Dons give Red Army hope of sweet dreams
Quick quiz question. Who’s the form team in Scotland?
Ah, that’s an easy one, most folk will say. It has to be Rangers.
Unbeaten so far in the league, haven’t lost a goal in Scotland since the bug was just a bairn and the manager and player of the month awards for August are both tucked up at Auchenhowie.
There’s no doubt Rangers are the form side – but there’s a case for Aberdeen being the best performing side in the nation right now.
It’s just they don’t make much of a song and dance about it.
When Gers fans see their team winning five or six on the spin they reckon they are watching the Harlem Globetrotters.
When Aberdeen do it, even some of their own fans say, ‘Aye, it’s nae bad but it’ll niver last, ye ken...’.
But maybe it’s time for those sweetie wrappers to get rustling again on the Granite City couches.
It’s probably the kiss of death ahead of Mothe rwel l today but the turn around in their fortunes this season has been incredible.
In ea r l y August they’d eight players being used as political punchbags after getting caught making the same mistake made by players all over the country.
It cost the Dons three games and with an injury list reading like the end credits of M*A* S* H, the campaign could have unravelled before it even got going.
But fair play to Aberdeen and boss Derek McInnes. They took their dunts, dusted themselves down and the response deserves a heck of a slap on the back – or at least a socially distanced nod.
Dons are getting players back fit and by persuading Ross McCrorie to come on board and join the likes of Lewis Ferguson, McInnes has one of the best young midfields in the country.
The Dons boss has a band of moaners in the support no matter what he does but a lot of it is familiarity breeding a bit of contempt.
The same happened to Tommy Wright at St Johnstone and Neil Lennon gets it at Celtic.
A lot of long- serving gaffers don’t get ful ly appreciated until they are gone and some Dandies need to be careful for what they wish for. They should enjoy this run because it could get even better.
It will take s ome t h i n g really special to take out Sporting Lisbon this week. The Por tuguese being in the thick of a Covid crisis has left the door open a tad but it’s still going to be a huge ask.
Don’t write Aberdeen off though. McInnes has had some superb results in Europe over the years, dumping Groningen, thumping Rijeka, taking Burnley to extra time and raiding Viking.
Getting to the groups would be as big as a trophy win for Aberdeen but the very fact it’s still on the table is a testament to how far they’ve come since those dark days in August.
It might not be in their nature but Don s supporters have reasons to be optimistic.
Maybe it’s time for those sweetie wrappers to get rustling again in the Granite City