The Dons lost their unbeaten league record last weekend, their run without success being extended to six matches in the process.
It is still very early in the season, and a number of players are still settling into their new surroundings, but the focus is now on manager Stephen Glass and how he plans to arrest the current slide.
Not a single area of the team is performing as it should right now.
Defensively, we are all over the place, and the simplicity with which Motherwell got their goals last Saturday was alarming. The home side had two efforts on target – both uncontested headers in the six yard box – and scored two goals. Aberdeen had 20 efforts throughout the ninety minutes and failed to find the net.
Having 75% of the possession counts for nothing with stats like that.
The midfield is functioning well enough, although not totally dominating games, and the players in there are at least creating chances. Sadly, we look bereft of confidence in front of goal.
Marley Watkins will definitely contribute, but he has never been a regular scorer, as evidenced by a couple of big misses at Fir Park.
A fully fit Ryan Hedges should make a difference, and the management will be desperate to have him back in there.
Christian Ramirez gets into decent positions, and will probably finish as our top marksman, but we need to be making more opportunities for him, which has not been happening regularly enough, hence his recent sequence of just a single goal in his last eight outings.
I have said and written consistently that the Dons needed to sign another out-and-out goalscorer during the transfer window; our failure to do so is beginning to tell.
The day after the defeat in Motherwell, I watched Hearts and Hibs fight out an excellent goalless draw at Tynecastle. It finished scoreless only due to outstanding performances from the goalkeepers, Craig Gordon and Matt Macey.
Both sides look better than Aberdeen at the moment, and despite that 0-0, are showing more of a threat in the box. They look like scoring; the Dons don’t.
Stephen and his coaching team will have a number of options if he can gather a fully fit squad, but they are going to have to find the answers quickly.
It may simply be that hitting the net on a couple of occasions will be enough to flick that switch, settle everyone down and restore confidence. Reaching that point is the difficult part, but the players are getting into good positions; hopefully the problem will be solved in the near future.
This afternoon would be a good time to start against a St Johnstone side which has disappointed in the early part of the campaign.
Saints’ only win in ten games came in a penalty shoot-out against Arbroath and they have even bigger issues than Aberdeen when it comes to scoring goals, but they did cause Rangers a few problems last weekend, and will be desperate to kick-start their season.
Their impressive defensive unit has had to be reshaped, but they will still be extremely hard to break down. Games between the two are rarely classics; this is likely to be another demanding test for the Dons.
Perfect adverts for women’s sport
The last couple of weekends have thrown up some remarkable action and showcased elite women’s sport at its very best.
A fortnight ago I was gripped by the Solheim Cup and Europe’s dramatic triumph as the players displayed their skills and mental toughness to retain the trophy.
While they were doing so, Emma Raducanu was making her way through the rounds at Flushing Meadows, in what eventually was a ten-match marathon over three weeks which concluded in the most unlikely of victories.
I have generally enjoyed watching women’s tennis more than the men’s game; it is much less of a slugfest, with more subtlety and artistry, and the Final against Leylah Fernandez was simply outstanding, with both teenagers performing to their peak.
Raducanu’s life is about to change in a way she could never have imagined, but if she copes with that, and gets the right support, Emma could be one of our brightest sporting stars for years to come.
