Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass was delighted to see his side showed the grit to go with their guile after standing up to the physical threat of Dundee United in the 2-0 win at Pittodrie on Sunday.
A clean sheet and two goals added up to three points and a pleasing start to the Premiership for the Dons, and Glass was thrilled at seeing his side overcome United’s physical approach.
He said: “The players stood up to the physical challenge and they kept their discipline. You can’t ask for any more when a team puts that physicality on you.
“You have to stand up to that, but I think we have a group which can stand up to that and we were pleased with our lot on Sunday.
“It was a great performance, especially in the first half where you could see the intent of group and their desire to reproduce how they performed against (Europa Conference League opponents) Hacken here. If we are performing strong at home, it bodes well for the season.
“For the home European game, the performance was understandable as it was the first game, but the performance as a stand-alone on Sunday was exceptional.
“We said don’t get bored having the ball as sometimes players can go looking for things that are not there, but they chose the right options at the right moments and look very assured in their choices.
“That comes down to decision making and that is what makes good players. You can present scenarios and situations, but good players make good decisions and we showed that.”
The Dons were once again roared on by a vocal support and Glass applauded the fans’ efforts at the end of the game.
The manager insists the importance of the Red Army is crucial for the team.
He said: “The players respond to supporters. You can see the work rate and energy it’s given to the players and the supporters feed off what they are getting from the players.
“They see a really committed group of players, who are working hard for the team and the club and are proud to play for Aberdeen and they want to try to do something.”