Aberdeen

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We asked for your views on who deserves to be Aberdeen's player of the year.

Here's what you said:

Justin: It has to be Kevin Nisbet, without his goals god knows where we'd be.

Marty: Its a tough one to call. Regardless of our defensive frailties, Jack Milne has stood out. He is still young but I see a great prospect in him. That said, I think it has to go to Nisbet, he seems to be the only one that can score, which is an area we are poor in. Give him the service, and he will give us the goals.

Ross: Dylan Lobban is the player of the year. His attitude towards getting forward and taking men on is not only encouraging but it's entertaining. Scotland loves wing play, this kid has it!

Chris: Mats Knoester was solid and we'd likely be in a better place in the table if he'd been here the last 11 games. That said, Nisbet is my pick. Give him service and he'll score. Some cracking goals scored and likely a few more before the season end. I'd have him as my fourth-pick World Cup striker as with better players around him he is quality.

Andy: That's a hard one, it was a collective failing in my opinion. The one player I would pick out is Nisbet. He did his best despite the dreadful service he received. No other pass marks I'm afraid.

Marc: After many gutless performances, not one of those players really deserve to win POTY. If I had to pick one, it would be Knoester. He plays for the badge.

David: Player of the year has been Jack Milne. Shouldering responsibility when he should be learning from somebody beside him.

Evan: In a season where at some point I've thought ever single player should be paid off and never play another game for Aberdeen FC again... the goals of Nisbet may be what saves us from a relegation play-off. Notable mentions to Mitchel Frame and Dylan Lobban, but neither played enough to clinch it.

Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson will ban mobile phones at the training ground from next season as he tries to improve squad harmony. (Press and Journal), external

BBC Sport Scotland commentator Liam McLeod has been answering more of your Aberdeen questions.

David asked: What key player positions should Aberdeen strengthen in the summer and what names have you in mind to fill them?

Liam answered: Unfortunately, it appears Aberdeen need to strengthen most areas of the squad. I personally think the likes of Dimitar Mitov, Mats Knoester, Dennis Geiger - currently on loan but with a purchase option - and Kevin Nisbet are assets and I think Topi Keskinen, Findlay Marshall - assuming they can tie him down on a new deal - and Gavin Molloy can all make an impact.

However, there is going to have to be another busy summer and Stephen Robinson, along with returning head of recruitment Darren Mowbray, will have an idea of who they want to bring to the club.

Their ability to plan for next season has been affected by the fact a relegation play-off is still a possibility in mid-April.

Players like David Watson at Kilmarnock, Ben Stanway at Partick Thistle and Andrew Tod at Dunfermline should be on the radar though they may have missed the boat with the former given the clubs now allegedly interested at home and abroad.

Darren Mowbray was responsible for the signings of Ylber Ramadani, Bojan Miovski, Duk and Leighton Clarkson so he has set the bar high.

Martin asked: Every commentator I hear say the Dons need a clear out/rebuild in the summer. Do Aberdeen need a quieter summer with some consistency in playing squad and perhaps only a few tactical signings?

Liam answered: They need a big clear out again unfortunately.

A quieter summer can only be attained if the player/trading model that Dave Cormack is using is working and, despite some excellent relatively recent transfer dealings, the last year to 18 months has been poor in that respect. No one in the current squad is going for the sort of figures they brought in for the likes of Ramadani, Miovski, Ross McCrorie and even Lewis Ferguson to go back a few years. They need a rethink.

Jack asked: How would you assess the handling of Jimmy Thelin's departure and the recruitment process that followed to source his eventual replacement?

Liam answered: I think even the club would have played it differently in hindsight but make no mistake, they were desperate for Thelin to turn the ship around.

Stephen Robinson's stock when Thelin was fired was as high as it's ever been having just lifted the League Cup off the back of three successive top six finishes with St Mirren. If Robinson was the man they truly wanted, they should have made their move for him in January. The fact they didn't tells its own story.

Thelin was dumped on the fourth day of the January transfer window, the timing was bad in that respect but that was down to the fact he'd delivered the Scottish Cup last May. They let it go as long as they feasibly could.

When Robinson was appointed, he was on a run of one win in 13 league games, although he did take Saints into the Scottish Cup semis just before he left, so the timing of their move for him was questionable but Cormack is a long-term fan of his so it didn't come as a massive surprise.

