It shouldn't have been this way. After we last played Aberdeen a month ago, we were 12 points clear of Hamilton with just eight games left. After coming through the difficult Old Firm double header, the gap was nine points - and it was still that just over a week ago. However, two shocking performances, combined with Accies suddenly finding form (and all credit to them for that), have left us in deep trouble. The gap is now just three points with two games left and we're coming close to repeating the shocking end of the season we had in 2009.
Accies still have some work to do - there's no guarantee they'll get the points they need against St. Johnstone and Inverness Caley Thistle, but I wouldn't put it past them. Meanwhile, I can't see where our next goal, point or win is coming from. It is at this time of season that strange things happen at both ends of the table - such as Hamilton winning three out of five after winning two all season. We need another of those bizarre events tomorrow - a win at Pittodrie.
Last time we won there was in March 1987. I was two, while some of our squad - including Paul McGowan and Kenny McLean - hadn't even been born. It was so long ago that U2 had just released their Joshua Tree album. Not only have we won at every other club in the top flight - including both halves of the Old Firm - since then - we've won at almost every other club in the first and second divisions too. The only exception is Forfar - and that's because we only played them away once and got gubbed. It was so long ago we've even won a Scottish Cup in that time! It is a horrendous state of affairs and the odds of it changing tomorrow are slim at best given the situation we're in at the moment.
Danny Lennon has been making comments in recent weeks about how the players need to be relaxed and just go out there and do their thing. Wrong. They need to be fired up and getting in teams' faces from the off. We must go at Aberdeen from the word go. They have nothing to play for, we are fighting for our lives - how about showing that for once? This must be a blood and guts performance similar to the one we saw at Falkirk two years ago and if we lose, it cannot be for want of trying.
Jure Travner is back from suspension and must start. Likewise, if David Barron is fit, he must start. Paul Gallacher, Darren McGregor and Lee Mair can stay in the team. It's fair enough keeping Steven Thomson and Jim Goodwin in midfield as we need battlers, however I'd be tempted to drop Paul McGowan as he has been poor recently. Aaron Mooy is the ideal replacement there. If Kenny McLean is dropped, it should be Nick Hegarty that comes in. We've hardly seen him all season, but he'd provide width and would offer something different. Keep Paddy Cregg out - we need to attack, not be defensive. Craig Dargo and Michael Higdon can lead the line, with McGowan and Gareth Wardlaw providing reinforcements from the off.
At one stage it looked as if Craig Brown would oversee the sort of turnaround at Pittodrie he brought about when in charge of Motherwell last season. No sooner had he taken charge at Aberdeen than the points were quickly being racked up and a place in the top six was looking possible. However, for whatever reason things didn't work out like that and they have been struggling a bit of late. Sill, the foundations are there for a good season next year and the dark days of Mark McGhee's time in charge are beginning to look like a distant memory. Brown is usually quick to praise the opposition even when they don't deserve it, so it was amusing to hear him moaning after we beat them in April.
Brown has already begun the re-shaping work by telling former Saints Mark Howard and David MacNamee to do one in the summer - a surprise considering Brown only signed MacNamee in January and Howard only moved north last summer. It'll be interesting to see who comes in, but Brown does have the makings of a decent squad at his disposal. Chris Maguire and Scott Vernon have the makings of a decent partnership, with 25 between them this season, while the return from injury of Peter Pawlett is great news, as is the possibility Fraser Fyvie could soon be back. Paul Hartley, who often does well against us, is thankfully injured, but Robert Milsom is a good midfielder while Sone Aluko's pace can cause problems.
It is arguably the defence Brown needs to pay most attention to in the summer. Jamie Langfield is a capable goalkeeper, but is also capable of shocking errors. Zander Diamond and Andrew Considine can be good in the centre of the back line, but again can make the odd mistake. Steven Smith has done a decent job since he was brought in from Norwich and it's no surprise Brown now wants to keep him permanently. The other side is also an issue with MacNamee leaving - although Rory McArdle is a handy player as we discovered in the cup in March.
Destiny is still very much in our own hands and if we can pull off the impossible tomorrow we can finally relax. The future of many of our players is at stake and it is about time they started showing they cared about it by giving their all from the first minute to the last - especially if that's in injury time. Go out there and prove all the doubters - including me - wrong and put this issue to bed now.
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