Aberdeen

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• Only Rangers have made more starting XI changes (77) and used more players (33) than Aberdeen (74 changes, 32 players) in the Scottish Premiership this season. Despite this, only two sides (Motherwell nine, Dundee United 10) have had fewer different scorers (excluding own goals) than the Dons (11).

• Dundee United are unbeaten in five Scottish Premiership meetings with Aberdeen (W3 D2), last going longer without a league defeat to them in November 1999 (seven).

• Aberdeen have lost six of their past seven league visits to Tannadice, including the latest three in a row, since a 3-1 win in March 2023. The Dons last lost four league games away to Dundee United in a row in November 2008.

• Dundee United have lost their past four league games, the longest ongoing run in this season's Premiership. They last lost five in a row in the top flight in May 2023.

• Aberdeen have won just one and lost six of their past eight league matches (D1), losing their latest five in a row away from home.

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For fans of Aberdeen, Dundee United, Falkirk, Motherwell, and St Mirren, the Scottish Cup draw went about as well as it could have done.

They all avoided the Old Firm at the quarter-final stage and, while games against Falkirk and Motherwell have been no easy feat this season, there is a real sense it could be anyone's year.

For fans of Rangers or Celtic, who face each other at Ibrox in the next round, a route to glory is also clear. Beat your biggest rivals in a one-off game, and you become favourites for the Cup.

"What I'm so excited about is the fact any Premiership team can win it," said Craig Telfer, podcast host and Stenhousemuir fan.

While his beloved Stenny side were beaten by their local rivals on Sunday night, he admitted: "Falkirk could actually see themselves winning. Aberdeen or Motherwell, whoever comes out that, can see themselves winning it.

"You've got a Celtic team that aren't particularly good, and while Rangers are getting better, they can be got at. This is wide open for any Premiership team to go and win it."

Dundee United have beaten Celtic this season, as have Motherwell, while St Mirren famously triumphed against them at Hampden in the League Cup final.

St Mirren and Motherwell have also taken points off Rangers, as have Falkirk and Dundee United.

It is only Aberdeen who have been beaten by the Old Firm at every opportunity, but memories of last year's Cup triumph over Celtic will spur them on.

"[As a non-Old Firm fan] you always want to see Rangers and Celtic drawing with each other as early as possible in the competition to knock them out," Telfer added.

"Once they're out, or it's just one of the Old Firm teams in there, every other team should be looking to win it."

Of course, Aberdeen and Motherwell are yet to meet after their fifth round tie was postponed, while Dundee United still have to avoid an upset against The Spartans.

And don't rule out Neil Lennon, who has won this competition eight times throughout his playing and managerial career, and his Dunfermline side.

• Craig Telfer was speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast, available here.

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Aberdeen remain in talks with Norwegian Eirik Horneland over their managerial vacancy, with no set deadline for an appointment. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read the rest of Monday's Scottish gossip.

• St Mirren v Partick Thistle

• Falkirk v Dundee United or Spartans

• Rangers v Celtic

• Dunfermline Athletic v Aberdeen or Motherwell

All four last-eight ties are scheduled to be played on weekend of 7 March.

We asked for your thoughts on the prospective appointment of Eirik Horneland as Aberdeen's new manager.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Robert: Scottish clubs aren't just workplaces, they are emotional institutions. A Scottish manager isn't important because of a passport, but because they instinctively understand the emotional weight of the badge, the rivalries, the history, and what a result means to supporters and players alike.

Lenny: He does not know the Scottish game, also did we not sack Jimmy Thelin, who had a better record the this guy and was from the same region? So why are we going down this road again?

Douglas: Horneland may or may not be a worthy candidate but he's nowhere near as irresistible as Jens Berthel Askou, who has more than proved his worth in the Premiership. We might not get him but it would be unforgivable not to bid for him.

Andrew: I don't think it matters who the new manager is, the problems within the club run deeper than simply bringing in a new manager. Another summer overhaul of players and we repeat the same cycle.

Neil: Similarly to Jimmy Thelin, Horneland has shown success in Scandinavia but his record abroad raises concerns. His teams can be predictable and struggle to adapt when opponents work them out. Sound familiar? Aberdeen need a manager who combines tactical flexibility with the ability to instil fight and confidence, that's the real test in the Scottish Premiership.

Phileas: Aberdeen have had several Scandinavian managers over the last decades. None have taken them to the same heights as Alex Ferguson or Derek McInnes. Where is the ambition? Finishing in the top half is not good enough.

