Nicky Devlin urges Aberdeen players to take individual responsibility over form

Aberdeen full-back Nicky Devlin called for players to take individual responsibility after some collective soul searching failed to overturn their “head-scratching” loss of form.

The Dons lost 4-0 at Kilmarnock on Boxing Day to make it seven Premiership games without victory.

Devlin admits they are unrecognisable from the team that won their opening 13 games of the season and believes some major self reflection is needed.

When asked if there was some straight talking in the away dressing room at Rugby Park, the Scotland international told Red TV: “There probably has been the last three or four games, but it doesn’t really seem to be getting us anywhere in terms of results and performances improving.

“We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves: ‘Are we doing enough? Are we contributing to the team enough? Are we giving the club enough?’

“And I think probably most of us will put our hands up and say we’re not.

“From the start of the game we were just poor, there’s no hiding away from that fact. We gave away cheap goals and didn’t really look a threat much throughout the game.

“Listen, it was poor from the start and got worse as the game went on to be honest.

“We have to have a bit more pride in ourselves, we have to have pride in playing for the football club.”

When asked if it was embarrassing, Devlin said: “Getting results like that is embarrassing. But, listen, supporters don’t want me to stand here and say we feel embarrassed.

“We are trying to learn from mistakes. We have to start doing it and for a five/six-week period now it’s not been good enough.

“We can’t get much lower to be honest. As the manager said, hopefully that’s as low as we can go.

“We know as players it’s not good enough. But we have to start doing better on the park.”

Devlin was at a loss to explain why results have dropped so dramatically after manager Jimmy Thelin did not lose in his first 16 matches in charge.

“It’s probably a head scratcher from the start of the season, the former Ayr and Livingston player said. “The team that played at the start of the season to the team that played now looks like two completely different sides on the park.

“We have to find a way to get that back. We have to do that as players and coaching staff, everyone together. There’s no-one else that can get us out of this situation. We have to start doing that come Sunday.”

Aberdeen make the trip down the north-east coast to take on a Dundee United side who have the chance to move three points behind their opponents in fourth place in the table.

Devlin said: “If we perform the way we have been performing, then it doesn’t matter who we play, we are going to be in trouble. We have to improve come Sunday.

“It will be a difficult game, they are doing really well just now. We have to pick ourselves up and try and get points on Sunday.”