Aberdeen

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• Aberdeen have failed to win in their last 13 games in the Premiership, their longest winless streak in the competition (since at least 2013-2014).

• Aberdeen have failed to score in their last four games in the Premiership, a run of 454 minutes without a goal.

• Aberdeen's last longer run of games without scoring a goal in the competition was a run of six games from 27 January 2021 to 17 February 2021.

• Toyosi Olusanya has scored seven goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other St Mirren player.

St Mirren piled the misery on struggling Aberdeen with an emphatic win at Pittodrie, meaning it is now 13 games without a victory in the Scottish Premiership for the Dons.

Saints strike pair Toyosi Olusanya and Mikael Mandron did the damage with two first-half goals at Pittodrie.

Give us your thoughts on the game here.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "I think me as a manager and my staff, we need to sit down and help the players more and we need to think how we can balance the team so we're not so exposed in some situations in the games, we have some now against Ross County and Motherwell and this game where today, we were a little bit much too exposed in some areas of the game and that's hurt us too much.

"When you're on this run, you do some parts okay, but then the games turn around so quick and there we have to be... I have to work a lot with that and help the players to rebalance the team.

"It's a collective thing and I am the manager, I'm responsible, so I need to think about how I can help the players to cope with demands in the games and so we can protect each other much better outside the pitch.

"It's a lot of passion and emotion now about the sport of course and that's understandable and we have to stick together, have to keep pushing the team so we can go out in the right direction.

"Of course, there are some signals there that we're not happy with, that's my job with my staff to guide the players and keep working with the players so we can protect the situations and find a way to win the games again.

"Of course I believe in the players, why should I change that because we have a bad run, they have done all sorts of amazing things.

"It's a challenging time but we're still fighting in the table to try to achieve something this season and it's not too late.

On Slobodan Rubezic asking to be subbed off in the first half, he confirms the defender signalled he wanted to come off but wouldn't elaborate on the reasoning behind the decision.

"No, he signalled he wanted to change and that's why we changed," Thelin adds.

"I suppose so, I [haven't] spoke with him after the game," he adds when asked if the defender is injured. "So maybe he feels something and that's why we need to protect him there."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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It is hard to pinpoint what is going wrong with Aberdeen at the moment.

In the first half in particular they looked a bag of nerves at times at the back and lacked a cutting edge at the other end of the park.

That is a combination that is only conducive to one thing – not winning games.

And not winning games is something that has become an unwelcome habit for Jimmy Thelin's side.

The Swede is being backed by the Dons board to overhaul his squad in this transfer window and is very much seen as a long-term appointment by the powerbrokers.

But that is now 13 games without a win in the league – and Thelin knows he needs to find a way of turning the Dons ship around, and soon, or a season which delivered plenty could completely unravel.

Aberdeen have joined Rangers in the race to snap up Dundee midfielder Lyall Cameron, with the 22-year-old out of contract this summer. (Daily Mail), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

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Aberdeen midfielder Jamie McGrath has been ruled out for "a number of months" with a shoulder injury and joins Dante Polvara (leg), Gavin Molloy (shoulder), Ester Sokler (hamstring), Dimitar Mitov, Vicente Besuijen (knee) and Jack Milne (ankle) on the sidelines. Jack MacKenzie returns after a three-game absence.

St Mirren defender Alex Iacovitti will be out for three weeks with a hamstring problem, while Conor McMenamin (calf) remains out. Lewis Jamieson has left for Sacramento Republic.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Shayden Morris is "hungry" to prove he deserves more starts for Aberdeen.

The winger impressed with a goalscoring display in last week's Scottish Cup win at Elgin City, but 18 of his 23 Premiership apperances this season have come as a substitute.

With St Mirren heading to Pittodrie this weekend, Morris said: "It was good to start again and play 90 minutes, which was really important for me, and getting another goal definitely boosts your confidence levels so I am really feeling good going into Saturday.

"I am hungry to get into the starting XI, that is my ambition. To be known as an impact player is a good feeling but of course I want to do it from the beginning and try and impact the team as much as I can."

It wasn't just Morris who caught the eye at Borough Briggs. Duk netted twice - his first goals of the season - and striker Pape Habib Gueye returned from a lengthy spell out injured.

"You can see the impact it has had, especially Duk getting on the scoresheet," added Morris.

"I think that was massive for him because he has been working really hard, had a lot of assists already, good opportunities, so I think that will definitely push him back to another level.

"And with Pape, it is good to have him back and we will hopefully see him dancing again soon."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin admits it is a blow to lose "multi-functional" attacking midfielder Jamie McGrath for a lengthy spell.

Republic of Ireland international McGrath, 28, who is out of contract in the summer, has had shoulder surgery and will be sidelined for "a number of months", say the club.

McGrath has made 27 Dons appearances this season, scoring five goals.

Speaking before Saturday's Premiership visit of St Mirren, Thelin said: "It is [a blow], he is really good at helping us create chances and is a multi-functional player who can play in different positions, is always giving everything.

