Scouting at Pittodrie is a distinctly cosmopolitan affair these days, but perhaps there was a more local hand at work last week.
Students of the Scots language may have wondered whether, in the absence of any other solution to their longstanding problems, the desperate Dons had elected to try a wee bittie of nominative determinism.
After 13 games without a clean sheet and reduced to shoring the gaps with midfielders, Aberdeen’s defence could have been said to be in need of a good tobering.
A richt rummel up; a spot of well-intentioned attitude adjustment. And lo, with the introduction of the remedial Latvian, the Reds were finally able to shut out an opponent, and at least bring an end to the morale-sapping run of defeats.
Quite how much of that was directly attributable to Kristers Tobers may become clearer as he beds into the defence over the coming weeks, though on this occasion he must concede that a far larger slice of the credit must go to the man who saw it through in the final garrison: Ross Doohan.
His save of Jorge Grant’s penalty was as outstanding as it was unexpected given recent fates, and constituted a massive let-off for both Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Jimmy Thelin.
Though partly of necessity, Thelin’s recent decision to favour midfield players in the heart of the back line is a gamble.
Nilsen’s foolish challenge, the type which he merrily attempts without serious consequence in the centre circle and thus reflexively failed to resist here, showed exactly why. It could, probably should, have been a majorly costly error of judgement.
But, having walked into the path of yet another anvil drop, maybe Doohan’s leap to push to them to safety will give Aberdeen’s season a second life. On such moments can fortunes change.
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