Considine content to finish best of the rest
ANDREW Considine insists Aberdeen’s management and players are simply being realistic rather than defeatist by admitting they can’t deny Celtic a seventh successive league title this season.
Boss Derek McInnes has already said as much and defender Considine agrees with that assessment, while insisting finishing runners-up for the fourth year in a row should still be seen as a major achievement.
The straight-talking 30-year-old believes the enormous financial gap between the clubs makes it foolhardy to expect Aberdeen, or any other side in Scotland including Rangers, to halt the Parkhead juggernaut.
Celtic’s likely progress to the Champions League group stage following their midweek first-leg 5-0 win over Astana, means they’re poised to pick up another £30million for the coffers.
Even when the Dons gave Celtic a fright in the title race during Ronny Deila’s time in charge, Considine points out that the Glasgow giants were still able to call on the necessary resources to pull away.
‘I don’t think it’s defeatist,’ he said. ‘Some people might say: “You should be saying you’re going to win the league” but you have to be honest.
‘If you’re being realistic, we can push them as hard as we can but then you look at their resources.
‘What came to my mind was Ronny Deila’s last season when we were catching them, if not ahead of them, in the league.
‘In the winter window they went and spent so many millions and they just went into another gear and they’re off and win the league.
‘It’s tough for teams like us and Rangers, Hibs, St Johnstone and Hearts to match that. Second is very realistic for a team like Aberdeen and our aim is to be best of the rest again.
‘That would be huge for us, especially because teams like Hibs are looking very strong.
‘Hearts, too, and obviously Rangers have recruited massively and spent a lot of money. To beat all of them to second place would be massive and put out a big statement.’
Considine appears to have accepted his fate that he’s likely never to follow in the footsteps of dad Doug, who won the league title with Aberdeen as part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad in 1980.
Having made his Dons debut in 2004, back when Steve Paterson was in charge, he only has one winners’ medal to show for all his time in the top team.
That was the League Cup Final victory against Inverness Caley Thistle three years ago, while he suffered defeat in both national knockout finals to Celtic’s Invincibles last season.
Considine is adamant, however, that finishing runner-up to Celtic in the Premiership is as major an achievement as lifting a domestic trophy.
‘Lifting silverware is something every player wants to do but finishing second is massive,’ he said. ‘In some people’s eyes winning a trophy is more of a priority but finishing second, for me, it’s just as good as lifting a trophy.
‘It brings you experience in Europe. Don’t get me wrong, when we won the League Cup it was an incredible achievement.
‘It was fantastic for the city and for the club but having those “best of the rest” bragging rights is something that’s really good for Aberdeen.’