The international break could not have come at a better time for the Dons following the defeat to Hibernian which left them off the bottom of the Premiership only because they have netted one goal more than St Johnstone.
That is not the start to the league campaign anyone would have expected, and certainly not what Dave Cormack would have been anticipating after sanctioning what was, in relative terms, a massive spend over the summer.
Despite just one win in seven games – the narrow success away to Stirling Albion in the Viaplay Cup – Barry Robson has been relaxed in his pre- and post-match interviews, declaring that the squad is in “a real good place’.
He has variously described some of the performances as “brilliant” and “outstanding” and has generally been very bullish.
The only time he let that slip was in the wake of the terrible display in Paisley when Aberdeen were fortunate in the extreme to head home with a point. He admitted then that his side had been off the pace, but congratulated them for hanging in and avoiding defeat.
Had Bojan Miovski not rescued them with his penalty deep into stoppage time that afternoon, the Dons would have been rock bottom right now.
Whether or not you agree with Barry’s assessment of how his team has been playing, no-one can dispute that he is trying to bed-in what is largely a new-look squad following the 13 arrivals in the past couple of months.
Some have already made an impression, others have yet to be given their chance, and it is too early to make definitive judgements; all we can do is go by what we have so far seen.
Graeme Shinnie and Leighton Clarkson were, of course, known quantities and they will be big players in the season ahead. Nicky Devlin knows the league inside out, is a reliable performer, and he too will prove to be a good signing.
Jamie McGrath and James McGarry have also enjoyed some game time now, and have shown enough to suggest they will make decent contributions, while Richard Jensen seems likely to be the favoured left-sided defender in the back three.
We have seen nothing yet of Or Dadia, Rhys Williams or Stefan Gartenmann, Ross Doohan is there solely as back-up to Kelle Roos, and Pape Gueye is just in the door and got just 11 minutes against Hibs.
Ester Sokler has made six substitute appearances which have totalled 85 minutes, giving him little opportunity to impress, but he will surely be given more time if Luis Lopes continues to disappoint as he has so far this season.
The other new face is Slobodan Rubezic. The big defender has looked rash and uncertain in most games and was hooked at half-time last week. He may well be facing some time on the bench.
I have no doubt Barry, Steve Agnew and the coaching staff will have been working hard this week, and they will need to get more out of the squad on a more sustained basis if results are to improve.
The rest of the month looks demanding with trips to Tynecastle, Ibrox and Frankfurt, and Ross County home and away.
If the next few weeks do not go well, the pressure will be mounting on all at Pittodrie.
MacIntyre can shine in Rome
In three weeks, we will be in the midst of what will be one of my sporting highlights of the year, the 2023 Ryder Cup.
The event rarely disappoints, but last time out became a hard watch, and Europe will be determined to make amends for what was, in the end, a comprehensive USA win.
As always, the captain’s picks prompted much discussion, with Luke Donald’s inclusion of rookie Swede Ludvig Aberg the biggest talking point. Fleetwood, Rose and Lowry were less controversial choices, and I was pleased to see them listed.
I was also delighted when Robert McIntyre cemented his automatic place, and it will be great to see another Scot out there. Our players have been European heroes in the past, but much less so during the last decade.
McIntyre has the temperament and talent to make a big contribution in Italy.
Robert MacIntyre hopes to use experience of pressure to his advantage in Ryder Cup debut
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