ffitbaAberdeen FC, without the noise.

Claims and evidence

Claims and evidence

The published claims about the season, each with its count, status, evidence and the comparison that would change the view. This is an independent record, not a club briefing. The claims include the difficult numbers as well as the favourable ones.

Season overviewMatchdayMetrics and audit

Confidence is labelled per claim · Unknown stays unknown

On the pitch

The team now

Supported

This is a rebuilt side with an unsettled shape, and the league record is mid-table.

The count10 league matches; 16 competitive fixtures with a recorded shape

The record and the shape churn are counted. What they mean is a separate question.

Claim evidence with count, sample, period, status and source.
ClaimCountSamplePeriodStatusSource
League record3 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats; 11 points; 12 goals for and 13 against10 league matches2026-27Supportedfootball-data.co.uk
Last five league matches7 points; 10 goals for and 6 against; 58.4% share of shots5 league matches2026-27Supportedfootball-data.co.uk
Kick-off shapesShape is the kick-off formation only; mid-game switches are not recorded.16 competitive fixtures with a recorded shape; 2 unknown; 7 formationsAll competitive fixtures with a recorded shape2026-27SupportedAPI-Football

What better data would do

An event feed would separate style from results; it would not change the league record.

What would change the view

A settled run of results and a stable shape.

Matchday →Competitions →Fixtures →

On the pitch

The defence

Mixed

Three at the back is protecting a new defence at the cost of width.

The count4 three-centre-back fixtures vs 10 two-centre-back; 2 known / 32 unknown availability

The selection cost is supported: the wide forwards do not start in the three-centre-back set. Whether the shape itself helps or hurts is not established: four matches, the manager chooses the shape, and the opponents and competitions differ. Availability cannot be tested.

Claim evidence with count, sample, period, status and source.
ClaimCountSamplePeriodStatusSource
Three centre-backs4 matches, 1.00 points per game, 1.25 goals against per game4 competitive fixtures2026-27Mixedfootball-data.co.uk
Two centre-backs10 matches, 1.70 points per game, 1.00 goals against per game10 competitive fixtures2026-27Mixedfootball-data.co.uk
Wide roles by shapeThe selection cost is visible; the performance effect is not established.2.00 wing-back starts per match in the three-centre-back set; 0.00 wide-forward starts. In the two-centre-back set: 0.00 and 1.20.Starts per match2026-27SupportedAPI-Football
Defensive availabilityAbsence is not injury; the ledger has no verified entry for either player. Absent from the current-squad provider snapshot; no verified team-news entry. This is a squad-list gap, not a transfer, and no injury claim is made.2 known / 32 unknown squad entries; 1 known / 9 unknown defensive players; Knoester 6 starts / 573 minutes; Tobers is in the official squad list; no 2026-27 appearance recordOfficial team-news entries2026-27Can't test yetAberdeen FC news

What better data would do

Eight or more matches per shape, opponent strength, official team news and an event feed for set plays and errors would separate shape from personnel.

What would change the view

A run of three centre-back games with the first-choice centre-backs available and goals conceded at or below the back four.

Squad →Matchday →Transfers →

On the pitch

The attack

Mixed

The attack is keeping the team in games, but the balance is fragile; set plays and errors are part of the problem.

The count12 goals for and 13 against in 10 league matches

The goals are measured. The set-play and error claims cannot be tested with the current feed.

Claim evidence with count, sample, period, status and source.
ClaimCountSamplePeriodStatusSource
League goals12 for and 13 against10 league matches2026-27Supportedfootball-data.co.uk
Share of goals from wide forwards and strikers50%12 league goals2026-27SupportedAPI-Football
Share of shots46.2%10 league matches2026-27Supportedfootball-data.co.uk
Last five league matches7 points; 10 goals for and 6 against; 58.4% share of shots5 league matches2026-27Supportedfootball-data.co.uk
Set plays and errorsCorners and fouls are available; they are not a proxy for the claim.Not measuredNo event feed for set-piece goals, errors or penalties2026-27Can't test yetAPI-Football

What better data would do

A licensed event feed with set-piece goals, errors leading to shots or goals, and penalties would test the claim directly.

What would change the view

Event data, or a run of clean sheets and lower goals against.

Fixtures →Matchday →Methodology →

The chairman's record

The managers

Mixed

Thelin's side had a high ceiling and a low floor; Robinson has steadied it, but 18 league matches is not enough to settle it.

The count58 + 9 + 19 league matches

The manager records are measured. 'Steadying' and 'lower variance' are readings: 18 matches, two squads and no agreed measure of consistency.

