There will be no let up in Dons’ will to win, insists Hayes
IT is an indication of the character of this Aberdeen team that, despite losing only two of their last 21 league matches, there was an immediate demand from within that they bounce back when dropping two points in a draw.
That is certainly the case for Jonny Hayes.
After the miserable 0-0 stalemate last weekend with Partick Thistle, the midweek win over third-placed rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle was in keeping with the Dons’ now lofty standards.
With the Premiership title out of reach, and with second place all but consolidated following the victory over the Highlanders, a drop in Aberdeen’s form wouldn’t be altogether surprising due to the lack of obvious motivation.
But after the loss of momentum last season, which eventually resulted in defeat to Motherwell on the final day and missing out on second position in the league, Hayes insists the entire club is as motivated as ever for the run-in.
‘The manager doesn’t want to be where Aberdeen have been the past few years, lingering sort of mid-table. He wants to push as far as we can go,’ said Hayes.
‘We’ve won one cup but he’s hungry to win more because it has a knock-on effect on the team and the club and I think it’s good if the chairman and the board are backing him.’
Both defeats in Aberdeen’s 21-game spell came at the hands of Celtic, a 2-1 Pittodrie loss and a 4-0 Celtic Park thrashing, but it is the dropping of points against sides which they should be beating which feeds the yearning to continue winning.
A stuttering of form in January saw points dropped against St Johnstone and Dundee, while Dundee United knocked them out of the League Cup at the semi-final stage.
In February, they recovered by scoring 10 goals in three wins and conceding zero.
If that was a foreshadowing of what’s to come in April following last week’s draw against Partick and a share of the spoils before the international break against Dundee, then Kilmarnock are next in the firing line today.
‘People will say we haven’t been great for the past couple of games but we’ve still managed to not lose, obviously apart from the Celtic game which is about our only loss in 18 or 19 games,’ added Hayes.
‘If we can now look to stay unbeaten till the end of the season, it’s going to be a very tough ask. But if we can kick on now and play well, then we can bridge the gap between ourselves and Celtic. It gives us something to aim at next season.’
Barry Robson and Willo Flood started the win against Inverness. It was 36-year-old Robson’s first start in 22 games.
However, it is evidence of the depth of players at Aberdeen’s disposal that a man who carries such a wealth of experience hasn’t been able to get into the side.
‘Barry and Willo, for me, dictated how we played and I think that performance (against Inverness) was summed up by Barry, the way he played, and it had a knock-on effect on the team.
‘It’s great that we have a squad depth like that where guys like Joe Shaughnessy and Clark Robertson, who would play for most Premiership teams, can’t even get in the squad at the minute.
‘The way the manager has built the squad has made it one of the strongest in the league in my opinion and it can only help our cause.’
Hayes himself has been a fundamental cog in the Aberdeen machine. Whilst most commonly associated as being a left-winger, he has been played through the middle, almost holding the forward line with Adam Rooney, and been forced to sit at left-back.
He’s embraced each position and, as a result, has become a fan favourite at Pittodrie.
He said: ‘I’ve found myself in different positions and I’ve had a bit more consistency. Maurice Malpas used to say about wingers that he didn’t like them because “they were quite inconsistent”.
‘One day you can have a great game, then the next a bad one. But I think playing in different positions has helped me be a bit more consistent.
‘With the squad we have now, you’re lucky to be one of the 11 starters.
‘Saturday should be the easiest day of your week. You’ve done all the hard work in training. If you manage to play, then you should be happy enough.’