Former Aberdeen defender Thomas Solberg says managerial front-runner Eirik Horneland has the knowledge to be a success at Pittodrie. (Scottish Sun), external

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Eirik Horneland is a frontrunner for the Aberdeen manager's job following his departure from Saint-Etienne last weekend.

The Norwegian's contract with the French club was terminated by mutual agreement with the club sitting fifth in Ligue 2.

Horneland, 50, has previously managed SK Brann, Rosenborg and Haugesund in his homeland.

Dons fans, what do you make of the potential appointment of Horneland? Are you glad to see Aberdeen looking outside of Scotland for their next boss or would you rather see someone closer to home?

Tell us your thoughts.

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• Aberdeen remain winless in their last 33 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D7 L26) since a 1-0 league victory in May 2018.

• Celtic have won 15 of their last 18 away league visits to Aberdeen (D3) since losing successive trips there in the 2015-16 season under Ronny Deila.

• Aberdeen have only lost one of their last seven home league games (W3 D3), a 0-2 defeat to Rangers in January. The Dons are looking to win back-to-back home matches in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since November 2024 (10 in a row).

• Celtic have won 19 of their last 21 league matches played on a Wednesday (L2), although one of their two defeats in this period was this season at Dundee United in December (2-1).

• Celtic's Reo Hatate has scored five goals in his last six league starts against Aberdeen, including two in his last two at Pittodrie.

We asked for your thoughts on Aberdeen's business in the January transfer window.

Here's what some of you said:

Gary: It's very difficult to be optimistic as a Dons fan, really hard watching Falkirk, Hearts and Hibs who are miles ahead of us. Too many continued loan signings that don't give the squad stability moving forward. Loan signings don't really care about the club as they know in five months time they are potentially heading back to their own club. Time for change at the top.

Fred: I cannot see the window activity making us a stronger team in the short term. We have lost two creative players and signed players who have struggled for game time in their previous teams. For me the only real positive is the new goalkeeper. I hope the new and old players can quickly gel into a team.

Steve: Absolutely devastated that Leighton Clarkson has gone. What a talent, wasted this season through lack of game time. Why not put him out on loan? But to see loan players who were brought in, and let's face it, they're only here to get game time, start before you, must be demoralising despite putting the effort in on the training pitch. It will be interesting keeping tabs on him at Blackpool now. Thank you Leighton, for everything you gave to the Dons, and hopefully you'll agree, "once a Don, always a Don."

Mark: A first window for the new sporting director gets some pass marks for addressing some squad gaps and shifting some of the dead wood and expensive low impact players. This is clearly a stop gap until the summer when the real work will begin. Aberdeen remain a paper tiger.

Ian: They have left themselves a lot to do but the players need to step up now. They have let the club down badly, hopefully the new players will have a bit more fight about them.

Stuart: Disappointed the club has not signed a player that would have got the fans jumping in their seats. Too many unknowns coming in and can I just say all the best to Clarkson at Blackpool, a hugely talented player who graced Pittodrie.

Dons legend Willie Miller insists change was necessary in the dugout and the playing staff at Pittodrie after an inconsistent campaign for Aberdeen. (Press & Journal)

Read the rest of Wednesday's gossip.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Last week I wrote that, too often, Aberdeen have been the perfect opponent for a side in desperate need of a victory and more evidence of this was presented to the court last weekend.

17 games and almost four months had elapsed since Kilmarnock last enjoyed any sort of win. They had lost 13 of those 17, scored just eight times and hadn't managed more than one goal in a game since that last success at the start of October.

Step forward the Dons bearing gifts.

An insipid performance from the off at Rugby Park saw them lose 3-0. In truth, Neil McCann's men could, and should, have scored many more against the 10-men.

It was the first time Killie had scored three goals in a single league match since last May, it was just their third win of the season in the Premiership and it was their biggest margin of victory in the competition since a 4-0 victory on Boxing Day 2024 when, yes, you guessed it, Aberdeen were in town.

The Dons have an 11 point cushion over 11th placed Kilmarnock as it stands, but when you look at the fixtures laid out in front of them this month, there is no guarantee they won't get dragged into the mire with trips to Tannadice, Fir Park and Tynecastle all awaiting them.

The run begins with a visit from Celtic tonight, a team they haven't got the better of in 90 minutes since 2018 and at Pittodrie in almost exactly a decade, with the champions unbeaten on their last 18 visits to the Granite City since Jonny Hayes and Simon Church scored in a 2-1 win to take them to within three points of the then leaders. Halcyon days for the Dons fans by comparison.

