Aberdeen still without a Premiership goal as transfer window brings reinforcements

Aberdeen remain the only side in the Scottish Premiership yet to score this season after three successive league defeats, a run that has stretched to 270 minutes without a goal and intensified scrutiny on manager Jimmy Thelin.

The Dons moved in the final days of the transfer window to address their attacking deficit, bringing back striker Kevin Nisbet on a permanent deal following a productive loan spell last season. The signing supplements a busy summer that also saw the arrivals of free agent midfielder Stuart Armstrong and Bologna winger Jesper Karlsson, with Marko Lazetic working his way back to fitness after joining from AC Milan.

Thelin has acknowledged a need for greater productivity in the final third after a start that has left supporters frustrated. Nisbet scored 14 goals in all competitions during his loan spell last term and is expected to bring proven finishing to a side that has been described as ponderous and predictable in attack. Kusini Yengi, signed from Portsmouth in the summer, has struggled for confidence, and Marko Lazetic registered a brace for an Aberdeen second-string side against Buckie Thistle during the international break, converting a Panenka penalty.

The addition of Stuart Armstrong, described in club communications as a 51-times capped international, is intended to add creativity in midfield, while Jesper Karlsson, who previously played under Thelin at Elfsborg and featured in Serie A last season, brings wide threat. Thelin warned, implicitly and through his recruitment drive, that quick improvements in both performances and results are required to ease mounting pressure at Pittodrie. A Scottish Cup win last season masked a poor league record — five Premiership wins from the last 30 matches — and Thelin’s team now face Livingston on the weekend in a fixture the club and some media outlets have labelled a must-win.

Elsewhere in Scottish football, St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson will take charge of his 400th game in the dugout when his side travel to the Falkirk Stadium on Saturday. Robinson, who signed a contract extension to 2028 last month, has overseen a period of relative success at St Mirren: three consecutive top-six finishes and a return to European competition for the first time in almost three decades. Speaking to media this week, Robinson said he was surprised to have reached the milestone but took it as a compliment amid the cut-throat nature of management.

St Mirren have been one of the more consistent sides early in the season; through nine matches, only Celtic have beaten Robinson’s team, a defeat decided by a late goal at Parkhead. The manager’s stock has risen amid interest reported in previous windows from larger Scottish clubs and some Championship outfits in England, though he remains at St Mirren while his side press for another strong league campaign.

In the Championship, part-time side Arbroath continue to produce unexpectedly strong results following last season’s relegation to League One. A recent victory at Ross County left the Lichties level on points with St Johnstone and Raith Rovers at the top of the table, and a home match against Dunfermline this weekend presents an opportunity to move top of the standings if rivals slip in their meeting in Kirkcaldy. Arbroath’s resurgence under manager Dick Campbell continues to draw attention after the club narrowly missed Premiership promotion three years ago.

Aberdeen’s combination of fresh attacking signings and lingering defensive frailties frames a critical period for Thelin. The club’s summer recruitment has improved the squad on paper, but league results and a first goal remain the immediate measures of progress the supporters will demand. The outcome of Saturday’s fixture and the coming weeks will be closely watched for indications of whether the new arrivals can reverse a troubling start to the campaign.