Duncan Shearer: Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin failed to deliver on his promise with meek surrender to Celtic

Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin cannot deliver the front-foot football he promised – that’s my takeaway from the Dons’ miserable approach for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Celtic at Pittodrie.

The attacking entertaining football which has been the hallmark of home games this season was nowhere to be seen against the champions at the weekend, and the fallout from it has been predictable.

I could not believe what I was seeing.

I understand as a coach the rationale of setting your team out like that if you are at Celtic Park, but at Pittodrie in front of 14,000 of your own supporters? Why you would even contemplate setting up like that is beyond me.

The manager said he felt his team could have conceded 10 due to how they approached the game against Rangers at Ibrox and that was why he changed his tactics for Celtic.

But Saturday’s ultra-defensive plan tells me Goodwin does not have much confidence in his own team when they take on Celtic.

Aberdeen fans were shortchanged

I know Dons fans in Inverness who regularly pay £40 to travel on the train to watch the team at Pittodrie and you simply cannot expect people to put their hand in their pocket for travel expenses, not to mention a match ticket, to watch their team play like Aberdeen did.

Hand on heart, is there a Dons fan out there who enjoyed what they watched from their team and manager on Saturday? I doubt it very much.

I would have saved myself the bother and the substantial expense of making the trip had I known in advance how my team was going to approach the game.

It’s unacceptable.

Watching Celtic centre-half Carl Starfelt strolling forward to about 40 yards away from Reds keeper Kelle Roos under no pressure, and playing passes to his heart’s content, was sickening.

You cannot put 10 players around your 18-yard box for 90 minutes and hope for a point – and that’s what it looked like the goal was.

Every statistic backs it up: just 19% possession, two shots at goal, while the opposition had 33, not a single corner won – and you are at home.

The whole approach reminded me of the scene from the movie The Damned United about Brian Clough’s ill-fated spell in charge at Leeds.

Clough was critical of his predecessor Don Revie’s approach and the players he inherited, and a disastrous start to his tenure followed, as well as a backlash from the squad.

In the movie Clough says to Johnny Giles: “I don’t have to justify myself to you”, to which Giles responds: “No, but come Saturday there will be 40,000 people here who you do have to justify yourself to.”

Approach has to change against Rangers

Goodwin had to have known what the criticism would be like in deciding to set his team out in the way he did.

I don’t expect Aberdeen to go all-out and throw caution to the wind.

I expect them to be respectful of the opposition and cagey.

But there was a fear factor at play on Saturday and that’s the biggest concern for me.

It does not get much easier tonight as Rangers come to town and I would strongly advise the Dons boss not to repeat his approach against the Gers.

He needs to get the supporters back behind the team by attempting to win the game, rather than settling for a point before a ball has been kicked.

County created their own problems against St Johnstone

Ross County were taught a valuable lesson of when to play and when to clear your lines by St Johnstone on Saturday.

St Johnstone deserved to win the game, however, the match swung in their favour following Jack Baldwin’s red card.

The Staggies may have scored against the run of play, but there was little doubt they were the better side after taking the lead through Jordan White.

They then shot themselves in the foot by gifting the initiative back to the visitors early in the second half.

Malky Mackay can point to various errors, but the decisive one was the heavy touch from Baldwin which Stevie May capitalised on.

A quick tug of the shoulder resulted in a red card and it all went downhill from there as Saints went on to score two quick goals to win the game.

I know the game has changed and managers like their team to play out from the back but unless you are Manchester City or Liverpool – one of the best teams in Europe – then there is a time and place for trying to play out.

In Scottish football, midfielders are more comfortable on the ball than central defenders and it is much easier to close an opponent down and win the ball than it is to keep it.

I hope County bear that in mind for the future.

The greatest World Cup final ever?

I can say I watched the best World Cup final I’ve ever seen after tuning in to watch Argentina beat France on penalties on Sunday.

It was an amazing spectacle and the best two hours of football I’ve seen in years.

I’m pleased for Lionel Messi to have come out on top as a World Cup winner.

He’s been a fantastic player who has given the world so much joy for decades and it was fitting for him to get his hands on the trophy at the last attempt.

His nerves of steel in the penalty shoot-out, though, were astonishing. I texted a pal to say: “is he playing on a local park?” – it was incredible how nonchalantly he stuck his spot-kick away.

It was one of those moments where I found myself wondering if I could have played at the very top level when I see how assured he was.

My heart was pounding… and I was sitting at home watching on TV.