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Is Aberdeen’s proud top flight record under threat?

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Neil Warnock, in his own words, took the Aberdeen job to have “a little bit of fun.” Quickly, though, the smile was wiped from the 75-year-old’s face as the Dons sunk towards the foot of the Scottish Premiership table. Warnock lasted just 33 days – and eight matches – at Pittodrie, but Aberdeen still face a fight against relegation. Nobody at the club is having any fun.

By Graham Ruthven

With eight games of the season left, Aberdeen are just three points above the relegation playoff place. The picture was even bleaker before the away victory over Motherwell which ended a run of 11 matches without a win, but even that performance hinted at the problems afflicting the Dons this season. 

Aberdeen have never been relegated in their 120-year history. They are widely considered Scottish football’s third force. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the Pittodrie club won league titles and cups and famously beat Real Madrid in the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup in a triumph that is still rightfully glorified to this day.

The prospect of a club of Aberdeen’s size and stature playing in the Scottish Championship next season is almost unfathomable, but this is the direction they are heading in. The Dons have eight games to save their season and avoid the biggest humiliation in the club’s long and storied history. 

On paper, Aberdeen boast one of the strongest squads in the Scottish Premiership. Only Lawrence Shankland and James Tavernier have scored more league goals this season than Bojan Miovski. Indeed, the North Macedonian international is a top-quality centre forward who will surely play at a higher level in the coming years.

Jamie McGrath is a Republic of Ireland international who earned himself a reputation as one of the best central midfielders in Scotland during successful spells at Dundee United and St Mirren. Even as Aberdeen have struggled badly this season, there have been glimpses of McGrath’s ability – McGrath is Aberdeen’s second-top scorer with nine goals.

Leighton Clarkson is another talented Aberdeen midfielder who was signed permanently from Liverpool last summer after catching the eye on loan at Pittodrie. Then there’s Graeme Shinnie, an experienced operator at the base of the Aberdeen midfield unit, and Connor Barron, a promising Scotland Under-21 international with a bright future ahead of him. 

Centre back Slobodan Rubežić is a Montenegro international who was linked with Tottenham Hotspur not so long ago while Stefan Gartenmann and Angus MacDonald both have defensive pedigree too. From front to back, Aberdeen have talented individuals, but their results this season don’t reflect this.

US-based businessman Dave Cormack has invested heavily in Aberdeen since becoming chairman in 2019, but he has communicated a clear vision for the team on the pitch. Initially, Cormack wanted Aberdeen to play a brand of modern, possession-based football, hiring Stephen Glass despite the former Dons midfielder lacking any senior management experience.

When Glass faltered, Cormack hired Jim Goodwin, a conservative coach known for his stodgy, defence-minded style of play. Goodwin, however, lasted less than a year at Pittodrie and was replaced by another rookie, Barry Robson, who was handed the job permanently after a short interim spell.

Then came the experienced Warnock as interim boss who arrived in Scotland without any apparent knowledge of the game north of the border. He continually experimented with his lineup when Aberdeen needed an immediate bounce and points on the board. When Warnock resigned, he implied he was stepping aside to make way for a permanent appointment. More than a fortnight later, though, Aberdeen still haven’t hired anyone. Fans are understandably confused. 

Managerial whiplash over the last three seasons has given Aberdeen an identity crisis. Defensively, they are vulnerable. As an attacking outfit, they are anaemic. Money has been spent in the transfer market, but there is no strategy underpinning this investment. As a team, Aberdeen don’t stand for anything. 

There’s still time for Aberdeen to arrest their slide towards the second tier. Their next two fixtures are against 11th place Ross County and 12th place Livingston. Six points from those two games would significantly alleviate the threat of relegation. Even if Aberdeen stay in the Scottish Premiership, though, they have bigger issues to solve. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Is Aberdeen’s proud top flight record under threat?

Neil Warnock, in his own words, took the Aberdeen job to have “a little bit of fun.” Quickly, though, the smile was wiped from the 75-year-old’s face as the Dons sunk towards the foot of the Scottish Premiership table. Warnock lasted just 33 days – and eight matches – at Pittodrie, but Aberdeen still face a fight against relegation. Nobody at the club is having any fun.

By Graham Ruthven

With eight games of the season left, Aberdeen are just three points above the relegation playoff place. The picture was even bleaker before the away victory over Motherwell which ended a run of 11 matches without a win, but even that performance hinted at the problems afflicting the Dons this season. 

Aberdeen have never been relegated in their 120-year history. They are widely considered Scottish football’s third force. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the Pittodrie club won league titles and cups and famously beat Real Madrid in the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup in a triumph that is still rightfully glorified to this day.

The prospect of a club of Aberdeen’s size and stature playing in the Scottish Championship next season is almost unfathomable, but this is the direction they are heading in. The Dons have eight games to save their season and avoid the biggest humiliation in the club’s long and storied history. 

On paper, Aberdeen boast one of the strongest squads in the Scottish Premiership. Only Lawrence Shankland and James Tavernier have scored more league goals this season than Bojan Miovski. Indeed, the North Macedonian international is a top-quality centre forward who will surely play at a higher level in the coming years.

Jamie McGrath is a Republic of Ireland international who earned himself a reputation as one of the best central midfielders in Scotland during successful spells at Dundee United and St Mirren. Even as Aberdeen have struggled badly this season, there have been glimpses of McGrath’s ability – McGrath is Aberdeen’s second-top scorer with nine goals.

Leighton Clarkson is another talented Aberdeen midfielder who was signed permanently from Liverpool last summer after catching the eye on loan at Pittodrie. Then there’s Graeme Shinnie, an experienced operator at the base of the Aberdeen midfield unit, and Connor Barron, a promising Scotland Under-21 international with a bright future ahead of him. 

Centre back Slobodan Rubežić is a Montenegro international who was linked with Tottenham Hotspur not so long ago while Stefan Gartenmann and Angus MacDonald both have defensive pedigree too. From front to back, Aberdeen have talented individuals, but their results this season don’t reflect this.

US-based businessman Dave Cormack has invested heavily in Aberdeen since becoming chairman in 2019, but he has communicated a clear vision for the team on the pitch. Initially, Cormack wanted Aberdeen to play a brand of modern, possession-based football, hiring Stephen Glass despite the former Dons midfielder lacking any senior management experience.

When Glass faltered, Cormack hired Jim Goodwin, a conservative coach known for his stodgy, defence-minded style of play. Goodwin, however, lasted less than a year at Pittodrie and was replaced by another rookie, Barry Robson, who was handed the job permanently after a short interim spell.

Then came the experienced Warnock as interim boss who arrived in Scotland without any apparent knowledge of the game north of the border. He continually experimented with his lineup when Aberdeen needed an immediate bounce and points on the board. When Warnock resigned, he implied he was stepping aside to make way for a permanent appointment. More than a fortnight later, though, Aberdeen still haven’t hired anyone. Fans are understandably confused. 

Managerial whiplash over the last three seasons has given Aberdeen an identity crisis. Defensively, they are vulnerable. As an attacking outfit, they are anaemic. Money has been spent in the transfer market, but there is no strategy underpinning this investment. As a team, Aberdeen don’t stand for anything. 

There’s still time for Aberdeen to arrest their slide towards the second tier. Their next two fixtures are against 11th place Ross County and 12th place Livingston. Six points from those two games would significantly alleviate the threat of relegation. Even if Aberdeen stay in the Scottish Premiership, though, they have bigger issues to solve. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every SPFL game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.