After Scottish Cup glory at the end of last season, this campaign has fallen well below expectations for Aberdeen.

The Dons find themselves in trouble at the bottom end of the table and, although they are eighth in the Scottish Premiership, they are only five points above Kilmarnock in the relegation play-off spot.

Who has stood out on the field of play despite all that? We want to know your Aberdeen player of the year. Tell us here.

BBC Sport Scotland commentator Liam McLeod has been answering some of your Aberdeen questions.

Richard asked: Do you think sacking Jimmy Thelin was a mistake? It seems like he is the fall guy for the way they have handled recruitment since Darren Mowbray left. Stephen Robinson is not a popular appointment given his teams are awful to watch.

Liam answered: I think everyone connected with Aberdeen was willing Thelin on, but the deeper into the rut he went, the clearer it became that something wasn't working. The fact is the form under Thelin, generally, for almost 14 months was pretty dreadful and but for that Scottish Cup win buying him time, the decision to pull the trigger may have come sooner.

You can't say the Swede wasn't backed, indeed no Dons' boss in the club's history had such a generous transfer budget yet for whatever reason it didn't work out.

I would be interested to know the effect losing assistant Emir Bajrami had on Thelin's management when he went back to Sweden around the time the form fell off a cliff in winter 2024, as he was the animated one on the touchline during that superb start to last season which was in stark contrast to Thelin and Christer Persson.

Brian asked: Does Liam feel there are 'too many cooks' at Aberdeen and does he feel they need clarity and streamlining with Robinson making the key footballing decisions?

Liam answered: It is pretty clear there are issues at boardroom level when you see how the club's bid to replace Jimmy Thelin played out and the club's failure to build on the Scottish Cup win.

Sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel was charged with finding a new head coach and some exotic names were mooted, with some even given the guided tour and presented to the TV cameras in Sandro Schwarz's case which was unusual.

Having had a look under the bonnet, he and his assistant didn't fancy it and it wasn't just last month's Scottish Cup defeat at Dunfermline that had chairman Dave Cormack reaching for the panic button, it was the diabolical performance that night that saw interim Peter Leven replaced by Stephen Robinson. Cormack, who was in the stand that night, felt the uncertainty could go on no longer. It would be no surprise if he has restructuring on his mind.

Scott asked: What's going so wrong? On paper the team should work excellently, as shown on Saturday but this season has been a banana skin every game.

Liam answered: Bad recruitment and an imbalanced squad. Yes, the individual players all have their attributes but few of the signings from the last few transfer windows have fitted in. They have never really looked like a team this season.

It's not because they're bad footballers, rather they weren't right for the team they were bought for.

Cases in point - Adil Aouchiche was brought on loan from Sunderland and looked lost at times yet has gone on to play a big role in Schalke's bid for promotion in Germany while making his international debut for Algeria, and Jesper Karlsson has moved back to the Dutch top flight and is scoring goals for Utrecht.

Ryan asked: What will be the impact of this horrendous season on the next? Assuming Aberdeen do enough to avoid anything silly affecting their top flight status, what does the summer bring? Will there be major changes throughout the club? We really feel like we're in danger of being Scotland's fifth club now behind the Edinburgh and Glasgow pairs. What do we need to do to keep pace starting from next season?

Liam answered: Firstly, no Europe which means less money despite a higher outlay on the playing squad.

I can understand why some Aberdeen fans will be looking at what has happened at Hearts this season and feel it could be the Dons up there challenging for the title.

Had the house been in order at Pittodrie that could have been the case as all of the top three have regularly dropped points, in Hearts' case they've done so in 12 of their 33 games yet they have been top since September. To put it in context, Aberdeen were only two points worse off than Hearts are after 33 games in 2016 under Derek McInnes.

This summer could be one of the most important Aberdeen have faced if they aren't to be left behind. There needs to be a reset and a new way of thinking. The impact of Tony Bloom and Jamestown at Tynecastle is there for all to see and it's only in its infancy.

I heard Brentford owner Matthew Benham discussing the player model they have, which like Jamestown at Brighton, has allowed the club to prosper and punch above their weight in the Premier League, competing with clubs with higher budgets.

