Former Aberdeen midfielder Neale Cooper is confident the Dons will handle the weight of expectation in tomorrow’s Betfred Cup semi-final against Morton.
The Reds are overwhelming favourites to defeat their Championship opponents in tomorrow’s last-four tie at Hampden Park.
Manager Derek McInnes ended the 19-year wait for silverware in March 2014 when the Dons won the League Cup with a penalty shootout win against Caley Thistle at Parkhead.
Aberdeen’s recent record at Hampden does not make for impressive reading, however, losing on the last six visits to the national stadium, including a 4-3 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat against First Division side Queen of the South in 2008.
The Dons go into the game in excellent form having won their last five matches, and Cooper believes the current side will deal with the pressure.
The 52-year-old, who won nine trophies during his seven years with the Dons before moving to Aston Villa in 1986, said: “When we were doing well in the 1980s we were favourites going into most games. We had to live with the pressure.
“Aberdeen went excellent last season and were already looking strong, but they look even more equipped to deal with anything thrown at them this season. They look unstoppable just now.
“They are rightly going into the game as favourites, and the manager will drill it into the players they need to win the contests first then play.
“Morton manager Jim Duffy will be organised and ready to try to make life difficult, but Aberdeen will take the game to them.
“The team is going into the game in great form and Morton will have to be at their very best to even think about getting a result.”
Tens of thousands of supporters turned out to watch the League Cup being paraded through the centre of Aberdeen in 2014, and Cooper reckons there is an appetite for further success.
The former Ross County manager added: “Going back to the 1980s when we were doing well, the oil prices were not great, much like now, so there are similarities.
“There has not been a lot of positive news recently, but Aberdeen getting to a cup final would be a lift for everybody.
“I sense there’s a really good feeling about the team around the stadium at home games.
“The team got to a final a couple of years ago and after experiencing the euphoria that came with that occasion they will be desperate to get back there.
“It can sometimes take something like that to lift the mood in the city.”
Tomorrow’s match, which kicks off at 12.15pm, is set to be played in front of a less than half-full Hampden, with the Dons selling less than 11,000 tickets.
Cooper is confident the inconvenient kick-off time will pale into insignificance should the Dons progress to the final, and he added: “The 12.15pm kick-off time at Hampden is a nightmare for the supporters. It’s difficult for anybody to get there for that time, let alone those coming from Aberdeen.
“The players have had plenty early kick-offs before so I don’t think it will bother them.
“It’s more of an issue for the supporters, but it will mean nothing if they watch their team get to the final.”