Skipper Graeme Shinnie reckons Aberdeen are now stronger and more resilient after blowing their chance to split the Old Firm.
During a sensational 11-game unbeaten start to the Premiership season, hopes were high among Aberdeen fans their side could at least split Celtic and Rangers.
The optimism ramped up when the Dons won 2-1 against Rangers at Pittodrie in October to extend an unbeaten start to the league campaign to 10 games, as victory moved Aberdeen nine points ahead of the Ibrox club.
However, early hope of shaking up the Scottish football status quo was destroyed by a 14-game winless Premiership run over a bleak winter.
Shinnie knows Aberdeen ruined their own chances of pushing for a top-two finish – which comes with a Champions League qualifying slot.
The 33-year-old admits to feeling “what if?” regarding the chance of splitting the Glasgow giants.
‘It was the perfect start to try and split the Old Firm’
However, he reckons a team built by Jimmy Thelin over two transfer windows are now stronger after emerging from their dramatic slump.
And that bodes well as Aberdeen bid to secure back-to-back wins against Rangers at Pittodrie for the first time since 2006.
Shinnie said: “It was the perfect start to try and split the Old Firm.
“From where we were, even a bit of consistency during the winter months and we would have been a lot closer.
“That was down to us – our form wasn’t good enough.
“We put ourselves in a great position to try to finish as high up as we could, then we ruined it.
“Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if we’d even picked up four or five wins during that time over the winter, we’d be in a far better position.
“But even four or five wins over a period like that isn’t great for Aberdeen.
“Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but the good thing for us is we’ve started to find our form again.
“And we are really pushing going into this final stage of the season.”
From a significant lead on Rangers in late October, the pendulum has now swung to the second-placed Ibrox club sitting 16 points ahead of the Reds.
Valuable lessons learned in slump
Aberdeen’s fight is now for third place.
They trail the third-placed Hibs by one point with only six Premiership games remaining this season.
Thelin has rebuilt the Dons squad across two transfer windows since arriving at Pittodrie as manager last summer.
Scotland international Shinnie reckons valuable lessons were learned by the new additions during that winter slump.
He said: “It has been a case of learning how to deal with things when they’re not going our way.
“It’s still a relatively young squad, so not everyone has been in those situations before, so you have to work out how you handle yourself.
“A lot of players have come from different countries, different leagues, so it’s all new to them.
“They were not familiar with the league – it’s relentless in terms of how teams play and how Scottish football is.
“Teams rubbed off on each other, they saw what others had done against us and did it, too.
“Fair play to them for that, but for us it was about finding ways to get through it.
“We have done that and the form has changed.
“But you don’t want to go through those phases in a season. It’s something you want to avoid.
“So you have to learn from that, work out how to control games together, stick to your beliefs and get through it.
“Credit to everyone as we stuck together and have come out of the other side.
“Most of the boys have long-term contracts, so it will stand them in good stead for the years to come.”
From the ashes of a disastrous winter, the Dons have reignited the season and are fighting for success on two fronts.
Aberdeen fighting on two fronts
As well as the battle for third, Aberdeen are also bidding to lift the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1990.
They face Hearts at Hampden in the semi-final on Saturday April 19.
Shinnie said: “We have loads to play for over the remaining games.
“The league is the bread and butter of your season and it’s going to be a really exciting end.
“Hibs are in great form and so are Dundee United, who are still there in the fight.
“I don’t know if I’ve had it this close with three teams going into the final games before – it’s exciting.”
Conversation