It is time for Sam Cosgrove and Curtis Main to step up and show they can lead the line for Aberdeen.
I saw highlights of the Dons’ goalless draw against Dundee United on Saturday and I imagine manager Derek McInnes must have been pulling his hair out at seeing one terrific ball after another from Jonny Hayes fly across goal with no takers.
Cosgrove had a terrific campaign last season, while Main had a purple patch in the early part of 2020 before Covid-19 stopped the season.
But since starting up again the two strikers have five league goals between them.
As a former Aberdeen striker, I know that’s not good enough a return for a club of the Dons’ stature.
The question I keep asking myself is are they prolific enough for the role?
Neither player has shown me enough this season to suggest the answer is yes.
Good strikers, certainly ones with aspirations of being the main man at Pittodrie, should not be going more than three games without a goal. That’s the challenge players like myself, Billy Dodds and Dean Windass faced in our time there.
It is easy to say everyone needs to chip in and both Lewis Ferguson and Ryan Hedges have been leading the way in supporting the strikers in their efforts in front of goal.
But it is clear there is a bit of work to be done to get the forward line producing regularly at a level which fans would expect.
The Dons will certainly need to be better on Sunday if they want to hand Rangers their first Premiership defeat of the season. It should be a Pittodrie cracker.
Celtic did all they could at Ibrox on Saturday, but ultimately they didn’t have enough to get a result.
Rangers soaked up the pressure, Allan McGregor made some terrific saves and then they got their goal.
With the Hoops now 19 points behind Steven Gerrard’s side, I would humbly suggest a title win for Celtic this season would be the biggest of the 10 if they overturned the deficit between now and May.
It’s all about what Rangers do from here that matters and they know if they keep winning Celtic will remain firmly in their rearview mirror.
That is why I expect the Light Blues to be right on top of their game at Pittodrie.
Aberdeen are exactly where I would expect them to be in third place in the league at the minute, but – if they are serious about pushing higher – then this is the sort of game they need to get a result from – and Cosgrove and Main must lead the way.
Staggies better but still slack at back
There has been a change of manager and an upturn in results, but it is clear Ross County have a major fight on their hands in trying to stay in the Premiership.
A fantastic result at Hibernian last week gave John Hughes’ side some much needed confidence ahead of the visit of St Johnstone to Victoria Park on Saturday, but it felt a bit flat in Dingwall in a 1-1 draw.
There are positives though. Yogi wants his side to be competitive in every game they play and they have shown that in his three games in charge so far. Three goals in the last two games is also a welcome step in the right direction.
But some familiar faults still remain such as the cheap goals which are being given away. Saturday was another classic example of poor concentration gifting Saints their equaliser.
The draw, and Hamilton’s win against Motherwell, means County go back to the foot of the table. I expect the bottom of the league to become a real see-saw routine for the clubs down there in the weeks ahead.
The return of Ross Draper has given County a real presence in midfield and he has quickly established a rapport with captain Iain Vigurs in the middle of the park.
I expect John will be pleased to have a strong foundation to work with in that partnership, but with the transfer window now open I know he is looking to bring in a couple of new faces.
A wide player to bring some supply to the forward areas would be top of my shopping list if I were looking for reinforcements.
English giants are giving me the blues
I’ve got strong links with Chelsea and the run my club has been on has been hard to watch.
Chelsea seem to go from one good result to a run of defeats.
It has become a tough season for Frank Lampard. I hope he is given the time he needs to learn.