Aberdeen’s battle for third place in the Premiership goes on the backburner on Saturday lunchtime with the squad focused on reaching the semi-finals of this season’s Scottish Cup.
They go into the meeting with giantkillers Queen’s Park having pulled off a late comeback against Dundee United last weekend, salvaging a point which at least kept them just in front of the Tannadice side.
For most of the first half, we saw exactly why Aberdeen went through those months of torture during the winter, and I feared another defeat was very much on the cards.
Jimmy Thelin switched things around at the interval, there was more drive and intent – and we finally discovered what Kevin Nisbet has to offer the side.
Kevin Nisbet goes from passenger to difference-maker
He had been a passenger before the break, adding nothing to the team, and looked disinterested.
Suddenly, in an instant, he cleverly opened up his body to profit from Alexander Jensen’s pass, and the finish was first-rate.
His second was an instinctive close-range goal, but exactly what you look for from your main striker, and I would hope the double has restored his confidence – the Dons could certainly do with that.
Given Ester Sokler’s continued absence, the team is woefully short at the business end of the pitch. Pape Gueye looks nothing like the player who had a purple patch last autumn, Peter Ambrose is unconvincing at best, and Oday Dabbagh is just in the door.
Of the wide men, Topi Keskinen has something, but flatters to deceive all too often, and as of yet, Jeppe Okkels has offered very little.
Shayden Morris does usually have an impact when he comes on, but seems to have been viewed that way since he arrived in the summer of 2022, with the vast majority of his appearances coming from the bench.
Aberdeen’s defensive record is bottom-six standard – and Thelin will know it must improve
The manager is certainly going to have to find the answer, because if he fails to, Hibernian look to have what it takes to open up a gap and finish off the campaign in style.
In addition to the strike-force, the defence remains an issue to be addressed.
The team has kept just five clean sheets in the Premiership all season, and even during the record-breaking start they were losing goals, albeit not at the rate they have been since late November.
From their first defeat of the season against St Mirren, 36 have been conceded in 18 matches, and if you are letting in on average two a game, it is little surprise that results take a nosedive.
The goal difference of minus-eight at this stage is more representative of a bottom six team.
Jimmy will be well aware of this, and took steps to try to stem the tide with his January signings, at the same time getting the hapless Slobodan Rubezic out the door.
He has gone with the central defensive pairing of Kristers Tobers and Mats Knoester for the last five matches, and though the former is set to miss Saturday’s cup-tie, it makes sense to stick with them going forward – to allow them to develop what will hopefully be a solid partnership.
If they can get that part right, it will at least give them a foundation from which to build.
Referee for Cove game showed why ex-players make good whistlers
Cove Rangers’ game at Alloa last weekend was refereed by a familiar figure – former goalkeeper Sean Murdoch.
Best known for his time at Dunfermline, he retired in 2019, and has since worked his way up through the ranks.
Murdoch controlled the game with a clear understanding of how it should be played, he was not taken in by those who tried to “buy” fouls, and he let it flow, which added greatly to the spectacle.
Despite our defeat, I left the stadium without a single complaint about the official – which let’s be honest is rare!
I know the Scottish FA encourages ex-players to consider taking up refereeing, and given Sean’s performance, I would hope more follow that path.
It can, of course, be a thankless task, and would probably not be something the big earners would ever contemplate.
But for many, especially those who played for most of their careers out of the spotlight, it is an option to remain involved in the game.
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