They still use 'old-fashioned' scouting, but their data models are something Aberdeen should be taking an extremely close look at. If a player in his mid-20s doesn't tick every single data box, they don't sign him.

Changes higher up the food chain will be whether Dave Cormack thinks they're needed and that is something that can't be ruled out given how dreadful this season has been across the board.

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It appears as though a big rebuild is "inevitable" for Aberdeen this summer as the club continue to slide down the Scottish Premiership table.

Having won the Scottish Cup less than 12 months ago, the Dons now find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle.

They sacked manager Jimmy Thelin earlier this season and spent months searching for his replacement, with Peter Leven taking charge in the interim period, and eventually ended up with Stephen Robinson - who had been down the road in Paisley the whole time.

Thanks to their 2-0 win against Hibernian at the weekend, Robinson's side now have a bit of breathing space between themselves and the relegation play-off spot. But the Dons could find themselves right back in it if they fail to beat Kilmarnock, currently in 11th, next weekend.

If the Dons can maintain their Premiership status for next term, The Times' football correspondent Michael Grant is expecting a hefty rebuild at Aberdeen.

"They did spend a lot of money last summer," he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"There was a lot of hope and expectation on the back of the Scottish Cup win and big investment in players. The recruitment was terrible, really. They got so little return for their money and continue to get so little return for it. So I think a big summer rebuild is inevitable.

"No club can afford to sign what turn out to be poor players or players that aren't a good fit for the club but especially when you're spending a lot of money.

"Aberdeen don't have limitless resources. If they're spending money, they need to get a return for it.

"Darren Mowbray's come back as the head of recruitment and he was probably the most successful head of recruitment they've had in recent years.

"It was him that got Bojan Miovski and Ylber Ramadani, and guys that made them a lot of money when they sold them.

"They've churned through heads of recruitment as well over the last three, four, five years."

Sivert Heltne Nilsen says he left Aberdeen because Haugesund offered him a contract - three years with a potential coaching role beyond that - he could not refuse and it came with the promise of more regular starts and in the 34-year-old's favoured central midfield role. (Daily Record), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

What would you like to ask Liam McLeod about Aberdeen?

The BBC Sport Scotland commentator is in the hotseat and ready to answer your questions and offer his insight and opinion on your club.

Answers will be provided on this page on Thursday.

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Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Stephen Robinson wasn't the only one breathing a sigh of relief on Saturday as he notched his first win as Aberdeen manager amid a barrage of criticism and pressure.

The Dons were excellent throughout their win over 10-man Hibernian and should have won by more than the final 2-0 scoreline.

Kevin Nisbet finished last season strongly and his brace against his old club could be crucial to Aberdeen's hopes of staving off 11th place with Kilmarnock, who currently occupy that position, at Pittodrie in the first post-split match next Saturday.

The fact is, a second win on the bounce would leave a gap of eight points between the two plus a vastly superior goal difference meaning the Dons could start planning for next season's Premiership campaign should that come to pass.

But as Robinson pointed out after the game, there is still much to do.

Pre-match, Dons legend Joe Harper took the acclaim of the full house with the Aberdeen support unveiling a sensational tifo to celebrate their greatest goalscorer.

Harper etched his name into Pittodrie folklore in a goal-laden career, mainly in the 1970s and across two spells.

He is a Greenock native, but he is an Aberdeen man who also enjoyed a stint at Hibs. It was a pity he wasn't five years younger given he only caught the start of Sir Alex Ferguson's glory years. Harper's 199 goals deserved more silverware than they were ultimately rewarded with.

When Billy McNeill signed Steve Archibald during his short time in charge of the Dons, they went on to form a partnership and Archibald himself credits those times up front with Harper as a big reason why he went on to enjoy a wonderful career at Tottenham and Barcelona.

Harper is a regular at Pittodrie and has watched this season's side go from one slump to another, so it was fitting Nisbet led the team to a first win in 10 games on a day their all-time top scorer was acclaimed.

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

lt might only be our second league win of 2026, but the three points against Hibs were gratefully received.

Especially as it was Stephen Robinson's first Reds victory at the fourth attempt.

Were there signs of encouragement from the performance? Yes. Chances created? Yes. Clean sheet? Yes!

All round, then, reasons to be more cheerful for fans who have had to go to work in recent weeks and endure a ribbing over a potential relegation play-off.

