Usually it is players who talk about looking in the mirror amid bad runs of form. Rarely is it the manager suggesting such introspection is needed.
Yet, Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin broke cover and criticised his own players after another damaging defeat.
The Dons have lost four of their past five games and their autumnal form, which quietly dragged them away from the relegation whirlpool, is a distant memory.
Following a drab 1-0 loss to Falkirk, Thelin was frank.
“Of course, I’m the manager and responsible, but also sometimes the players have to look at themselves in the mirror and see what football is more about,” he said.
After a run of eight games unbeaten, which included a narrow win over league leaders Hearts, it seemed a corner had been turned at Pittodrie.
Now, Aberdeen have turned another corner, and another, and ended up back where they were at the start of the season.
“I won’t talk so much about the game, more about ourselves,” was how he started his interview with BBC Scotland.
“Football is much more than technique and systems. It’s more about how you act on the football pitch. I have to say, and I don’t like to say it, but Falkirk had this desire to win a football game.
“We have to change that as quick as possible. It’s more about responsibility. I’ve been there before and then we bounced back, and now we’re back some steps again.
“Even if we don’t have a perfect game or not win a game, they should always feel that we give everything. Right now, we can’t give them that and that’s not good enough.”
Thelin has dug the players out previously, namely during the 14-game winless run last season that ended their title tilt prematurely and led to them ultimately surrendering third place to finish fifth.
“Of course, I’m the manager and responsible, but also sometimes the players have to look at themselves in the mirror and see what football is more about.
“The problem is how we lose these games. Right now we have to drop our egos and play much, much better as a team spirit, as a team-mate and who you’re actually playing for, and the fans who travel and the club. We have to do much better.”
One can’t help but look at the Aberdeen squad and agree with the manager. This is a group playing far worse than the sum of its parts.
Summer signings, tipped for big things, have failed to live up to their billings. Adil Aouchiche has fallen off again, Jesper Karlsson has struggled to adapt to the quality around him, Dimitar Mitov has made some bad errors in goal.
Leighton Clarkson, once highly thought of, is out of the picture. Kevin Nisbet is a shadow of the player once knocking on the Scotland door. The number of those getting pass marks for the season can be counted on one hand.
“Football is so much more than tactical strategy or technique,” Thelin added.
“It’s so much more. It’s so much passion. It’s desire to win a competition or a game.”
Plenty of fans are scratching their head, asking a simple question. Where is that desire?
