Scottish Premiership picks: Aberdeen v Motherwell, McGeady hits form, Hammell craves win

"Every game is a must-win game."

Aberdeen caretaker manager Barry Robson may be flirting with the football cliche handbook, but this weekend he's not far wrong.

Every league match has a level of intrigue. There are interim managers, under-pressure managers, no team in the bottom six safe from relegation, a new fight for third place and, at the top, resurgent Rangers pedalling as quickly as they can to keep up with leaders Celtic, who take on St Johnstone in Perth on Sunday lunchtime.

Here are a few things to look out for.

Wednesday's 3-1 loss to St Mirren left Aberdeen with a dismal record of nine defeats from the 11 games they have played in all competitions since the top flight resumed after the World Cup.

Level with St Mirren until the 81st minute, Barry Robson appeared to have drawn more from 10-man Aberdeen than the players had delivered under Jim Goodwin. However, the interim manager needs the added fight to produce points lest Aberdeen be sucked into the relegation quagmire.

For all that, Motherwell would happily trade places with the seventh-placed Dons. Steven Hammell's team are 10 league games without a win, so no surprise then, that goal difference alone keeps them from occupying bottom spot.

It's a meeting of two clubs craving three Premiership points. In terms of the managers, a win for Robson would boost his chances of landing the job on a more permanent basis. For Hammell, victory might ease the disgruntlement of the fans.

St Mirren's home match against Hibernian is a contender for game of the weekend since Stephen Robinson's team now have third-placed Hearts in their sights, but what will be really interesting to learn is how the Saints manager sets up his team to nullify Hibs winger Aiden McGeady.

Having shaken off his injuries, the former Celtic, Spartak Moscow and Sunderland player is playing with a smile on his face. Even at 36, there are few players in Scotland who can run with the ball with such control, who can wrong-foot a defender with such ease or deliver crosses with either foot that are so perfectly weighted.

At Pittodrie, St Mirren had Ryan Strain hammering up and down the right wing, with Marcus Fraser on the right side of defence. That duo may have to work in tandem to suppress the threat of the Hibs veteran and to force him in to making energy-sapping runs back towards his own goal as St Mirren attack.

Hammell didn't pull any punches after Motherwell's 2-0 defeat by St Johnstone in midweek. "It's nowhere near good enough," said the manager. "That performance is probably the worst since I've been here. We went out with a bit of a whimper."

The Steelmen are without a league win since October, but if it's any comfort they have won six of their last 10 meetings with Aberdeen.

At his Friday media conference, Hammell said there had been harsh words exchanged after the dismal display at Fir Park but that some experienced players had spoken to him individually to give him their backing.

He needs his players to deliver a rousing performance to stop the rot. Of course, Robson in the opposite dugout will be looking to his charges to do likewise.