Stephen Robinson says he will keep fighting for his Aberdeen job after a 4-0 defeat to Hibernian left the club in the relegation play-off place. It was a damaging result, a damaging performance and another sign that Aberdeen's difficult run in the Scottish Premiership is becoming a serious problem.
The pressure had already been building before this match. Aberdeen went into the visit of Hibernian calling it a must-win game, yet the evening only deepened the sense of crisis. By the end, home fans were heading for the exits with Aberdeen 2-0 down, and chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning' could be heard as the situation unravelled further.
Robinson, the 51-year-old who was appointed in March, did not hide from the scale of the setback. He said: "I'll keep fighting until told otherwise" and added that he did not make the decision over his future. His message was simple enough: he is Aberdeen manager until told otherwise, and he will continue to battle on.
The result leaves Aberdeen in trouble
This was Aberdeen's fourth Scottish Premiership defeat in five, a sequence that has dragged them into real danger. After the final whistle, they occupied the relegation play-off place, which is not where a club with Aberdeen's expectations wanted to be at this stage of the season.
The wider concern is that this is not an isolated bad night. Aberdeen have now lost 11 league matches and have taken only six points from 21 league games, a return that leaves little margin for comfort. Even a summer rebuild that brought in 15 players has not yet produced the consistency needed to steady the team.
Robinson pointed to the basic issue that has haunted Aberdeen through the run. "The performance isn't acceptable, the result isn't acceptable," he said. "It's the story of the season - if you don't take chances, you lose matches. They had five opportunities, scored four of them. That's the difference." That is the blunt reality of a side that is being punished too often for its own mistakes.
Why the pressure is growing
Robinson did steadier work last season, steering Aberdeen clear of relegation worries, so this slide is especially striking. But the mood around the club has changed quickly, and the scrutiny has intensified after a previous 1-0 home defeat to Falkirk. In the background, Adrian Bevington has been Aberdeen's chief executive for about a month and a half, which only adds to the uncertainty around what comes next.
Former Aberdeen captain Willie Miller said Robinson "looks beleaguered" and described the situation as "utterly embarrassing". Chris Sutton was even more direct, saying the club is too big for him and the job is too big for him, while suggesting he may end up getting the sack. Those are hard words, but they reflect the level of frustration around the club after another heavy defeat.
For now, Robinson is still refusing to step away. The next question is whether Aberdeen can stop the slide before the pressure around their manager becomes impossible to ignore.
