STEWART: IT’S A DISASTER... ALL-TIME LOW
ANTHONY STEWART admits that Aberdeen’s Darvel disaster was an all-time low.
It was the worst result in the 120-year history of a proud club who’ve won two European trophies.
A humiliation for the manager Jim Goodwin and the Pittodrie players responsible for the debacle in East Ayrshire.
As captain, Stewart didn’t try to disguise the fact it was the lowest point of his own career.
He said: “It was a disaster. It was a painful one. As players we have to look in the mirror and take full responsibility.
“We have to say sorry to the fans. We didn’t go out there and intend to lose and we let ourselves down.”
Asked about being his lowest ebb, Stewart said: “Definitely.
“It’s all about consistency. We cannot do it for one game and not the three games after.
“We have to take this job seriously as there are careers and lives that rely on us.
“We didn’t give it our all in a game that was on television. We went a goal down and we looked defeated.
“You have to stand up and fight and not all of us can say we did that, including myself.”
From the moment the West of Scotland League leaders scored in the first period, there was an inevitability about the outcome. The statistic of one win in nine games since the World Cup break is harsh enough.
But not once this season have Aberdeen recovered from the loss of the opening goal in a game. Not even a draw.
Every single time they have gone behind, they have lost. It screams of mental weakness within the group.
Defender Ross McCrorie came out in the wake of a gutless show at Kilmarnock and called it atrocious. Following the last midweek’s 5-0 humbling at Hearts, he used the word “disgrace”.
But again in Darvel, it was the same old story. No conviction to breach a defence operating mainly in Scotland’s sixth tier. Stewart said: “It was all about mentality. We have to demand more from each other.
“We have to play like it means a lot to us. You can’t go out there coasting in games and think things will just turn for us.
“You have to work hard to fix things.
“I’m not shying away from it. I take responsibility for my own actions. I’m a strong character and I will keep going and keep trying to do better.”
Goodwin called it an “embarrassment” and a “humiliation.”
And Stewart added: “We were embarrassed and we have to do better.
“I feel it a lot for the gaffer. He prepared us in the right way and we let him down. We also let ourselves down, the fans down and the club down.
“We have got to roll our sleeves up and go again. We have to come together as a team and bounce back. We can definitely recover from this. We have to go on the pitch and do it.”