In light of Celtic’s decisive Premiership advantage, caretaker manager Peter Leven encouraged Aberdeen supporters to “bring the noise” to Pittodrie on Saturday.
The Red Army is coming to grips with the dismissal of assistant Steve Agnew and coach Barry Robson after Tuesday night’s 1-1 home draw against Dundee, which dropped them to ninth in the table and was deemed “unacceptable” by chairman Dave Cormack.
With a midweek away match against Rangers coming up, first-team coach Leven and assistant Scott Anderson will be in charge of the team’s performance against Celtic. Leven is adamant that the players require support from the fans and that the supporters need the players.
“The fans are massive for us,” he remarked. It’s a huge club. The players are needed by the fans too.
“Tomorrow, the players must attend, as this attracts the spectators. I need all of the fans to be there, and maybe tomorrow they can make some noise.
“It will be difficult, but we are Aberdeen, and we are at home. I’m feeling optimistic.
“The past several days have not been easy. I hold Steve and Barry in high regard. I have conversed with them. They entered and gave the staff their thanks. These two are fantastic men, and I have no doubt they’ll receive something more soon.
“We need to stay upbeat and motivate the boys for tomorrow’s game. The most crucial thing is to make sure the boys are prepared, therefore I am taking things day by day and game by game.
“We have some good boys in the changing room. Graeme Shinnie and Jonny Hayes, who are senior players, are excellent coaches.”
“They seem happy after our earlier conversation. The boys worked hard during today’s workout. Each of us is aware of our role, and hopefully we can fulfill it.
“We’re playing Celtic and Rangers in a doubleheader. They have definitely arrived at this time, and we must play them someday.
Defender Slobodan Rubezic, meanwhile, will be sidelined for ten to twelve weeks due to a knee issue.
After sustaining the injury late in last week’s draw with St Johnstone, the center-back had scans, and the results are better than initially anticipated.
The international player from Montenegro won’t need surgery, and given the timeline, he should be back in action before the season is out.
The possibility that Stefan Gartenmann, another central defender, may be fit for Saturday after sitting out the draw against Dundee due to injury, has also given Aberdeen hope.