"For me it is most important that the player is coming back and we can push and help them.

"You always want every player available but it is also for the individual, the player himself being out of the team for two or three months, and Gavin [Molloy – already out with a shoulder injury] the same, we have to be there to support them."

There is also bad news concerning American midfielder Dante Polvara, who last month played his first game since May following a hamstring injury.

Thelin said: "He had some small setback in his leg so let's see how long a time he will take."

On a more positive note, Aberdeen were boosted by the long-awaited return of Senegales striker Pape Habib Gueye - the club's top scorer this term - in last weekend's Scottish Cup win over Elgin City.

"He has been talking about that for three months [wanting to start again]," said Thelin.

"He is ready, he is a positive guy, I like his energy and I like that players are pushing and show this ambition to be helping the team.

"There is a lot of energy there, he wants to show himself. He is training well but we also have to take care of him now so we don't get any setbacks."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premiership visit of St Mirren.

Here are the key points from the Dons boss:

• Jamie McGrath will be out "for a couple of months" with a shoulder injury and Dante Polvara is also out after suffering a setback in his recovery from injury. Jack MacKenzie is back available.

• Thelin aims to take the positives from last week's Scottish Cup win over Elgin into their league campaign: "I think we can be a more stable team now."

• Aberdeen are now focused on ending their 12-game winless run in the league, with Thelin admitting the club have endured "a really challenging time".

• On having Pape Habib Gueye back - the striker made his return from injury last weekend - Thelin says "he is a positive guy, I like his energy" and "he is another weapon for us to use".

• He wouldn't be drawn on any possible incomings and outgoings: "We want to keep a balance in the squad."

• On the challenge St Mirren will pose: "Their manager has done a good job, they are really structured."

• Thelin paid tribute to former Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood, who died earlier this week, with the Swede saying he had a "huge impact on the club".

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

There was a collective sigh of relief from the Aberdeen fans in Elgin on Saturday evening as the Dons won for the first time in two months to secure their place in round five of the Scottish Cup.

It looked like it may be a difficult afternoon in Moray as the hosts started brightly but the Premiership side's quality eventually told and it really ought to have been a much more impressive scoreline.

Jimmy Thelin will hope to use the victory at Borough Briggs as a chance to restart the Dons' league form which remains in the doldrums. Saturday brings a visit from St Mirren, another side that has hit the skids recently.

One thing that stood out from the match in Elgin was the Dons' need for a 'number nine' striker who can put away the chances that came the team's way and, just as importantly, fit into the style Thelin wants his side to play.

A new forward should be in the door at some point before the end of the month, with pace one of the attributes the club wants instilled in the frontline.

Such was the strength of the first quarter of the campaign, Bojan Miovski's absence was barely noticeable. However, his loss to the squad is weighing heavy just now, with just one rather fortunate goal against Ross County all Aberdeen have had to show for their efforts in the last six Premiership outings.

Of the January signings, Kristers Tobers and Alexander Jensen appear to have enhanced the team going by their early showings.

Saturday's game at Pittodrie is a huge one with trips to Dundee and Hibernian following it either side of the next Scottish Cup tie.

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• St Mirren have conceded 16 goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) in the Scottish Premiership this season, more than any other side. Indeed, seven of the last nine non-penalty goals they have conceded in the league have been from set-plays (2 x throw, 2 x free-kick, 3 x corner).

• After their 3-1 victory in August, Aberdeen are looking to win back-to-back home league games against St Mirren for the first time since October 2020, while they last did so within a single season in 2009-10.

• St Mirren have won three of their past four league meetings with Aberdeen (L1). Since the 2022-23 season, against no opponent have the Buddies won more times in the Scottish Premiership than versus Aberdeen (five, level with Hibernian).

• Aberdeen are winless in 12 league games (D4 L8), their longest such run since last going 12 without victory from May to October 1999.

• St Mirren have lost their past four league games, last losing more in a row in the Scottish Premiership in October 2020 (six).

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin insists he will get Jeppe Okkels back to his best at the Dons. (Press & Journal)

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

The draw for the fifth round of the Scottish Cup provided a very apt tie as Aberdeen and Dunfermline Athletic were paired in the fight for a quarter-final berth.

It comes in the week the sad news was announced that Jimmy Calderwood had lost his battle with dementia. He managed both and provided Dons and Pars supporters with memories that will last a lifetime.

It mustn't be forgotten how far down the hole Aberdeen had gone after several botched managerial appointments in the late 1990s and at the turn of the century.

The decade between winning the League Cup in 1995 and Calderwood taking the reins was pretty grim for Dons fans, with the odd win over the big Glasgow two and two cup final appearances under Ebbe Skovdahl about the extent of the pleasure they could draw from their team.

Club legend Willie Miller arrived back at Pittodrie in 2004 in the role of director of football and Calderwood was in situ not long after to replace Steve Paterson with the team languishing in second bottom having jostled with the spectre of relegation more than once in previous seasons.

