Robson sounds like he’s getting excuses in early

BK HACKEN were in the Europa League qualifiers because the mighty Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag of the Faroe Islands bounced them out of the Champions League in the preliminary stages.

It was quite something to hear Aberdeen manager Barry Robson talk about a ‘brilliant performance’ in being picked off by the Swedes at home during the week. He put their 3-1 second-leg win, which could easily have been more, down to ‘one counter-attack and a wonder goal’.

He also talked about Hacken’s quality and the money that has been spent there.

Hacken are Allsvenskan champions, so let’s respect that. However, they play in a 6,000-seater ground. They had 30-odd punters at Pittodrie the other night. Hearing their head coach Per-Mathias Hogmo, like a father consoling his child after a 10-0 tonking, tell everyone at Aberdeen they should be proud after the final whistle was so dispiriting. Did it really take meeting a little team from Gothenburg to show how far the Dons have fallen since 1983 and all that?

The Dons board have backed Robson considerably this summer and held onto the likes of Bojan Miovksi and Duk Lopes, who, so far this term, has looked like he’d rather be anywhere but Pittodrie. They aren’t getting an awful lot back other than a long list of mitigating factors from the manager. With Celtic bad and Rangers probably even worse, there was — and is — a chance for another team to have a real go at things this season. It isn’t going to be the Dons, though.

After scrambling a point at St Mirren last weekend, Robson was going on about a ‘learning curve’ from playing in Europe and the challenge of getting new players up to speed. He just looks and sounds like a guy getting his excuses in first. If his team can’t win at home today against the walking disaster zone that is Hibs, it might be time for some properly honest answers for a change.