Full-back Jack MacKenzie is confident Aberdeen’s rebuilt team will click into top gear soon to deliver wins.
Aberdeen are six games without victory in all competitions.
MacKenzie accepts the Reds have not been good enough both in attack and defence during that run.
After an overhaul of the squad by boss Stephen Glass this summer MacKenzie insists it needed time for the Dons to gel.
The 21-year-old insists pre-season positivity hasn’t been dented and optimism remains high within Pittodrie that Glass’ new-look side can deliver a successful season.
MacKenzie hopes catalyst for that will be victory against St Johnstone at Pittodrie.
He said: “We are still gelling after a lot of new players came in as well as a new management team so we are still optimistic about what we can achieve this season.
“It’s obviously not very good when you haven’t won in six games but we feel as though the performances have been okay, to an extent.
“We simply haven’t been good enough in defence or in the final third but there are still a lot of games to go and a lot of positivity about the group.
“We are hoping to see we are clicking more as a team against St Johnstone on Saturday and get a positive result.”
Aberdeen should be winning trophies
For MacKenzie the phenomenal double cup achievement of St Johnstone last season is motivation for what Aberdeen should be targeting.
Saints operate on a significantly lower budget than Aberdeen but secured an historic League Cup and Scottish Cup double last season.
MacKenzie watched that double cup glory and thought it should be Aberdeen.
The Dons have not won a trophy since the League Cup in 2014, their first silverware since 1995, and crashed out of the League Cup to lower league Raith Rovers last month.
MacKenzie said: “That was a magnificent achievement but watching St Johnstone lift two cups was difficult because you think that should be Aberdeen.
“That was motivating for us and hopefully it will be us lifting a trophy this season.”
Debut goal delivered last Premiership win
Aberdeen have not won in the Premiership since MacKenzie netted the injury time winner away at Livingston on August 8 to secure a 2-1 victory.
Since then the Reds have taken just two points from a possible nine, drawing with Hearts and Ross County before losing 2-0 at Motherwell.
MacKenzie’s late winner at Livingston was his first for the Dons and marked another step in his ascendency to the level of regular first team starter.
Since making his breakthrough in March last year the full back has started 12 games, four in Europe, with just one substitute appearance.
Just days after impressing on his debut MacKenzie signed a two year contract extension tying him to Pittodrie until summer 2023.
The left-back would have started more games last season but was ineligible for Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup ties having played in the tournament earlier in the campaign during a loan spell at Forfar.
Vital help from management and players
His rise has been swift and MacKenzie acknowledged the support and encouragement of the Pittodrie management team and veterans Andy Considine, Jonny Hayes and team captain Scott Brown.
He said: “I played a few games at the end of last season and now the first few of the new one with a lot of support from the management team here.
“The senior players have helped as well so I feel I’ve blended in quite well so far.
“I’ve learnt a lot just playing at this level and I’m doing that off the best in terms of management and someone like Scott Brown being in the side now.
“Obviously there’s a lot of pointers from him as to what I should be doing as well as from other senior players in the team.
“There’s people like Jonny Hayes and Andy Considine who have played the left back role here and I’m taking what they’ve passed on into my game.”
Aberdeen’s two exciting full-back talents
Aberdeen boast two of the most promising full-backs in the Premiership with MacKenzie on the left and 18 year-old Calvin Ramsay on the right.
Ramsay’s meteoric rise ramped up further this week when Premier League Everton were linked with the teenager.
Everton boss Rafa Benitez sent a top scout to assess Ramsay in the 2-0 loss to Motherwell at the weekend.
Despite the loss Ramsay produced another impressive shift and it is understood the full-back is now on Benitez’ transfer wish list.
English top flight clubs Leicester City, West Ham and Southampton are also reportedly monitoring Ramsay who earned his first Scotland U21 cap last week when starting in a 1-1 Euro U21 qualifier draw away to Turkey.
MacKenzie said: “Calvin has been tremendous this season and deserved his Under 21 call-up.
“It is so pleasing to see him do so well as I played with him on the youth team as well.”