Admittedly, the much-needed win was against 10 men and one victory won't make everything better.

However, we have taken a huge step in the right direction towards safety and we can all but secure that with three points against Kilmarnock next weekend.

With two weeks on the training ground to further implement ideas, and build on the confidence beating Hibs has brought, maybe we can end a forgettable season with more victories and more positivity.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson intends to run the rule over some of his fringe players over the next fortnight. (Press and Journal), external

Read more: Tuesday's Scottish football gossip

Watch Sportscene pundit Steven Naismith analyse the decision to award Aberdeen a penalty and Hibs defender Grant Hanley a red card in the Dons' weekend victory.

Naismith believes the good work from Toyosi Olusanya to win the spot-kick and the goal from Kevin Nisbet that followed "set the tone" for Stephen Robinson's side.

Available in UK only

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

Kelle Roos (Kilmarnock): Not the finest all-round performance but came up clutch deep into stoppage time to deny Dundee from the spot and save a potentially priceless point for Killie.

Alexander Jensen (Aberdeen): Pushed back a little bit but impressed at wing-back against Hibernian. Tanked up and down the touchline and coped well when Hibs were trying to put him under pressure.

Krisztian Keresztes (Dundee United): Admittedly, not the finest weekend for defenders, but the substitute hauled United level with an important header to allow them to push on for a late win against Livingston.

Will Ferry (Dundee United): And here's the man who set him up. Ferry also opened the scoring with a superb solo goal at Tannadice.

Hyun-jun Yang (Celtic): Few in green and white impressed in a narrow win over St Mirren at Celtic Park, but the South Korean showed up again.

Nicolas Raskin (Rangers): For his second-half showing at Falkirk. The Belgium international was like a man possessed after the break with an abundance of fight, quality and creativity on show. Displayed his very best as Rangers ripped Falkirk apart in a bonkers second 45.

Beni Baningime (Hearts): Back alongside Cammy Devlin in the engine room and back pulling the strings for Hearts. A classy performance - again - in the crucial win over Motherwell.

Emmanuel Gyamfi (Aberdeen): Outside his needless incident with Hibs striker Owen Elding, for which he was shown a yellow card after a VAR review, the wide man was Aberdeen's biggest threat in one of his better performances for the Dons. Hooked balls in at every chance he could, something Stephen Robinson will be desperate to see more of.

Sabah Kerjota (Hearts): Came on in the 66th minute and immediately became Hearts' set-piece taker, whipping in inviting deliveries - including one that led to the second goal. His cameo performances have impressed to the point there is clamour for him to start the upcoming Edinburgh derby over Alexandros Kyziridis.

Kevin Nisbet (Aberdeen): The man grateful for those deliveries from Gyamfi. Kept his cool from the spot against his former side before smashing the much-needed second over the line... just. Big, big goals and an equally impressive all-round performance.

Lewis Smith (Livingston): Doing all he can to keep Livingston in the league, chipping in with another two goals. Even if the Lions are relegated, which is increasingly likely, Smith should remain in the top flight. One wouldn't think he'd be short of suitors.

Watch all the highlights of Aberdeen's 2-0 win against Hibernian.

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Stephen Robinson does not want Aberdeen to relax during their two-week break after they recorded a much-needed 2-0 win over Hibernian to boost their William Hill Premiership survival hopes.

Kevin Nisbet netted from the penalty spot after Grant Hanley was sent off for hauling down Toyosi Olusanya and the Scotland striker added a second with 15 minutes to go to end a nine-match winless league run.

The Dons are five points above Kilmarnock, who sit in the relegation play-off spot with five games to play, and the two teams clash at Pittodrie in the next round of Premiership fixtures which does not take place until April 25.

"I said to the players to remember the feeling of winning the game," Aberdeen head coach Robinson said after the win against Hibs.

"We played some really good stuff, some good one-touch movement between the midfield and forward players. We have to build on that.

"I still think we're under pressure. I won't relax and I won't allow the players to.

"The players are as disappointed as anyone with how the season has gone. It's important we take our time off over the break and come back firing and build on that performance.

"We want to finish the season strongly."

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 2-0 win against Hibernian. Here's what some of you said:

Andy: It's a win but I wouldn't get too carried away. It's unlikely we will play 10 men every week. That said, it will hopefully improve their confidence for the final run-in. A win against Kilmarnock is a must.

