City slicker
Four down, one to go. Sergio Aguero improves on his hat-trick with this strike – and he wasn’t finished piling on the misery for Steve McClaren.
THEY needed to prove their title credentials after their first Premiership slip-up.
But Aberdeen ended up fighting for their dignity after ruthless St Johnstone left them red-faced.
In inflicting a third consecutive domestic defeat on the Premiershiptopping Dons, Saints picked up their first points of the season on the road.
But this was no fluke. The Perth side were on fire from the start at Pittodrie – and could have scored more than the five that vanquished the Reds.
It was a performance that left Aberdeen gaffer Derek McInnes questioning his side’s hunger.
And he accused his defenders, who shipped four goals from set pieces, of falling victim to embarrassment.
“In a 90 minute game the biggest drain of confidence is losing cheap goals,” said the Dons gaffer.
“With set plays, there comes a level of responsibility, and when responsibility isn’t met, there comes a bit of embarrassment amongst the players. “I think that affected a few today. “That’s not something you can level at us over the last few years.”
Any seasoned Dons watcher knows that’s true enough. But it doesn’t excuse the dismal level of defending that undid Aberdeen yesterday.
St Johnstone’s first four goals came from set pieces the Dons simply didn’t deal with.
Tommy Wright’s side were ruthless, as they were at Ibrox in the League Cup, but Aberdeen barely put up a fight.
For McInnes, that was concerning, and he admitted his players, with a fortnight until their next game against Ross County, must quickly prove they have not become soft touches.
He said: “It shows there is work to be done. We have honest players though, they know what I’m saying’s right.
“We want to nip it in the bud. It’s not something we want to continue, to be known as a team who gift cheap goals and don’t compete.
“It’s clear we need to improve on this aspect. If I’m Ross County boss Jim McIntyre I’m thinking: ‘Get the ball into the box, ask questions of them, apply pressure, be physical’.
“We need to find the answers within the squad so when teams look at us and think that’s how you beat Aberdeen, well, it’s not how you beat Aberdeen.
“We need to find ways to stand up to that.”
“Frantic” isn’t often a word that can be applied to games involving Aberdeen.
The Dons are normally too controlled, too disciplined, too patient. They don’t lose their cool – that’s their trademark.
Unfortunately for the Reds, St Johnstone don’t care for precedents.
Most teams opt for the conservative approach when confronted with a trip to face the league leaders on their own patch.
To their immense credit, Saints did the exact opposite – they EXPLODED into life.
Within 10 minutes, Tommy Wright’s ruthlessly well-drilled side had sent the normally ice-cool Reds into a spiral of panic.
Brian Easton sparked it just five minutes in after sweetly volleying home Andy Considine’s headed clearance from 20 yards.
Just five minutes later, ex-Don Joe Shaughnessy ramped things up, poking home the rebound after Steven MacLean headed Simon Lappin’s free-kick against the post.
Ash Taylor pulled one back two minutes later, heading home Niall McGinn’s corner in identical fashion to last week’s 2-1 loss in Inverness.
But Saints soon restored their twogoal cushion through Liam Craig, who fired home through a ruck of players.
For Aberdeen, it was earth-shaking stuff – and it was to get even worse.
Refreshed and left in no doubt of what was expected, the Dons looked to start the second half on the front foot.
Instead, after Steven MacLean was left criminally unmarked to head home Simon Lappin’s corner at the near-post, they were made to start on their backsides.
Saints’ fifth, just three minutes later, killed the Dons off completely.
MacLean was the man on the mark again, nodding home at the back post after Graham Cummins inch-perfect cross.
The Dons fans, who hadn’t seen their team concede five to anyone other than Celtic for almost five years, were as shell-shocked as their heroes, though a fair proportion gathered the nerve to head for the exits.
“We want six!” chanted the jubilant St Johnstone fans.
That’s a song Aberdeen will hope they NEVER have to hear again.