After a much needed upsurge in form Aberdeen must be fired up with self belief that they can beat Rangers at Ibrox.
The Dons are beginning to show real signs they can deliver on the pre-season optimism felt by many supporters.
After a slow start to the season the team rebuilt in the summer are finally beginning to gel having racked up back-to-back wins against Ross County.
When you factor in the strong performance against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany the Dons are starting to build momentum.
Barry Robson’s side can really ramp up that momentum by overcoming Rangers in Glasgow.
It will be a tough match but the Dons are more than capable of securing three points.
Aberdeen must go into the Ibrox clash with absolutely no fear.
I am sure boss Robson and influential players like captain Graeme Shinnie will have them in that mindset.
Aberdeen must target a win at Ibrox.
I would rather they put up a fight and come out swinging than sit back for 90 minutes in the hope of scraping a draw.
Obviously they cannot go gung-ho but the Dons need to bring a real attacking threat and let Rangers know they are in Glasgow for three points.
Aberdeen must try to gain control of the game in the opening 10 to 15 minutes and then push forward.
Rangers will make Aberdeen work extremely hard and it will be a difficult 90 minutes but a test the Reds must rise to.
Up until last week the Dons were struggling to find any form until impressing in the narrow 2-1 Europa Conference League loss to Frankfurt in Germany.
That appears to have kick-started the season.
However, it is too early to say if the Dons have completely turned a corner.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer but a win or draw at Ibrox would provide further proof the Dons are on track.
It was always going to take time for the Reds team to gel as 13 new signings were secured in the summer.
I admit I didn’t think it would take until the sixth game of the Premiership campaign for the Dons to deliver a first league win.
They finally ended that Premiership win drought with an emphatic 4-0 defeat of Ross County.
It was an impressive performance and the new look Aberdeen team are starting to knit together and perform.
Strike duo Duk and Bojan Miovski also delivered three goals between them in that league defeat of Ross County.
For Duk it was his first goal of the season and as a striker it is important to end that drought.
Hopefully that goal will be the first of many this season for Duk.
Aberdeen then backed up that performance by overcoming Ross County 2-1 just days later in the Viaplay Cup quarter-final in Dingwall.
They battled hard to get the result and reaching the next round is all that matters.
The Dons have secured a cup semi-final clash with Hibs at Hampden, impressed in the Conference League opener and secured a first Premiership win of the season.
It has been a very positive spell and now they must maintain that forward momentum at Ibrox. To achieve that takes self-belief and no fear.
WHAT. A. GOAL 🚀#StandFree pic.twitter.com/NbI3LTVmMu
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) September 28, 2023
Dons right to reopen Barron talks
Aberdeen have made the right move by opening fresh contract talks with midfielder Connor Barron.
The Scotland U21 international midfielder is out of contract at the end of this season.
Aberdeen had opened negotiations last year and a deal was offered but there was no resolution.
Barron suffered a frustrating time last season due to injury and struggled to make the impact everyone anticipated after his breakthrough campaign.
The Aberdeen Youth Academy graduate was superb in the second half of the 2021-22 season after breaking through to the first team in January 2021.
Barron has been outstanding in the last two games against Ross County – both wins.
He has great footballing vision and is also a grafter.
At only 21-years-old Barron is a top talent who will continue to improve.
Opening fresh contract talks with the midfielder is a wise move by the Dons.
Hopefully they can get him signed on an extended deal because he has the potential to be a major player in Aberdeen’ bid for success.
Jim Forrest – a great man and great player
I was very saddened at the passing of my friend and former Aberdeen team-mate Jim Forrest.
Jim was such a lovely guy and one of the nicest I ever met in football.
We played in Aberdeen’s 3-1 Scottish Cup final defeat of Celtic at Hampden in 1970.
For our second goal in the final I saw Jim racing up the wing like a bullet and I played the ball to him.
Jim had a turn of pace and skill that could beat anyone. He was the perfect player.
His shot was saved but then Derek McKay fired the loose ball home.
Jim was a great guy who always made me laugh and a fantastic player.
I will really miss him.
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