In an age of ever more granular and niche football statistics, among those most frequently reached for is that known as the heat map.
It is an eye-catching and accessible representation of the areas in which a game’s action has taken place, and it gives a good idea of the balance of power.
Never has one been as visible and indisputable as at Pittodrie on Thursday, even if it could more accurately have been described as a freeze map.
As Akil Wright’s stone-cold stunner for Ross County dropped out of the heavy sky and into Aberdeen’s net, a quick glance at the playing surface confirmed that, though out of nothing, it was hardly against the run of play.
While the vicinity of the Dons’ box was studded with footprints and strung with ribbons where passes had gathered snow, that at the opposite end sat beneath a pristine white carpet, undisturbed by human exploration during the half-hour blizzard.
It may have preceded a spell, either side of the break, in which the Dons were somewhat more urgent and compelling, but it was too little too late.
They had already showed County that the route to goal on a snowbound park was over Ross Doohan’s head, but were again unable to construct anything in return save for a major gift from their first footers.
Aberdeen have developed an insurmountable passivity in the early stages of matches, and hopefully the pictorial evidence here jolts them out of it.
They should not have to delve too deep into their analysis archive to realise what can happen when they charge out of the tunnel: the win over Rangers was a note-perfect application of the strategy, which they have not come anywhere near replicating since.
The Dons’ heat has now cooled to ice. Jimmy Thelin needs to light a fire under them immediately.
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