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Graeme Shinnie warns Aberdeen teammates if they can’t handle pressure they shouldn’t be at the club

Dons skipper says talks with chief executive Alan Burrows and director of football Steven Gunn brought clarity for the squad ahead of the clash with Ross County.

Aberdeen's Graeme Shinnie celebrates scoring to make it 2-0 against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Pittodrie. Image; SNS
Aberdeen's Graeme Shinnie celebrates scoring to make it 2-0 against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Pittodrie. Image: SNS.

Fired-up skipper Graeme Shinnie has warned any player unable to handle the pressure of playing for Aberdeen shouldn’t be at the club.

The Dons face a high pressure game on Saturday against Ross County in a relegation dogfight.

Aberdeen are still searching for a permanent manager and are just three points ahead of second bottom Staggies who occupy the relegation play-off spot.

Interim boss Peter Leven will manage Aberdeen in the high stakes clash with Ross County as the hunt for a permanent manager continues.

The squad were informed on Monday that first team coach Leven would remain in charge for the Ross County game.

Shinnie, 32, insists that early confirmation was important ahead of a huge fixture.

Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie at Cormack Park ahead of the game against Ross County. Image: SNS
Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie at Cormack Park ahead of the game against Ross County. Image: SNS

He said: “There is always pressure at Aberdeen to win every game.

“If you can’t handle that pressure you shouldn’t be here.

“Big games come around all the time.

“No matter if it is the first game of the season, the middle or the end of the campaign that pressure to do well is always there.

“If you can’t handle that then there’s no point being at a club like Aberdeen.

“It is having that character and ability to be calm through that pressure and let your football come out on top.”

 (L-R) Bojan Miovski, Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie during an Aberdeen training session at Cormack Park, on March 29, 2024, Image: SNS
(L-R) Bojan Miovski, Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie during an Aberdeen training session at Cormack Park, on March 29, 2024, Image: SNS

‘It is out of our hands as the hierarchy will deal with that’

The Pittodrie hierarchy had initially aimed to appoint a permanent manager during the recent international break.

When it became unlikely the club would meet that timeframe chief executive Alan Burrows and director of football Steven Gunn held a meeting with the squad on Monday.

They confirmed Leven would manage the Reds against Ross County.

Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack, chief executive Alan Burrows and director of football Steven Gunn watching a match from the stands
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack (top right). chief executive Alan Burrows (bottom right) and director of football Steven Gunn watch a clash against Hearts at Pittodrie in December 2023. Image: SNS.

Shinnie said: “We spoke on Monday about who would take the team and all that.

“We went through it all and set the record right for the week just to get the players in the right mind frame for the game on Saturday.

“I thought it was good and needed.

“You need that bit of clarity (on who will manage against Ross County) especially when you have a game on Saturday where we have to pick up three points.

“The full focus after that has been working towards the game, it’s been fine.

“I don’t need to know what’s going on, I have a game to focus on.

“That’s what I said to the players on Monday, ‘whatever will happen will happen’.

“It’s out of our hands as it is the hierarchy that will deal with that.

“It’s important to keep all that talk (about a new manager) away and it lets us focus on training and what we need to do this week.

“What we have to deal with as players is the game on Saturday.

“My message all week is to have full focus on this game that we need to and win.”

Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie at Cormack Park. Image: SNS
Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie at Cormack Park. Image: SNS

Leven’s connection with the squad

Leven will take interim charge for a fourth game when the Dons face Ross County.

First team coach Leven was in the dugout for the 1-1 draw with Celtic before the Dons appointed Neil Warnock as interim boss.

When Warnock stepped down from that role after just 33 days the Dons board again turned to Leven.

He led the Dons to  1-0 win at Motherwell before the international break to end an 11 game winless run in the Premiership.

Shinnie said: “Peter has been good.

“He has been around the squad and knows all the boys and the boys know him.

“It has been an easy fit for him to take over and training has been very, very good this week.”

Peter Leven led Aberdeen to victory at Motherwell on Saturday. Image: Shutterstock
Peter Leven led Aberdeen to victory at Motherwell on Saturday. Image: Shutterstock

Hauling Aberdeen out of a ‘rut’

Shinnie admits he is at a loss to explain why Aberdeen’s Premiership form has been so poor this season.

The Dons have won just seven times in 30 league games.

Midfielder Shinnie accepts the Dons had fallen into a rut but he is determined to haul them out of it.

Aberdeen's Leighton Clarkson celebrates with Bojan Miovski after making it 1-0 against Motherwell. Image: SNS
Aberdeen’s Leighton Clarkson celebrates with Bojan Miovski after making it 1-0 against Motherwell. Image: SNS

He said: “We have underperformed majorly in the league this season but we have had big games in Europe and semi-finals and finals.

“We also have the Scottish Cup semi-final, another big game.

“Sometimes in football you can get stuck in a bit of a rut that can sometimes be hard to get out of.

“Football can be a strange thing and it is hard to put your finger on these things.

“It is vitally important, especially this week after a good week’s training, that we put that behind us and look to pick up a good result.

“We beat Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup at Pittodrie and that was a really positive performance.

“So we have to bring something like that again.”

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