Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has told his players they need to find their way back to form after his side’s winless run reached 12 games with a 3-0 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox.
The Dons’ miserable run never looked like ending as they were swept aside by a dominant Rangers in a one-sided encounter at Ibrox.
Adding to Thelin’s woes is the lack of goal threat in recent games.
Aberdeen have failed to score in their last three league matches with Kevin Nisbet’s free kick against Ross County in the 2-1 defeat on January 2 the last time the Red Army saw their side score.
Thelin knows the run has to end – and quickly.
The Dons boss said: “We gave away too many transitions and played to their strengths.
“We still have a job to do to find that rhythm. We have to find a way back quite soon to get a result so we can get out the other side.
“We tried to stay in the game. They had more shots but we stayed in the game until the end so even when you don’t have that rhythm you are trying to the last minute.
“It’s difficult when you think about the run. We have to think long term and believe in what we are doing.
“We are facing some challenges just now but I still believe we will find a way out of this soon and be a much more stable team.”
Thelin wants response in Scottish Cup trip to Elgin
Rangers cruised to victory at Ibrox after dominating the Dons from the first minute to the last.
Hamza Igamane gave the home side an early lead following a mistake from Sivert Heltne Nilsen and it took the Light Blues until stoppage time to add to their tally with Leon Balogun and Cyriel Dessers getting the goals.
Dons goalkeeper Ross Doohan was the reason the game remained in the balance until the closing stages as he made several saves to keep his side in the match.
Doohan faced a barrage of shots with the home side having 29 attempts on goal, 12 on target. In reply Aberdeen managed just two efforts on target from six attempts.
All eyes now turn to Borough Briggs on Saturday when the Dons will exit the Scottish Cup at Elgin City if they fail to end their horrendous run of form.
Thelin knows his side cannot go a 13th game without victory.
He said: “Every game is important for us and we have to win on Saturday. Then we have some time to prepare for the league game next week.
“The cup is another competition and we have to go through. That’s our reputation.”
Gers boss pleased with players’ desire
While there was frustration for Thelin, Rangers manager Philippe Clement was delighted with his side’s display.
He said: “It would have been harsh to win 1-0. We stayed in the danger zone and it was important to score the second and third goals to kill off the opponent.
“We hit the crossbar, the post, the goalkeeper had a few good saves also.
“In football you can dominate games and one chance or one ball drops badly and you can lose points.
“We’ve had too many moments this season, especially in away games, where that has happened, so it shows the mentality of the squad that everyone is fighting and working hard to get the result.”
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