Captain Graeme Shinnie insists appointing a new permanent manager as soon as possible would bring stability back to Aberdeen.
Neil Warnock stepped down from his role as interim boss following the 3-1 Scottish Cup quarter-final win against Kilmarnock.
Shinnie will miss the Hampden semi having received a late booking against Killie and admits he is “devastated”.
Former Sheffield United, Cardiff City and Leeds United boss Warnock quit after just 33 days and eight games at the Pittodrie helm.
Chairman Dave Cormack confirmed the club’s search for a new manager is at an “advanced stage”.
Shinnie said: “I don’t know what’s happening,
“I’ve heard they want someone in imminently – which is the obvious thing to do.
“That would bring a bit of stability back because the league form hasn’t been good enough and we could do with stabilising things.
“There’s still a lot to play for this season, we have a semi-final coming up now too.
“So I’m sure the club will have a plan in place for going forward.”
‘It’s a fresh start for everyone’
Warnock exited Pittodrie having led the club to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
However he also leaves with the Dons facing the real threat of being dragged into a relegation battle.
Warnock failed to win any of his six Premiership games in charge, taking just two points from a possible 18.
Aberdeen were eighth in the table when he was appointed, and 10th when he left.
Shinnie said: “When a manager leaves and someone comes in, it’s a fresh start for everyone.
“And anything can happen.
“So that tends to bring a fresh buzz around the place and we have to bring positivity around the place.
“The football side of things needs stability because the infrastructure side of things is thriving.
“The commercial side and all other parts are doing well, it’s just the football side.
“And that’s on us because we’ve not been good enough in the league.
“So now we have to end the season as strongly as we can.”
‘Football parts needs to be sorted’
Aberdeen have burned through managers in recent years and are dropping points at an alarming rate.
Asked if the club needs a radical overhaul, he said: “That’s out of my bracket.
“What I can say is the football part of it needs to be sorted because we’re third bottom of the league and at Aberdeen that’s not acceptable.
“So the new manager has to come in and bring stability to that.”
‘Devastated’ to miss semi-final
Shinnie will miss the Scottish Cup semi-final having picked up a yellow card late on against Kilmarnock.
That took him over the booking threshold for the tournament, resulting in a one game ban.
The booking was given for dissent by referee John Beaton as Shinnie complained a foul on him went unpunished.
He said: “I will miss the semi-final now, which I’m gutted about because I thought it was a foul on me beforehand.
“I put it through the guy’s legs and he’s absolutely wiped me out.
“How that can’t be seen as a foul I don’t know.
“He told me they looked at it through VAR and didn’t think it was a foul.
“It’s devastating but I’m sure the ref would say I should shut my mouth.
“I’m someone who likes to moan at the refs a lot, but I’m not verbally abusive and I don’t swear.
“I get a lot of soft fouls but in that one I was completely wiped out, so I was frustrated on the back of not getting that decision.
“I think it’s a bit easy to book someone.
“If he’d calmly explained to me his decision, I probably still wouldn’t have agreed with it, but you’d take it better.
“I think his problem was the way I ran towards him, which is understandable, but I think he’s also got to realise he’s missed one of the clearest fouls you’ll see.
“Am I wrong in saying that? Was it not a clear foul?
“I heard it was high too, so it’s not a red card but could have been checked for one.
“We were 3-1 up and I should have just left it, but when adrenalin is pumping and you’re fired up it’s difficult to do that.
“I think the ref has to sense my grievance at not getting it but sometimes it’s too easy to pull a booking out.
“I wasn’t aggressive and wasn’t swearing, I just asked why it wasn’t a foul.
“But that’s me out of the semi now.
“I’ve missed a few in the past through my own wrongdoings and I’ll have to accept it again. It is what it is.”
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