Aberdeen

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland

574 minutes without a Premiership goal.

Of all Aberdeen's deficiencies in their worst start to a league season in 26 years, their inability to put the ball in the net is perhaps the most glaring.

In taking just one point from the opening five matches, Jimmy Thelin's side have scored zilch. Worryingly, their xG (expected goals) total is 5.29, suggesting woeful finishing when chances do present themselves.

New arrivals Jesper Karlsson and Stuart Armstrong had opportunities in the latest loss, Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat at Dundee United, but neither could break the Dons' duck.

Armstrong's effort off the bar was the third time Aberdeen have struck woodwork, only Celtic (5) and Hearts (4) have been thwarted more.

The Tannadice defeat was also the Dons' highest xG from open play - 1.11 - this season in the Premiership and their joint-most shots total of 16, although only two were on target.

And there were zero what Opta call 'big chances' for the visitors, whose tally of six in that category is the lowest of any Premiership club.

To complete the early-season perfect storm, Aberdeen are also underperforming their xG against of 5.84, having shipped seven goals so far.

And Tuesday night was their biggest xG against by a distance, 1.83, with United registering 15 shots, a third of which were on target.

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's plight after they remained rock bottom of the Premiership following the 2-0 defeat at Dundee United.

Here are some of your comments:

Michael: Aberdeen Football Club represents the city of Aberdeen. At the moment they are not giving the city a very good image. I'm beginning to feel embarrassed at the results lately.

Joe: I think Jimmy Thelin underestimated Scottish football and how quick fans can turn on managers as he's seeing first hand. Bigger clubs than Aberdeen have been relegated and on recent performances it is what they deserve. I honestly think Thelin has lost the dressing room as the players don't care if they win, lose or draw any more.

Ryan: Thelin will get it right, he won the Scottish Cup only a few months ago. He needs longer and the backing of the fans.

Steve: Why oh why does he keep persisting with this 4-2-3-1 formation? After last night's performance he quite simply has to be sacked. Have some players or most players lost faith in him, because of his unwillingness to change? He shows no emotion on the touchline.

Kevin: What is it with AFC managers? They come with good resumes but in a short period of time they crumble. How the cup was won I'll never know but this has got to end one way or the other.

Bernie: Regrettably, the end of the "long-term" project wasn't that long in coming, after all. Hoisted by his own petard!

Gary: It's not looking good for Jimmy, unfortunately. I think he is out of depth and the team are suffering. The chairman has to take full responsibility for this as he pursued Thelin. Something has to change for Saturday's match tactics wise, because if we don't get some points on the board then we are in serious trouble!

Watch highlights from as Dundee United continue Aberdeen's woeful Premiership start with a win 2-0 win at Tannadice. (Available to UK users only)

Aberdeen's Conference League opponents, Shakhtar Donetsk, will be without Brazilian winger Alisson Santana when they meet next Thursday after the 20-year-old signed for £14m from Atlético Mineiro suffered a broken leg. (Press & Journal), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Aberdeen fans chanted "sacked in the morning" as embattled manager Jimmy Thelin's miserable start to the season continued with a meek Scottish Premiership defeat against Dundee United at Tannadice.

Read the match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin: "It's tough.

"The supporters after the game, they're angry and frustrated with our performance and result.

"We need to find answers really quickly now to get the team going in the right direction and show our fans much more.

"The expectations are really big. Right now we have one point and zero goals and there are a lot of things to fix, in both boxes. Now we need to step up again and we have another chance on Saturday.

"We have to be more mature at the moments when the goals are scored and play the game another way.

"We need to step up and not have this tension when we play. We're all too tense. As individuals, I know the players can do better but we have to be more focused and trust our quality.

"I'm a strong believer this was rock bottom today. We can't go deeper than we are right now.

"Stuart Armstrong did really well today, he was experiences, there are a lot of expectation but he plays very composed and that's what we need to spread through the whole team for Saturday."

Adam Binnie
BBC Sport Scotland

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Aberdeen's Premiership clash with Dundee United on Tuesday night provides the ideal opportunity for Jimmy Thelin's side to kickstart their season, according to former Pittodrie winger Niall McGinn.

The Dons have had a torrid start to the campaign. They are bottom of the Premiership having taken just one point from four matches and failed to score in any of them, while hopes of League Cup success were ended by Motherwell last weekend.

United pipped Aberdeen to fourth place in the league last season and, having started steadily this term, will go into the game at Tannadice as favourites.

"I think there was a lot of hope and a lot of optimism coming off the back of Aberdeen winning that Scottish Cup, the first one in so many years," McGinn told BBC Scotland.

"You're probably thinking they're going to kick on from the start of last season, but it's been the complete opposite. It's been a surprise.

"The Aberdeen fans will go down to Tannadice probably in hope more than confidence at the moment, but it's a game that has expectations.

"It's been a tough venue over the years for Aberdeen, but it's been a venue where they've won big games as well.

"If there was a game for Aberdeen to get their season up and running, it's going to be this one.

"If you look at last season, how Dundee United won towards the end of the season, they sort of pipped them in the league table to fourth. So, there'll be a wee bit of rivalry there, which has always been there in the New Firm derby."

McGinn insists Aberdeen have the talent to turn their season around, having signed Stuart Armstrong, Kevin Nisbet and Jesper Karlsson at the end of the summer window.

