Hibernian should beware the wounded animal when they welcome Aberdeen to Easter Road tonight.
The Dons will be licking their wounds after suffering their first league defeat of the season on Saturday in their 2-1 loss at St Mirren – and it could spell trouble for Hibs.
Jimmy Thelin’s side may not have been at their best against the Buddies, but they did not play particularly poorly either.
What will disappoint the Aberdeen manager is the manner of the goals his side conceded.
Slobodan Rubezic and Gavin Molloy have to do better than let a player run on to a long kick out from a goalkeeper as they did for Toyosi Olusanya’s opener.
The poor marking which allowed Richard Taylor to head home the winner from a corner seven minutes from time was also poor.
Duk was then really unlucky to see his audacious backheel come back off the post as Aberdeen pushed for an equaliser.
Had it gone in, then I don’t think either manager would have quibbled that a draw was a fair result.
It was a game where the Dons came out on the wrong end of a match of fine margins, but their pride will be stung after seeing their fine unbeaten run come to an end.
Areas in need of improvement are clear to see – and Thelin was honest about them
There were no complaints from the beaten manager. It would have been easy to point to the delayed kick-off or the conditions, but he didn’t do that at all.
Instead, he pointed to St Mirren doing certain aspects better than his side, such as winning duels and second balls.
Thelin will have headed back to Aberdeen on Saturday night with a list of things he needs his side to do better at Easter Road tonight and it will be fascinating to see how the Dons respond.
Hibs are struggling right now. They were well beaten by Dundee on Saturday and look like a team low on confidence.
Even after taking the lead, they were not convincing and it is clear all is not well at the club right now.
David Gray is a hero to the support… but their patience is wearing thin.
Being bottom of the league with one win after 13 matches of the season will test even the most supportive of fans’ resolve.
Dons will want to silence the doubters
Aberdeen responded brilliantly to their League Cup final defeat by Celtic at Hampden by beating Dundee 4-1 in their next league game.
I have no doubt captain Graeme Shinnie and his team-mates will be looking to produce a similar strong response in their trip to the capital tonight.
We knew before Saturday this was a big week for the Dons and their attempt to stay with Celtic at the top of the table.
The champions have now pulled clear after Saturday’s results and the pressure is on the Dons to respond in their Edinburgh double-header at Hibs and Hearts this week.
Questions are once again being asked of this Dons team following their setback in the league.
It will be interesting to see if Aberdeen can bounce back at two venues which will be every bit as challenging as St Mirren was at the weekend.
Ross County ready for their Celtic acid test
Ross County’s 2-1 win against Motherwell on Saturday was a massive result for Don Cowie and his players.
With Hibs and Hearts both losing, the three points gained in Dingwall has allowed the Staggies to open up a decent lead on the two Edinburgh clubs.
County are seven clear of Hibs – who play their game in hand tonight against Aberdeen – and six clear of the Jambos.
It’s an important lead for the Staggies to have ahead of a huge double-header against Celtic and Rangers in the next two league games.
Facing the Hoops at Celtic Park is the toughest game in Scottish football at the moment, but County can go to Glasgow with a degree of confidence after beating a good Motherwell side at the weekend.
Ronan Hale showed again why I’ve been harping on about him all season with another fine finish for the opening goal.
Every time I watch the Irishman, I’m impressed – he can come short, run in behind, he has a good touch and terrific vision.
He’s a real livewire player for County and the only negative is he stands out so much there must be an element of worry the club can keep him long-term.
Josh Nisbet has become a fans’ favourite
I must mention Josh Nisbet, too.
He capped a fine display with his first goal for the club and what a strike it was.
He was practically facing the Main Stand when he swivelled and picked out the top corner from the edge of the box.
I might watch the wee fella come out and stand beside matchday mascots who are taller than him on some occasions – but there’s no doubt he uses his low centre of gravity well.
He scored a goal neither Jordan White or I could have done, and despite his lack of stature, he is a really strong player who has become a huge favourite with the County faithful.
County lost some big players in the summer when Yan Dhanda and Simon Murray moved on, but, credit where it is due, the recruitment at the club has been excellent and the Staggies are looking in good shape.
They’ll need to be ahead of the two huge games they have coming next!
Scottish Cup tie is huge for Caley Thistle
It has been a strange old week for Caley Thistle.
They have moved off the bottom of League One after Dumbarton joined them in entering administration last week.
It’s a development which has benefited Inverness – but it’s not good for Dumbarton or Scottish football in general to see clubs struggling like this.
I’ve always struggled with the punishment of a 15-point deduction for clubs in administration. It is not a decision any club makes lightly and the penalty imposed always feels like kicking a team when they are down to me.
Administration is a move made in the hope of protecting a club and ensuring it survives – a deduction just makes that task even harder.
That’s why Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie is such a big game for Caley Jags.
The income generated from a cup run would be huge for Inverness given the current state of affairs.
Saturday’s trip to Cove Rangers will be a tough game for Scott Kellacher and his players. but a win for the visitors could bring in some much needed revenue when it is needed most.
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