Ebbe Skovdahl's famous quote about statistics being like miniskirts might just make sense after all. Perhaps the eccentric Dane was right with his assertion the numbers do not tell the full story.
The history books will show Aberdeen have now equalled a gruesome 83-year-old record after clocking up their 11th fixture without a victory following this enthralling 2-2 draw against Dundee United.
But while the figures make hard reading Dons manager Mark McGhee has a morsel of hope to cling on to after his beleaguered side provided some evidence it has not completely given up.
At 2-0 down after a Jon Daly double inside 24 minutes, United were running riot. Aberdeen were a shambles and the home support, who had turned up in numbers, were looking for couches to hide behind.
Something stirred, how-ever. Zander Diamond got his head on the end of a wicked Charlie Mulgrew free kick and in an instant the Dons rediscovered their long-lost appetite for the fight.
Michael Paton grabbed an equaliser from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time to set up an entertaining second period with both sides going hell for leather in search of a winner.
Dundee United had the clear-cut chances but Aberdeen had the territory and possession, with a draw a deserved outcome.
McGhee will be the happier however, despite the diabolical run of results which translates into a haul of just four points from the last 27.
The manager has not hidden his plans to radically overhaul the club in the summer and had hoped this would inspire those players out of contract or out of favour, but it seemed some of them were only at Pittodrie in body and not spirit.
That still may be the case but there are some in the squad who are hurting regardless of what the future may hold.
Stuart Duff for example. The midfielder has enough evidence to mount a case for harassment in the workplace given his treatment this term.
Bizarrely hung out to dry as a makeshift centre back against Sigma Olomouc, punted on loan to Inverness, and rarely given a look in on his return, Duff could have been forgiven for going in a huff.
Instead he continued to step forward for selection and finally got his reward on Saturday. Duff was full of hustle and bustle in the middle, working tirelessly, hogging possession and prodding the ball into dangerous areas.
It was a poor start even by Aberdeen's recent dismal standards. The opening goal arrived after just eight minutes as David Goodwillie picked Diamond's pocket to feed Daly, who tucked a glorious shot high into the corner of the net.
United were rampant and Daly notched a second, climbing unchallenged to power a header past Jamie Langfield.
Craig Conway and Goodwillie almost extended the advantage for the Arabs but they took their foot off the gas and were stunned when Diamond struck and even more so when Sean Dillon bundled Duff down in the box.
Paton, the youngest player in the Dons side, had the bottle to convert setting up a fascinating second period.
Daly was denied by Langfield and then by Mark Kerr after a frantic goalline scramble before Gary Kenneth's header was ruled offside.
The Dons held firm and piled on the pressure late on with a series of Mulgrew corners and free kicks causing mayhem in the United box.
Heartening for the Dons but there is still no escaping the stats. Just 16 points from 45 at Pittodrie, one win in eight at home, 11 games without victory.
Even Ebbe would have a hard time spinning those figures.