 12

   Shots on target a game5.4 · 4th of 12

   Chances created a game13.4 · 3rd of 12

   Successful dribbles a game6.2 · 9th of 12

   Dundee United in red, the other Premiership sides in grey; the line is the league average. Ranked highest first. Sportmonks player stats, all league games this season.

9. 09How they concede

   • Goals against: Five in the last five: four from open play, one from a corner (Falkirk, 3rd minute).
   • Early goals: Inside 20 minutes in three of the five games (3rd, 18th and 20th).
   • After their own mistakes: Two of the five followed a United turnover within 20 seconds. Farrugia's error came seven seconds before Dylan Levitt's goal, and Esselink lost the ball 17 seconds before Josh Fowler's.
   • xG against: 1.35 a game in the last five, 14.2 shots against.
   • Against the league: Seventh for shots faced a game (15.4, average 14.5) and third for clearances (31 a game, average 29). Sportmonks, eight games each.

   Against the rest of the league

   Shots faced a game15.4 · 7th of 12

   Clearances a game31 · 3rd of 12

   Dundee United in red, the other Premiership sides in grey; the line is the league average. Ranked highest first. Sportmonks player stats, all league games this season.

10. 10Players who shape how they play

    Four of United's players, picked because they decide how Aberdeen should set up for them. Ages, heights and previous clubs from Sportmonks transfer records; the numbers are WhoScored events from the last five league games, so every one is a pointer.

    • Jesse Randall (right forward, 24, 5ft 9in). Joined on a free transfer from Auckland on 1 July. The main threat: nine chance-creating passes, 11 shots (10 in the box) and 1.23 xG, and a hand in three of the six goals. He scored at St Mirren and set up Ciubotaru there and Cameron at St Johnstone. Highest touch position of the front three, with 7.2 touches in the box per 90, the most of any player with 300 minutes. He takes the corners from the right (12 of his 13), puts in 19 crosses with five completed, and won one of his eight dribbles.
    • Lyall Cameron (central midfield, 24, 5ft 11in). On loan from Rangers since 1 September, and he knows Aberdeen: he played 12 league games for them (10 starts) on loan from Rangers between January and May 2026, including the 0-0 draw with United in February. He left Dundee for Rangers in July 2025. The most advanced of the three midfielders, with 31 final-third touches per 90 against 13 for Tait and 15 for Iqbal, and the most progressive passes per 90 in the side (11.4). Two goals, a long-range one at St Mirren and the fast-break equaliser at St Johnstone, from nine shots with eight on target. He takes corners from the left (10 of his 14) and his cross set up Bennie's winner against Hibernian.
    • Daniel Bennie (left forward, 20, 5ft 11in). On loan from Queens Park Rangers until the end of the season, signed 29 July. Started all five and plays wide on the left, with 5.8 touches in the box per 90 and 12 shots (nine in the box) for 2.00 xG. Six of those shots came against Hibernian, including his winner, and four came from corner phases, three at Falkirk. Wins half his aerial duels (7 of 14). Gets the ball mostly from Ciubotaru (18).
    • Michael Forbes (centre-back, 22, 6ft 2in). Signed on a free from West Ham United's under-21s on 1 July. Plays on the left of the pair. Four headers from set pieces, all at Falkirk, including the 92nd-minute equaliser. 17 of 23 aerial duels won and 30 clearances. 31 of his passes end with Ciubotaru, which feeds the left side.
    • Where the midfield three receive it: Over the last three games, when all three started, Cameron received 81 passes (29.5 per 90) against 126 for Tait (45.7) and 135 for Iqbal (44.8), but 49% of his came in the final third, against 17% and 19% for his partners and 30% for the rest of the outfield. Tait and Iqbal collect 69% of theirs in the middle third, Tait mostly on the right (48%) and Iqbal on the left (41%), while Cameron is spread evenly across the width (32% left, 32% centre, 36% right). Two holders who take it in the middle and a number 10 who takes it high.

    Where they play and who passes to whom

    Last line-up (St Johnstone). Dots: average touch position over the last five league games (nudged apart where they overlap). Lines: completed open-play passes between the pair in either direction, 25 or more; orange for the most-used. Attacking upwards.

