New Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass wants to build a team “people can believe in”.
Following confirmation the Atlanta United reserves boss would be Derek McInnes’ replacement in the Reds hotseat, he wasted no time in promising “fast, attacking football”, as well as taking the game to Celtic and Rangers in Glasgow.
The 44-year-old, who has been appointed on an initial 12-month deal, also said he wanted to put “trophies in the cabinet” at Pittodrie for the first time since the League Cup in 2014.
Glass, who says chairman Dave Cormack shares his aim of a “sustained period of success”, said: “I think the mentality is in there already, but you either want to be the best or you don’t, and there are enough people around Aberdeen who want to be the best.
“I think we can, the staff that are there and what I’ll add, can really push things hopefully to another level that hasn’t been around the club for a while.
“It’s been successful here and there, but we’re looking for a sustained period of success and get to that next level in Europe.
“Successful Aberdeen managers put trophies in the cabinet and hopefully I’m there long enough that I can be one of those managers who does that.”
On the style he wants his Aberdeen side to play, former Reds midfielder Glass, who won the Coca-Cola Cup with the the club in 1995, said: “I think the thing I want to put on the pitch is an attacking style. It’s honestly nothing new for the people at Aberdeen, when I came into the club that was what was expected.
“I came in as a really young kid and saw it, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams did things that people are still talking about now as almost a new-wave, but he was doing it in the eighties.
“Alex Smith was doing it in the eighties. Attacking, trying to win games every week, when you’re going to Glasgow, you’re going to win.
“If you can put an Aberdeen team on the pitch that people can believe in, people will come and watch and believe in what is going to happen.
“That’s the aim: fast, attacking football, and scoring goals hopefully as well. There’s a huge incentive to do well.”
Despite Aberdeen currently being on a run of one goal in 10 outings, “proud” Glass – in his maiden permanent first-team manager’s job – hopes he can get the Dons supporters to buy into his Red revolution before the end of this season.
Still in the US, he aims to be in the dugout for the Premiership post-split opener at St Johnstone on April 10, quarantine rules allowing.
Undaunted by a potential squad overhaul at Pittodrie in the summer due to several contracts ending and loans expiring, Glass – who talked up his footballing education under the likes of the “incredible” Tony Mowbray at Hibs, as well as his role in transforming Atlanta’s George Bello from a bit-part player to a US international – thinks he can strike the right balance between youth and experience.
Glass, who is expected to bring in Celtic midfielder Scott Brown as his player-assistant manager and also wants England strikers coach Allan Russell on his staff, said: “There are a lot of players out of contract and we have some really good players, good young players at the club.
“I know Paul blooded a couple of them at the weekend.
“To me the future looks bright when you look at the young players allied to the experienced ones there.
“The club has great young players, there is a lot of potential for the team to do really, really well.
“I am looking forward to putting a bit of my stamp on it, along with the rest of the staff who are there.
“The opportunity is enormous.
“The trust people are putting in me is big, but I believe I’ll repay it.
“The people I am hoping to get on board, they want to do the same thing and there’s a reason for that.”
