25th – 31st Jan 2021
The past week of sport saw The Reporter confused as to whether Aberdeen FC are going through a bad patch, surprised by the unsurprising relentlessness of Bayern Munich, and looking on enviously at the European Tour.
Aberdeen keep two clean sheets in a week
–McInnes Drops Wright In Surprise Team Selection And Comes Away Satisfied With Chances Created As Aberdeen Draw 0-0 At Livingston: Reaction
–Aberdeen In A Bore Draw With St Johnstone In Perth: Reaction
That’s the positive spin on it – 270 minutes now since someone scored against the Dons.
McInnes got the team in this shut-out frame of mind earlier in the season when the Dons went on a run of conceding one goal in six after the opening day defeat to Rangers.
There is a sense of reserved pride at a team that guards its goal so effectively, however as good as the Dons are doing defensively their season could unravel due to the attack.
This week Aberdeen played 180 minutes of football but didn’t find the net. In half of their games this year the Dons haven’t scored.
McInnes’ two main strikers starting the season with heavy injuries doesn’t aid the sharpness upfront, while the Wright situation might be a distraction.
One thing that won’t be a distraction anymore is Sam Cosgrove who completed his move to English Championship’s 20th placed team Birmingham City.
After two good seasons at the Dons, Cosgrove has struggled to recapture his form this year.
Perhaps a change of scenery will reinvigorate him while Aberdeen’s coffers are certainly reinvigorated paying £30,000 for the Carlisle forward back in January 2018 and selling him on for £2m.
Dortmund playing for pride, Bayern playing to win
–Bundesliga Matchday 19: Sancho Scores As Dortmund Win For The First Time In Four
–Bundesliga Preview BVB vs Augsburg: “Man Is A Product Of Learning”. Terzic Gets Poetic Explaining Dortmund’s Poor Form
Here’s a stat any Dons fan would only dream of. In their 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim at the weekend Bayern scored in their 50th game in a row.
One of the main forces behind that stat is Robert Lewandowski who scored again – his 9th in a row in the league and 24th of the season.
Bayern are in cruise control to make it a record 9IAR, seven points ahead of second place challengers RB Leipzig.
For Dortmund, while they won, reversing a run of one draw and two defeats, sporting director Michael Zorc admitted in the prematch press conference the target is no longer the league but to guarentee Europe.
For a club that looked set to make some real achievements this season, the campaign has been a borderline nightmare.
European Tour Golf – solid Scottish presence
It’s not just the weather, it’s the golf that’s played – how do the pros hit the ball like that?
There’s a solid Scottish contingent in the European Tour this year with eight players wacking that infuriating little dimpled ball in the name of the saltire.
Robert ‘Bobby’ MacIntyre, hailing from Oban, came third in the Dubai Desert Classic – the Euro PGA’s second tourni of the season.
MacIntyre fell away in the final round posting a two over seventy-four to leave him five shots behind winner Paul Casey.
Concerning the Aberdeen contingent of the Scottish octuple, David Law missed the cut by one stroke finishing one over after his opening two rounds while Royal Aberdeen Golf Club honorary member Richie Ramsey made it to the weekend finishing one under after two, but fell back in his final two rounds.
At the very least, they had the weather.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 