Dark clouds drift as Dons step into light
AS the wind of change began to blow through Aberdeen this summer, dark clouds started to gather over Pittodrie.
With the Red Army fearing an uncertain future, Pedro Caixinha’s prediction back in May that all good things must come to an end looked prophetic.
Claiming that Aberdeen’s current ‘cycle’ was approaching a crossroads, the mischievous Rangers boss had warned that Aberdeen’s period of stability and success under Derek McInnes was under threat.
Leaving Pittodrie at the end of the season were star wide men Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn, while captain Ryan Jack had secretly agreed a move under freedom of contract to Ibrox.
Worse still, McInnes would later open talks with English giants Sunderland about taking the lucrative post at the Stadium of Light.
Yet since the Dons boss pledged his future to Aberdeen, the gloom has lifted in the Granite City thanks to the calibre of each successive new arrival at the club.
Long-term target Greg Tansey from Inverness has finally been captured by McInnes.
Season-long loans have been agreed for Birmingham City’s former Dundee striker Greg Stewart and Celtic winger Ryan Christie.
Scotland attacker Shaun Maloney’s signing on a 12-month deal is imminent, while McInnes also remains hopeful of landing the speedy and powerful former St Johnstone striker Stevie May from Preston North End.
For new Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie, it is an array of attacking armoury that suggests the end of this Dons cycle will only give way to an era of unprecedented strength.
‘There was a dark cloud hanging over things,’ said Shinnie, who replaced deposed captain Jack before the narrow Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic.
‘At the end of the season there was a lot of talk with Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn leaving, Ryan Jack going to Rangers and obviously the manager potentially going as well.
‘But when the manager announced he was staying that disappeared and the positivity came back.
‘Since then the new signings have brought a massive buzz to the club. It is all looking positive.
‘Shaun Maloney is an older, wiser head that will bring a lot to the team both on and off the pitch.
‘He is the type of player we want here to push us forward.
‘I believe we could be even better next season.
‘But we will need to work harder than ever because the league is getting harder with the calibre of the teams in it.
‘We have got Hibs back in the league, which is brilliant for Scottish football.
‘Hearts and Rangers are both strengthening and Celtic are strengthening on top of what they have already got.
‘It is an exciting time for Scottish football right now and we need to get our heads down and work hard to push on.
‘But I am sure there is more to come from us.
‘The team is getting stronger and we are using our pre-season games to get our match fitness back and get to know each other.’ The challenge facing Aberdeen is to build on a season in which they finished as runners-up in all three major competitions to treble-winning Celtic.
An early chance to progress comes in Europe, where McInnes is targeting a place in the group stage of the Europa League. As an Aberdonian, Shinnie recalls the excitement of the run to the last 32 of the competition in 2007-08 under Jimmy Calderwood before the Dons exited to Bayern Munich.
Ten years on, he would dearly love to lead out his hometown team in the group stage of this season’s tournament.
‘It would be massive for us to reach the group stage,’ said Shinnie, after goals from Adam Rooney, Christie and Bruce Anderson secured a 3-0 friendly win at St Johnstone on Saturday.
‘That is a stage we would all love to play on.
‘If you make it there, some of the stadiums and the teams you would play against are brilliant.
‘I remember in 2008 Pittodrie was packed out. Everyone loves those games because they are something different compared to normal league and cup games.
‘The crowds get to see different styles of play. Bayern Munich were at Pittodrie, which everybody loved. The 2-2 draw Aberdeen got in the first leg was brilliant and so was the Copenhagen game they won 4-0 to get through to the knock-out stages.
‘We would love to be involved in massive games like that.’
No Scottish team outwith Rangers and Celtic have reached the group stage of the Europa League since Calderwood’s Dons.
But Irish side Dundalk’s progression in last season’s tournament offers hope ahead of Aberdeen’s second round qualifier against FC Ordabasy of Kazakhstan or BosniaHerzegovina outfit Siroki Brijeg, who lead 2-0 from the first leg.
‘It definitely can be done but it is really tough,’ said Shinnie.
‘You can only look at the first stage we are in and we know it will be tough in Bosnia or Kazakhstan. But we have the calibre of players to get through.
‘We have had some great results in Europe. When we beat the Croatian side Rijeka 3-0 away in 2015 that was one of my best results in football. I think Rijeka went unbeaten at home for the rest of that season.
‘I do feel that in the ties we lost in the past two years (against Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan in 2015 and Slovenians Maribor last season) we played really well and were unfortunate to go out.
‘We are striving to get better every year and we are looking to give ourselves that chance of a one-game shoot-out to get through to the group stage.
‘But right now our whole focus needs to be on that first game, whoever it is against, and we will just take it game by game after that.’