It is fair to say that Aberdeen supporters have already had their fill of seeing Mark McGhee completely exposed.
But as things began, once again, to go south on Saturday, their attention drifted similarly netherward: to Tayside, willing on the goal which would have forced Dundee’s notoriously cold and hungry manager to make good on his promise to get naked in the name of Premiership survival.
Not, one hastens to clarify, because the Red Army has any desire to view the denuded Dens Park gaffer. But rather, with their irreparably bewildered side looking increasingly unlikely to add materially to their own points tally, in the interests of ensuring St Johnstone’s does not swell sufficiently to imperil the gap Aberdeen enjoy over their potentially playoff-bound rivals.
Alas McGhee’s clothes remain in situ – which for certain articles must surely be a shaky peg – and though the two points his team was still able to keep from Saints’ clutches provided some relief for the Dons, the Perth men are nevertheless creeping frighteningly into view.
It should never, ever have come to this
Should they outperform the Reds over the next two gamedays – an outcome at least as likely as not – the sides’ meeting in the penultimate round may well be with league position directly on the line.
At almost no stage during this campaign has it ever genuinely felt as if Aberdeen were fighting the drop, but if that is not yet the prevailing sentiment it categorically will be a fortnight from now if they are closer to 11th place than they are today.
With the resources to hand and the ambitions trumpeted, it should never, ever have come to this.
But come to it it has.
Aberdeen must acknowledge that their season is in flames, in order that they can put it out before it takes hold.
Post match reaction from Jim Goodwin. #StandFree | #cinchPrem pic.twitter.com/gkAxnsgBkT
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) April 23, 2022
