Aberdeen insist there’s no panic – but their search for new manager drags on
chief executive Alan Burrows admits a new manager is "unlikely" to be appointed before tomorrow's crunch cinch Premiership game against Ross County.
After the departure of interim boss Neil Warnock following the 3-1 Scottish Gas Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock at Pittodrie on March 9, Burrows said “our aim is to appoint a first-team manager during the upcoming international break”.
Warnock and assistant Ronnie Jepson had been appointed until the end of the season on February 5 to replace sacked Barry Robson but failed to win in six league games, with the Dons now sitting in ninth place, three points ahead of County in the relegation playoff place.
Coach Peter Leven will again take the team for the match against the Staggies as Burrows updated the situation on Aberdeen's Youtube channel.
He said: "The search for a new manager is ongoing. I would like to think it's now entering the very final stages.
"Obviously, we said a couple of weeks ago that we hoped to appoint during the international break. It looks unlike-aberdeen ly, unfortunately, at this stage, that this is going to happen during this international break.
"But what I would say and I want to re-emphasise, it's absolutely important that we get this appointment right, rather than quick.
"And whilst this whole process has went on a little bit longer than anyone would have either hoped or anticipated, the key focus for us is to ensure the accuracy of the appointment, that it's right in the long term for Aberdeen Football Club.
"So rather than panic and go into something to just get us through a timescale, it's important that we get it right and that's where we are now, but hopefully the process isn't going to take too much longer."
Asked about the expectation that someone would be in place before tomorrow, Burrows said: "We had that expectation as well. But the reality is during these parts of the process things happen all the time and you have to react to that.
"And that's what we've had to do. We had to ensure that we didn't lose focus on what was important and what is important is getting the right person for aberdeen. we also have had to ensure that we didn't lessen ourselves because we're under some sort of pressure of time.
"But at the same we said, that we went public with that, obviously it was on the back of Neil leaving. And we thought at that particular time that things were ready to finalise.
"Some things come along that you need to react to and we're still there at that particular point but we're still hopeful that the person we have earmarked and the person we have identified is someone who we can appoint to the manager's role very soon."
Attempting to ease supporters’ concerns over the current situation, Burrows added: “I accept the process has gone on longer than anyone would hope or anticipate. But I would like to assure everyone that nothing has dropped off in relation to our desire and aim to get this right.”