Darren’s battle with Covid-19
Darren Mackie knows what he is talking about when he speaks of this being a time to be endured – for his old club, Aberdeen and their fans, as well as the general population.
The 39-year-old, who made more than 350 appearances in his 14 years with the Dons, spent over a month in bed after contracting Covid last spring.
With a high fever, followed by bouts of coughing, which left him too weak to lift his arms, he believes he came close to having to go into hospital.
Now fit and well again – and able to continue his work as a painter and decorator within the constraints of the pandemic regulations – he fully understands the frustrations being felt by so many as January drags on.
The current noise around his former club only adds to the general gloom.
There is a more than a little disgruntlement among the Aberdeen support, with the team’s 4-1 trouncing away to Ross County last weekend leading to calls for manager Derek Mcinnes to go.
“That was a sore one, right enough,” admitted Mackie.
“County have changed their manager, with John Hughes coming in, and he has got a real reaction from the players.
“It was not a result any Aberdeen fan will be happy about, but the truth is you sometimes get these scores in football.
“I guess with the League Cup semifinals being played this weekend without Rangers and Celtic, there are bound to be thoughts of what might have been.
“It is seven years since the club last won a trophy, which is getting on a bit for a club of our size.”
Nevertheless, Mackie (below) insists this is a time for patience.
“I think you have to try to keep things in perspective,” he continued.
“Derek has already won silverware with Aberdeen. He was in charge for the League Cup win in 2014 and, given the chance, I believe he can do so again.
“If you go back to the start of the season, everybody was getting excited about the style of football the team were producing.
“Those players are still there. They just need to add a bit of consistency to the performances.
“More importantly, I think Aberdeen are all set for the future.
“The training facilities are excellent now, the plans for the new stadium are ready to go, and the tie-up with Atlanta United over in the United States is just one example of the board’s plans. “We just need to get through this period, as tough as it is.”
That goes as much for what’s happening off the pitch as on it.
“This lockdown does feel a bit like it is going on forever,” said the man who famously shot Aberdeen into the group stages of the UEFA Cup in 2007-08 with his goal against Dnipro in Ukraine.
“I can testify how important it is for everybody to try to stay safe. I would not wish what I went through on anyone – and it could have been a lot worse.
“It came out of nowhere and floored me as if I had been hit by a baseball bat.
“While I was suffering, it certainly felt serious, and I have no idea at all how I caught it.
“So we have to be as careful as we can, and follow all the rules and regulations until the virus can be brought under control.”
Which, for Mackie, means having to follow Aberdeen, the club he has supported all his life, on the television.
“Not being able to go to Pittodrie just now is tough,” he said. “And as much as it is great the games are being played at all, following your team on TV doesn’t save you feeling frustrated when things aren’t going as you would hope.
“If anything, I think there will be fans who take on-field setbacks even worse just now because professional sport is one of the only things still able to continue that they can focus on.
“It is a welcome distraction, but not every team can be doing well at the same time.”