Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes insists the club’s supporters were justified in booing the team after Saturday’s goalless draw with Partick Thistle.
The Dons have dropped four points in their last two league matches against Dundee and the Jags to all but end their hopes of challenging Celtic for the Premiership title.
It is a mark of the progress at Pittodrie in this campaign that there is a feeling of dejection and an opportunity missed among the management, players and support following the petering out of the championship push.
While McInnes is frustrated by the last two results he knows he and his players have fallen short of the levels they have set for themselves this season.
He said: “There’s nothing wrong with supporters being unhappy with the team’s performance as I wasn’t happy with it and neither were the players.
“Sometimes it can grate a wee bit that supporters will be quick to show that frustration but not so quick to get behind the team when things are going well.
“That is the nature of supporters at times but we accept head on the responsibility of performing at a high level every week.
“We simply never performed well against Partick Thistle and, if the punters weren’t happy with it, then it is their right to vent that any way they want.
“We have to be honest and say the reason we didn’t win on Saturday was because we didn’t play well enough.”
McInnes was in a downbeat mood after Saturday’s poor display but with third-placed Caley Thistle visiting Pittodrie tomorrow the Dons manager has backed his players to bounce back.
He said: “The players have been really consistent over the last couple of years and we have only lost a couple of games in the league since October, so it was unlike us.
“When you play below your best you usually end up losing but we have managed to keep a clean sheet and pick up a point which is a positive.
“We can’t just see it off as a bad day at the office, we have to look for reasons but the important thing is how we respond.
“The players have to make sure they stay focussed and keep going right to the end of the season in terms of performance.
“There’s a lot to like about the team and how well we have done this season but there is still a lot to work for.”