Defender Richard Jensen insists the demands of Euro group stage action are no excuse for Aberdeen crashing 2-0 at Kilmarnock.
The Dons’ stuttering start to the league campaign continued with a sobering defeat at Rugby Park.
Finnish international Jensen reckons Aberdeen need to “look at ourselves in the mirror” after losing key defensive battles in the Killie loss.
The defeat was the latest league setback for a Dons side extensively and expensively rebuilt during the summer transfer window.
Aberdeen are languishing 10th in the Premiership table with a return of just nine points from nine league fixtures.
The loss at Kilmarnock came just three days after an agonising 3-2 Europa Conference League group defeat by PAOK at Pittodrie.
Aberdeen were 2-0 up against the Group G leaders, but blew the chance of a memorable victory by conceding three late goals.
However, Jensen reckons the exertion against PAOK is no justification for the shocker at Kilmarnock.
Jensen said: “Obviously, it is a challenge to manage that (Europe), but it is no excuse at all.
“I’m not going to make any excuses.
“We were just not effective enough. That’s it.
“The guys who start are giving 100 percent and that’s where also the changes come in if you get tired.
“We should have been able to manage that a little better on the pitch.
“Also there are times when we could maybe have played a little more to try and penetrate the Kilmarnock defence, but we didn’t manage to do it.”
‘Duty to always keep at 100 percent’
Aberdeen boss Barry Robson accepted full responsibility for the loss to Kilmarnock for not rotating his squad more after the PAOK loss.
The return of Duk, for Dante Polvara, was the only change to the staring XI who lost to the Greek Super League club.
Jensen said: “The 11 players who are on the pitch have a duty to always keep at 100 percent.
“And the ones who come in are there to give their all.
“That’s what everyone tried to do and it just wasn’t enough.”
‘We need to look at ourselves in the mirror’
Jensen arrived in the summer transfer window on a three-year contract from Polish side Gornik Zabrze for an undisclosed fee, understood to be £400,000.
The 27-year-old was frustrated Kilmarnock outmuscled the Dons in key duels.
He revealed a post-mortem will be conducted into the issue in a bid to ensure there are no repeats.
Jensen said: “There were a few situations where Kilmarnock were just slightly stronger in the duels and that resulted in the goals.
“I think we need to look at ourselves in the mirror there and make sure that does not happen again.”
Dons need to eradicate costly mistakes
Aberdeen were punished for costly defensive errors in the defeats to PAOK and Kilmarnock.
Centre-back Stefan Gartenmann’s poor clearance from the edge of the penalty area was charged down by Marley Watkins ,who then scored Kilmarnock’s second goal.
Jensen was also culpable against PAOK – as his slip allowed Kiril Despodov in on goal to score PAOK’s first in the 73rd minute.
He said: “You try to make as little mistakes as possible.
“We need to do better at that.
“There has been a few now in the last few games, so that is something we need to analyse and be better at.
“Against Kilmarnock, we were also not really able to produce the chances that we usually want to and are usually able to produce.
“So that is something that we also need to look at. “
Well and Hibs semi a chance to ‘put things right’
There is no respite in a demanding fixture schedule as Aberdeen face a crunch double-header on the road this week.
First the Dons travel to Motherwell on Wednesday night in a fixture they must win to ignite their Premiership campaign.
Then, on Saturday, Aberdeen face Hibs in the Viaplay Cup semi-final at Hampden.
Jensen said: “Fortunately, there’s a game coming up very soon which is a great chance for us to climb the table.
“This week is a chance to make things right – climb the table and make a huge step in the cup.”
Conversation