Breaking the silence: What can we learn from our recent form?

What is it about football that a supporter’s mood and all-round contentment is so intrinsically connected to a result? Well in this case, three results. I don’t think we’re talking about the financially diluted echelons of English football or even the bright lights of Champion’s League football either. We’re talking about real football, where you actually go and watch the team that occupies not a part of your heart and lifestyle but every single part of it.

As you might have noticed, we have been quiet for a few weeks because of a series of disappointing results and of course performances. From a personal standpoint and i’m sure for most of you it is just too difficult to watch television highlights, read newspapers or articulate your own thoughts after events like Saturday afternoon.

Aberdeen supporters have perhaps been spoiled in recent seasons with a consistency that has limited heartache and sadness. A professionalism and unrivalled team spirit has grown at the club and we now have a group of players that understand what it is to represent the club, while having the quality required to do so.

It becomes difficult to call recent performances a blip when there are so many recurring factors from all three matches. At Easter Road we saw a worrying flatness which was repeated in the first half in Inverness. We then expected a response at home to St. Johnstone and witnessed a performance that all too resembled something of the Mark ‘Look me up on Wikipedia’ McGhee era.

The foundations that we have built recent success on evaporated as the team appeared completely unaware how to defend set pieces or manage periods of the game. We were error prone and outsmarted by the astute tactics of Tommy Wright. Most importantly, however, we lacked any degree of fight or protest. We didn’t look like a title challenger, we looked like boys.

What is there to learn from the League Cup humbling and emphatic dip in league form?

Is there an over reliance on individuals?

Simply put Graeme Shinnie has been our key player of the season so far. Whether deployed at left back or in central midfield, the Aberdonian has offered drive, composure and aggression. It does not appear to be a coincidence that when Shinnie was forced to leave proceedings against Hibernian that the team began to look substantially weaker. Undoubtedly it is great to have a player of such quality but we must have sufficient strength in depth to counter any injuries or suspensions that we will inevitably pick up as part and parcel of the sport.

Many in the media have commented on the squad depth that we have at Pittodrie but we must confess it didn’t seem the management team had a confidence in the squad at their disposal with the substitutions made in the League Cup. The wrong individuals were brought on in Peter Pawlett and Ryan McLaughlin, tinkering was conducted with no success. It seemed clear to much of the support that Paul Quinn should have entered the fray at the expense of Shinnie, allowing us to build a victory on stability at the back.

At Inverness we saw Josh Parker start and a disappointing defensive performance in the first half that provoked further changes. At this stage, although we hope to be proven wrong, Parker doesn’t seem to have the adequate ability to provide competition to Adam Rooney and David Goodwillie. Aberdeen must always be looking to strengthen the depth of the squad, particularly if we want to be able to respond better to the difficulties posed by injuries, suspensions and the demands of a number of games in a short period of time.

Are we missing the proverbial ‘hard man’?

Previously there have been calls from some of the support to recruit an old-fashioned midfielder, a player with a physical presence and a willingness to complete the dirty work without complaint. We have generally benefitted by having Shinnie as an option in the middle but it’s important to remember he was brought in as a left-back.

So, are we missing another central midfield option? Yes, it would seem so. Ryan Jack is a talent and with the right guidance, he has many of the attributes to become both a very competent Aberdeen captain and Scotland international in the years to come. Jack’s game is much more technical, focused on ball retention and transition from defence to attack by utilising possession cleverly. He is not one to hassle, harry or find himself in the face of the opposition.

We have seen the benefits of such a player at Celtic in the form of Scott Brown or at Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Ross Draper. It should be a priority for the Dons to solidify the midfield with this sort of player in the January window, and free up Shinnie to continue as an overlapping full-back.

Do we have the mentality to mount a considerable challenge for the title?

It’s all we’ve talked about this season. It’s what the support wants and despite the professionalism the management and playing staff maintain in the media, it’s definitely what they want. We thought we had done the hard bit by beating Celtic but the reality is that the hard bit is being able to do it every weekend.

We have come up short of late but it must be remembered that while Celtic are still the favourites to win the league and they still have a plethora of resources to call upon, they are still second at this point in time. Nine games into the league season, they have shown that they have weaknesses and while we appear to have some of our own, we must strive to return to a level of performance that can pressurise the holders.

The support will discuss and debate as to whether wholesale tactical changes should be made. Is it a question of adopting 4-4-2 instead of a more pragmatic 4-2-3-1? Should we be looking to set up our side with more of a focus on the harm we can inflict rather than countering threats?

The tactics are of course crucial, and a balance is necessary. Derek McInnes is a manager who learns from mistakes and tweaks accordingly but it is incredibly important that Aberdeen assert themselves in their next match against Ross County. At this time an away trip to Dingwall appears to be a very unenviable journey but it is an opportunity to show the mentality that Aberdeen have come to be associated with in recent times. It is an opportunity to invite Ross County on to us and prove that we are still ruthless on the break, that we still want to fight for the jersey and that we still want to be considered a threat to the Champions.

The support also has a responsibility, keep backing the team and do our bit so that the players can do theirs knowing that we are behind them.