Aberdeen’s hierarchy must show strong, decisive leadership in the wake of their 1-0 Scottish Cup defeat to sixth-tier Darvel.
In the wake of Monday night’s loss – the worst defeat in Dons history and the biggest upset in the 149-year history of the national trophy – there has understandably been speculation over Jim Goodwin’s future as Aberdeen manager.
It is one win for Goodwin’s side in nine games post-winter break now, with a 5-0 Premiership hammering at Hearts in the Premiership coming in the days before the Darvel disaster. Any Reds gaffer would be under significant pressure.
Goodwin apologised to Dons fans for both performances, describing them as “embarassing” and “humiliating” for Aberdeen collectively and individually.
I’ve written in this column previously about how January, with league games against their rivals, a League Cup semi-final against Rangers, and the Darvel game in the Scottish Cup, was going to be season-defining for Goodwin’s Reds.
Near the end of this pivotal month, they are now out of both cups and, after Tynecastle, look to have little chance of catching third-placed Hearts in the Premiership.
I’m sorry to say it has left the season looking like it’s only heading south, with defeat at Darvel the lowest of lows.
Angry Aberdeen fans deserve answers and clarity about how the club plan to change the record after what happened at Darvel.
Goodwin and his players have a pile of issues to address – including their longstanding, horrendous form away from home, which – despite some exciting, impressive home performances – has seen them pick up just two league wins on the road from 11 attempts in 2022/23.
Dons chairman Dave Cormack and his board, meanwhile, must decide whether they think Goodwin is the right man to spearhead the attempt to turn the current miserable run of results and performances around.
They backed the manager to the tune of £1.5 million for his summer rebuild and also allowed him to already add two players – Graeme Shinnie and Patrik Myslovic – in the January window.
Whether Goodwin stays or goes – decision must be quick
It’s not for me to say whether the Dons should move ahead with Goodwin at the helm, or replace him, but they must make their decision quickly.
We’re into the final week of the winter window and there are still obvious problems in terms of the squad which I have talked about before and which have had a bearing on some of the poor performances in the campaign to this point – namely the lack of options in defence.
Fans expect these clear problems to be resolved. Whoever is in charge – but time is running out.
Aberdeen blew their Scottish Cup run chance
The defeat at Darvel was a hammer blow in terms of the rest of the season.
Having reached the League Cup last four, Aberdeen looked like they had a good chance of at least making the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, having been drawn against West of Scotland Premier League outfit in round four, with the winner to meet League One Falkirk in the last-16.
However, they’ve wasted their chance.
Aberdeen supporters expect their team to be competing for silverware every season, and we know last season’s Scottish Cup exit was the end of Goodwin’s predecessor Stephen Glass.
I don’t think Goodwin can carry the entire blame for the showing at Darvel – although I was quite surprised initially to not see striker Bojan Miovski or midfielder Shinnie in his starting line-up at Darvel, although Shinnie wasn’t at his best against Hearts.
Glass, in going out of League Cup to Raith Rovers earlier last term, also showed the risk you take if you rotate your team for cup matches.
There were questions of whether Shinnie was carrying a knock or something, given he didn’t come on at all at Darvel, despite Aberdeen being a goal down later in the game and when his trademark battling qualities looked like they were needed.
I’m sure there has been a lot of soul-searching for Goodwin in the hours since the damaging defeat, as well as frank conversations with his players over their performance and talks with club chief Cormack.
Managers do tend to carry the can for such dreadful showings and results, so we will just have to wait and see what the Dons decide to do.
Reaction to goal laid bare Aberdeen’s current confidence issues
What worried me most about the manner of Aberdeen’s defeat to minnows Darvel was it laid bare how fragile the Dons players’ confidence now is following their post-winter break struggles.
In cup ties against teams down the levels – and I know this from my own playing career – it is pivotal the big team like Aberdeen stamp their authority on the game from the first minute.
They needed to make the opposition fully aware of the five-division gap between the sides and their players, and dominate every aspect early doors – communication, work rate, winning every physical contest, and zipping the ball about sharply and with purpose.
They didn’t stamp their authority on proceedings – but Darvel did.
Jim Goodwin’s team must have known the West of Scotland Premier League leaders are a side who try to play good football on a lovely playing surface, but they didn’t combat this well enough, or turn the tables on them to degree you would have expected after starting slower.
Darvel were more aggressive and won the vast majority of challenges in the game, which gave them the platform to get themselves in front via Jordan Kirkpatrick’s goal.
And once they did, I’m sure Aberdeen’s players were reflecting on their dreadful away form, their recent performances and the way the season has been drifting – or perhaps even racing – away from them in the last few weeks, which seemed to knock their confidence they could still come out on top of the cup tie.
In a game where we may have expected to be looking back on the Dons scoring a hatful of goals, they only managed to create a handful of chances to haul themselves level, and – a poor offside call apart – couldn’t take them.
I feel for travelling fans having to witness undisputed biggest-ever Scottish Cup shock
There were certainly no results during my playing career with Aberdeen which are comparable to the Dons’ Scottish Cup defeat at Darvel.
Nor during any other era, in my opinion.
I don’t even think it’s comparable to what was previously the biggest ever Scottish Cup shock – when runaway Championship leaders Hearts went out to Highland League champions Brora Rangers in 2021.
Goals from Jordan MacRae and Martin McLean for Brora in that tie at Dudgeon Park were enough to see off the Jambos, despite a Christophe Berra goal for the visitors.
However, there was only a three-division gap between Hearts and the Cattachs at that point.
I feel the pain for the Aberdeen fans, especially those who went through the long journey to Ayrshire on Monday night.
It was an eight-hour round trip and it was another dismal outing on the road for them to bear witness to.
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