Aberdeen: Fans furious with Robinson, but what is going wrong?

After a fourth straight Scottish Premiership game without a goal, Aberdeen fans made their feelings clear at the full-time whistle of Saturday's draw with Kilmarnock.

Head coach Stephen Robinson took the brunt of the boos and jeers, with such ire replicated online and on radio phone-ins.

The Northern Irish manager was similarly unimpressed with his side's showing, calling it "tired" and "lethargic" in his spiky post-match interview.

Five games in. One win in the league. Two goals.

It's far from the start to the season that Aberdeen would have wanted. At a club with such high expectations, there is a gloom that pervades Pittodrie.

But what exactly is going wrong?

Obviously, the Dons have a problem up top. They have scored fewer than any other team so far, and wasted the few chances they have created.

Their total xG sits at 5.2 - the third-worst in the league - but they have still failed to deliver on their, albeit small, attacking promise.

Other attacking stats are similarly damning. No team has had fewer shots on target. Only Falkirk have created fewer big chances.

As well as the lack of clinical edge, there is a glaring absence of creative spark.

"It's a lack of anything for the Aberdeen fans to go and enjoy," former Aberdeen defender Richard Foster told BBC Sport Scotland.

"I expected Robinson's Aberdeen to be full of energy, similar to what we saw at St Mirren. They'd get the ball forward quickly and play in the opposition's half.

"The style was relatively direct, but they did actually play football at St Mirren in the opposition's half. They had players that would go one-v-one, get the ball in the box, they were very difficult to play against.

"The Aberdeen team look quite far away from that - they're easy to play against, they're slow in the build-up, they don't pose much of a goal threat in certain games."

Robinson didn't pull his punches when speaking to BBC Sport Scotland afterwards, taking aim at his players' energy levels.

"We looked tired, we looked lethargic," he said. "We've had two very hard games, a lot of travel. We got a little bit more energy in the second half, without the quality.

"We got out of the game what we deserve. It's frustrating. We made tired decisions, too many touches on the ball, too many passes backwards.

"We've had two games against Rangers and Celtic, a lot of travel, and the performance looked like that. We ran out of energy. They looked jaded today. Nobody sets out to play poorly. Human nature doesn't allow you to do that."

Is that too simple an explanation, though? A three-game week is a lot, but two of those were at home. Kilmarnock have actually travelled further than Aberdeen over the past few days.

"If you're looking tired and jaded and lack of energy this early in the season, then you're not living right, because that shouldn't be a problem," Foster added.

"Yes, there's been a lot of players [come in], but we've been back out for a few months now in terms of pre-season, you've had time for these players to bed themselves in."

"It's weird because I don't see Nisbet as a number nine," Foster said. "For me, he drops into that 10 position. When you play him up as your number nine, to try and lead the line, I think he needs support around him.

"They just didn't look like they knew what they were doing. For me, the players need to take responsibility."

Of course, Robinson isn't the only manager who has taken a few weeks to find his starting side. The transfer window only shut through the week and he only now knows exactly what he to work with for the next few months.

"He is actually trying to change to try and get something back from his players," Foster added. "Because at the moment it's not even hit or miss game-to-game, it's hit or miss within a game.

"They have little periods of play, like the start of the second half, where they look more lively, more energetic, and then that kind of fades out.

"He's trying to find something but he hasn't really landed on the best formation or the best style for this group."

Daniel: Are we going to let Robinson away with his "a lot of travel" comment? Aberdeen have had two away games since the league started and one of them was Dundee. They were the home team today, incredible grasp at an excuse.

Alan: Left the game at Pittodrie with 20 mins to go, unimpressed with both teams, Aberdeen have not been a big club for some years but I believe the job is too much for Robinson. I am a frustrated season ticket holder.

Kevin: Robinson's excuses should get him fired. Tired? The season's just started. This man should be nowhere near Aberdeen.

Stuart: Aberdeen have assembled a squad devoid of any quality whatsoever - and show no hunger, no urgency and no fight. The club is an embarrassment.

Stan: Feel for Aberdeen's players. You can't fault effort, but there's no shape, revolving formations and a patent lack of coaching. New players not the excuse, multiple teams in the same boat. Get your finger or yourself out Robinson.

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