The only morsel of comfort for suffering Aberdeen supporters after a disastrous season is that it surely can’t get any worse.
Can it? After the worst Premiership finish since 2004, surely the only way is up for Aberdeen next season?
The alternative would be far too damaging.
If there is not immediate and sustained progression following a summer rebuild there are only two other options:
Stagnation, which would be another bottom six finish and failure to qualify for Europe.
Or regression, which would constitute battling the relegation play-offs – or worse.
Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin is confident a summer squad reconstruction will deliver progression and success next season.
He is adamant his rebuild will elevate the Dons back to the level where they are competing at the top end of the table and fighting for Europe.
The Pittodrie board must back him in that bid by providing the finances for an extensive squad overhaul.
There can be no more underwhelming transfer windows.
The January window, under former boss Stephen Glass, failed to fix glaring problems that were damaging the season.
Those problems were allowed to continue and ultimately derailed the campaign.
Last summer’s transfer window initially delivered much promise.
However, that fizzled out. Of the 10 outfield players secured last summer, only five were still at Pittodrie when the season finished.
Former captain Scott Brown, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Jack Gurr, Matty Longstaff and Austin Samuels all exited the club early.
So bad was this campaign, the Dons briefly flirted with the threat of being dragged into the relegation play-offs.
The danger of being hauled into a scrap for top-flight survival was only killed off with three games to go.
After being condemned to the bottom six Goodwin rallied his squad by insisting they were fighting for pride and also increased SPFL prize money.
They responded with only three goals and five points from the remaining five post-split game – against the poorest sides in the Premiership.
It was an opportunity to give supporters optimism for next season.
They failed to deliver… again.
Failing to deliver was a recurring theme – Aberdeen fans had to wait until late April to see their side register a first Premiership clean sheet of 2022.
The Red Army also had to endure a 10-game winless streak, twice.
Aberdeen delivered just 10 domestic wins in the recently-completed campaign.
It is the least amount of domestic victories in a campaign by an Aberdeen side since the 1948-49 campaign – 73 years ago.
Away from the statistical nightmare of this season, there is also the human factor.
Following a team that is struggling is depressing and draining for supporters.
When the team is in the doldrums the morale of the fans, and consequently the city, drops.
There are three stages to following a struggling team – anger, depression and apathy.
In the post-split games apathy had very much set in with fans who couldn’t wait to see the back of the season from hell.
Who could blame them. Aberdeen won just twice in 21 domestic away games during the campaign.
That is a lot of time, commitment and expense for regular travelling fans with minimum return.
Only twice during a 10-month long season did they get to celebrate a win when travelling home from an Aberdeen away game.
Aberdeen’s woes on the road must be fixed immediately following the summer rebuild.
They cannot afford to go into the Premier Sports Cup group stages with the same travelling sickness.
A positive start in the Premier Sports Cup is imperative to provide a launchpad for what must be a vast improvement in fortunes.
They have to prove it can’t get any worse.
And that starts from the opening game of Goodwin’s first full season as Aberdeen manager with the team he will have built.
Considine exits with a clean sheet
Long-serving defender Andy Considine called time on his Aberdeen career with an emotional send off in the 0-0 draw with St Mirren.
It was the 35-year-olds’ 571st and final appearance for the club, and Considine exits with his head held high as a club legend.
Only Willie Miller, Alex McLeish and Bobby Clark have made more appearances for Aberdeen than the defender.
I doubt Aberdeen will ever see a player coming close to matching his 19 seasons of service in the first team squad.
His deserved place as fourth in the all-time appearance list is surely safe for decades to come – if not forever.
It is extremely rare in the modern game to see a player so dedicated to one club.
The perception was that Considine would play out his career at Pittodrie and then take up a coaching role.
That wasn’t to be as a one-year contract extension was taken off the table after talks broke down.
It is manager Jim Goodwin’s prerogative to release any player as part of his rebuild.
Granite-solid and dependable, Considine very rarely had an off game, but sometimes produced superb performances.
A consummate professional, he left Pittodrie having helped the Reds deliver a clean sheet against St Mirren.
🔴 One final lap of Pittodrie for Andy Considine.#StandFree | @AndyConsie4 pic.twitter.com/DFFiKVHyTR
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) May 15, 2022
Against St Mirren, he brought a calmness to a defence that had been vulnerable for most of the campaign.
The draw with St Mirren was only Aberdeen’s second clean sheet in 2022.
Scotland international Considine proved he can still play in the Premiership.
I have no doubt he will land a top-flight club in the summer.
Memorable Wrestlezone title clash
Aberdeen wrestling company Wrestlezone produced a fantastic night of action in their packed Aberdeen Anarchy show on Saturday.
The top-of-the-bill title showdown pitched three superb wrestlers against one another for the Undisputed belt.
Your NEW Wrestlezone Champions.
Thanks to all the fans who packed out the @AbdnNorthern at Aberdeen Anarchy last night.
📸 – @BrianBattensby pic.twitter.com/445ZTxO2SR
— WrestleZone (@wrestlezone) May 15, 2022
Defending champion Damien went up against Zach Dynamite and Aspen Faith at the Northern Hotel event.
Ultimately, Zach Dynamite triumphed.
However, all three wrestlers deserve immense credit for a memorable match.