The Dons face a massive 90 minutes at Tynecastle this afternoon, a match which will in all likelihood go a long way towards determining the remainder of their Premiership campaign.
Having come back from their winter break, I am sure the fans would have hoped to see a re-energised team full of drive and dynamism. It has not quite worked out that way.
They did what they had to at New Douglas Park last Friday night, disposing of Clyde in the Scottish Cup with the minimum of fuss, despite a first half scare when the SPFL’s bottom side hit the post. That apart, it was a functional display, and they got the job done.
With Bonnyrigg Rose now visiting Pittodrie next month, a place in the quarter finals looks highly likely, and a run in the tournament will attain even more importance if Aberdeen fail to perform against Hearts in the capital.
Steven Naismith’s side were woeful in the first 45 minutes against Dundee in midweek, but ultimately deserved their victory after an excellent second half showing. They are unbeaten in six league matches since losing to the Dons in early December, having won five of those, and are now eight points clear in that coveted third place.
Their advantage over Aberdeen is double that, albeit having played three matches more, and even if the Dons win their games in hand, they would still be a long way back. Defeat at Tynecastle today would be fatal to their hopes.
The inconsistency which has hampered the side all season – only twice have they won back-to-back in the league – was again evident on Wednesday in Perth when the team put in another sub-standard performance.
They got lucky with the two big VAR decisions, and should have been able to see it out, but reverting to a back three seemed to open the game up for St Johnstone, and a poor decision by Kelle Roos allowed the home side to snatch a point.
If they have genuine ambitions of seriously challenging for third, they simply cannot afford those kind of failings.
Dundee visit Pittodrie on Tuesday night – one of the games in hand – and that is followed by meetings with Celtic and Rangers. The next ten days could well determine Aberdeen’s fate.
If they are to somehow resurrect hopes of European qualification from their league placing, Barry Robson is going to have to get something special from his squad, a feat he has achieved only sporadically throughout this season.
There have been some really good performances, but they have generally come in short spells during matches. Only seldom have they maintained the required level for the bulk of the 90 minutes, and that is why they find themselves in their current predicament.
We all know that football can change quickly, one result can have a massive bearing on confidence, momentum can swing, and a campaign can be transformed. It is getting there that is the hard part, but that’s what the Dons have to do.
A victory at Tynecastle would potentially be the catalyst, but history is against them; they haven’t won there since May 2017, and have lost on their last four visits.
If that becomes five-in-a-row, Aberdeen can forget about third place.
Brown could be a hit at Ayr
I wrote last week about the perils of management, and the big decisions chairmen across the land are having to take as they reassess their hopes.
One such club were Ayr United, and they have gone for box-office, announcing Scott Brown as their new boss.
Welcome to Ayr United – Scott Brown and Steven Whittaker.
🗣️"This is an exciting appointment for Ayr United and, I have no doubt, will be remembered as an exciting period of time on our journey"
Read more⬇️https://t.co/RGED8941Sx#WeAreUnited pic.twitter.com/3lcBtBKJSh
— Ayr United (@AyrUnitedFC) January 23, 2024
Scott picked up some experience with Stephen Glass at Pittodrie, then had sixteen months in charge at Fleetwood Town before being sacked last September.
He will have benefitted from that period, but remains largely inexperienced as a manager, and there is no way of knowing for sure if it is a role he is going to succeed in.
The relegation battle in the second tier is certainly going to be fascinating and will feature some high profile names; a few months ago, no-one could have anticipated Scott, Duncan Ferguson and Callum Davidson all being involved in it.
