Motherwell 2 Aberdeen 0: Four January signing debuts assessed as Aberdeen’s Premiership form slump continues

Aberdeen fielded seven January transfer window signings in an attempt to salvage the season but still slumped to a 2-0 loss at Motherwell.

Interim boss Peter Leven rang the changes and also handed debuts to four winter window additions – but ultimately it was the same familiar, damaging outcome as the Dons lost.

Aberdeen have now won only once in their last nine Premiership matches, with a return of four points from a possible 27.

The managerless Dons are 11 points off the top six, and only eight ahead of the relegation play-off spot.

Keeper Per Kristian Bratveit started with Dimitar Mitov dropping to the bench.

Also coming in for debuts were midfielders Dennis Geiger, Afeez Aremu and centre-back Tom McIntyre.

That seven of the starting XI are January transfer window additions is a brutal indictment of how poor the Dons have been this season.

Aberdeen have used 40 players and made 80 changes to a starting XI in the Premiership this season.

The closest is Rangers on 33 players used this season.

But still the Reds cannot deliver a formula to end the slump in form.

However this was a far improved performance from the 3-0 loss at Kilmarnock with more intent, fight and attacking threat.

In another change former Dons No.2 Tony Docherty was in the dugout after he was taken in to assist interim manager Peter Leven.

Aberdeen are in advanced discussions with Eirik Horneland about becoming the club’s new permanent manager, but the Norwegian will likely not start the role until the summer.

The Dons were denied by the woodwork either side of the break with Kevin Nisbet and Toyosi Olusanya both hitting the post.

Motherwell grabbed the vital goal via an Elijah Just shot in the 28th minute with a Tom McIntyre own goal completing the scoring in the 93rd minute.

Aberdeen now face Motherwell in defence of their Scottish Cup at Pittodrie on Wednesday.

Debuts for midfielders Geiger and Aremu

On their Aberdeen debuts midfielders Dennis Geiger and Afeez Aremua both showed their quality but looked short of match sharpness to make a substantial impact.

On loan from Hoffenheim until the end of the season, Geiger has not played this season.

That lack of game time is not due to injury or lack of form, but because he fell out of favour after criticising Hoffenheim’s recruitment strategy last season.

Aberdeen have an option to buy Geiger who is contracted to the German Bundesliga club until summer 2027.

There were enough flashes of skill and game vision to indicate Geiger could be influential for the rest of the season, when he gets that full match sharpness.

Geiger played on the right of a centre-midfield partnership alongside another January addition, Lyall Cameron.

As early as the third minute Geiger won possession deep in midfield, skipped past two tackles with quick feet before sliding a through ball to Topi Keskinen on the left.

The Hoffenheim midfielder’s game vision was evident when flighting a cross behind the defence to Cameron who was inches short of connecting 10 yards out.

Geiger limped off with cramp in the 79th minute after a solid shift, to be replaced by Kjartan Mar Kjartansson.

Geiger mustered one shot at goal, had 42 passes, with 36 finding a Don for a 85.7% accuracy rate.

He won five duels and three successful tackles and three interceptions.

Nigerian international Aremu was secured for around £250,000 from German Bundesliga 2 side Kaiserslautern on a two-and-a-half year deal.

He last started a game in September.

Aremu operated in the holding, defensive midfield role tasked with breaking up attacks with tackles and interceptions, and instigating counters.

Signed with a reputation of a destructor of opponents’ play Aremu can also create.

In the 15th minute he broke up a Motherwell attack with a well-timed interception then moved forward before unleashing a low pass that sliced through a hole in midfield.

The pass was delivered perfectly into the path of the onrushing Keskinen.

Aremu was substituted at half-time, replaced by Ante Palaversa.

On his Dons debut Aremu had 27 passes, with 25 finding a team-mate for a 92.6% accuracy.

Aremu won possession five times and pitched in with two interceptions and one clearance.

Geiger and Aremu were secured in a bid to bring an edge to midfield with Leven admitting they will both bring a “nastiness”.

Aberdeen will certainly need to get nasty in the bid to salvage the season.

