Aberdeen have been anything but inactive in the summer transfer market – the new recruits already in the building would constitute an entire starting XI – so it has been a matter of some concern how few minutes are being given to these signings.
Only four of them have made any starts to date, and of those only Nicky Devlin and Slobodan Rubezic were not members of last season’s side.
Given the calibre of those who have left Pittodrie over the summer, that almost inevitably means that, on paper, the Dons are fielding a weaker XI than four months ago.
The theory behind the high-volume recruitment has been to bulk out the squad to enable it to fight at full throttle on every front.
But that relies entirely upon the presumption that those not viewed as first choice players will be given opportunities to play.
That nine men have started all of Aberdeen’s matches to date, with changes only being made in the case of injury or recovery from it, means a significant amount of resource is sitting under-used.
Yes it is early in the season, and athletes of this level should probably not require to be rested after so little action.
And yes it could be argued that a manager feeling he knows and trusts his best side is much more positive than negative.
But this, so quickly after a far better one, was in no way a performance to evidence such faith.
Though still winless in the league, Aberdeen are somewhat fortunate their fellow European entrants, and likeliest rivals for positions come May, have had similarly halting starts to their domestic campaigns.
The Edinburgh clubs are unlikely to be detained in such pursuits very much longer, so the Dons must become more adept at keeping their various plates spinning.
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