Claim evidence with count, sample, period, status and source.
ClaimCountSamplePeriodStatusSource
Thelin league recordThe aggregate record; the cup is separate.58 matches, 1.34 points per gameLeague only2024-25 to January 2026Mixedfootball-data.co.uk
Thelin winning runNot called a record; the covered league record has an 8-match run in 2014-15.7 straight league winsLeague only2024-08-05 to 2024-10-06Mixedfootball-data.co.uk
Thelin winless run14 league games without a winLeague only2024-11-23 to 2025-02-01Mixedfootball-data.co.uk
Leven interimA caretaker spell inherited mid-season.9 matches, 0.44 points per gameLeague onlyJanuary to March 2026Mixedfootball-data.co.uk
Robinson league recordTwo nine-match spells of three wins, two draws and four defeats; the sample is small.19 matches, 1.16 points per gameLeague onlyMarch 2026 to dateMixedfootball-data.co.uk

What better data would do

A full season under Robinson, opponent strength and a pre-declared variance measure.

What would change the view

A full season, or a sustained points and goals-against trend.

The Cormack era →Fixtures →Matchday →

Off the pitch

The squad

Mixed

The squad was rebuilt, but this window was experienced, not a youth project; Morris was sold and not directly replaced.

The count15 arrivals and 25 departures in 2026-27

The turnover is measured. The squad is not young: median arrival age 26 and Under-21 minutes 8%. The goal-threat replacement effect cannot be tested with the current output data.

Claim evidence with count, sample, period, status and source.
ClaimCountSamplePeriodStatusSource
Arrivals and departures15 in and 25 out; 6 permanent in, 8 permanent out, 9 loans outConfirmed transfer register2026-27SupportedAberdeen FC news
Arrival agemedian 26Arrivals with a known birth date2026-27SupportedAPI-Football
Under-21 minutes8%League minutesCormack eraSupportedAPI-Football
Morris saleFees are mostly undisclosed; the fee range is modelled, not audited.2025-09-01; fee undisclosed; modelled £600,000 to £1,700,000Confirmed transfer register2025-26MixedAberdeen FC news

What better data would do

Disclosed fees, player output before and after the sale, and an event feed.

What would change the view

A disclosed fee, a replacement's output, or a full season.

Transfers →Recruitment →Squad →

The chairman's record

The chairman's record

Supported

The public record is consistent with the chairman's trading-club argument, and the sporting cost is visible; it cannot prove the argument.

The count7 seasons; 3rd to 10th; 1 major honour

The record is measured. It cannot prove cause and effect, boardroom intent or that the trading model has made money.

Claim evidence with count, sample, period, status and source.
ClaimCountSamplePeriodStatusSource
Completed seasons7 seasonsCormack era2019-20 to dateSupportedWikipedia
League range3 to 10; average 6Completed league seasonsCormack eraSupportedfootball-data.co.uk
Major honoursThe 2023-24 League Cup runners-up is a cup run, not an honour.1 Scottish CupCormack era2019-20 to dateSupportedWikipedia
Manager spells9 people in chargeCormack era2019-20 to dateSupportedWikipedia
Arrivals and departures103 in and 86 outConfirmed transfer registerCormack eraSupportedAberdeen FC news
European campaigns2Season documentsCormack eraSupportedWikipedia

What better data would do

Audited accounts, disclosed fees and wages would test the financial side; they are not public.

What would change the view

Audited accounts, or a sustained league trend under a stable squad.

The Cormack era →Transfers →Recruitment →

Benchmark

How the record compares

League performance only
How the record compares: league performance benchmark.
ClubSeasonsBest finishWorst finishMedian pointsCurrent position
Celtic812921
Rangers813852
Heart of Midlothian7212543
Hibernian83125212
Motherwell83104610
Dundee United6412454
Livingston651245—
Aberdeen8310489

League performance only. Other clubs' transfer and wage models are not in the public record held here; they are not invented.

Coverage

What the record cannot say

fresh

Availability

2 known / 32 unknown

History

Local season files

Not measured

  • Official team news and injury return dates
  • Set-piece goals, errors and per-match penalties
  • Pressing, possession and transition events
  • Mid-game shape
  • Through balls and second balls
  • Other clubs' transfer and wage models

The record is derived from local match, squad, history and transfer data. Missing layers are labelled; they are never zero.

A claim can be supported, mixed, unsupported or not testable. Interpretation is labelled as interpretation; a correction changes a factual value against a public source and is recorded in corrections.

Provenance

How this page is sourced

Data as of 27 Oct 2026

Dataset 2026-10-27T12:06:31+00:00-c598315. Sources and coverage are listed below; the page keeps its own source and uncertainty labels.

Definitions: case.benchmark · case.claim.attack · case.claim.chairman-record · case.claim.defence · case.claim.managers · case.claim.squad · case.claim.team-now · case.claims · case.coverage · case.document · case.evidence

Corrections and changes are recorded on Corrections and contact.

Cite this page

Claims. Dataset 2026-10-27T12:06:31+00:00-c598315, as of 2026-10-27T12:06:31+00:00. Sources: derived; mixed; curated; Aberdeen FC news; API-Football. Definitions: case.benchmark; case.claim.attack; case.claim.chairman-record; case.claim.defence; case.claim.managers; case.claim.squad; case.claim.team-now; case.claims; case.coverage; case.document; case.evidence.