Aberdeen

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Aberdeen's winter woes have led them into a crisis. That isn't a word you will hear coming from the club, but there can be no other way of describing it from the outside.

This team that thrilled and matched Celtic in the opening quarter of the season is in freefall in what has been one of the most spectacular collapses in form in any sport, let alone the Scottish Premiership.

Thirty one points out of 33 has been followed by just four out of the subsequent 39. Once nine points clear of Rangers in second, they now sit just 10 clear of second bottom. It is, frankly, as astonishing as it is unexplainable.

Saturday's record-breaking defeat to St Mirren was galling to watch for Dons fans as they extended their winless league run to 13 games for the first time in the club's history.

A 3-0 home defeat to anyone would be viewed as unacceptable, but when you consider the budget discrepancy between Aberdeen and the Paisley club it conveys just how bad a place they find themselves in.

The Dons had a few shots on target but didn't really look like scoring and that's not a new problem given they have only netted one goal - a fluke - in their past seven league games.

Anyone who watched Jimmy Thelin's first Premiership defeat against the same side in November would not have been surprised that three simple long balls completely undid the hosts, with Toyosi Olusanya their tormenter in chief. St Mirren and manager Stephen Robinson knew exactly what they were doing.

Slobodan Rubezic asked to come off after playing a key role in the opening two goals in the first half and it will be interesting to see why this was when Thelin is surely asked about it this week. It was uncomfortable to watch.

It would be easy for the fans to scapegoat Rubezic, but across the board it hasn't been good enough from the Dons for 10 weeks now.

They go to in-form Hibernian on Saturday and while the 6-0 League Cup semi-final defeat by Celtic can be pinpointed as a reason for their recent fragility, the 2-1 and 3-2 stoppage-time leads thrown away on their last visit to Leith seem to have knocked the stuffing out of them.

When Ester Sokler scored that wonderful Easter Road bicycle kick, the live table had the Dons 25 points clear of David Gray's men. Defeat in the capital for the visitors would reduce the gap to just two.

Nothing exemplifies the Dons' collapse better than that fact.

Hearts and Hibernian are both keeping a close eye on Jamie McGrath's situation as Aberdeen continue to push for the 28-year-old midfielder to sign a new contract beyond the summer. (Record), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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James McGarry has joined Greek Super League side Athens Kallithea on loan until the end of the season.

McGarry joined the Dons in the summer of 2023 from Central Coast Mariners on a three-year deal but has struggled for game time under Jimmy Thelin this season.

The 26-year-old left-back has made 26 appearances and scored once for Aberdeen since his arrival.

The Pittodrie boss said: "With Jack [MacKenzie] returning from injury and Alexander [Jensen] joining us, opportunities for James will be limited and he is at an important stage of his career where he needs regular minutes on the pitch.

"He's going to a competitive league where there is a lot to play for so we'll monitor his progress and believe this will be a really valuable loan for the player."

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

Unlucky 13. Another weekend, another unwanted record for Aberdeen as the 3-0 defeat to St Mirren made it 13 games without victory in the league.

Eight goals netted in those games - three of which came in the exhilarating 3-3 draw at this weekend's opponents Hibernian - tells one story for a team who were scoring for fun at the start of the season.

The glaring stat is the staggering 26 goals we have conceded on this run, and the ease with which they are being scored.

Teams are not having to work hard to score against us and Saturday was a prime example, with Slobodan Rubezic and Ross Doohan coming up with simple mistakes to gift the Saints a 2-0 lead.

Jimmy Thelin needs to urgently address the mistakes at the back, but also needs to get the team creating and scoring.

The longer the run continues, the harder it becomes to drown out any murmurs of discontent. This week is crucial for the club.

Injuries to Jamie McGrath and Dante Polvara are yet another example of long-term absences to key players which seems to have plagued our season.

A win feels a must at Easter Road, but first and foremost there must be some incomings in the final week of the transfer window.

A goalscorer and a creative player feel the priorities - can we tempt Lyall Cameron north? We hope for a busy week, but most importantly we hope for a much-needed three points.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Aberdeen defender James McGarry is set to join Athens Kallithea on loan until the of the season, with the Greek Super League club having the option to buy the 26-year-old New Zealand international in the summer. (Sky Sports), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Former Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan thinks Jimmy Thelin hasn't learned how to defend against St Mirren.

The sides have met three times this season and the Dons have conceded six goals in those outings - a 3-1 win followed by two defeats.

Craigan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast that all the goals the Dons have conceded to the Saints have been "very, very similar" and is surprised the boss wasn't prepared to guard against them.

Toyosi Olusanya opened the scoring at Pittodrie after just seven minutes following a slip up from defender Slobodan Rubezic.

Rubezic was outmuscled by Olusanya, who set up Mikael Mandron, for the second.

"I think back to the goals that Aberdeen have conceded against St Mirren in the three games, they've all been very, very similar," Craigan said.

"Balls over the top and someone running onto it, but Thelin was adamant after that he would have to work on the defensive structure and how they were set up and how they could stop that happening again.

"You think you would have learned from the first time."

Graeme Shinnie reckons the Aberdeen dressing room is facing its biggest test – and from it Jimmy Thelin will see the true character within his struggling squad. (Daily Record)

Shinnie says talk is cheap and only actions will haul Aberdeen out of their Premiership tailspin. (Press & Journal)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Watch Sportscene analysis of Aberdeen's 3-0 defeat against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

Watch highlights of Aberdeen's 3-0 defeat by St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 3-0 defeat against St Mirren.

Here's what some of you said:

Ian: Another hapless performance from professionals. The defence is shocking with no leadership taking charge of players both on and off the field. I'm fed up listening to excuses. What we need is action and leaders who can motivate players. Perhaps some players need to move elsewhere.

Justin: Unacceptable! The good faith of the support is beginning to wear thin and questions will begin about the manager. Thirteen games without a league win is not good enough so let's see how the window goes because something has to be done as soon as possible.

Robert: It's easy to say that the team lacks confidence at the moment, the defence keep trying to play out from the back which is just inviting pressure from the opposition, lots of misplaced passes when the players are under a little bit of pressure and strikers that don't stay up the pitch and don't shoot from any distance.

Andrew: We were not in this game after the first goal which was a gift. We are very vulnerable in defence, who get little protection from midfield. We improved somewhat after half time, however the game was gone and St Mirren were very comfortable. Our left side showed promise. Pape Gueye was still clearly miles off the pace. Kevin Nisbet, with service, could blossom.

John: Worst performance at home this season. No movement, no energy and poor decision making. Constantly getting caught with the same direct long ball over the top as we are leaving huge wide open spaces when we attack and end up losing the ball in the opposition final third. Come on Jimmy [Thelin], we have faith but we need some tactical tweaks.

Eric: To sit through that game was horrendous. To have so much of the ball, yet have no end result and to be suckered into defensive errors is indefensible. Five starting XI changes yet again, obviously Jimmy doesn't know his best team, but he should by now. We need a stable side. Jimmy has to ditch the duds, otherwise it's bye, bye Jimmy.

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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.