Regular readers of this column will be well aware I had my reservations over Aberdeen appointing Neil Warnock as the replacement for Barry Robson.
Unlike some observers, I did not instantly buy into the steady stream of quips and one-liners on the day he was unveiled.
I acknowledged he is a vastly-experienced manager, but pointed out the Scottish game is a very different animal to what he has been used to, and that was one of the main reasons why I had my doubts.
Nothing I have so far seen has eased those concerns. Half a dozen matches in, I think we can all agree there has not been the managerial “bounce” Dons chairman Dave Cormack was hoping for.
Quite the opposite in fact. Under Warnock, Aberdeen have continued to stutter, and the latest capitulation, against St Johnstone in midweek, came as no real surprise.
Neil came to the north-east with little or no knowledge of the Dons players or the game in general up here, and that has been painfully obvious during the depressing run he has overseen.
For such an experienced boss, he has made a string of ill-advised comments pre- and post-match, and last week’s outing of Bojan Miovski at Rugby Park was a clear example.
The striker has been the one player Aberdeen have been able to rely on this season. If anyone deserved a bit of leeway, it was him.
For some time now, the Dons have been lurching towards a relegation battle, and that has intensified with the back-to-back defeats in the past week.
After St Mirren this afternoon, there are trips to Dundee and Motherwell on the horizon – the plight of the team could be about to get even worse.
I take no satisfaction at all from writing the above. I am hurting like all Dons fans, and a snapshot of the reaction I have gathered in the past couple of days has shown there is both anger out there… and an abiding love for the club.
We all want to see a strong, vibrant and successful Aberdeen.
While their patience is being tested right now, the goodwill from the fans really is remarkable, and all they ask is to see the club heading in the right direction.
Provide that, and they will give a strength of backing which is unmatched elsewhere in the country.
In rounding off the column I wrote a month ago, in the wake of Neil’s arrival, I suggested there would be a lighter mood around the club, and plenty fun. If there has been, that has not translated on to the pitch.
I also stated the laughter would only continue if the Dons got positive results, which they have patently failed to do.
The jokes which were lapped-up a few weeks ago, and spread all over mainstream and social media, do not seem quite so funny now.
I hope Warnock can turn things round, that he can somehow find a way to get the team winning again.
If not – and time is running out – Cormack will have a big call to make.
Highland League set up for another thrilling championship race climax
The Breedon Highland League has once again produced a thrilling, competitive campaign, and with the season still a long way from being concluded, there could yet be another dramatic climax.
There was a massive head-to-head in midweek, the top two, Brechin City and Banks o’ Dee, fighting out a goalless stalemate at Glebe Park – a scoreline which favoured the home side and maintained their three-point advantage.
Gavin Price’s Brechin side also have a game in hand, so have to be viewed as favourites, but there might yet be a twist.
Buckie Thistle have a backlog to deal with, and if they can put together a winning run, could yet have a major say, while Brora Rangers, and to a lesser extent Formartine United, will still be harbouring hopes of landing the title.
East Kilbride will win the Lowland League, but it will be some time before we know for sure who will meet them in the playoffs.
Conversation