We’re no nearer to knowing whether Barry Robson will be given the Aberdeen manager’s job permanently but I doubt there will be too many dissenting voices if he lands the role.
Put it this way – I find it very hard in trying to make an argument against him getting the job.
Barry has been in charge for almost two months now and I don’t think he has put a foot wrong since taking over from Jim Goodwin in the Dons dugout.
He has won three games in a row in the league which might not sound like that big a deal but given it was December 2021 when it last happened then clearly it is something to shout about.
Had he lost those games I’m sure the fans would falling over themselves to call for a manager to be appointed now.
It’s due to the excellent job being done that Pittodrie hasn’t been this calm and serene in months.
The biggest compliment I can pay the interim Aberdeen boss is that he and his players produced the best display from a Dons team in the last four years in beating Hearts 3-0 on Saturday.
There was no mystery involved in how Aberdeen swept the Jambos aside either.
It was an old-fashioned attacking, in-your-face aggressive approach from the team.
They closed down Hearts and had such a grip on the game that they made the team sitting third in the Premiership look ordinary.
It has been great to watch the confidence come back into the team with each passing result and I can understand why Dons chairman Dave Cormack and chief executive Alan Burrows are in no rush to make a decision at this point.
Robson has transformed Dons into Euro contenders
At the end of January after Hibs beat the Dons 6-0 I feared the club was going to drop like a stone down the table.
The way things are going Aberdeen have a very good chance of playing in Europe next season – so why change it?
Barry is clearly doing something right.
The roar with every goal and the passion being shown by the players in celebrating every time the ball hits the back of the net tells us all that much.
It looks clear to me everyone from Barry and his backroom staff to the players are comfortable with the situation as it stands.
The transfer window is closed so it’s not as if a new manager is going to come in and make wholesale changes between now and the end of May.
The focus from everyone is on trying to catch Hearts for third and with the gap now down to four points it’s all to play for.
Barry has shown he can be trusted to get results and he is doing so well I haven’t given the new manager a second’s thought all week.
The need isn’t urgent, the team is playing well and getting results and there is a feelgood factor about the club again.
It’s not something we’ve been able to say for some time and I can’t help but think if it isn’t broke don’t try to fix it.
There are four games to go before the split and the Dons are in a good position going into them. If Barry is still in charge for all of them I won’t be complaining.
Change of manager is one last throw of the dice from Peterhead
I’ve got sympathy for everyone involved at Peterhead following their decision to part company with David Robertson this week.
Robertson had big shoes to fill after replacing the long-serving Jim McInally but he lasted little more than three months at Balmoor Stadium.
Saturday’s 7-0 defeat by Airdrie was a terrible result and it’s clear Blue Toon chairman Rodger Morrison felt he had to act.
It wasn’t getting any better. Robertson made 11 signings and it brought just three goals, one win and two draws from his 12 matches in charge.
The board have backed their man and don’t believe it is working.
Despite that horrendous run Peterhead remain just three points from the play-off spot. They have a game in hand on ninth-placed Clyde and have 10 games to save themselves.
They are not going to catch Kelty Hearts, who are 21 points ahead of them, but leapfrogging the Bully Wee and taking their chances in the play-offs is possible.
From Robertson’s point of view, I am sure he will be disappointed. It was always going to be a tough job given the club’s struggles this season but I’m sure he will have learned a lot from the experience.
He’ll be back somewhere soon enough.
Farewell to Peterhead’s Super Frank
I was saddened to hear of the death of former Blue Toon player Frank Krukowski following a long illness.
Frank played for Peterhead for 10 years including a spell under me when I was manager of the club in the Highland League days and also had a spell with Huntly after leaving Recreation Park.
An Aberdonian, Frank was a real stalwart of the Highland League years ago and a top-class guy too.
He’ll be sadly missed and my thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.
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