It is never ideal to be knocked out of a cup, particularly by a side which has languished in the lower leagues for a generation – a habit which Aberdeen had managed to shake in recent seasons – but only time will quantify the rancour with which this ends up being remembered.
The schedule imposed upon clubs fighting on as many fronts as the Dons is unfriendly at the season’s front end, and it is almost inevitable that priorities have to be considered.
Having fought bravely, but vainly for seven years to bring European group-stage football to Pittodrie, Aberdeen could hardly be blamed for viewing an impending mission to Azerbaijan as the week’s key date, and trying to bluff their way through in the League Cup.
If they are ultimately successful in the former operation, the failure of the latter may be a worthy sacrifice.
🔵 @RaithRovers have turned this cup clash around in the second half!
Dario Zanatta is quickest to react, shows his hunger to get the ball, and then smashes it home to put his team 2-1 up against Aberdeen 😱#PremierSportsCup pic.twitter.com/zqQmJRwESt
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) August 15, 2021
But with that in mind, it is worth noting that, after wasting a promising start, yesterday’s tie only ended up getting away from the Dons after the big guns were wheeled in from the bench.
Mere seconds, indeed, elapsed between the triple substitution intended to wrest control and the clinching goal being scored in the other net. But more worrying than that acute mishap was the chronic inability of the powered-up Dons team to do anything at all about it: 25 minutes of uncoordinated panic created more injuries than chances, and did not look remotely like a team with a winning mentality.
That is significant because there may well come a point in the Qarabag tie at which Aberdeen are chasing a destiny-changing goal, and they will need to do it way better than this. It was the first patch of adversity faced this season and provided a harsh lesson: but lessons can be invaluable so long as they are learned.