Another Sunday, another listless Aberdeen performance, as they lost 2-0 at Kilmarnock in the Premiership.
This was the fifth Dons’ fixture this season to follow on from Thursday night European adventures, and the fourth in which they have slumbered through a dire and disjointed display offering almost nothing.
Not to say the Dons have been overly impressive in their other league matches – but they certainly weren’t worse than this.
It is not an unforeseen issue.
With every new signing that flowed through the door, the club spoke of the importance of retaining a squad resilient enough to absorb the extra minutes.
Trouble is, once the quotes were copied and pasted on to the website, they – and the players they described – were completely forgotten.
Ten of the players who expended so much against PAOK were rolled straight back out in Kilmarnock. Against St Mirren, Hibs and St Johnstone, it had been nine.
Five of the 13 players recruited in the summer have yet to start a competitive game. Three haven’t featured at all.
The team’s next match is in November and its European campaign is nearly over. If they are to perform their anticipated function, then they’re leaving it rather late.
One of two things must be true. Either a concerning proportion of the players brought in are so far below the required standard that they do not merit use even in circumstances such as these, or the coaching and recruitment departments are on very different pages regarding strategy.
Neither augurs well.
Unfortunately Aberdeen are now trapped inside something of a vicious circle.
The poorer the results the higher the stakes of the next match, meaning that, however fast it comes round, they can scarcely dare to field anything but their nominal strongest 11.
There is no guarantee that things get better that way, or that they won’t get worse first.
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