Almost a quarter of a century has passed since Celtic last failed to score at least once in Aberdeen, amid a barrage of snowballs in December 2001, during Martin O'Neill's second season in charge. The Aberdeen keeper that night, and the last one to keep a clean sheet against the Glasgow side at Pittodrie, was Peter Kjaer. He celebrated his 60th birthday last year.

After Celtic comes their now season-defining Scottish Cup tie at home to red-hot Motherwell who have conceded as many goals in their last 14 games as Aberdeen did in 90 minutes at Rugby Park.

If their grip on the trophy is loosened completely on Saturday night, all that remains a dark chasm of what 2025/26 might have been.

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Aberdeen could hand debuts to Afeez Aremu, Dennis Geiger and Tom McIntyre.

The Dons are short of defenders with Jack Milne still suspended and Mats Knoester's head injury ruling him out for a number of weeks to join Gavin Molloy and Kristers Tobers (both knee) on the sidelines with goalkeeper Nick Suman (ankle).

Celtic defender Auston Trusty returns from suspension while new loan signings Junior Adamu, Benjamin Arthur and Joel Mvuka are all available.

Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles), Jota (knee), Alistair Johnston and Callum Osmand (both hamstring) remain out.

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Aberdeen striker Peter Ambrose has completed a loan move to Hungarian side DVTK.

The 23-year-old Nigerian had a successful spell in Hungary with Ujpest before his switch to Pittodrie in the summer of 2024.

However, he scored just twice in 23 appearances for the Dons and has not featured at all this season.

Ambrose is under contract with Aberdeen until the summer of 2027.

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Defender Tom McIntyre adds "quality and depth" to Aberdeen's squad after joining on a contract until the end of the season.

The 27-year-old arrives after two years at Portsmouth, where he made 14 appearances.

Former Scotland Under-21 international McIntyre spent the first half of this season on loan at Bradford, playing 11 games for the English League One club.

"When the opportunity arose to join Aberdeen, it was something I was really keen to make happen," said McIntyre.

"It's obviously a huge club and as a Scottish player I know how passionate the fans are here so I hope I can play my part in helping the team finish the season strongly."

McIntyre started his career with Reading and has made over 130 appearances in the English Championship.

"Tom is an experienced defender and he will add quality and depth to our defensive options where things are a little stretched at the moment," said Dons sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel.

"He has a good pedigree and we believe he has the ability to make an impact for the club. He's eager to prove himself in the Scottish Premiership."

McIntyre's signing comes as the Dons confirmed defender Mats Knoester is out "short to medium term" after suffering a "serious" injury in Saturday's defeat at Kilmarnock.

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Aberdeen defender Mats Knoester will be out "for the short to medium term" after suffering a "serious" injury in Saturday's defeat at Kilmarnock, the Pittodrie club say.

Konester "suffered traumatic impact on the pitch" after an awkward landing during the 3-0 loss at Rugby Park and was admitted to Crosshouse Hospital where he has undergone tests.

"He has now been discharged and will continue his medical management under the supervision of the club medical staff," Aberdeen said.

"Unfortunately, given the nature of the injury it does mean Mats will be unavailable for the short to medium term and an accurate estimate of his return to play will become clear in the coming weeks.

"We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the medical staff at Crosshouse Hospital for their care of Mats and to the staff at Kilmarnock FC who assisted in the immediate aftermath of the injury.

"We wish Mats a speedy recovery."

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

If the win over Raith was baby steps and rout of Livingston more of a stride, the defeat to Kilmarnock was a fall flat on our faces.

"Outfought", "angry and furious" was how Peter Leven described the defeat.

Well Peter, the fans are quite rightly angry and furious following another performance that falls way below expectations.

This season should have seen us capitalise on winning the Scottish Cup and build upon that success on the pitch.

Off the field the club have benefited commercially, sadly on the pitch we have been left severely lacking and were scrambling on the last day of the transfer window to try to salvage this season, bringing in another loan player, Dennis Geiger.

It's a big week for the club. The board face big questions if no manager is appointed soon and this slide towards season-ending apathy fully sets in.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

With the transfer window now shut, we want to know if you think your team have made the right moves.

Aberdeen signed midfielder Dennis Geiger on deadline day, taking their loan arrivals haul to four after Toyosi Olusanya, Lyall Cameron and Liam Morrison.

Midfielder Afeez Aremu and goalkeeper Per Kristian Bratveit have joined the managerless Dons on permanent deals, while the exits include Jesper Karlsson, Alfie Dorrington and Dante Polvara.

What do you make of the club's January business? Are they in good shape now for a top-six push?

Tell us your thoughts here.