GLOOM MEETING
Bates bemoans a dreadful season at Dons and expects a big turnaround under Goodwin
THERE may have been sunshine on Leith on Saturday but there was still dark clouds hanging over Easter Road.
Misery loves company, so perhaps it was inevitable Hibs and Aberdeen would get together for a group hug before sharing the points at the fag end of a dismal campaign for both.
David Bates grabbed a goal in the stalemate but he admitted it felt like the Dons were stuck in work while the parties were happening elsewhere.
The title race, European fight, warm-ups for the Scottish Cup – even the relegation scrap has allowed folk to feel something.
But it was a different story towards the east of Edinburgh as two of the Premiership’s big-hitters converged rather than collided for a celebration of mutual depression.
Bates felt all that was missing was Bully from Bullseye dragging out a speedboat to show these two underachievers what they could have won.
He said: “It is really disappointing. I came to Aberdeen because I wanted to challenge to get into the European group stages.
“Everyone is disappointed as everyone wants to be there. We need to do it next year and get up the league.
“Hearts have had a good season and are in the Scottish Cup Final, finished third and are in European football until Christmas.
“When you look at that it is really disappointing for our squad as we know we should have done better.
“There have been a lot of changes and a lot of things going on. But as a team we should have dug out performances and wins.
“If you look at it, we could still have made the top six after not playing great at all. We just had to beat Ross County.
“If we had made the top six the season would have been a lot better than it was.
“It is what it is. We need to go and show next season why we are at Aberdeen football club – all the players that are there.”
Bates was speaking from an Aberdeen point of view but he might as well have been the appointed rep from both clubs with Hibs in exactly the same boat.
At least the Pittodrie men have a manager who is getting down to work. Hibs are rudderless until they
get a new man in the door and whoever gets the gig will have his work cut out rebuilding a side that has gone from flying high in third to paddling in the muddy puddles of the bottom six.
Dons gaffer Jim Goodwin meanwhile is a man determined to give his entire club a shake.
He’s won just twice since taking charge in February and it’s clear a large chunk of his squad have either been riddled by insecurity or are resigned to packing their bags. Goodwin decided to pick a starting XI in Leith from players who are all under contract and – in theory – will be around next season. As for the rest, they were wearing leper bells on the bench.
Bates said: “The manager has said to us he is straight up and honest and I think he has been that with the boys. To us all really.
“If you have a bad performance he will tell you during the week and what you have to work on. It will be a big summer and the gaffer will get players in for his style of play.
“We’ll see what happens in the summer but I think there will be a lot of players coming in.”
Bates provided a sharp finish to cushion Declan Gallagher’s knockdown and slam home the opener just after the break.
There was a fag paper between the sides at that point but Aberdeen treat holding a lead like it’s attached to a hungry rottweiler.
Inevitably they let go and sure enough Paul McGinn popped up with a similar strike at the other end when he slid in to volley in after James Scott had nodded back Sylvester Jasper’s cross.
By that stage Aberdeen’s bellringing subs were struggling to keep their shape.
Bates didn’t try to sugar coat and the list of things the Dons need to put right in the coming weeks and months is longer than Snow White’s shopping list.
He said: “We don’t kill teams off. We will work on that as the gaffer will have his plans. Obviously he will have his players coming in during pre-season so there will be big changes.
“We just need to create more chances, score more goals and keep clean sheets. It’s not as easy as that – but we need to control games better. We have not controlled games at all and we know that. We have a massive pre-season ahead.”