Duncan Shearer: No cause for concern at Aberdeen yet – but can they find a way to derail Celtic’s title charge?

It has been a frustrating week for Aberdeen, but I’m not seeing any cause for alarm at Pittodrie just yet.

Aberdeen fans will be nervously looking over their shoulder after seeing the gap between their team and Rangers reduced to seven points, with the Light Blues now carrying a game in hand on the Dons.

I get that after a week where the Dons have failed to win any of their three away matches, but I guess it is all about your sense of perspective. You can look at two points from a possible nine and be disappointed.

Or you could reflect on only one defeat from three difficult away matches in eight days and see it as a sign of progress.

Aberdeen have raised expectations

I had high hopes for the Dons in their away triple-header, but perhaps that was due to the fine start they have made this season.

Compared to their results on the road at Saints, Hibs and Hearts last season, it’s a measure of how good they have been so far this season draws from trips to Easter Road and Tynecastle are viewed as disappointing results.

Aberdeen were unfortunate not to win at Hibs after conceding an equaliser with the last kick of the ball, while the Hearts game on Sunday could have gone either way.

Hibs’ excellent win at Motherwell on Saturday shows they are improving, while I’ve said all season I believe Hearts are in a false position.

I don’t care how the Jambos are doing – any visit to Tynecastle is a difficult afternoon for an away team.

For Dons boss Jimmy Thelin to make six changes and then lose his first-choice goalkeeper to injury at half-time, and still have enough quality to get something from the game, speaks volumes of his faith in his squad.

I’m not surprised Thelin is sticking to his guns

He will need that same faith as his attention now turns to Celtic’s visit to Pittodrie on Wednesday.

Thelin wants to see his team back in their rhythm. From watching Celtic, it is clear they have well and truly found their groove as Ross County found to their cost on Saturday.

The Staggies were 5-0 down by half-time to the rampant Hoops at Celtic Park after shipping four goals in a horrendous 13-minute period.

When Ross Laidlaw went off injured, I feared the worst.

But thankfully, some inspired goalkeeping from his replacement Jack Hamilton and some good fortune, Celtic were unable to add to their tally in the second half.

While County lick their wounds and turn their attention towards their home game against Rangers on Sunday, Aberdeen must hope they can find a performance to cause Celtic problems.

Dons boss trusts his players

I can understand where the Aberdeen manager is coming from when he says he won’t change his game-plan – even if teams know what to expect from the Dons now.

You should only change what you are doing if the opposition or circumstances have forced you to – such as injuries or a red card in a game.

Thelin has put his trust in his team all season and been rewarded with one defeat in 14 league matches.

If that’s not reason enough to believe you are heading in the right direction, then I don’t know what is.

There will be a Plan B up Thelin’s sleeve and, depending on how Wednesday’s game at Pittodrie goes, we may see it implemented.

But I expect the Aberdeen boss will stick to the approach which has served him so well. Time will tell whether it is enough to stop the Hoops, though.

Celtic are streets ahead of everyone

The sad truth for the rest of Scottish football is that, right now, Celtic are head and shoulders above everyone else.

While Aberdeen can have a tough week and Rangers are grinding on a weekly basis domestically, it is business as usual for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

When they are in full flow, they are unstoppable. When they are not, they still find a way to win.

Aberdeen are the only team in Scotland to as much as dent the green machine after battling back to earn a draw at Celtic Park in the 2-2 thriller in October.

Since then they were thrashed 6-0 by the Hoops at Hampden in the Premier Sports Cup – and seeing what Thelin has learned from that loss will be fascinating.

Perhaps resting some players at Tynecastle was the first lesson.

But the reality is, if Celtic hit top form, it is proving a near-impossible task to stop them in Scotland.

I know Thelin emphasises the team ethic, but for me Wednesday is all about winning individual battles.

If eight or nine Dons can win their head-to-head against their opponent, then they have a chance of creating an upset – and they’ll need the Red Army right behind them.

But if Celtic are allowed to play their game and do it well, it could be a long night.

Having home advantage gives Aberdeen a chance, but they are still huge underdogs against this in-form Celtic team.