Aberdeen’s on-going dismal away form is in danger of damaging the positivity from an expensive summer rebuild.
The inconsistent Dons have become the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of the Scottish top flight.
Delivering wins, goals and entertainment at home but suffering an on-going nightmare on the road.
In losing to Dundee United, the Premiership’s bottom club, the Dons have only won twice in 23 away league games.
The inability to travel is becoming quick-sand sucking down the Dons bid to build winning momentum.
Aberdeen’s away day woes extend back to not just before manager Jim Goodwin rebuilt the squad in the summer, but before he arrived at the club in February.
Aberdeen have taken just four points from 15 away from home this season.
To secure European qualification, the Dons’ minimum target this season, strong home form needs to be married with positive away results.
The brutal reality witnessed by a 4,000 strong travelling Red Army is that Aberdeen are not coming close to matching their positive home form on the road.
That is a concern and a major imbalance that must be fixed quickly.
Goodwin watches from the stands
Banned Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin watched from the stands as he served the first of an eight game ban issued by the SFA.
Six of those are immediate, starting at Tannadice, with two suspended until the end of the season.
Goodwin was absent from the dugout but he will be front and centre at the inevitable post-mortem into this shocker.
Why are Aberdeen so poor away from home? What can be done to fix it?
Aberdeen were defensively fragile and fortunate only to concede four goals to a team rock bottom of the Premiership.
To put this into perspective Dundee United had scored four goals in their previous eight Premiership games.
They hit the same number against a ragged Reds that were ripped apart.
Aberdeen backed by 4,000 fans
Many of the 4,000 Aberdeen fans wore Jim Goodwin masks supplied by the Evening Express in support of the banned manager.
Assistant manager Lee Sharp was in the dugout for a game that was trialed at 6pm in a bid to boost attendance numbers.
But it was a horror night for the Dons and the travelling support.
In the 13th minute Aberdeen should have scored when a cross from Vicente Besuijen found Jayden Richardson who touched it across goal.
Keeper Carljohan Eriksson was in in no man’s land.
The ball fell behind Bojan Miovski who tried to flick it in but couldn’t get it on target in front of a gaping goal.
Disastrous end to the first-half
In the 41st minute Dundee United capitalised on poor defending to go ahead.
Jamie McGrath, an Aberdeen summer transfer target, stepped past Hayden Coulson on the flank and raced inside before sliding a pass to Tony Watt.
Striker Watt’s drive was well saved by keeper Roos but the ball fell to unmarked Aziz Behich who slotted home from 10 yards.
Just moments later the Dons fell further behind.
Yet again Aberdeen were punished for fragile defending.
Freeman skipped past Coulson and Miovski before cutting back a pass to Watt who lashed into the top corner from 10 yards.
Aberdeen’s Miovski misses chance
In the 63rd minute substitute Leighton Clarkson flighted in a superb flighted ball which dropped over the defence to the onrushing Miovski.
The striker controlled the ball on his chest on the run but fired a 12-yard drive over the crossbar and into the Shed.
Aberdeen were denied a penalty shout in the 68th minute when a Richardson shot appeared to be blocked by a hand.
United awarded contentious penalty
Within minutes it was Dundee United who were awarded a penalty by referee Willie Collum when Craig Sibbald went down under a challenge from McCrorie.
There didn’t seem to be much contact on Sibbald. It was a soft spot-kick.
McGrath sent Roos the wrong way, firing into the keeper’s top right hand corner.
It should have been 4-0 in the 80th minute when the Dons defence was sliced open allowing Watt a free run on goal.
Roos did well to race off his line, close the angle and make the save.
The loose ball fell to Sadat Anaku who blasted over an open goal.
Nightmare night… gets even worse
A nightmare night became worse due to lack of communication from a long free kick into the box.
McCrorie rose to win the header and play it back to keeper Roos.
However Roos had raced off his line and could only watch helplessly as McCrorie’s header sailed into an empty net.
It could have been 5-0 soon after as Anthony Stewart’s across the area was intercepted by Levitt but Roos blocked his shot.
ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1): Roos 6; Coulson 4 (Duk 57), Scales 4 , Stewart 4, Richardson 4 (Morris 82); Ramadani 4(Ramirez 82) McCrorie 5; Hayes 5, Besuijen 4(Clarkson 57); Watkins 4 (Barron 46); Miovski 5.
Subs not used: Lewis, Duncan, Milne, Kennedy, Ramirez.
DUNDEE UNITED (5-3-2): Eriksson 6; Benich 7 (Graham 87), McMann 6, Edwards 6, Smith 6, Freeman 7; McGrath 7, Levitt 6, Sibbald 7; Watt 6 (Pawlett 86), Middleton 6(Anaku 70)
Subs not used: Birighitti, Graham, Niskanen, Meekison, Harkes, Cudjoe, Thomson.
Referee: Willie Collum
Attendance: 11,010
Man of the match: Jamie McGrath (Dundee United)
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