He does not wear the captain’s armband anymore but former Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie wants to lead by example as his team-mates bid to avoid a cup shock tonight.
The Dons head for Darvel in Ayrshire in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup reeling from a 5-0 defeat by Hearts at Tynecastle in their last outing.
The poor display has piled the pressure on Jim Goodwin and his players ahead of the televised tie at Recreation Park tonight.
Shinnie, who rejoined the club on loan from Wigan Athletic two weeks ago, wants to use his experience to help his side bounce back from their morale-sapping loss.
He said: “I always feel responsibility along with the other senior lads we have at the club.
“It is a young squad we have here, young boys who are still learning the game.
“So it’s very important the likes of me and the other older ones drag them through this.
“We have to give them the platform to play, express themselves and enjoy themselves.
“As a team, we have to cut out the stupid errors at the back so we can let the front boys flourish.
“There are always responsibilities when you’re in tough moments, you have to drag others through it.
“We have been in tough situations before and I’m sure we will be in them again further down the line.
“We are fortunate we have a game so soon so it’s a chance to turn things around.”
‘Hearts defeat can never be acceptable’
One win in eight games since returning from the World Cup break has resulted in the Dons slipping from third place to nine points adrift of Hearts in fifth in the Scottish Premiership and out of the League Cup after their semi-final defeat by Rangers a week ago.
Shinnie knows the manner of the defeat in the capital can never be accepted at Pittodrie and is determined to help the efforts to bounce back.
He said: “For us as a squad, it’s about dealing with the next few games and turning the form around.
“I’ve only been in for three games and the first two were very good. The performance was very good against St Johnstone and we could have been two or three up at half-time.
“We weren’t but stuck with it and won the game 2-0.
“We moved onto the Rangers game which was a gruelling game and one we put so much into. We fell just short but we had chances.
“Leighton Clarkson hit the post late on and we could potentially have won.
“But the other night was unacceptable and never will be at Aberdeen. It’s about putting in performances but also turning the fortunes around.
“It’s tough but we can definitely do it starting on Monday and then try to build on it at Hibs in the next league game.”
Pressure comes with the territory
The pressure is on the Dons as their season teeters precariously but Shinnie believes it comes with the territory with his profession.
He said: “Pressure comes in football in general. I’m 31 now and I’ve been in football for a long time. Pressure still comes on me.
“I’m not happy with my performance on Wednesday and put pressure on myself to do better and play better.
“As a team, there is always a pressure to play well and win games. That’s football in general no matter where you are.
“If you can’t handle that pressure you shouldn’t be in football. It’s about having the confidence in your own ability and doing the business on the pitch.”
Dons focused on cup response at Darvel
Aberdeen’s poor run of form will have given their non-league opponents Darvel cause for optimism.
Home advantage and nothing to lose against a struggling Premiership opponent?
It is enough to have any side daring to dream of recording one of the biggest shocks in Scottish football history but Shinnie insists the focus within Pittodrie is on producing a reaction.
He said: “I don’t know what the Darvel players will be thinking.
“They could think it is a confidence booster for them and they can do the same or it might be one of those where they are expecting a reaction from us because we’ve been beaten 5-0.
“We won’t think about Darvel. We think about ourselves and playing to our full potential and getting the win.
“We as players need to go there and perform. It’s a game we need to go and do a professional job in and perform to our full confidence.
“We have to perform well, play to our full potential and not concede sloppy goals. It’s a game we can win if we do that.”
Conversation