Aberdeen Faces Challenges After Early Season Promises
Aberdeen's promising start to the season was marked by a comprehensive victory over Dundee and a gritty win against St Mirren. However, recent performances have raised concerns as the team suffered a heavy defeat to AEK Athens in the Conference League and a disappointing home loss to Hibernian, despite the close scoreline.
Following these two disheartening results, the earlier triumphs now seem like a false dawn for a side currently positioned 11th in the league. The confidence gained from those victories has dissipated, and fan patience is wearing thin. Record European defeats and lackluster home performances have overshadowed recent successes, including a Scottish Cup victory.
What has changed for Jimmy Thelin's side in the last two matches?
The Day Everything Clicked Up Front
The match against Dundee was a highlight, with Jesper Karlsson delivering an outstanding performance at Pittodrie, leading to a dominant display where Aberdeen consistently threatened their opponents. They controlled possession, limiting Dundee to just eight shots—only two of which were on target—while creating numerous chances themselves.
The key difference from previous matches was their clinical finishing, a trait that has been absent in recent games. Despite having 16 shots against Hibernian—only four fewer than against Dundee—they managed to convert just one, scored in the dying moments when the game was already lost. Their expected goals (xG) for the season stands at 12.5, placing them sixth in that metric, yet they have only scored six goals, highlighting their struggles in front of goal.
It is perhaps unsurprising that they are ranked ninth for shots on target per match, with just five of their 16 attempts against Hibernian finding the target.
Cracks in the New Formation
Fans have expressed frustration with Thelin's commitment to a 4-2-3-1 formation, and a switch back to a three-at-the-back setup initially yielded positive results. This was the formation used in their Scottish Cup final victory just months ago, briefly appeasing supporters.
The tactical change occurred six games ago against Motherwell, where they lost 2-0 due to late goals, but the overall performance was deemed an improvement. A strong display against Shakhtar Donetsk in their opening Conference League match, despite a 3-2 loss, further fueled optimism. However, the new formation faced significant challenges against AEK, and similar vulnerabilities were exploited by Hibernian, where midfielders Josh Mulligan and Dan Barlaser made multiple interceptions.
The central midfield duo of Graeme Shinnie and Stuart Armstrong struggled to cope with AEK's fast counter-attacks, leading to ineffective performances. The wing-backs, Gavin Molloy and Alexander Jensen, were often caught out of position, exposing the flanks, which Martin Boyle exploited effectively when he came on. Topi Keskinen was deployed as a left wing-back against AEK but lasted only half an hour before being substituted.
Cormack Observes as Thelin's Strategy Stalls
During the defeat on Sunday, cameras frequently captured Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack, who has previously defended Thelin through challenging periods, including last season's winless streak and the current campaign's struggles. However, discontent among fans is growing. Aberdeen's performance against Hibernian was lackluster, leaving the team second from the bottom with just seven points from nine matches.
Club legend Willie Miller criticized the performance against AEK, labeling it as "naive" and attributing some of the conceded goals to self-inflicted errors. While the absence of key left wing-back Emmanuel Gyamfi due to injury has posed challenges, Thelin has yet to find effective solutions to the ongoing issues. Time is running out for the manager to turn the situation around.