St Mirren has not been a happy hunting ground for Aberdeen in the last 12 months but there is cause for optimism for Stephen Glass and his players as they prepare for their trip to Paisley on Sunday.
The Dons’ season has stalled in recent weeks following a seven-game run without a win, but under the circumstances a trip to face Jim Goodwin’s side should offer some comfort.
While Aberdeen’s Premiership record shows two wins and two draws from their opening half dozen matches, the wait for a win continues for the Buddies after a run of four draws and two defeats so far.
Looking at the form guide, it would not be a surprise to see Sunday’s match end in a draw with Saints 2-2 draw at Hibernian last weekend making it the third game in a row where they have had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Can Aberdeen’s attacking trio overcome the three-man Buddies backline?
Saints boss Goodwin has preferred a three-man defence in the opening six games so far and it has meant his side has effectively gone man-for-man at the back against their opponents in every match to date.
Dundee United and St Johnstone played one striker with two attackers supporting in their visits to St Mirren Park with both games ending in stalemate, but Dundee, Hearts, Celtic and Hibs have all gone with an attacking front three. The end result has been 12 goals conceded for Goodwin’s men in those four matches.
That will be music to the ears of the Aberdeen manager, who is set to welcome back Ryan Hedges and Marley Watkins for this weekend’s noon kick-off.
We must offer a caveat for the trip to Celtic Park, however, with Ange Postecoglou’s side scoring six without reply on a day where the visitors played for 71 minutes with 10 men following Alan Power’s red card.
Despite the Celtic Park anomaly, it does seem St Mirren, like Aberdeen, are vulnerable defensively and that is just what Glass wants to hear as he bids to lead the Dons to victory at a ground where they have recorded just one victory in their last five visits.
In the opening six league games, opposition teams have managed 100 attempts on the Saints goal, with the 31 on target resulting in 12 goals.
Aberdeen have a drastically better record, letting the opposition get a shot away on 47 occasions, with the 15 on target resulting in six goals conceded.
The result of playing in a team which cannot keep a clean sheet of course is that the pressure intensifies on the forward line.
St Mirren have a return of five goals from six league games, amassed from 17 shots on target from 64 attempts.
Despite drawing a blank in their last two matches, Aberdeen have six goals from six games, with 25 efforts on target from 78 attempts.
But the problem for the Dons is that in those last two games, of the 10 attempts on target, no goals have been scored. More worryingly, the three attempts on target afforded to Motherwell and St Johnstone have all up ended in the back of Joe Lewis’s net.
That is why Sunday has the feeling of being a day where both managers are in sore need of a win; Saints are eager to get off the mark, while the Dons are looking to draw a line in the sand.
For Glass, a vital run of fixtures looms in October with games against Celtic, Dundee, Hibs, Rangers and Hearts. He will be desperate to end a disappointing month on a high note by seeing his side get back to winning ways in their final game of September.
🔴⚪️ Aberdeen over the last two seasons…
👍 Win ratio when Ryan Hedges has started: 58%
👎 Win ratio in games Hedges missed: 27%Sean Wallace: Dons' campaign could hinge on Ryan Hedges staying fit and staying at Pittodrie https://t.co/ayQefEVmBM pic.twitter.com/zk8fO9ymFc
— Evening Express (@EveningExpress) September 22, 2021