New boss specifies twin objective of European football and silverware

Jim Goodwin aims to deliver a minimum of third-placed finishes in the Premiership – and cup success.

To achieve that he will demand that every Aberdeen player gives 100% commitment.

In a whirlwind 48 hours, Aberdeen were given permission by St Mirren to talk to Goodwin on Thursday after agreeing to pay £250,000 compensation.

A deal was completed on Friday night and Goodwin urged the Pittodrie board to push through the paperwork so he could be in the dugout at Motherwell on Saturday.

Goodwin has signed a two-and-a-half year contract at Pittodrie and is joined by Lee Sharp, who was his No. 2 at St Mirren.

Goodwin becomes Dons boss after three years managing Alloa Athletic and another three enhancing his reputation at the Paisley Buddies.

Aberdeen skipper Scott Brown has been linked with the vacant St Mirren managerial position.

But Goodwin insists he plans to have Brown at Pittodrie as a player and will have talks with the 36-year-old today.

Goodwin said: “We need to be at least in third position in the table minimum and go far in cup competitions.

“That’s what the club has done historically and that’s what I want to do as a manager.

“Aberdeen are one of the biggest clubs in the country with the level of investment made on the playing side of things.

“Then you look at the infrastructure and the money the board have pumped into Cormack Park. Everything is here for Aberdeen to be a success.

“We have got to get Aberdeen back up to the right end of the table.”

Goodwin met with the Aberdeen players in their Lanarkshire hotel on Friday night and was in the dugout at Fir Park.

He rejected the opportunity to sit in the stand because he was desperate to start working with the squad immediately.

The new Aberdeen manager is set to meet with director of football Steven Gunn this week to discuss various matters, including the length of players’ contracts.

Goodwin will demand complete commitment from his players in the bid to get the club back to the levels expected. He said: “I want to win, it’s as simple as that. I maybe got caught on the wrong side of one or two challenges during my playing career.

“However, that passion, desire and will to win will be with me forever.

“I want my team to show minimum requirement of 100% commitment every time they cross that line in an Aberdeen jersey.

“That will be what I expect from them.

“Hopefully with that we can add a little bit of the quality we need to go and win more games.

“I asked them to show me they have the commitment and desire to play for Aberdeen. I think they showed that.

“There is obviously a lot of stuff we need to improve on and get better at, but that will come.”

Scott Brown was ruled out of the Motherwell game with a hamstring injury and sat in the stand with chairman Dave Cormack.

Goodwin added: “I can understand why Scott would be one of the candidates for the St Mirren role as he is very far on in his coaching badges.

“I know that is probably the next step in Scott’s pathway.

“But for now Scott Brown is under contract at Aberdeen.

“He was out with a hamstring injury and I’m very much looking forward to having him part of the players’ group when he is back fit.

“I had a brief conversation with Scott on Friday night because he is the club captain. I am looking forward to meeting up with him at the training centre on Monday.

“That’s where we’re at at the moment.”

Goodwin was on course to secure a win for Aberdeen on his debut when Vicente Besuijen put the Reds 1-0 up in the first half.

However Mark O’Hara hit back after the break for the Steelmen.

Goodwin said: “Considering the lack of preparation we had I think a point was a decent return. It wasn’t the best spectacle.”