Niall: A vital win and a precious three points. Clearly the Hibs red card helped but there were signs of more positive play in the final third. It's just a shame that there seem to be no other clinical finishers other than Kevin Nisbet. Build on this and secure home wins in all our post-split fixtures, and we should hopefully be safe ahead of a massive rebuild for next season.

Alison: Makes a change coming out of Pittodrie saying that you enjoyed a game - that hasn't happened for a long time. Thought we played well, if only we had played like that more often this season. We aren't safe yet, but that was a step in the right direction.

Ross: Finally, some real grit and determination, proper bottle and fighting spirit. Silky football can take a backseat if the required points accrue and safety is guaranteed. Not out of the woods yet though.

Andrew: That was the hungriest I've seen us in months. A real shot in the arm going into the split. Dare I say if we can beat Killie next time out, they'll find it hard to claw back eight points, nine with the goal difference, over four games.

Alasdair: How would we have fared against 11 men, the red card really made a difference. Nice to get three points on the board, but I'm not sure if this is the turning of the corner or just lucky. At the moment though I think we'll need every bit of luck to stay up, given the recent form.

Aberdeen eased their Scottish Premiership relegation concerns with their first league win since January, as Kevin Nisbet's double helped them see off 10-man Hibernian.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson: "It's [the win] much needed.

"I thought we were very good at times but you could see a little bit of nervousness within the game. When you've only had one clean sheet at Pittodrie since November, there's obviously going to be a nervousness but I thought there were some excellent performances.

"We said all week if we deliver balls into the box Kevin Nisbet will score. He's been really behind what we're trying to do and I'm delighted with his two goals.

"I thought we were the better side with 11v11 as well. We created numerous opportunities, got into really good areas and delivered a lot more crosses than we have been. The key today was the clean sheet and the players managed to do that. It sets you up to not lose football matches and that has to be how we approach games from now on.

"When we saw it back [Emmanuel Gyamfi's red card check] I'm not sure why he [the referee] had to come over. The other VAR decisions were right.

"Hibs are a very good side, still challenging for Europe and to beat them today, with 10 men or 11, was really important.

"The criticism we get we deserve but the fans were excellent today. They got behind the players and when they do that you can see the confidence starting to run back through the team. You could see the confidence starting to come back, and a little bit more creativity, taking more chances. It's a good result for us after the performance in the first half last week.

"It's certainly a step in the right direction. It doesn't make us safe, we can't relax at all. We have to enjoy the moment, enjoy winning football matches, the fans haven't seen enough of that, but we know we still have a lot of work to do."

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Aberdeen midfielder Dennis Geiger will have a late fitness test.

Centre-back Mats Knoester will return to training following his concussion on Monday, while Nicky Devlin, Kristers Tobers and Nick Suman remain out.

Right-back Nicky Cadden returns to the Hibernian squad.

But Rudi Molotnikov, Josh Mulligan and Munashe Garananga are unavailable.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen keeper Dimitar Mitov says they owe it to the fans to have a strong end to the season but admits nothing can make amends for a sub-standard campaign.

A run of just one win in their last 16 league games has seen last season's Scottish Cup winners become embroiled in a Premiership survival battle.

The ninth-placed Dons go into Saturday's visit of Hibs just three points above second-bottom Kilmarnock, who occupy the relegation play-off spot.

When asked what has gone wrong this term, Mitov said, "It is the million-dollar question.

"I think it is a lot of things. Obviously, we as players have to take the blame because it is our responsibility when we pull the shirt on, and we have not done well enough this season.

"Listen, whatever we do for the rest of the season is not going to make amends for how the season has gone because the football club should never be in the position it is right now, especially with the success we had last season, and European football.

"But that should be the standard every season, fighting for titles, fighting for cups, being in Europe, and we have not met those standards this season.

"Hopefully, we give something to the fans to be proud of, maybe it is not enough for them, we know that.'

"It is all good me sitting here saying these kinds of things but people don't want to see players in the media say 'this needs to be better, that needs to be better ' we just need to keep our mouths shut and perform on the pitch."

Mitov's own form has been mixed this season.

The Bulgarian international has flitted in and out of the side since the January arrival of Norwegian goalie Per Kristian Bratveit.

