Defender David Bates has warned Premiership rivals there is far more to come from Aberdeen in 2022.
The Dons secured four wins from five fixtures in December to finish 2021 in the top six.
Bates reckons a squad restructured by boss Stephen Glass last summer is finally beginning to gel.
The Scotland international is confident the Reds can kick off the new year on an upwards trajectory when facing Rangers on Tuesday.
Aberdeen face the league leaders in the first game of 2022.
That rescheduled Rangers showdown will take place in front of an unrestricted Pittodrie crowd.
The Scottish Government confirmed a recent cap of 500 fans for outdoor sporting events will end on Monday.
Bates said: “I know there is definitely more to come from myself and the team.
“For a while the team wasn’t playing so well and I knew I could do better in games.
“However we are starting to play a lot better as a team.
“Personally, I feel I have came onto my game a little bit although I can definitely still do better.
“I still think there’s more to come from us all, including myself.
“I’m just happy I’m helping the team get good results on the pitch and we are playing a lot better.”
Five months without football action
Bates was signed in the final days of the summer transfer window from German Bundesliga 2 side SV Hamburg.
When arriving on a three-year contract the centre-back had not played any football for almost five months.
His last game before transferring to Pittodrie was with loan team Cercle Bruges on April 10, a 3-0 Belgian top flight defeat of O-H Leuven.
Bates also arrived at Aberdeen having had no pre-season training.
In recent months the defender has impressed defensively and also netted in the 2-0 defeat of Livingston – his first goal for the Dons.
Defensive injury crisis finally easing
Aberdeen also suffered a defensive injury crisis that has only recently alleviated.
Teenage right back Calvin Ramsay was ruled out for two months with a thigh injury.
The 18-year-old, who is being tracked by a host of Premier League and European clubs weighing up a January swoop, returned to action in the 2-1 Boxing Day defeat of Dundee.
Left-back Jack MacKenzie was also ruled out for almost two months with an ankle injury suffered in training in October.
MacKenzie, 21, has been an unused substitute in recent games.
Scotland international centre-back Declan Gallagher was sidelined for two months with a hamstring injury but returned to action last month.
Scotland international Andy Considine has not featured since suffering a knee injury in a Euro tie on August 18.
Considine, 34, suffered cruciate ligament damage that required surgery in the 1-0 Europa Conference League play-off first leg loss to Qarabag in Azerbaijan.
Centre-back Considine returned to training on grass last month.
🏃🏽😅 @AberdeenFC pic.twitter.com/oCXn2DqsaE
— Andrew Considine (@AndyConsie4) January 7, 2022
Glass recently confirmed Considine progressing well in his rehabilitation but will not put a definitive time-frame on his return.
Fellow Scotland international centre-back Mikey Devlin is also battling back to fitness from long term injury.
Devlin has yet to feature this season and has managed just 56 minutes of game-time in the last 18 months.
The defender’s initial contract expired last summer.
However in a show of faith the Dons gave Devlin an extension until January 31 to prove his fitness to earn a new contract.
Now back in training Devlin last featured as a substitute in the 1-1 draw with St Mirren on December 5, 2020.
Although Devlin has yet to play under Glass, the Dons boss rates the defender highly and hopes he win his fitness battle to earn a new contract.
Winger Matty Kennedy is also set to end eight months of injury hell as he will be in contention for selection against Rangers.
Northern Ireland international Kennedy has been sidelined all season with a back problem.
Glass confirmed Kennedy is fit and available for selection against the league leaders on Tuesday.
Switch in personnel and formation
The defensive injuries forced manager Stephen Glass to change personnel and formations.
Captain Scott Brown, a midfielder, dropped into the centre of a back three during that defensive injury crisis.
With some of the defenders now back fit Glass has more consistency of selection and has reverted to a back four.
It has all helped Bates, and the Dons, rediscover form.
Bates said: “It has been different as I had been chopping and changing (clubs) the last couple of seasons.
“Sometimes it takes a while to get used to a style again.
“A different style, different players and how everyone plays around you.
“It was a case of us all trying to get used to that.
“We have, which is why we have recently we have ended up with good results.
“We have players who have played a lot with each other this season and we are getting used to each other.
“It has been good and really enjoyable recently.”
Scotland cap focused on club action
Former Rangers defender Bates has been capped four times for Scotland.
His last cap was when starting in a 2-0 away defeat of San Marino in a Euro 2020 qualifier in March 2019.
Bates has not featured in recent squads under national boss Steve Clarke.
For now the defender’s sole focus is on helping Aberdeen, currently sixth, move higher up the Premiership table.
Anything else, such as a Scotland recall, is a welcome bonus.
On hopes of a Scotland recall, he said: “I’m just really focusing on Aberdeen.
“If you focus on your club career things like that take care of themselves.
“I just want to enjoy football and get back to winning all the time.”