Calderwood signed Hearts midfielder Scott Severin, breathed life into what was already in the building and the Dons improved almost immediately. They were unfortunate to miss out on third place in that first campaign.

They finished behind Tony Mowbray's talented Hibernian team that was content to lose 1-0 at home to Rangers on the final day as it meant they could pip Calderwood's men to a spot in the Uefa Cup on goal difference. It was the lesser-spoken about tale on Helicopter Sunday. That result left Aberdeen needing a five-goal victory over Hearts, but they ultimately had to settle for 2-0.

Calderwood built on it, however, and Aberdeen were never out of the top six during his steady tenure though it was cup defeats to lower-league opponents that cost him the job in the end.

Having spoken to him about it, that was a massive regret of his, particularly the calamitous Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Queen of the South in 2008 with a Rangers side running on empty waiting in the final.

However, history will be kind to Calderwood and his time at the club by those who watched the side, with those memorable European exploits against Dnipro, Copenhagen and Bayern Munich incredible high points.

A good man gone but not forgotten.

Aberdeen can still have a fruitful season by clinching European qualification, says manager Jimmy Thelin. (Record), external

Thelin is up for the fight to take the Dons into Europe. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Phil Mair
Fan writer

With 13 days left in the window, all eyes will be on Aberdeen Airport, Cormack Park and social media for all the latest faces and names linked with the club.

In what is typically a tough signing month because of higher prices and a limited pool of players, as well as being a window the Dons have a very varied history of success with, it has been refreshing to see deals being completed early and for sizable (rumoured) fees.

There can be no doubts the club are backing Jimmy Thelin to bring in the calibre of players required for his system. Kristers Tobers and Alexander Jensen have both excited fans in their early appearances, with other new arrivals Jeppe Okkels and Alfie Dorrington looking to get up to speed and show the Red Army what they are all about.

The Scottish Cup win against Elgin City - which has set up a fifth-round tie at home to Dunfermline - saw the comeback of Pape Gueye from injury, which everyone will be hoping is the return of an, albeit unexpected, goal machine.

However, the recent winless run further highlighted the need for reinforcements at the top end of the park.

I know Jimmy will have been working closely with the head of recruitment to identify players that fit his system and whoever comes in will get the full backing of the fans. Although if you want my two cents, I will keep pitching Richard Kone from Wycombe!

Hopefully, if a new number nine is to come in this window, they follow the fortunes of previous January acquisitions Adam Rooney and Sam Cosgrove as opposed to the triple January loan of Lewis Hornby, Florian Kamberi and Callum Hendry.

Phil Mair can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Zander Diamond remembers his late former Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood as "a true gentleman and a father figure". (Record), external

Ex-Aberdeen captain Russell Anderson pays tribute to "big personality" Calderwood, who has passed away at the age of 69 and managed the Dons from 2004-2009. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Full-back Nicky Devlin hopes Aberdeen's 3-0 weekend Scottish Cup win at Elgin City can be the catalyst to an upturn in form and winning the trophy for the first time in 35 years. (Record), external

Devlin, 31, praises the impact of the Dons' January signings. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 3-0 win against Elgin City.

Here's what some of you said:

Malky: Can't really gauge anything from this game, a clean sheet, plenty of chances and could and should have been more. I honestly think we are a competent striker away from getting back at it with regards to the League. Slobodan Rubezic should be moved on though, he's a constant liability. Anyway, onto the next round and get the season back on track, hopefully!

Fred: A close first half. Great to get a win and to move into the next round. Still crying out for a striker who can add zest to our attack. Elgin gave us a good game, let's hope this is the start of a winning streak.

Eilidh: A slow start which is natural considering the run of form but once Shayden Morris scored we looked much better and like the Aberdeen of the start of the season albeit against a League Two side. If not for the Elgin goal keeper, it could've been five or six. Great to see Pape Gueye back and glimpses of the Duk of old. Hopefully the result needed to push on now.

Allan: Banana skin avoided. A solid back four with Alexander Jensen looking a steal of a signing. Welcome back big Pape and we ended the match with four strikers going for goal, and only bad luck and a good keeper kept the score down. Duk will kick on from here as he knows he's in the shop window. Sivert Nilsen is a top player and a good anchor but needs a rest.

Chris: We made it tough for ourselves, credit to Elgin. Morris gave us a good lead, Duk had a tough first half and Peter Ambrose looked lost. The substitutes made a real difference, Gaye looked good but rusty, 10 men Elgin helped but also we almost conceded too, Duk's second half was much better. Job done but a long way to go especially up front.

Chris: I believe Jimmy Thelin knows what he's doing, perhaps not the league. However if he won't go to his youth, he needs goals from somewhere. He has the fans and management but he needs to find goals. His signings look the part so find goals, bump Jack MacKenzie and Jamie McGrath, work with those who want a future not those whose head is not in the game. We are behind you!