It is no coincidence Barry Robson’s return to the Aberdeen team has sparked a superb run of seven wins in eight matches.
A knee injury sustained on the opening day of the season in a 2-1 victory against Kilmarnock meant the 35-year-old had to wait until December to make his second start for the Dons.
The impact was immediate, setting up Andrew Considine’s winner in a Scottish Cup tie at Partick Thistle, and the Scotland international has played a pivotal part in the winning sequence which has followed, chipping in with a double in the 4-3 success at Caley Thistle as well as goals in the victories against St Mirren and Dundee United.
Inverurie-born Robson, whose contract is up at the end of the season, is determined to make up for lost time after a frustrating start to his Aberdeen career. He said: “That’s me played eight games in a row now and I feel I am getting back to my best. I have been fortunate to have avoided any major injuries in my career and it was just a nasty knee problem which kept me out longer than I expected.
“But that’s behind me now and I am enjoying being back. It’s been going well so far as we’ve won most of the games I’ve been involved in.”
The Dons have emerged from the hectic festive period in second position in the Scottish Premiership but Robson knows the real challenge to cement their position as best of the rest behind runaway leaders Celtic starts now.
He said: “We are going into the hardest part of the season. We talk about big games or pivotal moments, this is when it starts to really matter.
“The big games are when you are up in second place in the league and in the cups. This is where we all want to be as football players. We live for these pivotal moments.
“The pressure is on but the supporters have been with us all the way and it’s time to keep driving on. We can’t afford to take the foot off the gas. I’ve seen it before, the second a team does that, all of a sudden they lose two or three games and then struggle to stay in the top six.
“We don’t want that to happen here so we will keep focused and maintain the team spirit.”
The former Rangers, Celtic, Caley Thistle, Dundee United, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Vancouver player is looking forward to Friday night football at Pittodrie – especially as it means he will be able to spend a rare Saturday afternoon with his family instead of on the football pitch.
He said: “I really like it. It’s a chance for people to finish their work and go out and enjoy a game. From a selfish point of view I get to take the kids swimming and bowling on Saturday, which is not something I can usually do. I’m sure a few families will be happy to have their dads on the Saturday.
“But it’s great for the supporters and the players. Saturday is rightly the traditional day for football but there’s something special about playing under the lights on a Friday with a big atmosphere.”