Defender Nicky Devlin has warned EVERY Aberdeen player is now fighting for their Pittodrie future regardless of contract length.
The full-back reckons the Dons’ precarious Premiership position has put every player at risk of being axed in the summer.
Struggling Aberdeen are 10th in the table, just three points clear of the relegation play-off spot.
Pittodrie’s hierarchy are searching for a new permanent manager and conducted interviews this week.
Aberdeen aim to appoint a new boss during the upcoming international break.
Devlin reckons the new gaffer will be watching the performances of a Dons side who have failed to win in 11 Premiership matches.
And full-back Devlin warned even players on long-term contracts could be axed if they fail to turn around their league form NOW.
And he also says players looking to leave this summer after their contract ends will struggle to find a club if they have dragged the Dons into a relegation scrap.
Aberdeen, with interim boss Peter Leven in the dugout, will bid to end their Premiership winless streak when facing Motherwell away on Saturday.
Devlin, 30, said: “Regardless of who you are in that dressing room now you are playing for your future.
“That comes from being in the position we have put ourselves in.
“Whether it be boys who want to move on, if you end up in a dogfight and a relegation battle for Aberdeen, teams are going to look elsewhere – that is the harsh reality.
“Regardless if you are under contract for next year, if you are not producing for the club now then what’s to say the new manager won’t trust you to go and do it next season.
“We don’t know anything about who the new manager will be or anything like that.
“But I’m sure whoever it is will be watching already.
“So boys are under pressure for the next games to maybe show how good they can be and how good they are – to show the new manager potentially what they can do for the club.”
‘It’s time players took responsibility’
The Dons have been overseen by three managers in under two months.
Aberdeen’s board wielded the axe on Barry Robson in early February with Peter Leven installed as interim manager for one game.
Veteran Neil Warnock was then taken in as interim boss, but stepped down after just 33 days.
The baton was handed back to Leven following Warnock’s exit.
Straight-talking Devlin insists the recent managerial turmoil is not to blame for Aberdeen’s dismal Premiership form.
He says the players are culpable – and it is up to them to fix it and “get out us out this mess”.
Captain Graeme Shinnie held a meeting with the squad on Thursday in a bid to ignite a turnaround in the league form.
It was an open discussion where players got matters “off their chest” if needed.
He said: “If you include Pete (Leven), we’ve had three different managers this season.
“So it’s time the players took responsibility on ourselves.
“We are the consistent factor in what’s happened and we put us in this position.
“Now we have to get us out of the mess.
“We get the best support from everyone at the club, but we’ve not done enough.
“Shinnie spoke to us, but it wasn’t him telling that this was what was going to happen – it was an open discussion.
“Anyone that felt they had to get something off their chest did that.
“Now hopefully that will stand us in good stead for getting the positive results from the four games before the split.”
Dons closing in on unwanted record
If Aberdeen fail to secure three points at Motherwell, they will equal an unwanted club record of 12 league games without a win.
The Dons went a dozen games without a league victory 25 years ago.
Under Paul Hegarty, the Reds lost the final three games of the 1998/99 season.
That winless streak continued for the opening nine games of the 1999/00 season under the management of Ebbe Skovdahl.
The Dons are in a fight for survival to avoid the shame of being relegated for the first time in the club’s proud 121-year history.
Devlin said: “Now we have to show we have got enough character and ability to start winning matches.
“We’ve shown in cup competitions and Europe that we can play well and get good results.
“We went to Ibrox and won, drew with Celtic and beat Hearts, so we can compete with the best.
“But our league results just haven’t been good enough and that’s our bread and butter.
“We’ve played 29 games and won just six and that’s obviously not good enough for a club like Aberdeen.
“It’s not what I imagined when I came to Aberdeen, but I’m under no illusions I’m part of it.
“Lucky for us there are still 27 points to play for and the aim is to pick up as many as possible.”
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