The realisation of the position Aberdeen find themselves in has now surely hit even those who didn't think the club could be dragged into a battle for survival.
Saturday's perfect storm culminated in them losing heavily at Ibrox after both St Mirren and Kilmarnock won earlier in the afternoon to further slice the gap between the Dons and 11th down to just three points.
It was the latest listless performance from a side who looked beaten before kick-off.
The only positives to be taken by an ashen-faced Stephen Robinson were the fact the team finally broke their away scoring duck in 2026, and that they won't have to travel to a top-six side again this season.
For a new manager to be so critical of his players after just his second game in charge shows you how concerned he is.
"I told them a few home truths," Robinson said after the game. "Maybe if that had been done six, seven months ago, people would have stepped up. But I told them the truth tonight.
"Aberdeen football club have been very good to a lot of these players, it's payback time now."
Those words were a damning indictment of what had gone before Robinson was appointed and it remains to be seen whether the "home truths" will have the desired effect.
Robinson will return to St Mirren with his new players in what could be a momentous afternoon at the bottom with Killie facing Hibernian in Edinburgh at the same time.
Depending on fixture balances post-split, Aberdeen should face both Saints and Killie at home which could be crucial to the outcome as they protect an unbroken top-flight history.
When asked how perilous a position they now find themselves in, Robinson said that was "stating the obvious". He's right, it's now one win in 15 in the league.
The Dons board are gripping on to their seats and hoping this current Aberdeen team can limp across the finish line with their top-flight status intact so that they can perform major surgery in the summer.
They are in a dogfight, the question is does Robinson have the breed capable of winning it?
