'huge Concern' For Aberdeen As League Toil Continues

On 24 May, immoderate personification associated pinch Aberdeen was successful shot eden arsenic nan nine lifted nan Scottish Cup.

Fast guardant 3 months and nan emotion is rather different.

Three convention games, 3 defeats and nary goals scored intends they are bottommost of nan Scottish Premiership.

It is ludicrous to judge immoderate side, peculiarly astatine nan commencement of a caller campaign, connected 3 convention games.

But nan problem for Aberdeen and head Jimmy Thelin is group are not judging mediocre convention displays connected conscionable 3 convention games.

Defeat astatine location by recently promoted Falkirk was a seventh consecutive convention nonaccomplishment stretching backmost to past season.

Nicky Devlin's arguable reddish paper earlier half-time did not help, but they person now won conscionable 5 Premiership games successful their past 30 since defeating Dundee 4-1 astatine Pittodrie connected 9 November.

And nan recurring themes mean grumbles, which were large astir Pittodrie earlier May's triumph complete Celtic, are stirring erstwhile more.

Much of nan caller ire has been focused connected nan unfortunate Australian striker, Kusini Yengi, who has struggled since joining successful nan summer.

The 26-year-old erstwhile Portsmouth guardant scored successful nan League Cup against Greenock Morton but has looked disconnected nan gait successful his early outings and was replaced astatine half-time against Falkirk.

Yengi has yet to make it done 90 minutes successful nan Premiership and his shortcomings truthful acold - and nan deficiency of different options up beforehand - mean fans are hopeless to spot different striker travel successful earlier nan transportation deadline connected Monday.

Thelin told BBC Scotland he expects a "busy" last time of nan window.

"We person a clear scheme what we want to do," added nan Aberdeen boss.

"We person identified things we want to amended and we're moving really hard, truthful we'll spot what happens."

Unfortunately for Aberdeen, nan deficiency of goals is not a caller theme, moreover erstwhile Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet was successful nan squad past year.

From nan commencement of past season, only now-relegated Ross County and St Johnstone person scored less goals than Aberdeen, discounting Falkirk and Livingston, who person played 3 top-flight games successful that time.

Unsurprisingly then, they besides rank very debased for conversion complaint and nan number of large chances they score.

Former Aberdeen skipper Willie Miller suggested connected BBC Scotland's Sportsound: "They don't person a predator, a striker that looks for illustration they're going to people goals.

"The 2 wide men and deeper lying players are not looking arsenic though they are going to people goals either. It's a immense concern, that area of nan team."

Not having personification to person chances is 1 thing, but you person to really create nan opportunities for guardant players.

That is different area Aberdeen are lacking.

If you look astatine expected goals from nan commencement of past season, a measurement of nan value of chances a broadside is creating, only Dundee, St Johnstone and Ross County, nan bottommost 3 from nan past campaign, person a smaller tally than Aberdeen's 48.

Just looking astatine nan number of chances created outright, they are sixth and marginally worse astatine seventh for full crosses played into nan opposition's box.

Jamie McGrath is nan club's apical creator successful nan past 13 months but has near for Hibernian, while Shayden Morris and Nisbet contributed 10 assists betwixt them. Nisbet has returned to Millwall and Morris appears connected his measurement to Luton Town.

When Thelin started pinch 13 consecutive wins past season, fans were enthralled pinch nan intense, attacking football.

However, it has not materialised consistently since and, while nan Swede switched to 3 astatine nan backmost for nan gutsy Scottish Cup last win, it appears a stellar one-off alternatively than turning point.

"The level we're performing correct now successful our calmness of play and decision-making arsenic a squad is not bully capable and that's my responsibility," said Thelin.

"We request to beryllium down now and find a measurement to triumph games."

Aberdeen's exemplary nether president Dave Cormack has been to put money successful young players successful undervalued markets who tin past beryllium re-sold.

It is nan strategy tons of clubs now employment and, pinch a trophy to show for it and much money successful subordinate income than immoderate nine extracurricular Celtic and Rangers since 2018, nan Dons could easy opportunity it is working.

However, nan situation is, pinch each departure, location needs to beryllium capable replacements, while young players ever travel pinch a risk.

This season, Aberdeen person fielded squads pinch an mean property of 25, among nan youngest successful nan country.

New recruits for illustration Nicolas Milanovic, Adil Aouchiche and Yengi are still uncovering their feet and immoderate of those recruited past play are still yet to drawback fire.

Time should beryllium afforded to caller recruits, peculiarly those from overseas arsenic they settee successful a caller country.

However, players specified arsenic Ivan Dolcek and Zac Sapsford person deed nan crushed moving for Dundee United, arsenic person Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis pinch Hearts.

Sapsford, who has 3 United goals this play and been a standout, came from nan aforesaid Western Sydney Wanderers broadside arsenic Aberdeen's Milanovic.

With nan Dons spending, comparatively speaking, a batch of money on pinch Hearts and Hibs, location is greater anticipation connected a batch of these players.

"Jimmy Thelin's sewage a batch to deliberation about," Miller added. "He's brought a batch of task players successful and, arsenic yet, we've still sewage to spot nan fruits.

"There are truthful galore caller players coming successful and it's a very young squad arsenic well. There are a batch of them 23 and under. They don't person a awesome woody of experience.

"This crippled [against Falkirk] was 1 I felt Jimmy Thelin had to triumph to settee things down aft a rocky commencement successful nan league. But he's going to beryllium tested, nan squad are going to beryllium tested.

"All these players request to person that they are bully capable for nan club."

It each intends Thelin and Aberdeen look a large fewer weeks.

First, fans will expect action connected deadline day, while games against Livingston and Motherwell aft nan world break consciousness important already.

Even for a Scottish Cup-winning manager.