Shape
Are we better with a back four — or a back five?
Formations from FotMob line-ups (WhoScored XI where missing), ours and the opponent's, every league match since 2021-22. Click any card, cell or bar to see the exact games.
The verdict
The points and the xG disagree
Points per game
1.29back 3/5
vs1.22back 4
leans back three/five
xG difference / game
-0.38back 3/5
vs-0.18back 4
leans back four
The points and the underlying numbers disagree — and managers pick the shape for the opponent, so shape and fixture difficulty travel together. A description, not a verdict.
Like-for-like — xGD by opponent
back 3/5 back 4
Shape choice tracks the opponent, so the fair test is same-context. xG difference per game — bars right of the line mean we out-created them.
vs Celtic & Rangers
36 games
Back 4 18
-1.22
Back 3/5 18
-1.79
vs everyone else
159 games
Back 4 107
-0.01
Back 3/5 52
+0.10
Against the big two the back four concedes less; against everyone else the back three/five edges it — the overall gap is largely who each shape faced. Faded bars are small samples (<8 games).
Explore any formation
pick a formation — the numbers update for all managers. Small deltas vs the current filter's average.
195
Games
1.25
PPG
1.21
Goals /g
1.44
Conceded /g
1.23
xG /g
1.48
xGA /g
-0.25
xGD /g
2.9
PPDA
All formations · 67-42-86
Our shape — the detail
| Back 4 (125) | Back 3/5 (70) | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals for / game | 1.18 | 1.24 |
| Goals against / game | 1.39 | 1.53 |
| xG / game | 1.23 | 1.22 |
| xGA / game | 1.42 | 1.60 |
| xGD / game | -0.18 | -0.38 |
| Shots / game | 12.4 | 11.3 |
| Shots against / game | 12.7 | 14.2 |
| Possession % | 53 | 46 |
| PPDA | 1.9 | 4.7 |
Against their shape
The low-block question — click a column header to list the games.
| They play 4 (103) | They play 3/5 (92) | |
|---|---|---|
| Points / game | 0.90 | 1.63 |
| Goals for / game | 1.09 | 1.34 |
| Goals against / game | 1.72 | 1.13 |
| xG / game | 1.15 | 1.32 |
| xGA / game | 1.73 | 1.21 |
| xGD / game | -0.58 | +0.11 |
| Shots / game | 11.2 | 13.0 |
| Shots against / game | 15.0 | 11.3 |
| Possession % | 46 | 56 |
| PPDA | 3.8 | 1.9 |
Shape vs shape — points per game · click a cell for the games
They play 4
They play 3/5
We play 4
We play 3/5
Jimmy Thelin
mostly back 4
Back 4
1.22ppg
45 games
Back 3/5
1.77ppg
13 games
Barry Robson
mostly back 3/5
Back 4
1.67ppg
6 games
Back 3/5
1.40ppg
30 games
Jim Goodwin
mixed
Back 4
1.12ppg
25 games
Back 3/5
1.20ppg
10 games
Stephen Glass
mostly back 4
Back 4
1.24ppg
21 games
Back 3/5
0.80ppg
5 games
Peter Leven
mostly back 4
Back 4
1.44ppg
18 games
Back 3/5
0.00ppg
2 games
Stephen Robinson
mixed
Back 4
1.17ppg
6 games
Back 3/5
1.00ppg
8 games
Neil Warnock
mixed
Back 4
0.25ppg
4 games
Back 3/5
0.50ppg
2 games
Explore next
195 matches · all seasons · data: FotMob line-ups + WhoScored + FotMob xG · updated 5 Sept 2026 · shape = back line of the starting formation · in-game shape changes aren't tracked · shape choice correlates with opponent, so differences are descriptive · how the numbers work · glossary