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Duncan Shearer: Aberdeen hitting the right notes but bigger challenges lie ahead

Former Dons striker also pays tribute to 'great servant' Neil Simpson after it was confirmed he will be leaving Pittodrie.

Aberdeen's Shayden Morris celebrates scoring to make it 4-0 with his teammates against East Kilbride. Image: SNS
Aberdeen's Shayden Morris celebrates with his teammates after scoring to make it 4-0 against East Kilbride. Image: SNS

After helping Aberdeen to a 4-0 win against East Kilbride, Shayden Morris revealed the Dons’ new post-match ritual which has been introduced by Jimmy Thelin.

The players all have to dance to a song chosen by team DJ Leighton Clarkson and Morris said it is just one of the ways Thelin is trying to build a new culture at the club.

Two wins out of two so far – so it seems to be working.

Different managers will have their own ways of trying to build team spirit.

I’ve seen Billy Dodds and Dean Windass on the dancefloor and it’s not a pretty sight so I’m not sure this post-match ritual would have worked for our Dons team!

But if this helps bring the Aberdeen team together then it can only be a good thing.

It turned out to be a comfortable win for the Dons at East Kilbride after a bit of an uncomfortable start.

Morris has struggled to get fully fit during his two years with the Dons after successive hamstring injuries so hopefully they are behind him now.

Thelin seems to be keen to give players such as Morris, Pape Habib Gueye and Vicente Besuijen a chance to prove they can contribute.

He will want to see what they can do before working out if they deserve to stay at the club.

Aberdeen's Shayden Morris (R) and East Kilbride's Jack Leitch in action. Image: SNS
Aberdeen’s Shayden Morris and East Kilbride’s Jack Leitch in action. Image: SNS

It should be a fresh start for players when a new manager comes in and Thelin is going about things the right way by rotating his squad for these group games against lower league opposition.

One thing hanging over the club is the future of Duk and Bojan Miovski. It appears they are both leaving the Dons but, from an Aberdeen perspective, the sooner that situation is sorted the better.

Aberdeen have a tougher test coming up this evening against Airdrieonians at Pittodrie.

I watched a lot of Airdrie last season and they play some very good football so it will be a step up in standard compared to what they have faced against Queen of the South and East Kilbride.

Four of Aberdeen’s next five games are at Pittodrie so it is a great chance to hit the ground running in the new season.

A true Aberdeen legend

Meanwhile, it was no surprise to seeing so many people paying tribute to Neil Simpson after it was announced he was leaving the club.

The Gothenburg Great has been a great servant to Aberdeen Football Club over the past 35 years.

Gothenburg Great Neil Simpson is leaving Pittodrie. Image: Paul Glendell / DC Thomson. 

He went from being a star on the pitch to a pivotal part of the youth academy and most recently has been working as the pathways manager, helping bridge the gap between the development teams and the first team.

I have got to know Simmy very well over the years and I hope he enjoys his new career after deciding the time was right for a change.

I would regard Neil Simpson in the same category as Teddy Scott for the service he gave the Dons.

There will be a huge amount of current and ex-players who will hold Simmy in such high esteem for the impact he had on their careers.

He has helped bring through a lot of talented players and he has also brought in a lot of good coaches, such as Scott Anderson, so he leaves the club in good hands.

I wish him all the best for the future.

Brooks impresses for ICT

Elsewhere, Caley Thistle and Ross County both picked up good wins at the weekend.

The Staggies defeated Raith Rovers 2-1 which keeps them on track to win their group, while I was at ICT’s 3-0 victory against Bonnyrigg Rose.

Adam Brooks looked sharp up front and he will benefit from a prolonged run in the team.

Luis Longstaff also excites me when he is on the ball.

Inverness CT’s Adam Brooks (L) and Bonnyrigg Rose’s Kerr Young (R) in action in the Premier Sports Cup. Image: SNS. 

Caley Thistle were very good in the first half and they eased off a bit after the break.

But it is a good result, which they needed, with all the uncertainty over the potential investment coming into the club.

I’m always sceptical when people from far away try to get involved with a club like Inverness so we’ll see what happens with these potential new owners from America.

Hopefully if it comes to fruition it will be a positive for the club and allow Duncan Ferguson to enhance the squad.

They have an interesting match this evening against Arbroath, who were also relegated from the Championship last season.

It will be a good chance for the young Caley Thistle side to test themselves against a team that is likely to be pushing for promotion from League One this season.