Take it as Red – this beleaguered gaffer still has his integrity

Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin may be under intense pressure but he certainly didn’t show it in his first press conference since the Darvel disaster.

As he addressed the media yesterday he did not have the air of a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

There was no negativity or evasion. He did not dodge questions about the precarious nature of his own position.

Of course he may just be a very good actor.

But on the basis of this 20-minute snapshot Goodwin does not appear to be buckling under the pressure. He did, though, admit there had been much soul-searching during the last few days.

The outcome of that searching is a determination to prove he is the right man to lead Aberdeen forward despite the abysmal crash in form. I have been a football writer for more than 20 years and have grown accustomed to seeing that haunted look of a manager broken by pressure.

The dark, sunken eyes, as if a good night’s sleep is a long-distant memory.

You see the signs when the pressure of the job, the fans’ fury, board’s demands and players not delivering takes its toll. That is not Goodwin. Of course, he looked shell-shocked after the 5-0 loss at Hearts and the humiliation at Darvel.

But in yesterday’s press conference he appeared rejuvenated, perhaps at the opportunity of a second chance he admits he didn’t really expect.

He admitted it would have been the easy option for Cormack and the board to sack him.

After the axe didn’t fall Goodwin looked fired up and ready for the challenge to prove he is the right man for the job.

The defiant manager said he has never shirked a challenge in his life.

This will be his biggest footballing challenge.