    WHERE THEY RECEIVE THE BALL, LAST THREE GAMES

    Cameron

    81 received
    29.5 per 90

    Tait

    126 received
    45.7 per 90

    Iqbal

    135 received
    44.8 per 90

    SHARE OF RECEPTIONS	CAMERON	TAIT	IQBAL	REST
    Own third	4%	14%	12%	23%
    Middle third	47%	69%	69%	47%
    Final third	49%	17%	19%	30%
    Left	32%	19%	41%	36%
    Centre	32%	33%	41%	23%
    Right	36%	48%	18%	41%

    WhoScored, St. Mirren, Hibernian, St. Johnstone: the three started together in each. A reception is the end point of a completed open-play pass, credited to the next United player to touch it. Ring: average position. Dashed lines: thirds. Rest: the other 14 outfield players in the same games (582 receptions). Left and right are United’s own, attacking upwards. Three games: a pointer.

11. 11The last five games

    • Motherwell (a), 0-3: Out-shot 25 to 5 on 29% possession, with 0.16 xG. Three recorded errors, PPDA 29.9. The one clearly bad performance.
    • Falkirk (h), 1-1: 62% possession, 27 shots to 12 and 2.66 xG. Conceded a corner in the 3rd minute and equalised from one in the 92nd. PPDA 9.9, their most aggressive press.
    • St Mirren (a), 3-0: 41% possession and 1.60 xG to 0.99. Randall 5', Cameron 11', Ciubotaru 44' from a set piece. Switched to 4-2-3-1 for 37 minutes.
    • Hibernian (h), 1-0: 45% possession, 1.84 xG to 0.83. Bennie scored in the 34th minute from open play. Five high regains.
    • St Johnstone (a), 1-1: 62% possession, 14 shots to 11. Behind after 20 minutes, Cameron equalised in the 78th. Seven high regains, the most of the five.

12. 12For Saturday

    • Expect: Roughly an even share of the ball at Tannadice (55% in their four home games), a lot of shots (20 a game at home), and crosses and corners rather than short build-up.
    • Not settled: Their pressing, possession and long-ball use all swing from game to game, so the shape on the day may differ from the last five.

13. 13Reasons to be cheerful

    • No counter-press: Only 4% of their losses in the opposition half are won back within five seconds, 12% within ten.
    • Crossing: Ciubotaru has 22 crosses and four completed, and only one of United's 37 crosses from the left created a chance. Against a deep block at St Johnstone, 27 open-play crosses (eight completed) and 62% of the ball brought 14 shots and 1.02 xG.
    • Their own mistakes: Two of the five goals they conceded followed a United turnover within 20 seconds, and three of the five were inside 20 minutes.
    • No settled press: PPDA from 9.9 to 29.9 across the five games, so Aberdeen cannot be sure how high they will come.
    • Possession is not their route to results: The three games with the biggest shares (68%, 62%, 62%) were a defeat and two draws.

14. 14Reasons to be fearful

    • Set pieces: 39 corners in five games, 19 with a shot within 15 seconds, and 39% of their recent xG came from set pieces. Forbes has four set-piece headers, and Randall and Cameron take the corners.
    • Randall: A hand in three of the six goals, the most box touches per 90 of anyone with 300 minutes, and the corners from the right.
    • Cameron knows Aberdeen: He played 12 league games for them last season, and he now plays higher up the pitch than the line-up suggests.
    • Chances: 1.57 xG a game over nine, against Aberdeen's 1.29, and third in the league for chances created a game (Sportmonks).
    • Winning it back: Second in the league for ball recoveries and for tackles plus interceptions (Sportmonks).
    • Finishing may not stay this low: Three goals from 7.3 xG at Tannadice.
    • Form: Unbeaten in four, with the midfield three settled for the last three games.

Data: FotMob for xG, shots, line-ups and possession (all nine league games); WhoScored match-centre events for the last five league games, for personal, non-commercial use. Goodwin quotes from PA Sport (1 August 2025) and the Daily Record (6 October 2026). PPDA and high regains follow the hub definitions; turnover, chance-creating pass and midfield-link counts are our own, defined in the data pack. Opponent quality is not controlled for.