"I think as a goalkeeper you pay the ultimate price when the team is not doing well and you are conceding the goals," he added.

"It is the position of ultimate perfection, and if you are not close to perfection, you will cost your team.''

"I tell you one thing, there is not a worse feeling in the world than costing your team, and nobody has to tell me when a goal is going in that 'oh the keeper should have done better' I know better than anyone."

"You know when you say goalkeepers are crazy, they are crazy because you need to love that pressure, you need to embrace it you need to come out there and say 'I am the man' so you have to have that mentality going into every game and just believe in yourself that you can help the team going forward."

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Aberdeen head coach Stephen Robinson has revealed that he has had to work to build social bonds between his players as he looks to rescue their season.

The Northern Irishman was appointed at Pittodrie last month with the immediate task of steering the team away from relegation fears but a draw and two defeats since then has seen the team move closer to the play-off spot.

As he prepares the team to face Hibs at home on Saturday, he said that part of the work he's been doing to improve things has been focused on trying to build a togetherness that he thinks is lacking in the squad.

"There's been small little tweaks since I have come in to try and get people to speak more," Robinson said at his pre-match media conference. "We have got 16 different nationalities at this football club, which is incredible, and everyone has got different cultures and different ideas.

"It's been about trying to get people together a little bit more, to put the social area into one place, instead of being in three different places. There wasn't a social area actually, [a place where they can] sit and have a coffee, speak to each other and get to know each other. So we are hoping that will help.

'When you are in the trenches you need to know a little bit about each other and try and fight your way out of it.'

Robinson made it clear there were no cliques or factions within the Dons squad but he wants stronger bonds between players and more cohesion to help build a run of positive results starting this weekend and through the post-split fixtures.

'There are certainly not factions," he said. "When you come from different cultures of course you gravitate towards people you have a little bit more in common with, so it's to get everyone together.

"When things aren't going well if you actually know a little bit about each other, you speak to each other outside of football then you have got a real desire to help each other and we are just trying to create that, trying to create that atmosphere.'

"It is the same at every club, every club I have been to, you try and do that, usually in a pre-season you have a lot of time to do that, here we are trying to fast-track that very quickly."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen head coach Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Scottish Premiership visit of Hibernian.

Here are the main points:

• With the Dons just three points above the relegation play-off spot, Robinson admits Saturday's match is "a huge game".

• But stresses now is not the time to scrutinise, that will come at the end of the season and insists now is the time for "togetherness".

• On the criticism coming his team's way, Robinson says "the players have been ridiculed from pillar to post".

• And amid the pressure, he says "nobody has gone hiding, nobody is looking for excuses" and stresses everyone is up for the fight.

• Robinson was asked if the immediate challenge he faces of trying to guide the Dons to safety, is "one of the biggest" of his managerial career and has vowed to use every bit of experience he has gained as a manager.

• He points out there are other teams in the relegation fight, not just Aberdeen and believes "the positive we have over all the rest of the teams that are down there is our fan base" and stresses "we are all in this together".

• Having been in the job for a few weeks now, Robinson believes he is better equipped to know what is needed to get the team out of this situation than he was when he arrived.

• He says one of the things he has been trying to do is to get everyone together, noting that there are 16 different nationalities in the squad

• Team news: They will make a late call on Dennis Geiger who has a slight hamstring injury. Mats Knoester will resume full training next week and may be available for the second game after the split.

For Aberdeen, the stats are damning.

Eight wins from 32 league games, 18 defeats - the same number as bottom side Livingston - and just one victory in their past 16 Scottish Premiership fixtures.

Those numbers are why the Dons are hovering above the relegation play-off place, level on points with St Mirren and just three above Kilmarnock in 11th.

But abject performances and a non-existent new manager bounce following the arrival of Stephen Robinson are perhaps the biggest concerns for the Pittodrie club.

With Europe-chasing Hibernian travelling north on Saturday, do Aberdeen have the fight in them to drag themselves out of a perilous situation?

Stephen McGowan of The Herald isn't convinced, saying on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast: "I don't think there's any evidence they do at the moment.

"Stephen Robinson teams are always noted for having fight, but these are not Stephen Robinson players.

"It's difficult to see how he can take his preferences for shape and character and inject them into this team in such a short space of time."