GRANITE GRITTY
Glass stays strong with Dons now
STEPHEN GLASS is confident his Aberdeen team have turned a corner and they will show St Johnstone they are no longer the soft touch they once were.
The Dons boss knows there have been times this season when his players have buckled when faced with adversity.
Glass has been critical of them internally and externally but he believes they have shown real character in the back-to-back wins over Livingston and St Mirren.
It has got the Reds looking up rather than down and the Dons gaffer wants to see them build on that at McDiarmid Park on Saturday.
They are also looking to avenge Saints’ win at Pittodrie, thanks to a Stevie May goal, back in September.
Glass said: “It is not so much what can we do better. It is when we have opportunities to play that we do it.
“We have to stand up to any sort of fight that there might be. That might have been a question that has been labelled at us at times. There was a lot of fighting spirit in the group at the weekend. ”
Glass has refused to pigeon hole his particular playing style but was brought in with the strict remit of entertaining and re-energising the Red Army.
Most of the season he has been pretty gung-ho but defensive frailties has left his team wanting.
Glass now seems to have come up with a formation and system that has not only shut the back door but got the Dons playing with a real purpose and cutting edge at the top end. That was shown as they hit St Mirren for four last weekend.
Glass said: “The first half the quality was lacking and the conditions dictated that a lot.
“The second half we passed it and moved quick enough and it was brilliant to see.
“The disappointing thing was we didn’t score a few more.”
The main goal threat has fallen on the shoulders of Christian Ramirez.
The American got a double against St Mirren to take his tally to 11, while fellow frontman Marley Watkins also netted a brace.
Glass reckons it is a major bonus that both his main strikers are now starting to fire.
He said: “You want your centre forwards getting among the goals. We have scored a few goals lately.”
A lot of Aberdeen’s issues have been down to injuries. That, however, is starting to ease.
Jack MacKenzie has a chance of making the trip to Perth while Declan Gallagher also came back into the squad at the weekend.
It has also been something of a rollercoaster campaign for keeper Joe Lewis. He was dropped earlier but is now back in the No.1 spot.
Glass said: “Joe has been back to his best in the last couple of weeks. There is a lot of competition here, so it’s important the boys are on their game.”