After the shock loss to Ross County at the weekend, is doubt beginning to fester in the mind of the Aberdeen players?
The Dons are still favourite for third, with two games in hand on Hibs, but with the squad billed as the best Derek McInnes has had to work with in his six full seasons in charge, and with the near collapse of Celtic, is the season turning into a missed opportunity?
Cast your mind back to August when Aberdeen responded to their opening day loss to Rangers with a six game winning run, eight wins coming out of the ten proceeding games after the Gers meeting.
Now, as the reality sets in on a second lockdown during the longest January in living memory, Aberdeen find themselves with one win in the last five and having not tasted victory yet in 2021.
Issues seem to be beginning to come to the boil not least questions of the manager.
Derek McInnes is now in his seventh season at Aberdeen – third longest serving Dons boss ahead of Alex Ferguson – and questions are starting to fester around whether Aberdeen needs to freshen things up.
Maybe McInnes should have taken the hint from Ferguson to move on when new challenges come calling – McInnes was front runner for the Rangers job and believed to have rejected the offer before Steven Gerrard’s appointment.
It’s a difficult one assessing McInnes, taking into account Aberdeen’s realistic target to finish third – which they are hitting. The manager’s record in the Granite City, on paper, is relatively strong, including six straight Europa League finishes.
Further articles:
–Aberdeen Thrashed By Ross County 4-1 In Dingwall: Reaction
–Weekend Review: SPFL Residing Over A Mess, Hansi Flick Doesn’t Want To Talk, Aberdeen Hammered In Dingwall, And Six Nations Threat
–After Neil Lennon’s explosive PC about the trip to Dubai: Find out what was said and what the reaction was
The next question focuses on Aberdeen’s scoring record.
The Dons are the fourth highest scorers in the league behind the Old Firm and Hibs, and one goal ahead of Livi.
Of their main source of goals – Ferguson, Cosgrove, Main, Wright and Hedges – the last to score was Cosgrove in the 2-1 win over St Johnstone at the end of 2020.
Hedges hasn’t scored in four, Main in six and top scorer Ferguson hasn’t found the net since the 3-3 thriller versus Celtic in October.
The loss of Marley Watkins seems a sore one. No one knew how the former Caley Jags forward would fit in but his selfless work ethic upfront seemed to bring the best out of the supporting cast.
Finally McInnes said something interesting in the post match interview after the defeat to Ross County.
When asked again about the Scott Wright situation – the striker rejecting a new contract with the Dons – McInnes described January as a destabilising month and one that Aberdeen will look to get through stronger.
Having previously said he was comfortable about the Wright situation, now with a slight altering of the tune, McInnes is beginning to come across as a manager looking round the bottom of the barrel for excuses. And we all know what happens to managers when they find themselves in that situation.
Aberdeen vs Motherwell, SPL, Saturday 23rd, KO 3pm.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 