Jim Goodwin has been put through the wringer this week as he first had to deal with the fallout from the loss against Celtic, then the gut-wrenching conclusion three days later against Rangers.
It will have been another reminder, should he need one, that being Aberdeen manager is no easy task, and that the high-profile nature of the job means the scrutiny will, at times, be intense and difficult to handle.
The performance against Celtic was quite simply embarrassing.
Much has been said and written about how the Dons shaped up last weekend, and it is hard to disagree with any of it.
For a team sitting in third place, and on the back of an excellent season at home so far – during which the team has played some thrilling, attacking football, and scored goals aplenty – to have adopted such a negative approach, beggared belief.
The goal came late, but it seemed almost inevitable, and the visitors ultimately got what they deserved. Aberdeen could have no complaints whatsoever.
The mindset was always going to be entirely different on Tuesday night; there is no way Jim could have repeated those tactics, and for the most part, it was a very good showing.
And then, with the points all but secured, they threw it all away.
At 2-1 up thanks to outstanding strikes from Luis Lopes and Leighton Clarkson, the Dons made three substitutions and reverted to a 5-4-1 formation.
Up until that point, Rangers’ second half performance had been as weak as anything I have seen from them at Pittodrie since their dismal days of the early to mid 1980s.
They were disjointed, passes were going astray, and the players’ body language reflected that. Rangers were a beaten side.
But suddenly, as Aberdeen dropped deeper, the visitors had 15 or 20 more yards in which to play, and they were given the encouragement and space to do so.
Having dominated for a large part of the match, the home side handed over the momentum, and eventually paid the ultimate price. The simple truth is they do not have defenders who are good enough to do the job required.
That was obvious against Celtic where, despite packing their defensive third, the players were not organised or disciplined enough to repel their opponents. Yes, it took 88 minutes for Celtic to break the deadlock, but they had missed a number of clear-cut chances by then, and could have been 4-0 up by the time Callum McGregor eventually found the net.
In the closing stages on Tuesday, the same pattern emerged, and despite having plenty bodies, the Dons defence left alarming gaps which Rangers were able to exploit. Apart from the shaky nature of their defending, the Dons were also undone by individual errors with Anthony Stewart, Kelle Roos and Jayden Richardson contributing directly to the three goals they conceded.
I have no doubt Jim Goodwin is well aware of the defensive frailties which still exist, and will be seeking to remedy that in the upcoming January transfer window.
Before then, his side faces two tricky away trips in Paisley tomorrow and Kilmarnock on the 28th, and given their record on the road, those could both be demanding fixtures.
An incredible finale to World Cup
The 2022 World Cup finals got the climax it deserved and the fairytale ending so many football fans across the globe yearned for.
Personally, I was hoping for a France win, simply because they were the team I most enjoyed watching throughout the tournament, but seeing Lionel Messi realise his life-long dream was certainly heart-warming.
The downside was the look on Kylian Mbappe’s face, his devastation clear after scoring a hat-trick, but having the game snatched away.
In Argentina, the celebrations have not stopped 🇦🇷🏆 #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/26nzHvqVGW
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 21, 2022
Inevitably, after getting so much right, FIFA contrived to somewhat sour the presentation with President Gianni Infantino reluctant in the extreme to actually hand over the trophy, and the dressing of Messi in the bisht. I know it is a traditional Arab robe, but it just wasn’t necessary at that time.
The game itself was something of a slow-burn, but then exploded into life, and served up the most incredible quality, drama and excitement.
It was without doubt the best World Cup final I have watched.
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