THINGS MIGHT GET UGLY
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JOE LEWIS has warned futures are on the line at Aberdeen.
The Pittodrie keeper says the under-fire troops must start impressing their new manager right now if they want to be part of the long-term plans.
And Lewis says the Dons might have to turn ugly to do it.
The 34-year-old believes it’s a fresh start for the group after the axing of Stephen Glass.
But Lewis has made it clear the squad has to deliver immediately if they want to stick around under Jim Goodwin.
He said: “There is always that when a new manager comes in. That’s another reason why the season isn’t over for anyone.
“Even if there was no target in the league, it’s not over for individuals who are thinking about their futures.
“You’ve got to play for that as well. You play for the club, you play for the badge.
“But a lot of people will be thinking: ‘I need to earn myself a contract, I need to prove to the new manager that I deserve to be in the team.’
“Whoever that manager is, there’s a likelihood that if they’re not watching already, they’ll go through the games that we’ve played recently and watch how players have been performing. So it needs to start now.
“Everyone needs to step up. There are not many people at the club right now who can be happy with their work. We need to improve.
“It needs to come from within, so there is responsibility on everyone to show character.”
Aberdeen can start their rehab at Motherwell today having meekly surrendered at Fir Park seven days ago in the Scottish Cup. Once again, Glass’ team were found wanting in a battle and he paid with his job just hours after the last-16 sickener.
Lewis said: “We need to win the fight. The ugly side of the game this season, the nitty-gritty hasn’t been good enough.
“When the games have opened up and been more open we have played well. Certainly, when we have played Rangers and Celtic, teams who come at you and are open, we have been a bit more open.
“When it has been a battle and a fight we haven’t done that enough. The majority of the games in this league are about winning the battle. You don’t win games if you don’t win the battle. “I am not talking about throwing elbows and scrapping. “I am talking about winning second balls, winning headers, clearing with conviction in the box and not waiting for someone else to do it. “This is about determination in either box. Don’t be on your heels or waiting on someone else to do the job. They are basics and we need to brush up on them. It gives you a platform to build on. We need to show more of that.”
If Aberdeen manage to recover their form and get back to winning ways after a lengthy period of frustration under Glass, there is still something to salvage from the campaign in terms of grabbing a European place for next season.
Lewis accepts that is not enough for a club of Aberdeen’s standing in the Scottish game. But at least it would be a starting point and springboard
into next term.
He said: “We’re not going to pretend. A club like Aberdeen should be competing in all competitions and we haven’t done that in any yet.
“But there’s still an opportunity there for European football and how we finish this season will have an impact on the club and the start of next season – how we go forward.
“We’re out of the cups, the league form hasn’t been good and the league position isn’t great at the moment.
“But the season is far from over for us. There are opportunities to turn a very disappointing season into something that no one is going to be particularly proud of, but we can salvage something from it.”