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Former Don Paul Hartley talks up Aberdeen vacancy as ‘attractive’ job

Paul Hartley during his time at Aberdeen. Image: Colin Rennie/DC Thomson
Paul Hartley during his time at Aberdeen. Image: Colin Rennie/DC Thomson

Former Aberdeen captain Paul Hartley reckons the list of candidates vying to be the next manager at Pittodrie shows the Dons remain an attractive prospect.

Aberdeen are on the lookout for a successor to Jim Goodwin and Hartley feels it is a role ripe for someone to make a success of.

Chris Wilder, Danny Cowley and Dwight Yorke are among those who have been linked with the vacancy, although former Sheffield United boss Wilder has ruled himself out of contention.

Aberdeen are intent on carrying out a thorough process before appointing Goodwin’s successor, having sacked three managers in less than two years.

Barry Robson, Scott Agnew and Scott Anderson are in temporary charge, and Cove Rangers boss Hartley – who played for the Dons during the 2010/11 season – is not surprised to see strong interest in the post.

Hartley said: “There have been names linked already. It’s a big job.

“When things go well (at Aberdeen), it’s brilliant, but it’s like any club when things aren’t going so well – the fans have got the right to be disappointed.

“If somebody can go in there and get it going, I firmly believe they have good players at Aberdeen. It’s just trying to get a team that can go and win football matches.

“Aberdeen is an attractive job. It’s a big club with a great fanbase.

“It looks like they’ll maybe take their time to get the right guy.

“Barry is there just now to settle things down and he knows the club really well.”

Hartley knows football is a ruthless business

Aberdeen are searching for their third manager in a year with Goodwin in charge for 11 months. His predecessor Stephen Glass also lasted less than a year after succeeding long-time boss Derek McInnes.

Hartley knows the perils of the management game.

He left Cove Rangers in June for Hartlepool United, but was dismissed after just four months in charge of the English League Two side.

Hartley, who returned to Cove as Jim McIntyre’s successor on January 5, insists football is a ruthless profession.

He said: “Football is results-driven now.

Cove Rangers manager Paul Hartley. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson
Cove Rangers manager Paul Hartley. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

“I was reading about Kolo Touré on his nine games (at Wigan Athletic) – you want to go in there and implement your style and you think you’ve got a long-term plan, but unfortunately the business we work in now is about winning games of football, that’s the reality of it.

“I do feel sorry with what happened to Jim. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and it wasn’t an easy situation.

“I always think players have a responsibility, also – they win football games; it can’t always come down to the managers.

“But unfortunately it always does come down to the managers because of results.”

Next Dons boss can count on strong support to shape squad

The next man in the Pittodrie hotseat will be the third one appointed by chairman Dave Cormack.

He brought in Glass to replace Derek McInnes in March 2021, but sacked him less than a year later.

Goodwin left St Mirren to take over the Dons, but he was sacked after a cataclysmic run of results after the World Cup break.

Their time in charge at Pittodrie may have been brief in comparison to the eight years McInnes was in charge, but neither has lacked for backing when it came to bringing in the players they wanted.

Former Dons skipper Hartley expects the next Aberdeen boss to receive the same level of support from Cormack and his board of directors at Pittodrie.

He said: “It’s the one thing that the chairman has done there is he has really backed his managers.

“For whatever reason, it’s not quite worked out and you’re always judged on your recruitment.

Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack. Image: SNS
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack. Image: SNS

“They’ve invested a lot in player recruitment.

“They’re a big club. They have a great training facility, so everything is there and geared up.

“The chairman has always put his hand in his pocket to back his managers and I’m sure that’ll be the case again for whoever they bring in.”

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