"The squad, first and foremost, is definitely strong enough to be picking up wins, but it's just about getting that consistency right," McGinn said.

"One of the key reasons at the moment why things aren't maybe clicking is that there are a lot of new faces integrating, coming from different leagues.

"But the thing is, when you're coming to a club like Aberdeen, you have to hit the ground running as quickly as you possibly can."

Calum Wright
Fan writer

A lack of width is hurting Aberdeen right now.

The club have spent big fees on Topi Keskinen, Nicolas Milanovic and Kenan Bilalovic and added what should be a standout performer in on-loan Bologna winger Jesper Karlsson on deadline day.

But during Saturday's defeat to Motherwell in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final a severe lack of attacking threat was clear for all to see – especially on the wings.

On far too many occasions Alexander Jensen, in particular, was wide open on the right when receiving the ball, but had to turn back to play it inside with no real options ahead of him down the line.

The Danish full-back has been criticised for his lack of prowess going forward. However, from my view in the South Stand on Saturday, the winger ahead of him didn't help him one iota.

Both Keskinen and, latterly, Karlsson continually moved in far too narrow and forced Jensen to go back the way.

There must be some thinking behind this coming from boss Jimmy Thelin, but what that is, I have no idea.

We seem to be shooting ourselves in the foot, as it continuously slows down and limits our attacking play at a time, and during a run of results, where we can't afford that to be the case.

Calum Wright can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Aberdeen are hoping to turn their bad fortunes around rather than having to part ways with manager Jimmy Thelin, although the club recognise fan frustation and are doing due diligence in case the bad form continues. (Anthony Joseph on X), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

• Ivan Dolcek has scored (4) or assisted (1) a goal in each of his four Scottish Premiership appearances for Dundee United. The last player to be directly involved in at least one goal in each of his first five appearances in the competition was Scott Sinclair for Celtic in September 2016.

• After their 2-1 victory on the final day of last season, Dundee United could win back-to-back league meetings with Aberdeen for the first time since November 2008 under Craig Levein.

• Aberdeen have lost five of their past six league visits to Tannadice, including their latest two in a row, since a 3-1 victory in March 2023.

• Dundee United have scored 2+ goals in each of their past five Scottish Premiership games, last doing so more times in a row in the top flight in March 2012 (6) – a run which was ended by a 3-1 defeat against Aberdeen.

• With just one point from four games, this is Aberdeen's poorest start to a league season since 2011-12 (also one point from first four), while they last had one or fewer points from their opening five games in 1999-00 (0).

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Dundee United remain without Ross Graham, Isaac Pappoe, Ryan Strain, Kristijan Trapanovski and Max Watters for Tuesday's Scottish Premiership visit of Aberdeen but right-back Strain has returned to training.

The Dons have a full squad to choose from.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

The gleam from Aberdeen's Scottish Cup win has faded dramatically since that stunning triumph at Hampden Park.

Barely four months since those incredible scenes in Glasgow and the following day in the Granite City, manager Jimmy Thelin is fighting for his future as Dons boss.

With each passing game the pressure is mounting and Saturday's League Cup exit at the hands of a well-oiled Motherwell was a sobering wake-up call for the club.

Fans were not shy in letting the manager and players know exactly what they think of the tailspin they find themselves in at full-time.

Some of the facts are stark as they prepare to head to Tannadice and a meeting with former manager Jim Goodwin's Dundee United on Tuesday evening.

It is now one win in eight this season. Five league wins in 31 since last November. Bottom of the league without a goal scored. Out of two competitions before September is out.

And as they head to Tayside, with a trip to last weekend's conquerors Motherwell to come on Saturday, Thelin has only won at one of the 11 Premiership grounds they will visit this season - twice at Dens Park last term.

If they lose at Tannadice, it will equate to their worst start to a league season since 1999, when Thelin's fellow Scandanavian Ebbe Skovdahl was in the hot seat.

It took them until match-day seven to score a goal that season, when Andy Dow scored against United at Pittodrie. The jubilation that greeted that goal was wild - but even then they lost the match.

The incumbent retains the support of the board despite their cup exit, perhaps unsurprising given the player budget they have afforded Thelin, but he faces a difficult week with an ominous-looking Europa Conference League opener with Shakhtar Donetsk to come next Thursday.

You feel he has to win at least one of these two away games to get an ever-increasing section of the support back onside.

Robbie Boyle
BBC Scotland

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin insists "nothing has changed" when it comes to his relationship with the club's chief executive Alan Burrows and chairman Dave Cormack amid a poor run of form.

His side are under pressure to get a win at Dundee United on Tuesday night following a winless start to the league campaign.

That pressure increased with the League Cup quarter-final exit against Motherwell.

But the Dons boss believes he and the club's hierarchy are still on the same page about the long-term project at Pittodrie.

"I still have dialogue with the CEO and the chairman every day." Thelin said.

"Nothing has changed in our dynamic but we understand we haven't started well."

Thelin was asked whether he has been given assurances by Cormack and Burrows that he'll be given time at Pittodrie and said "we are all on the same page".

He added: "It is only 5 games in but it is still just one point and zero goals scored and they feel the performance is not exactly the way we want.

"We are working really hard and have a clear and open dialogue on what we want to improve."