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Richard Gordon: A chastening week for Scottish clubs in Europe – at least the Dons put up a fight

Rangers, Hearts, Hibernian and the Dons all tasted defeat in European competition.

Duk goes close for Aberdeen against BK Hacken. Image: Shutterstock.
Duk goes close for Aberdeen against BK Hacken. Image: Shutterstock.

The Dons slipped out of the Europa League on Thursday night having at least put up a bit more of a fight than the other Scottish sides.

For 20 minutes or so in the second half, they even looked like pulling off an unlikely comeback, and they certainly spurned numerous chances at Pittodrie, but Hacken had more quality in key positions, were more clinical, and deserved to go through to the group stages.

Barry Robson is still putting together his team, and that has to be acknowledged, but there are question marks over one or two of the new faces, and the side’s inability to play for longer than the short spells they have so far managed.

That is now six games played this season and the only win was a narrow success at Stirling Albion in the Viaplay Cup.

It is early days, but given the backing he has had and the players he has been able to bring in, that obviously is not good enough, and the chairman will be expecting an improvement in the near future.

Aberdeen left-back James McGarry in action against BK Hacken. Image: Shutterstock

Jamie McGrath and James McGarry have certainly shown promise, but Slobodan Rubezic looks like a penalty or red card waiting to happen. Barry is also going to have to find a way of helping Luis Lopes to rediscover the form he showed last season.

There have been plus points. Graeme Shinnie remains an inspirational leader of the team and Bojan Miovski, unlike his fellow front man, has hit the ground running, scoring in five successive matches.

Now, Aberdeen have to focus on the Conference League, and in truth, that is likely to be a more forgiving arena for them, although yesterday’s draw was not as kind as it might have been.

Twenty-four hours before the Dons were in action, Rangers crumbled to the latest in what has become an embarrassing sequence of humiliating results for the club in Europe.

Having put together the worst season of any team in the Champions League last time out, the Ibrox side’s attempt to return to the top table ended with another humbling defeat. As I suggested last week, PSV were evidently a much better side, and they coasted to victory having dominated the vast majority of the match in Eindhoven.

Once again, Michael Beale’s new signings made little or no impact, and he is going to need to see a vast improvement in them if Rangers are to seriously compete in the Europe League.

That said, being drawn with Real Betis, Sparta Prague and Aris Limassol has given them an improved chance.

The European dreams of both Hearts and Hibernian were, as expected, extinguished on the same night the Dons slipped down a level, the Edinburgh sides losing on a 14-1 aggregate to PAOK and Aston Villa respectively.

Throw in Aberdeen and Rangers, and that score increases to 26-7.

That is, quite simply, mortifying.

Yes, we have three teams left in European competition, but goodness knows what is about to unfold over those six matchdays.

Celtic might certainly have had a worse Champions League draw, but Feyenoord, Lazio and Atletico Madrid will provide stiff opposition, and unless Brendan Rodgers gets his team going, they could have some painful nights ahead.

It has the potential to be a chastening autumn for Scottish football on the continent.

Return of the Mac

As the transfer window closed at the end of the week, one of the least surprising moves of the season saw Rory McAllister return ‘home’ to Peterhead.

The prolific hitman earned himself legendary status at Balmoor during his goal-laden first spell with the club. His time with Cove Rangers, though much shorter, proved just as fruitful, but he was less successful after making the switch to Montrose.

Rory McAllister, right, is back at Peterhead. Image: SNS.

That said, I watched him in Cove’s recent win at Links Park, and although he failed to net, Rory was full of energy and desire, and put himself about.

He is clearly at the tail end of his career now, but his instinct in front of goal will still be there, and he should cause big problems in League Two.

Peterhead have made a decent start; the big man might be just what they need to boost their promotion hopes.

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