Stephen Robinson faces yet another massive week as Aberdeen prepare to welcome Falkirk to the north east tonight before Saturday's League Cup semi-final with Rangers in Glasgow.

This evening's league game took on more significance following Saturday's defeat at Dundee United where old failings were once again exposed as the Dons suffered more away day pain despite another huge travelling support, albeit there were some signs of encouragement.

Since Stephen Glass replaced Derek McInnes as manager, Aberdeen have only won 23 of their 101 away league fixtures, losing 59, and they've emerged victorious just once this calendar year, so the eventual outcome at a rain and wind-lashed Tannadice was not exactly a shock.

It's well documented the problems at Pittodrie are not skin deep. One of the biggest dangers would be apathy setting in yet the supporters continue to regularly show up in bigger numbers than ever before.

Saturday was the 250th league match of Dave Cormack's chairmanship since he took over on 16 December 2019.

They have won 89 of those 250, a win rate of 35.6%. Given the expenditure across the board in those seven years, that will make for pretty grim reading and there are no real flickers of a consistent uptick no matter how often the club changes manager and playing squad.

And so attention turns to a seismic four days in the club's season and indeed the Robinson chapter of Cormack's tenure.

Robinson isn't getting much luck on the injury front with Mats Knoester joining Connor Ronan and Lewis Mayo on the sidelines. The Dutchman is the last player Robinson needed to be without, particularly for Saturday's semi with Dan Happe suspended.

Falkirk were problematic opponents for the Dons last term with the then newly-promoted Bairns helping themselves to seven of the nine points from the three meetings while on a shoestring budget compared to what has been available for whoever the incumbent has been in the Granite City.

Saturday's semi at Hampden Park will take care of itself, but the fact Robinson's side have already shipped 17 points from their 10 league outings will alarm the fanbase as the first quarter of the season draws to a close and the Northern Irishman's team sit just four points off the bottom of the table.