Boss Jimmy Thelin has warned Aberdeen must “look at themselves in the mirror” and take more responsibility amid a Premiership form collapse.
The Swede also accepts he and his backroom staff must do the same as a 2-0 loss at Hibernian extended a damaging winless league run to 14 games.
Struggling Aberdeen are in freefall and have taken just four points from the last possible 42.
Thelin has hit out at the Dons’ failure to win 50-50 duels in recent losses.
The deeply concerning nosedive in form continued as a lack of attacking edge and failure to defend crosses were punished at Easter Road.
Goals from Nectarios Triantis and Nicky Cadden either side of half-time condemned the woeful Reds to another defeat.
The Dons boss also addressed the club’s interest in landing AC Milan striker Marko Lazetic before the transfer window closes.
Thelin said: “What we talk about now is responsibility.
“For me, in football, it’s not about how you play, the system, or where you want to play.
“It’s more about the basics.
“As an individual, to create a strong collective, you have to take some responsibility when you have to run for each other.
“There are 50-50 duels and in some games right now, the opponents win everything.
“That’s not good enough to be in a team at that level.
“So we have to look at ourselves in the mirror, myself, my staff, the players to give more back into the games and be a much higher standard.”
In a bid to stop the form crash and save the season the Pittodrie board have backed Thelin in the January transfer window.
Thelin asked about AC Milan striker
The need to sign a striker before the window closes at 11pm on Monday is imperative as the blunt attack have scored just once in the last eight Premiership games.
Aberdeen are interested in securing AC Milan striker Lazetic on a loan move with an option to buy at a later date.
Serbia under-21 international Lazetic is currently on loan at FK TSC Backa Topola in his homeland.
But Milan, who signed the striker for £3.35million from Red Star Belgrade in 2022, could recall him to pave the way for a move to Aberdeen.
When asked about Lazetic, Thelin said: “We have a window closing on Monday.
“We’re going to work hard to try to get some energy and quality into the team, but let’s see.
“For me, it doesn’t matter about recruitment right now.
“We have players here.
“We have signed a paper for responsibility and that’s why we have to find a way out now.
“It doesn’t matter what happened in the recruitment or with someone else.
“It’s us, my staff and the players”
Aberdeen are sleepwalking into the bottom six and there was nothing at Easter Road to suggest an end to the nosedive is imminent.
League woes continue at Easter Road
It is a mark of Aberdeen’s collapse that had they held onto a lead in injury time when drawing 3-3 at Easter Road in November they 0would have moved 28 points clear of Hibs.
The Dons are now only two points clear of the Edinburgh side.
Thelin said: “In every game our supporters are there.
“They give everything they can to help us to reach a higher standard as a team.”
Defender Rubezic drops to the bench
Centre-back Slobodan Rubezic dropped to the bench to be replaced by on loan Tottenham Hotspur defender Alfie Dorrington.
Errors by Rubezic were at the heart of conceding the opening two goals in the 3-0 loss to St Mirren in the previous game.
After Aberdeen conceded the second goal Rubezic signaled to Thelin that he wanted to be substituted and was replaced in the 40th minute.
On Rubezic dropping to the bench, Thelin said: “He didn’t train in the first session after the game.
“It was recovery as he had small issues in the game.
“Now he’s back on track again and ready to play.”
More than £1m spent on a defence revamp but still no clean-sheet
In the January window Thelin has revamped a defence that had secured only four clean sheets in 24 Premiership games prior to the trip to Eater Road.
Three of the starting-back four were January signings – Kristers Tobers, Alexander Jensen and Dorrington.
The Dons splashed out more than £1m to solve the defensive frailty, spending £6oo,000 on Tobers and £545,000 on Jensen.
Yet, the defensive vulnerability continues as the Reds conceded from a set-piece in the 24th minute.
A corner kick arrived at Josh Campbell at the back post and he redirected the ball along the face of goal.
It found Nectarios Triantis who headed in from six yards.
Aberdeen defence breached again
Hibs doubled their advantage in the 51st minute when a cross from the right by Chris Cadden found Nicky Cadden unmarked 10 yards out.
Nicky Cadden headed beyond keeper Ross Doohan.
Hibs had a chance to make it 3-0 in the 74th minute when Martin Boyle was played clean through on goal but Doohan raced out to tip his 12 yard shot wide.
ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1): Doohan 5; Devlin 5 (MacKenzie 60), Tobers 5, Dorrington 6, Jensen 5; Palaversa 6 (Morris 84), Shinnie 5; Keskinen 4 (Nisbet 60), Clarkson 5, Okkels 5 (Ambrose 60); Gueye 5 (Duk 73).
Subs not used: Ritchie, Boyd, Heltne-Nilsen, Rubezic.
HIBERNIAN (3-4-1-2): Smith 6; O’Hara 6, Bushiri 6, Iredale 6; C. Cadden 7 (Miller 73), Triantis 7, Levitt 7 (Kwon Hyeok-Kyu 73) N. Cadden 7 (Obita 86); Campbell 7; Boyle 7 (Hoilett 86), Gayle 7 (Bowie 62).
Subs not used: Molotnikov, Bursit, Kuharevich, Moriah-Welsh.
Referee: Don Robertson
Attendance: 16,533
Man-of-the-match: Nicky Cadden (Hibernian)
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