Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes supporters can look to 2020 with confidence.
As revellers prepare to welcome in the new year McInnes has been in reflective mood as he looks back on a year of change at Pittodrie.
From a summer squad overhaul to the opening of Cormack Park, the club’s first permanent training ground, much has happened in the last 12 months and the Dons boss believes the foundations have been put in place to bring success to the club.
He said: “We had a big rebuild job to do in the summer and we got a lot of our work done early.
“I am delighted with the recruitment we have done. We only really spent money on Funso Ojo and we haven’t really had the benefit of his performances on the team.
“I think the influence will be seen in the second half of the season.
“Off the park, the completion of Cormack Park is a fantastic thing for the club and community.
“It is great and we plan to make full use of it and being here is probably now the highlight for everybody in the football department.”
This year may have ended without any silverware to show for Aberdeen’s efforts and the manager agrees 2019 can be viewed as being a mixed bag for the Dons.
He said: “I think if you look at last season as a whole, there were a lot of highs and a few disappointments.
“If you consider a lot of the issues we had, with injuries and whatever, to still qualify for Europe and in both competitions to lose to the team who won it, Celtic in both the semi-final and in a very tight final in the League Cup.
“The season, in general, considering people may be questioned this and that, to qualify for Europe again was very important to us.
“I think the players knuckled down although there was a bit of uncertainty towards the end of the season because we knew there were a few players leaving.
“It was a case of trying to regain that focus within the squad which is always a challenge when you know players have their eyes somewhere else and have intentions to move on.”
The changes within the squad were enforced due to the departure of captain Graeme Shinnie and winger Gary Mackay-Steven but their departure has led to other players emerging as key performers at Pittodrie.
McInnes said: “The highlights would come in the shape of the form of Sam Cosgrove and Lewis Ferguson.
“Lewis has become such an established, commanding and consistent performer. Everybody played their part last season and have continued to do that this season but I think that Lewis’s form and big Sam’s continuation, form and goals have been big highlights.”
“Another was Andrew Considine making his 500th appearance was great. It is such a significant milestone for him.