Alarm bells ring loud and clear at Pittodrie
IF any bells have been heard chiming around Pittodrie over recent days, then it’s surely been to sound the alarm rather than for the New Year festivities.
Aberdeen’s return to action after the World Cup break had already been largely underwhelming before they plumbed new depths at Rugby Park last Wednesday night.
A 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock made it four losses on the bounce for the Dons, with boss Jim Goodwin branding their performance ‘dismal’ and ‘pathetic’.
Pressure is mounting on the Irishman. Fans were none too enamoured by his ultra-defensive approach in the home defeat to Celtic which started the malaise.
The capitulation against Rangers a few days later, where they led 2-1 heading into the 90th minute only to lose 3-2, has now been followed by defeats to St Mirren and Killie.
The league table is slightly misleading in so much as Aberdeen still sit in fourth place, offering the impression that all is well.
However, the current mood at Pittodrie is not positive. Some sections of the fans are already calling for Goodwin to be sacked.
They now face back-to-back home games, starting with Ross County this afternoon before St Johnstone visit the Granite City next weekend.
It is no stretch to suggest that these are must-win games for Goodwin as he seeks to silence his critics and prove that he is the right man to take the club forward.
For defender Jack MacKenzie, the defeat to Killie last midweek must be a line in the sand.
Admitting the Dons were ‘bullied’ at Rugby Park, he insists the result has to be viewed as rock bottom.
‘It was nowhere near good enough,’ said 22-year-old MacKenzie. ‘We didn’t start the game well and we were 2-0 down at half-time.
‘To be honest, we were lucky it wasn’t four. Kilmarnock were by far the better team for the whole 90 minutes. That the final score was 2-1 probably flattered us.
‘We need to be better as individuals. I don’t think any of us got pass marks, we were all miles off it. We need to do better because, if we play like that against Ross County, they will do us over.
‘We need a massive improvement and hopefully a shift of mentality. We are a young team and we are fit boys. The run of games we have had can’t be an excuse at all.
‘Our mentality wasn’t right against Kilmarnock. We didn’t look mentally strong at all. We were weak, we were bullied. Obviously four defeats on the spin pretty much mirrors that.
‘The manager has just tried to keep it positive. In the Rangers game, I thought we played quite well despite the result.
‘So it has just been about keeping that going. We started well against St Mirren and the red card (for Aberdeen skipper Anthony Stewart) changed it.
‘I think we as players need to step up and try and prove something on Monday.’
Perhaps the only crumb of comfort for Goodwin and his players is the fact that they now have two home games in a row.
Their form at Pittodrie has largely been a strength this season — and they will be expected to get the job done today against a Ross County side who sit bottom of the table after their own defeat last midweek, to Dundee United.
MacKenzie admits that the Dons need to buck up their ideas and show a different sort of mentality if they are to arrest their slump.
He is also reluctant to look too far ahead to the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Rangers in a fortnight, insisting that they need to sort out their league form first before that big one comes around.
‘Obviously the cup game is massive, but we need to focus on the league,’ said MacKenzie.
‘We have got two big games before then, so that needs to be our focus. If we start thinking ahead, we won’t pick up any points.
‘We have had a decent record at home this season. But there is no reason for us to perform like we did at Rugby Park.
‘That performance could easily happen on Monday if our mentality isn’t right. That needs to be our focus. We need to concentrate on putting in our strongest play and getting the three points.
‘We will need a reaction. We know what we need to do. The last four results haven’t been good enough and we are going to start sliding down the table if we don’t turn things around.’
County boss Malky Mackay says he is not panicking despite his team slumping to the foot of the table after a fourth consecutive loss.
‘We are not in a false position, we are where we should be because that’s where the points look at it,’ said Mackay. ‘But if we hadn’t been creating chances, I would be more worried.
‘We are defending reasonably well and creating chances. Against Rangers, we had the best two chances of the game. Against United, Owura (Edwards) was one on one and we hit the post and had a goal chalked off.
‘We just have to keep having that belief. We have been here before so there are no wild histrionics.’