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Kelle Roos: Aberdeen can mount a European challenge in second half of the season

Dons goalkeeper looking for a repeat of last season's late push for Europe

Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos. Image: SNS
Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos. Image: SNS

Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos believes his side can repeat their feat of last season by mounting a late challenge for European football.

The Dons won seven games in a row last season to move from the relegation zone to third place in the Scottish Premiership and with it guaranteed European competition until Christmas.

History has repeated itself with Barry Robson’s side in eighth place in the division, albeit it having played three games fewer than current third placed side Hearts.

The Dons hit form a year ago to reel in the Jambos and pip them to third spot and Roos believes his team-mates are capable of doing it again this season.

He said: “I get that belief from looking around me in the changing room knowing I have the quality all around me to get to third.

“To win every single game in this league that gives me the belief we can go for third place.

“Looking around me, knowing what we have in the changing room.

“Knowing the way we have performed this season.

“If we get some details right we can beat any team and if we do that then we can go to push for third.

“But if we don’t do it we might run out of time so we need to do it fast.”

Goalkeeper taking it one game at a time

Aberdeen’s Kelle Roos. Image: SNS

It took a winning run for Aberdeen to galvanise their campaign 12 months ago and Roos is convinced it can happen again.

He said: “From the outside looking in what everyone looks for is ‘let’s get a run like that again.’

“That’s great, but that run only comes from winning the first one, then the second, the third.

“Then all of a sudden you are on a run.

“The games are going to come thick and fast again now. We just need to go game by game.”

The Dons return to league duty following their 2-0 Scottish Cup win at Clyde on Friday when they travel to Perth to face St Johnstone on Wednesday.

Roos would love to emulate the run of last season under Robson but he is looking no further than trying to take three points at McDiarmid Park.

The goalkeeper said: “If we start winning a couple then you can start looking at streaks.

“With the games in hand it makes the table a little bit in between.

“If you win them it looks alright. If you don’t win them it looks not.

“You can’t speculate about it too much as we just have to go game by game and start getting points on the board.

“Like ultimately what we did last season.”

Defensive strength is key for Aberdeen

Shoring up a porous defence could be key to Aberdeen’s hopes of securing European football again this season.

The Dons have struggled to keep clean sheets this season but a switch to a back four for the last two matches has resulted in Robson’s side preventing their opponents from scoring in successive matches for the first time this season.

Roos knows maintaining the defensive mean streak is vital.

He said: “I’m a goalkeeper and me and my defenders’ jobs are clean sheets first and foremost.

“It is definitely something I am very aware of that if we can improve in that sense it will give us platforms to win games.

“It is important we clean those little things up and we are not far from it.

“There are many, many games where we should have had a clean sheet but didn’t for whatever reason.

“We are close but we need to tidy up.

“If we tidy up clean sheets make you win games as you only have to score once.

“We have goal-scorers in our team that we trust.

“Clean sheets give you platforms to string results together.”

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