Defensive vulnerability persists despite centre-back signings

Aberdeen’s defensive vulnerability remains despite using the January transfer window to sign two centre-backs.

New signings Liam Morrison and Tom McIntyre both started against Motherwell.

McIntyre was pitched in for a debut when starting at Fir Park whilst Morrison had made his debut in the 3-0 loss at Kilmarnock in the previous match.

Aberdeen started against one of the form teams that boasted the Premiership’s leading scorer in Tawanda Maswanhise with a centre-back partnership with only one start.

McIntyre signed a contract until end of the season following the mutual termination of his contract with Portsmouth.

Aberdeen’s defensive line was static for the opener and it was punished when Elijah Just collected a through ball from Stephen Welsh.

Just was given the time to compose himself and turn 12 yards out and then shoot beyond keeper Bratveit who was left exposed.

The new centre-back partnership was torn apart in the 34th minute when Ibrahim Said was left with an open goal at the back post and shot wide from four yards.

It should have been 2-0.

Later in the half McIntyre was beaten high up the pitch as a Dons attack broke down and Maswanhise burst past him to break in on goal.

Maswanhise shot inches wide from 20 yards in another let-off for the Reds.

With Tom Sparrow missing a gilt-edge chance with a header towards the end of the half Well’s lead should have been more emphatic than 1-0 at the break.

McIntyre and Morrison had both been yellow carded before half-time and were walking a disciplinary tight-rope for the second half.

In the 57th minute Maswanhise ghosted in between Morrison and McIntyre in a central position 12 yards out to meet a cross.

The striker’s volley flashed inches wide with keeper Bratveit again left exposed.

Soon after McIntrye delivered a superb tackle to deny Maswanhise who had broken across goal and was set to unleash a shot.

McIntyre stuck out his left leg to make a vital tackle eight yards out.

Keeper Bratveit starts as Mitov dropped

Norwegian international keeper Per Kristian Bratveit came in for a starting debut, having been an unused sub in theloss at Kilmarnock.

Despite conceding twice the keeper produced a rock solid debut.

On the day he celebrated his 30th birthday, Brartveit couldn’t deliver a clean sheet but that was down to being left exposed by the defence rather than any error by the keeper.

Dimitar Mitov has been undisputed first choice since signing for the Dons in summer 2024 and has started all of the Reds’ 35 games this season.

However Bulgarian international Mitov has made a number of costly errors in recent months and paid the price by being relegated to the bench.

Bratveit made a vital save in the fifth minute when diving to his right to block a vicious 20-yard drive by Oscar Priestman.

A moment later he was well placed to save from Callum Slattery at the near post.

It was a high pressure opening spell for Bratveit that would have tested any nerves or game rustiness – and he passed the test.

However Bratveit was left woefully exposed by the defence as Motherwell grabbed the lead in the 28th minute.

There was little he could do as Elijah Just was unmarked to fire beyond the keeper.

The new keeper commanded his box and his positional sense was strong as he produced a number of saves.

However, Bratveit was again left exposed by the defence for Well’s second with Dons defender McIntyre credited with the final touch as the ball found the back of the net.

Bratveit produced seven saves and had 23 passes with 18 accurate, for a 78.3% rate.

ABERDEEN (4-1-4-1): Bratveit 7; Jensen 5 (Devlin 62), Morrison 5, McIntyre 5, Frame 6; Aremu 4 (Palaversa 46); Olusanya 6, Cameron 7, Geiger 6 (Kjartansson 79), Keskinen 6 (Bilalovic 71);  Nisbet 6 (Lazetic 79).

Subs not used: Mitov, Nilsen, Milanovic,  Molloy.

MOTHERWELL (4-2-3-1): Ward 7; Sparrow 7, McGinn 6, Welsh 7, Longelo 6 (O’Donnell 81); Priestman 7, Watt 6 (Charles-Cook 66); Said 7 (Nicholson 81), Just 6 (Bjorgolfsson 66), Slattery 6; Maswanhise 7 (McGhee 90).

Subs not used: Connelly,  Gordon, Ross, McColm.

Referee: David Dickinson

Attendance: 7,484

Man of the match: Tawanda Maswanhise (Motherwell)

[Source: Press and Journal]