WE’RE NOT BOTTLERS
‘We haven’t performed as well as we can in the last two games but this season’s Premiership is the most competitive I’ve played in
THE accusations have been flying thick and fast these last few days that Aberdeen cannot handle the pressure when it comes to making a meaningful title challenge.
Not one, but two chances to turn up the heat on Celtic were squandered in the space of five days as points were dropped at home against Inverness Caley and Partick Thistle.
In the eyes of most observers, it created a somewhat flat start to the new year for the Dons when they should have been making a serious statement of intent to Ronny Deila’s stuttering champions by leapfrogging them at the top of the table.
When the going gets tough, then, the Dons don’t seem tough enough to get going....
Pittodrie midfielder Willo Flood doesn’t see it that way, however.
Having spent the vast majority of the last decade playing in Scotland’s top flight, the combative Irishman is convinced the league has never been more competitive than it is now.
And he credits that — rather than any perceived lack of bottle in pressure situations — for the Dons failing twice in five days to move above Celtic at the top of the Premiership.
Flood admits that standards slipped for Derek McInnes’ men when they drew 2-2 with Inverness Caley and 0-0 with Partick, but he is startled by the negative reaction to those results.
And he points out that, after eight league games unbeaten, Aberdeen are still starting the new year on the same points as Celtic, even if they have played two games more.
‘The bottling thing doesn’t come into it,’ claimed an indignant Flood after the Dons were jeered by a section of their supporters at the end of Wednesday’s stalemate.
‘We just haven’t performed as well as we can in the last two games, but we’re unbeaten and we’re still up there.
‘If you had told anyone at the club or the fans that we would be joint top with Celtic on New Year’s Day, although they have games in hand, I’m sure they would have bitten your hand off.
‘We’ve been on a good run lately, five wins and three draws isn’t a bad points tally. If we had turned those draws into wins, we would have been in a better position.’
The former Dundee United and Celtic player believes not enough credit is being given to the quality of opposition Aberdeen have faced at a time when top-flight sides seem more closely matched than ever.
‘It’s a tough league and teams will drop points, nobody is going to win every week,’ he added. ‘The league is very competitive, much more so than in previous years.
‘I’d say this season is the most competitive Premiership I’ve played in and you need only look at the amount of points splitting most of the teams to see that.
‘In the past, the Old Firm would have been miles clear. Now there are hardly any points between a big chunk of teams. That shows it’s really competitive and that’s good for the game. The teams are more closely matched. There isn’t the big gap between the top six and bottom six teams any more. There are definitely no easy games.’
Flood and his team-mates need no reminding of how true that has been against tomorrow’s opponents St Johnstone, who accounted for two of Aberdeen’s three home defeats in 2015.
By far the most painful occurred the last time they met in October when the Perth club won 5-1 at Pittodrie, arguably the worst result for the Dons since McInnes took charge.
In fact, the Dons won only once in their four meetings last season, and Flood admitted: ‘It’s always tough against St Johnstone.
‘I don’t think their team or (manager) Tommy Wright gets the credit they deserve for the job they have done consistently over a few seasons now.
‘They are chasing us for second place and that just goes to show how good their results have been.
‘They beat us 5-1 at Pittodrie earlier in the season, which was a bit of a freak result, but you have to credit them for taking their chances.
‘They were clinical that day. In Steven MacLean, they have one of the best hold-up strikers in the league. So we know how hard it will be when we play in Perth.’
The immediate task for McInnes is to decide who will partner Flood in the holding role after captain Ryan Jack was sidelined for at least six weeks after tearing a hamstring in midweek.
His absence will probably see Graeme Shinnie move into midfield and Andy Considine recalled at left-back but the Aberdeen manager has the option of bringing in a replacement now the transfer window is open.
He is already looking at loan deals as full-back Ryan McLaughlin has returned to Liverpool and Josh Parker is set to return to Red Star Belgrade.