Aberdeen Tactics Watch: Change to Topi Keskinen role left Dons disjointed - and gave St Mirren route to get at Reds

Press and Journal

06-05-2025

There were eyebrows raised when Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin moved Topi Keskinen from left wing to no.10 for Saturday's defeat to St Mirren.
One less-discussed element of the call was it removed one of Aberdeen's best pressers – and back-trackers – from a key area of the field.
The Dons almost always defend without the ball in a narrow 4-4-2, but the pressing and shape were pretty loose in the first half, and St Mirren did their best to take advantage of the poor spacing. Aberdeen fail to heed early signs press and shape were loose v St Mirren
We saw some easy passes from the St Mirren back three to their wing-backs, like below, when Marcus Fraser played to Ryan Alebiosu after only 30 seconds.
Jeppe Okkels (if we assume this is intentional) presses in a way that encourages the pass wide: Okkels allows wide pass to right wing-back. St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV.
Unfortunately, Greame Shinnie is naturally deeper on the field, and he has a difficult decision to make: Does he close the man on the ball or defend his area?
He opts for the former, and ex-Dons loanee Killian Phillips makes the run into the space Shinnie has vacated: Phillips makes run behind Shinnie. St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV.
On this occasion, Phillips couldn't get on the ball, but it would be a run and a pattern which repeated itself throughout the half.
It was an early warning which was not heeded by Aberdeen. Dons similarly disjointed on right-hand side
Nicky Devlin was often doubled up on the right side, particularly with longer diagonals, and like Shinnie, he wasn't given too much support from his winger.
It is worth sharing the two images below.
They show Shayden Morris paying the price for getting attracted to the ball instead of tracking his man, and the Buddies get in behind again, this time with Mark O'Hara: O'Hara plays wide to Declan John and makes forward run. St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV. Both Morris and Devlin go to John, leaving O'Hara a simple run in behind. St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV.
Like the previous example with Okkels/Shinnie/Phillips, the ball ended up going out of play (just), but Aberdeen struggled to deal with Phillips and O'Hara's runs in behind the full-backs. St Mirren feed off second balls
Alex Gogic had several diagonal balls on top of the Aberdeen right and left-backs, who invariably faced a 2v1 with either a striker peeling off on to Shinnie or Devlin, or one of the two wider St Mirren centre-mids i.e. Phillips or O'Hara.
And the Buddies wing-back was always available to pick up the flick-on. Declan John picks up diagonal after O'Hara challenged Devlin. St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV.
One of the closest goalmouth chances of the first half saw Dons defender Alfie Dorrington turn the ball just past his own goal, following a cross from the dangerous Ryan Alebiosu.
The source was a long kick from the goalkeeper, on to Jonah Ayunga, who flicks it on to the full back to start his run.
He wasn't required, but Cillian Phillips is in acres of space waiting for the second ball. Ayunga pins himself on Shinnie, Alebiousu ready for flick-on (and Phillips if ball pops out). St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV. Aberdeen left exposed on Buddies' transitions
Aberdeen's recent strength has been getting Leighton Clarkson on the ball in between the centre-backs to build-up play or by beating a high press by going long, but that does present a weakness if the ball transitions quickly.
Early in the second half, Mats Knoester has the ball, and Clarkson is in the centre-back position.
But the Dutchman is pressed by Phillips and opts to go long: Knoesters' pass, which is picked off (no Pape Gueye to challenge) and Oisin Smyth in the St. Mirren midfield has acres of space to turn and progress the ball forward (below). St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV. This turns into a 3v2 (below). St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV. This emphasises the main theme that Aberdeen had too many gaps between the lines of the team, both in possession and out of possession. St Mirren v Aberdeen Tactics Watch. Screengrabs from RedTV. Chaos and coin flips… but it's another set-piece goal lost for Aberdeen
For all this, Jimmy Thelin may have been right when he said St Mirren v Aberdeen could have ended 0-0.
St Mirren's best chances came after they had gone ahead, and as has been noted, their final ball was often poor, and (though not covered here) Aberdeen had plenty of the ball in the attacking third and 11 corners themselves.
It was a coin flip, you might say, but then so was last week against Hibs.
The Dons had a few close shaves on set-pieces versus Hibs, but their luck ran out on Saturday, and they've lost to a dead-ball situation for the second successive trip to Paisley.
By my reckoning, Mikael Mandron's strike was the 13th Premiership goal Aberdeen have lost from either a corner, the aftermath of a corner, a free-kick, or a long-throw – 26% of their total league goals conceded. St Mirren's Mikael Mandron scores in a 1-0 win against Aberdeen in Paisley. Image: Shutterstock.
The Dons rank 10th in the league, just ahead of Dundee and Motherwell in set-piece expected goals against with 0.3 per game (source: Opta).
The next two games will present different challenges, but it's hard to escape fears of their set-piece vulnerability with the final day at Tannadice lingering in the back of the mind.
If hopes still remain to finish third, a win will be vital.
More likely, three points will be required to finish fourth.
Aberdeen's biggest weakness still appears to be facing direct, disciplined outfits -especially away from home.
Aberdeen's aim must be to ensure it doesn't come down to a free-kick or long throw into the box, because, if it does, the odds will be against them.
Gavin MacPhee is a qualified coach, scout and analyst and holds a degree in Science and Football. He is the creator of www.afc1903.com, an Aberdeen tactical and data blog.