Aberdeen need to regain that hunger and fighting spirit after being caught in a perfect storm on Saturday as they came unstuck in spectacular fashion at Ross County.
All the plaudits should go to John Hughes’ side following their terrific display, which was easily their best performance of the season that I have watched – and the aggression shown by the Staggies was outstanding.
County went out and played as if their lives depended on the result. Aberdeen went out as if it was just another game and the difference in attitude in the respective camps was what stood out for me.
The late pressure before half-time which gave Aberdeen a goal and a lifeline as they reduced the arrears to 2-1 offered hope the Dons would get back into the game and, for the first 15 minutes of the second half, I found myself thinking “here we go” as Derek McInnes’ side laid siege to the County goal, but it petered out and Aberdeen seemed to lose heart as the second half progressed.
I’ve been vocal about Aberdeen’s forward line in recent weeks in this column and I have to say Curtis Main and Sam Cosgrove were non-existent as an attacking threat for much of the game on Saturday.
But there are reasons for that and they were glaring at Victoria Park.
The service from the wide areas at times was abysmal. Aberdeen worked the ball into so many good positions, but their wide players just did not deliver and, while Main and Cosgrove could have been more influential, there is no getting away from the fact they were starved of service in the final third.
It was left to Scott Wright to carry Aberdeen’s goal threat and he was denied twice by Ross Laidlaw in the County goal.
On another day, had he converted his chances, the outcome could have been very different, but Derek will be really disappointed at his side’s performance and rightly so.
The Dons boss has spoken about the switch to a back three suiting his side this season, but they looked anything but comfortable with their three-man-defence on Saturday.
I don’t know if it was a bad day at the office or if he needs to have a rethink, but what I do know is that Derek expects a better level of performance defensively than he watched at the weekend.
Motherwell seem to be picking up under their new boss Graham Alexander and they did well to get a point against Rangers on Sunday.
Having won 3-0 on their last visit to Pittodrie, they will be looking forward to their return on Saturday and this weekend’s match has become a huge one for the Dons on the back of their heavy defeat in Dingwall.
Staggies set the tone right from the start
While Aberdeen lick their wounds, I would be doing Ross County a disservice if I overlooked their display on Saturday.
The tone was set from the first minute, where the Staggies raced into an early lead.
Their wide players, Regan Charles-Cook and Jermaine Hylton, set the tone from the first minute to the last.
Aberdeen came bearing gifts and County gratefully accepted them as they converted their chances into goal.
But the fine defensive display should not be overlooked either. County have struggled at the back at times this season, but their goalkeeper and the defensive line in front of him all did their job brilliantly.
The Dons still had chances, as you would expect from a team which arrived in Dingwall third in the table, but County stood up well when the pressure came and there is no doubt they deserved their 4-1 win.
Knowing John Hughes as I do he will be thrilled, not just by the result but by his side’s performance. He’ll be relishing the chance to go to Ibrox on Saturday and show his side can give the best team in the country a game too.
I’m convinced County are on the rise and Yogi is leading the way.
Managers need to be looked after as well
John Robertson is not known for being emotional in his interviews, but his comments last week struck a nerve with me.
A manager has a hundred things to think about, from training sessions, the welfare of his players and the tactics for the next game.
You have to be mentor, confidant and counsellor at various points in your working week.
But who looks out for the manager? John raised that question and I can recall Maurice Malpas saying something similar during his time at Caley Thistle too.
It can be a lonely, high-pressure existence at times and that’s without the added stress of a pandemic.