Matty Kennedy reckons Barry Robson ought to be a serious contender to land the Aberdeen manager’s job on a permanent basis.
Robson has taken charge of two matches as interim boss so far, following the departure of Jim Goodwin last month.
After opening with a 3-1 loss to St Mirren, in which the Reds had Ross McCorie sent off early in the match, Robson led the Dons to a victory by the same scoreline against Motherwell in their last outing a fortnight ago.
Having joined the Reds from St Johnstone in 2020, Kennedy is already familiar with the workings of Robson, who has been part of the Pittodrie coaching setup for nearly seven years.
Winger Kennedy says the 44-year-old has already made a strong impression on newer members of the squad, as the Dons prepare to face Celtic at Parkhead this afternoon.
Kennedy said: “I think it would be crazy not to consider Barry. I know people don’t see him on the training pitch, but I know personally he’s a great coach. I think everybody in the building sees that around the place.
“Personally I enjoy his training. He’s big on fitness, the training is hard but it’s good.
“He has been here for years, and all the staff love him.
“At this moment in time, no-one else knows the club as well as Barry does.
“We have a lot of new boys, and a lot of foreigners here. It’s just good to see them enjoying training and speaking highly of Barry, as they have never worked under him before.
“They realise he’s a great coach and someone we can all enjoy being around and working with.”
Agnew has made instant impression
Robson’s first act upon being temporarily handed the reins was to appoint vastly-experienced coach Steve Agnew, who he played under at Middlesbrough, as his assistant.
With two weeks having passed since the Dons’ last match, Kennedy has been quick to acknowledge Agnew’s impact on the training ground.
Regardless of how long the current management team is in place, Northern Ireland international Kennedy is eager to take as many learnings as possible.
He added: “You can tell Steve knows a lot about football. You can just sense his aura when he walks in the room.
“He’s got a lot of experience – he and Barry have got more than any of us.
“Just trying to be like a sponge and taking so much information from the two of them will benefit every single one of us.
“Steve brightens up the room when he walks in, with the smile on his face. He’s always trying to coach you and teach you different scenarios, which is brilliant.
“I think every single one of us should try and take as much experience and positivity from him as we can.”
Kennedy senses Dons are getting closer
The Dons have lost both matches against Premiership champions Celtic this season, with Callum McGregor’s late goal separating the sides at Pittodrie in December.
Having twice taken Rangers to the dying stages since that match, Kennedy believes the Reds are getting closer to a statement result against the top two sides in the country.
The 28-year-old said: “The last time we played against Celtic we stuck to a game plan and it worked, until the last minute when Callum McGregor pulled out a good strike.
“We didn’t get anything from the game but we have to take confidence from the last few games.
“It is three points that you get if you beat Celtic, Rangers, St Mirren or St Johnstone. You go into every game with the same mental attitude to get three points and no game is different.
“As a club we want to get more results against Celtic and Rangers. In the last few games we still haven’t got the end result but it has been closer.
“It has been positive and hopefully we can get a result that our fans deserve.”
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