Considine is sure this Aberdeen squad can mount a title challenge if they sort out their form against the Old Firm
Andrew Considine has suffered a great deal of disappointment against the Old Firm since making his Aberdeen debut in 2004 but nothing compares to the frustration the defender currently endures as part of what he regards as the best squad of players during those 14 years in the team.
Considine scored twice in this routine win over Hamilton as the Dons moved to within eight points of Celtic at the top, and six clear of a Rangers side who were supposed to sweep them out of second place this season.
The result means Aberdeen have dropped just 11 points in total against nine of the ten teams currently below them in the Premiership this season but the Pittodrie club’s longest serving player knows that has been undermined by losing all five games against the Old Firm.
Rangers have beaten them three times and Celtic twice but Kilmarnock provided further evidence on Saturday that Brendan Rodgers’ side are far from invincible at the moment and Considine feels the Rugby Park result should inspire Aberdeen to believe they can do likewise and mount a serious tilt at the title.
He said: “When you look at that [Celtic’s result against Kilmarnock], it is achievable [to challenge at the top]. They can turn it on when they come up here and you see it when they come and play us and we go and play them that they do step up their game.
“It’s just the way football is and we’ve got to overcome that. I’m not sure if it is a bit of fear or what but we haven’t really fired on all cylinders when we’ve played them [the Old Firm] this year home and away.
“When it comes to other teams, we’re not blowing them away, but we’re scoring goals and playing good football. It’s vital when we do come up against Celtic and Rangers we treat them exactly the same.
Celtic are due to come here in three weeks so that’ll hopefully show how far we’ve come.” Considine broke the deadlock in 24 minutes then rounded things off with the third goal just before the end after Nial Mcginn had ended any doubt about the outcome by scoring his second since returning from South Korea in 79 minutes.
Considering they had Kari Arnason, Mark Reynolds, Greg Stewart and Manchester City’s on-loan midfielder chidi Nwakali on the bench, and with Stevie May still to return from injury, is this the strongest Dons squad of recent time? “Absolutely!” claimed Considine. “Even if you look at some of the boys left out against Hamilton, who weren’t even on the bench.
“Young Scotty Wright for example. He’s a really exciting talent and has shown when he’s come on the pitch and started he’s got bags of talent. The manager has assembled really well since we lost a few faces.”
Hamilton know that only too well. Mcinnes signed up their captain Mikey Devlin last month while Martin Canning has had to make do with signing the likes of Carshalton Athletic’s Mickel Miller to try to avoid relegation.