Aberdeen boss Barry Robson has called for an immediate response to the shocker against St Mirren that left him raging.
Robson was fuming after the 3-0 loss to the Buddies on Saturday and made his anger clear to his players at full-time.
Many supporters booed at the final whistle at Pittodrie to ramp up the heat on Robson and his squad.
Robson says “pressure is always on me” as Aberdeen manager – but his only focus is on guiding the Dons back to winning ways.
Aberdeen face second-bottom Ross County in Dingwall on Tuesday in the final match before the Premiership enters into a winter break.
The Reds are languishing in ninth position in the league, just one point above County, who occupy the relegation play-off spot.
Robson reckons after flopping against St Mirren, his players should be fired up against Ross County to pay back supporters.
He said: “My message was clear to the players – you need to go win the next game because that (St Mirren loss) was unacceptable.
“We need to serve up a lot better than we did against St Mirren and I will be making sure that happens.
“It shouldn’t be hard to get up for the next game.
“When you don’t perform the way you should for our fans, they should be flying out of the box in the next game. I would expect that.
“Whatever way we do it, we need to win games.
“When you are at Aberdeen that is the demand.
“I know that and understand that.
“The players have been told that.
“We need to go and win the next game at Ross County.”
‘Pressure is always on me’, Robson says, admitting Reds failed on ‘basics’
Regardless of the outcome in Dingwall, Aberdeen will go into the winter break in the bottom six.
The Dons have won just five of 17 Premiership fixtures this season, taking 19 points from a possible 51.
Questioned if the loss to St Mirren will pile pressure on him and the team, Robson said: “Pressure is always on me.
“I’m not thinking about that.
“I’m thinking about getting these players performing the way they should be.
“That (against St Mirren) wasn’t the levels they had performed to recently before that game.
“They looked a yard short all over the pitch and they need to be better.
“The players have to make sure they come out and perform in the next game, against Ross County.”
St Mirren’s win at Pittodrie ended the Paisley club’s six-game losing streak away from home.
It was their first away win since September.
Mark O’Hara fired St Mirren ahead after only 12 minutes before missing a penalty soon after.
Substitute Jonah Ayunga made it 2-0 in the second-half, then Greg Kiltie completed a miserable day for the Dons when converting a penalty three minutes into injury time.
Robson was left raging at the defeat.
He said: “Not every game is going to be perfect, so you have to win all the duels.
“You have to do the basics right and we never did that against St Mirren.
“St Mirren performed well, but I am so angry because we didn’t perform.”
Robson says tactics not to blame for St Mirren loss
Robson set up with his favoured 3-5-2 formation against St Mirren.
Asked if teams are getting wise to that formation, Robson said: “It it is not about tactics and formation.
“We just weren’t good enough all over the pitch.
“The players have been told that and they know that.”
When quizzed if the defeat was down to attitude, Robson said: “No. It’s not about attitude.
“That is one thing that can never be aimed at them as they have worked hard in this first half of the season.
“They just looked off the pace in the game against St Mirren.
“When you play for Aberdeen, you can’t afford to have a bad day.
“There is no excuse and we need to be better.”
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