Could Aberdeen really be relegated for first time?

Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson laid it all on the line after a 4-1 defeat at Rangers a fortnight ago, just his second match in charge of the free-falling Pittodrie club.

"We're in a relegation fight," he said. "If that wasn't clear before, it certainly is after tonight."

Two weeks later, another sobering loss at fellow Scottish Premiership strugglers St Mirren deepened the Dons' woes on Robinson's return to Paisley.

This time, the former Northern Ireland international did not shy away from the magnitude of task he has in front of him.

"I wouldn't have got the job if it wasn't a big job," he told BBC Scotland after Saturday's 2-0 loss. "The previous manager would still be here if everything was rosy and going well.

"It's a big job at the best if times. The situation I inherit the job in means I have to keep believing in the players, keep supporting them.

"Of course it's a hard job, there's no hiding away from that. I'm up for that challenge."

With St Mirren now level on points with Aberdeen in ninth and Kilmarnock just three points behind in the dreaded relegation play-off spot, the Dons' 123-year top-flight status is in serious danger.

Aberdeen have now won just once in their past 16 Premiership matches. That one victory was against bottom side Livingston in January. That, quite simply, is relegation form.

Robinson faces a monumental challenge to arrest the Dons' alarming decline with Europe-chasing Hibernian set to visit Pittodrie next week in their final pre-split fixture.

There have been few signs of recovery under the former Motherwell boss, who is now winless in three games after a draw with Falkirk and back-to-back defeats to Rangers and St Mirren.

The 51-year-old lamented Aberdeen's dismal season-long set-piece defending in the loss in Paisley, which could have contributed to them being four down at the break.

He took crumbs of comfort from an improved second-half display, despite his side failing to register a shot on target across the 90 minutes, but could not defend an abject first period.

"It's not the result we wanted or needed," Robinson said. "The first-half performance wasn't good enough, there's no hiding from that. Simply not good enough.

"We got a response in the second half, created chances, could have scored two or three goals. I'm not saying the performance was at a level Aberdeen need to be at, but there was certainly an improvement.

"I found out a lot in the second half about the character, about people who will really run and try to give us a platform to play from.

"What I see in training isn't what I saw in the first half or a practice match last week. We changed that second half and got a response, that's a positive I have to take."

When Jimmy Thelin was sacked at the start of January, Aberdeen were only two points from the top six and 12 from the relegation play-off spot.

It had been a poor campaign to that point, but those in charge could not have envisaged it was going to get worse when Thelin went back to Sweden.

A run of one win in 12 league games since by Aberdeen has enabled Kilmarnock to claw back 10 points on them, despite the Rugby Park side losing at Hibernian on Saturday.

The two-month delay in appointing a permanent manager proved extremely costly, as interim boss Peter Leven managed a solitary Premiership victory during his spell.

Aberdeen have picked up fewer points than any other side in the past nine rounds of league matches.

Only Livingston have taken fewer points than the Dons at home this season and Saturday's loss extended bleak away form that has run for more than a year.

They have now lost 11 of their past 12 on the road, the exception being a goalless draw at Dundee United.

Scoring has been a chronic issue throughout a woeful season, only St Mirren netting fewer in the league.

Aberdeen have netted just eight times away from Pittodrie all season. The consolation goal at Ibrox last time out was their first on the road in 2026.

These are truly bleak statistics for a club that has the ambition - and spending power - to be in the top four in the league and are symptoms of a chaotic campaign.

There have been three different managers, all using different systems and tactics.

The calm and reserved Thelin favoured 4-2-3-1, but that was changed for a more pragmatic 3-4-2-1, which initially yielded results, before he switched back before his dismissal.

Leven favoured four at the back and tried to be more expansive, before changing things himself when results did not come. Now Robinson has started using his favoured back-three formation.

As well as three managers, Aberdeen players have had a variety of coaches and faces at their Cormack Park training base and in the Pittodrie dugout, all with their own personalities.

From Thelin's assistant Christer Persson to Tony Docherty and Ian Burchnall, to new assistant Brian Kerr and even sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel.

On top of that, a total of 36 players have featured for Aberdeen in the Premiership this season.

Playing in the Conference League and defensive injuries have not helped.

But it is no wonder performances have been confused and disjointed for the majority of the campaign, which now threatens to end in ignominy.

Every season since the Premiership play-offs were introduced in 2013-14, 38 points has been enough to avoid them. Aberdeen are eight points short of that with six games left to play.

Getting to that mark is no guarantee of safety, but it is a useful guide with the bottom sides facing each other in the final five matches.

Given the similar size of the clubs, Hibernian's relegation via the play-offs in 2014 will probably be cited regularly as a comparison to Aberdeen this term.

That year, a Hibs side who started the season playing European qualifiers fell to 11th place after a 13-game winless run at the end of the campaign.

Terry Butcher was given the job after Pat Fenlon's dismissal in November after over-achieving at Inverness Caledonian Thistle for several seasons.

But the former England captain - after calling out his players - failed to turn things around and the club ended the season demoted.

Hibs' plight 12 years ago does bear some similarities with Aberdeen's situation and gives a stark reminder that no club is too big to go down.

But the Leith side were actually in a better position than the Dons with six games to go that season - they had 34 points and were six clear of 11th spot, albeit having played a game more than St Mirren.

A lot had to go wrong for Hibs to end up 11th - and it did. Aberdeen have even less margin for error now.

Neil: So the team continue to underperform and the football is still rank after so many managers. Robinson cannot shoulder the blame and those higher up the club hierarchy must start considering their positions.

Calum: It's about time the players wake up and realise the reality of the situation they are in. There is no fight in the team and they look incapable of getting out of trouble. They are sleepwalking to the play-off position.

Spencer: A relegation dogfight and we still don't show any confidence in winning it. A real worry about a play-off. And the way things are going, I don't fancy us to make the cut. Can't help but think Thelin should've been given the season.

Stuart: Everyone in the Aberdeen hierarchy should be deeply ashamed of the complacency they've shown this year. Going from winning the Scottish Cup to the verge of relegation has required staggering levels of incompetency.