Aberdeen boss Barry Robson must exploit the international break to find the magic formula to turn his rebuilt Dons squad into a winning team.
Sunday’s frustrating 2-0 defeat at home to a managerless Hibernian means the Reds are still to win in the Premiership after four outings this season and sit second bottom of the division.
Having read Robson’s post-match comments after the game, I think it was fair enough to suggest Sunday’s sweltering north-east temperatures were tough for the players.
But the conditions were the same for both sides.
The gaffer also suggested last term’s third and fifth-placed sides both looked tired from the exertions of travelling in Europe in recent weeks – however, while Hibs were in Birmingham to play Aston Villa, Aberdeen’s Europa League play-off defeat to BK Hacken on Thursday was at Pittodrie.
I think if the Dons want to be playing prolonged Continental football – not just this season, but in future campaigns – they need to quickly adapt to the demands of the heavier fixture load.
It is early days in the campaign for manager Robson to be talking about tiredness, with no significant injury problems in the squad so far either.
It should also be a lot easier than in my playing days to get energy levels right for every match, with all of the sports science expertise at clubs like Aberdeen nowadays.
I did agree with Robson the Reds were subdued during the visit of the Hibees – especially the creative players, while the defence continued to look fragile.
On the other hand, I thought their Edinburgh visitors played well and deserved the victory they eventually secured via two goals in the last 15 minutes: a sweet strike from Adam Le Fondre and then Christian Doidge’s header.
Well timed break for the Dons
For the Dons, the international break comes at a good time.
If there are fitness issues in the squad (or with certain players) still to be ironed out, this is a chance to sort them.
It is going to be a busy few months ahead, with Europa Conference League group football and domestic action, but a period the Dons should be able to handle given what the club’s hierarchy have invested to rebuild the squad over the summer.
The coming days and training sessions are also going to be important for Robson to fix the teething problems we have seen so far and, for me, finding defensive solidity should be a priority.
Towards the end of last term, the back three/five (with Angus MacDonald the only member of that previous defence to start against Hibs) were flying as Aberdeen made a late rise up the table to Premiership guarantee Euro group stage football.
They celebrated tackles like goals and racked up shut-outs.
This season, the new backline have conceded seven goals in four league games so far (plus five in the two Europa League play-off games again Hacken), scoring just three time in the top-flight, which isn’t the sort of form which will get them into the top six or third again.
Of course, you cannot underestimate the difficulty of integrating the 13 players who came through the door during the summer window with the pre-existing squad, and there hasn’t been too much time to work with a few of the later signings due to the recent schedule of matches.
Aberdeen’s defence needs improvement
For me, defence is the key area for improvement at the moment.
Robson, who appears intent on primarily lining up with a back three, can use the international break to get the players who have featured in central defence of late – MacDonald, Slobodan Rubezic, Richard Jensen, Nicky Devlin and Jack MacKenzie, as well as deadline day signing Stefan Gartenmann – in sync and able to play in whatever combination as a unit.
The back-three, with the wing-backs bombing forward, has been stretched against both Hacken and Hibs, who played front threes. And the manager clearly recognised this in both matches when he moved to a back four and matched the opposition up.
Against Hibs, it helped Aberdeen for a spell, before defensive frailties crept back in for the visitors’ goals.
However, if it is a back three/five Robson is determined to use primarily, I have no problem with that – as long as that plan A is working and there is the flexibility to move to plan B and change it when required, either to suit the opposition, personnel available or how a game is panning out.
Further blending his revamped group of players across defence, midfield and attack, learning his best first-choice XI – although they will not be able to play every game together due to the busy nature of the fixture calendar – and turning Aberdeen into a force in Scottish football again has to be Robson’s priority before the Dons return to action at Hearts in two weekends’ time.
The Dons should look to claim points in Conference League home games
Aberdeen’s Europa Conference League group of Eintract Frankfurt, Greek side PAOK and HJK Helsinki is a tough one, but I still think they should be targeting points against all of their rivals at Pittodrie.
I played against Frankfurt the last time they played Aberdeen in European competition – the 1979/80 Uefa Cup first round.
After a 1-1 draw at home, we lost 1-0 over in Germany to go out of the competition, and something which has always stuck with me is the problems their flying South Korean attacker Cha Bum-kun caused us, including scoring the opener at Pittodrie.
Going away from home to Germany, Greece and (perhaps to a lesser extent) Finland is going to be difficult and I think a point from any of those trips would be a decent return for the Dons in their Conference group campaign.
However, we saw how raucous a sell-out Granite City crowd can be at home as the Reds missed out on the Europa League groups to Hacken, and although Aberdeen could not overcome the Swedes, they should not be targeting anything other than victory against all three visiting teams at Pittodrie.
I am not talking about progressing out of the group at this stage, but – like the Scottish national team at Hampden – they should be looking to win their home matches and at the very least to acquit themselves well on their own patch.
HJK look like the side the Dons are most likely to take three points against, but the Pittodrie games against Frankfurt and PAOK should not be written off.
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