I expect new Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin to undertake a major overhaul of the squad during the summer transfer window.
The Dons are on a six game unbeaten Premiership run under Peter Leven and the interim boss deserves tremendous credit for turning around the form.
However even if they finish the season by winning all five post-split fixtures it will only paper over the cracks of a woeful Premiership campaign.
Finishing in the bottom six is simply not acceptable for Aberdeen.
This club must be pushing to finish at least third every single season and they were way short of the mark this campaign.
It is shocking that up until a few weeks ago the threat of being dragged into a relegation play-off battle was very real.
Thankfully under Leven’s guidance the Dons officially secured their top-flight safety with the recent 1-0 win against St Johnstone.
Even if the Dons finish seventh, top of the bottom six, it will not lessen just how disappointing the league campaign has been.
And I believe many of the current Dons squad will pay the price for that shocking Premiership season this summer under Thelin.
The Elfsborg manager is keeping close tabs on the Dons from his home in Sweden before he starts at Pittodrie on June 3.
But I’m sure he will also have delved into the archives and watched some of the Dons horror shows in the Premiership this season.
Thelin is coming from a club that missed out on the Swedish top-flight title last season on goal difference.
He will come to the Granite City with a winning mindset and will want players who can push Aberdeen to the top end of the table.
Too many of the current squad have failed to do that in the league this season.
It has been such a frustratingly inconsistent season with the Reds performing well in the cups and Europe, but struggling on league duty.
They produced some impressive performances in the group stages of the Conference League against Eintracht Frankfurt and PAOK.
Aberdeen were unfortunate not to progress from a tough group to the knock-out stages.
They also did well in the domestic cup competitions having reached the Viaplay Cup final, only to lose out 1-0 to Rangers.
Aberdeen also reached the Scottish Cup semi-final and were superb in the thrilling 3-3 draw with Celtic that ended in the agony of a 6-5 penalty shoot-out loss.
That is the level of performance I want to see regularly.
It is the level Aberdeen supporters will demand, as will new manager Thelin.
The inability to consistently hit the heights in the Premiership will be costly for some Aberdeen players this summer.
Thelin will come in with his own footballing philosophy and there will be players he will want to sign to deliver that.
He will want to make an immediate impression and hit his first season with a bang.
Thelin will be inheriting a team that flirted with the threat of a relegation battle and finished in the bottom six.
Many of the players who exit Pittodrie in the summer cannot have any real complaints after that dismal Premiership season.
Tremendous honour for Ferguson
I was delighted to see former Aberdeen star Lewis Ferguson named the best midfielder in Italy’s Serie A.
What a tremendous honour for the Scotland international.
It was clear Ferguson was a class act at Pittodrie before his £3 million transfer to Bologna in summer 2022.
He has made a phenomenal impact in Serie A and winning the Bulgarelli Number 8 Award is sensational.
The prestigious award is given to the best midfielder in the Italian top-flight for a campaign.
Ferguson joins footballing royalty as World Cup-winner Andrea Pirlo (Italy, Juventus) is a former winner.
Unfortunately Ferguson is currently ruled out having recently undergone surgery for a cruciate ligament injury.
The midfielder will miss the this summer’s Euros with Scotland due to the injury.
Hopefully he will come back fitter and stronger and hit even higher heights in his career.
He certainly has the talent and mentality to do that.
Ferguson’s meteoric rise with Bologna could also be great for Aberdeen’s coffers.
Miovski deserves recognition
Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovsk has rightly been named on the four man shortlist for the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award.
Miovski has been superb this season and has hit 25 goals in all competitions.
He is up against Jack Butland (Rangers), Matt O’Riley (Celtic) and Lawrence Shankland (Hearts).
Hopefully Miovski lifts the trophy.
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