Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin intends to build his Dons squad around athletic players with great attitudes.
The new Dons boss, who will take charge at Pittodrie for the first time when Dundee United visit on Saturday, has outlined the attributes he will prioritise when assembling his Dons squad this summer.
The Irishman, who was confirmed as Stephen Glass’ successor just hours before Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Motherwell, does not intend to bolster the current squad with free agents.
But Goodwin says it is imperative that any new recruits have the right character to bring success to Pittodrie.
He said: “In terms of desire, commitment and having a passion for the game, I think that is in you.
“When I’m doing my recruitment process, it is not a case of seeing a good player on a Saturday and trying to bring them in.
“I really go into great depth in terms of background checks and references, going back years to talk to people who have worked with these players in the past.
Players need professionalism
“To play for a club like this you have to be a certain type of character.
“Ross McCrorie is that type of character – a leader. When the chips are down he will roll his sleeves up and keep going.
“I made a career out of being fit – it was as simple as that.
“To all the young players coming through I tell them that being fit is the easiest thing in the world.
“Live well, eat well, sleep well.
“That is easy.
“Having the technical ability, skill and creative ability to go with that is really hard to get.
“It frustrates me the amount of good players I see not making it because they don’t have the level of professionalism required.
“Going forward, I will not be signing anybody who first and foremost is not athletic or not professional.
“And then we can talk about the football side of things thereafter.”
Enhancing the squad
Goodwin has already held talks with director of football Steven Gunn and is set to sit down with Aberdeen’s head of recruitment Darren Mowbray to start identifying targets who could enhance the Dons squad.
He said: “I have assessed the squad. There is no window coming up where we can move players on and bring half a dozen players in.
“I think we have a good enough team available to us to get the necessary points on the board to make sure we are in the top six come the split and thereafter we can start thinking about trying to catch fifth then fourth.
“I have already had lengthy conversations with Steven Gunn and I have given him the type of player I am looking for.
“The head of recruitment is coming in for a meeting on Thursday afternoon and I want to sit down with him and look at the types of players he has been identifying and make sure those types of players suit the way I want the team to play.
“First and foremost, they will be athletic, able to run and professional. They will be strong characters and if we can add a bit of ability into the mix then we give ourselves a great chance of being successful next season.”
Goodwin is determined to bring silverware back to Pittodrie on a regular basis and accepts it is imperative to get his recruitment drive right in order to achieve that goal.
He added: “For a club of this size and with the resources that is available to us, getting to cup semi-finals year on year should be a given.
“I’m not saying it is going to be easy.
“Cup competitions are one-off games.
“Big decisions at key moments can cost you.
“But I think that has to be the message to the players and supporters.
“At every club I have been at before I have always exceeded expectations.
‘Getting to a semi-final is required as a minimum’
“I don’t think getting to a semi-final with Aberdeen is exceeding expectations, I think that is what is required as a minimum.
“I think we need to be aspiring to win a trophy every three or four years if possible.
“That won’t be easy – Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Hibs, Dundee United and all these other clubs have their own aspirations.
“I’m not trying to say I’m promising the supporters that is what we will do because nobody can do that.
“But I assure them that is where our mind is at.
“We need to recruit players who can handle that level of expectation.
“I find that is the biggest thing about the big clubs – that the players have the right character.
“To play here on Saturday with a full house, when things aren’t going well you know about it.
“When things are going well, the players feed off it.
“We need to have those characters who can deal with those expectations.”