We went to five at the back to give Souttar more protection when Rohl came in, and that move tells you what the real problem is: either Souttar needs cover or the rest of the centre-backs must step up. It’s fair to point out the obvious — the defence has looked fragile — and switching shape is a blunt, sometimes necessary, tool.
What five actually buys you
A five gives the centre-halves extra security and lets a partner drift wider to mop up behind. You get more bodies defending the channels and wing-backs can tuck in to help protect Souttar if he’s a man you want to shield. In practical terms it reduces the space between lines and takes the onus off one centre-half to cover everything on his own.
What we lose going that route
Problem is, you don’t get something for nothing. Going to five changes how we attack. That extra defensive body often means a more cautious midfield and fewer overlapping runs from wide players. The attacking option 'middle to front' the team had can get diluted because one of the wing areas becomes sacred defensive ground. We can still score — nobody’s suggesting we can’t — but if clean sheets are the priority, we might have to accept a dip in fluidity going forward.
A short-term fix or long-term problem?
I suggested a week or so of the five after seeing how brittle things have been, and I still think a temporary switch makes sense while lads regain confidence. Fernandez and Djiga have looked more reliable at times and deserve consideration in whatever shape we pick. The truth is we’ve conceded a worrying number recently — six in the last three games, as some have noted — so pragmatism isn’t defeatist. Use the five to steady the ship, then reintroduce the attacking balance once the backline is back to breathing level.
To be fair, it’s not glamorous. But sometimes you have to steady the defence before you can worry about flourish. Give the players protection, rebuild confidence, and then worry about getting the next pass right in the final third.
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