Aberdeen must change their mentality when facing Celtic at Parkhead because their record in the fixture is embarrassing.
Yet again the Dons suffered another heavy defeat at the Premiership champions when crashing 6-0 on Sunday.
My reaction to that shocking performance was disgust, because Aberdeen supporters were let down at Parkhead once more.
Dons supporters give absolutely everything for their club and have put a lot of emotion, time and money into following them this season… and every season.
They expect, and should receive, far better from Aberdeen.
If you play for Aberdeen, you have to give your heart to the club until there is absolutely nothing left on the park.
Every last ounce of effort, passion and fight must be expended in the battle to get a win for Aberdeen in every single game.
Yet the Dons were not only outplayed by Celtic at Parkhead, they were also out-fought.
That shouldn’t happen.
The Dons have only won once in the last 36 games at Parkhead, which is an unacceptable statistic. They have taken just four points from 108.
Struggling at Parkhead is a problem which has dogged the Dons in recent years under a number of different managers.
Aberdeen must somehow find the mentality and self-belief that they can win at the venue.
It is vital the Dons learn from that heavy defeat to Celtic and ensure it does not happen again.
The performance against Celtic was so infuriating because it came just days after Aberdeen went toe-to-toe in drawing 2-2 with PAOK in Greece.
After more than holding their own in a hostile environment against the Group G leaders in the Europa Conference League, I expected more of the same at Parkhead.
Unfortunately it wasn’t to be as the Dons were never at the races from the outset.
To lose two early goals to be 2-0 down at Celtic after just 16 minutes is disastrous.
The exertions of the game against PAOK are no excuse for the performance against the Hoops.
Boss Barry Robson made four changes to the starting line-up from the one which ended PAOK’s 100 percent record in the group.
So there should have been enough freshness injected into that team.
However, it was flat from the outset.
To lose three goals in injury time at Parkhead was also shocking.
The defence was ripped apart – but it was not just defensively the Dons were terrible, it was all through the team.
Aberdeen’s inconsistency is becoming a concern.
They are capable of beating Rangers 3-1 at Ibrox and overcoming Hibs 1-0 in the Viaplay Cup semi-final when a man down.
Aberdeen have also went toe-to-toe with PAOK and Eintracht Frankfurt in Europe.
The problem is you never know which Aberdeen team will turn up and that inconsistency is costing them in the Premiership.
Aberdeen are ninth in the league table, only two points ahead of bottom club Livingston. Granted the Dons have two games in hand, but you have to win them.
They are seven points behind third-placed St Mirren, who have played a game more.
That gap can quickly be closed – but only if the Dons start to find consistency of performances and results in the Premiership.
If they can’t, then the real concern is that the Dons become mired in the bottom six.
Clubs must stand against unfair ticket allocation
The refusal of the SPFL to grant Aberdeen’s request to be issued with a 50-50 split of tickets for the Viaplay Cup final is a disgrace.
Instead, the SPFL confirmed the Dons would receive just 19,500 tickets, with Rangers getting 25,000, for the final at Hampden on December 17.
All other clubs outside Rangers and Celtic should join together to stop this practice of an unbalanced ticket allocation.
There should be strength in numbers to push for change, because to giving one team more tickets for a final is completely unacceptable.
Especially when that team, Aberdeen, have requested a 50-50 split and sold 43.000 tickets for the 2014 League Cup final.
Aberdeen requested time to sell a 50% split of the tickets for next month’s final. And if they didn’t achieve that then the remaining tickets would go to Rangers – with plenty of time to sell them on.
They shouldn’t even have to ask for a 50-50 split – it should be an automatic given.
This ticket fiasco is embarrassing for Scottish football.
The SPFL appear to think they are a law unto themselves and can do what they want.
Other clubs should join together to show them they can’t.
Chance to celebrate Scotland’s Euros success on Sunday
The Tartan Army will be able to celebrate Scotland’s qualification for Euro 2024 at Hampden on Sunday.
It will be the Scots’ first game at the national stadium since qualification for the finals in Germany next summer was secured.
Scotland showed their never-say-die attitude when scoring in injury time via Lawrence Shankland to salvage a 2-2 draw away to Georgia.
They did not deserve to lose that game.
Now Scotland will hopefully end a superb qualifying campaign on a high by overcoming Norway.
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