The goals have dried up for Aberdeen in recent weeks but it is in defence where the Dons have been vulnerable all season, with little in the way of clean sheets.
One clean sheet in 13 matches in all competitions makes for grim viewing no matter how you spin it, but more worryingly still is the fact you have to go back to the first weekend in August, the opening day 2-0 win against Dundee United, to find it.
The ease at which Stephen Glass’ side coasted to victory is such, had you told a Dons fan after the opening game of the campaign that six weeks later United would be above Aberdeen in the league table, then they would have scoffed at the idea.
Yet here we are, five league matches and six goals conceded later, and it is the Dons languishing in the bottom half of the table.
Granted, few would have predicted Celtic would be just above them and the fact the Hoops are struggling too has perhaps been kind on all concerned at Pittodrie with national focus falling on Ange Postecoglou’s side rather than in the vicinity of the Granite City.
Half-time vulnerability
You can look at other clubs such as Ross County, who have let in the most goals so far with 13 conceded in their opening six games, and see that 11 of their 13 have been shipped in the opening half hour and final half hour of matches. Ten of those came against last season’s top three of Rangers, Celtic and Hibernian.
It should also be noted the Dons have still to face the top three of the last campaign yet. Those tests are looming on the horizon, which is why the lack of clean sheets should be a concern.
Aberdeen – and their struggling defence – have yet to concede in the first 15 minutes or the final quarter of an hour, but four of their six goals lost have come in the 15-minute window either side of half-time.
Fans might enjoy their half-time Pittodrie pie, but it’s not on the menu in the dressing room at the break, so we can’t blame the interval refreshments for Aberdeen’s pre and post-break charitable defending, but it is clear it has been a vulnerable period.
There is no discernible pattern, however, with three lost from open play and the other three from set-pieces.
But the common trait is slackness no matter who is playing in the Aberdeen defence. The six goals have been lost from 47 attempts from opponents so far.
But what the stats do not show is that Motherwell and St Johnstone combined have mustered three attempts on target in the last two games against the Dons. All three have gone into the net, while the Dons have failed to score despite having 10 attempts on target in those two games.
To be blunt, it is a sequence which simply cannot continue.
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Declan Gallagher finds himself with the unfortunate tag of having been on the pitch for every goal conceded in the Premiership so far, closely followed by Ross McCrorie and Calvin Ramsay, who have been in the back four for five of them.
He has only just arrived, but David Bates, after 102 minutes, can boast an unblemished record from his two appearances. It is early days in his Aberdeen career, but it is an encouraging start and one statistic which will have given his manager some comfort.
Bates joined the fray after his side were 2-0 down at Motherwell. It was goalless when he departed Saturday’s 1-0 loss at St Johnstone, where former Don Stevie May returned to score his 50th goal for the Perth Saints.
Aberdeen’s fragility was exposed in how the goal was conceded, and Dons boss Glass said in his post-match press conference he had identified four mistakes made in the build-up to the goal.
Funso Ojo’s hurried clearance was followed by Jonny Hayes’ poor touch inside the St Johnstone half, which allowed the visitors to clear their lines.
A poor touch from Calvin Ramsay followed by the youngster and Gallagher seemingly wanting the other to deal with May led to the former Don cutting inside and having time to pick his spot in the bottom corner past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Joe Lewis.
Predictable yet preventable. That seems to be the Aberdeen way at the moment.