Former Aberdeen defender and manager Willie Miller reckons Derek McInnes’ Dons will always be left to wonder what could have been achieved last season.
The Pittodrie side enjoyed its most successful campaign of the 21st century with a third-placed finish in the Scottish Premiership as well as lifting the League Cup with a penalty shootout win against Caley Thistle.
It was the first trophy the Dons had won for 19 years but Miller, pictured, reckons McInnes’ side passed up a great chance to finish second and claim a cup double.
He said: “The League Cup final against Caley Thistle wasn’t a great game – it was pretty dire at times – but, as Derek said afterwards, when you lift trophy it doesn’t really matter as no one remembers the quality of the football.
“What they do remember is lifting the trophy.
“There are fine lines as it could have been a stellar season for them. They could have finished second and could have got to a Scottish Cup final.
“The first-half performance against St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-final was good but the second half was poor.”
Miller reckons Perth Saints manager Tommy Wright should have been named manager of the year for guiding the McDiarmid Park men to their first trophy in their 130-year history.
Instead, it was McInnes who won the accolade for bringing some respectability back to the Reds after so many years of mediocrity in his first full season in charge at Pittodrie.
Miller said: “The highlight of the Scottish season was St Johnstone winning the Scottish Cup.
“No disrespect to Derek McInnes as far as manager of the year is concerned, and Derek is definitely right up there as he has done a magnificent job at Aberdeen, but what a season Tommy Wright had.
“To take St Johnstone to their first major trophy was just spectacular, especially doing what he achieved with quite an experienced squad, but on limited resources.
“He always believed that he was going to lift that trophy in the weeks building up to that game.”
With both Edinburgh clubs as well as Rangers playing their football in the Championship next season, Miller reckons the 2014-15 season represents another great chance for the likes of Aberdeen and St Johnstone to enjoy more success.
He said: “Having no Rangers, Hearts or Hibs in the top division is quite incredible but it gives the rest of the teams there the opportunity to go out and make it their season.
“St Johnstone did the unthinkable by lifting a major trophy and it is on for anybody to go and win it.
“In recent years, Kilmarnock and St Mirren have lifted trophies. It is a very unusual time in Scottish football.”