Aberdeen have a substantial potential problem. The club is all in on the project at hand.
In theory, it sounds positive for the board to provide massive moral and financial backing during choppy times – but so many chips have been pushed onto the table that, realistically, they are well past the point of return. They have no options left but to hope things come good.
With large transfer fees again being spent in recent days, the total outlay on currently employed personnel, both on the pitch and in the dugout, now runs into many millions.
While that in itself is not out of keeping with the overall club strategy, it is increasingly hard to see which of that capital expenditure has the capacity to regenerate future incomes: a central plank.
Slobodan Rubezic, speaking of which, is certainly doing little to enhance his onward value. Topi Keskinen, if sold tomorrow, would not realise a gain on his purchase price; Ante Palaversa will struggle to become a sellable asset while he continues to be benched for stale, underperforming alternatives. Not to mention Jimmy Thelin himself, whose results initially drew attention from club directors far and wide but are now of concern only to his own.
And another mounting issue the Dons are facing: the revelation that Jamie McGrath will miss most or all of the remaining programme brings the number of first-team squad members out with months-long complaints to a painful six.
Though there is probably an element of wicked coincidence, it is a bad look that so many major injuries have been sustained in just eight weeks since the loss of head of medical Kevin Bain, highly regarded for his preventative approach.
On the surface, a mess right across the organisation. They had better hope the expensive foundation beneath is sound.
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