Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass is aiming to hit back hard in the second half of the season after an inconsistent first half of the campaign.
The Dons ended 2021 in sixth place of the Scottish Premiership thanks to a 2-1 win against Dundee at Pittodrie on Boxing Day.
Glass was happy to see his side back in the top half of the table after winning four of their five matches in December but he is looking for more improvement in 2022.
When asked if the top six was the minimum for the Dons he said: “I would say so.
“I know the demands of managing this club and I am disappointed when we aren’t producing.
“When you are talking about targets and all that and Aberdeen are out of the top six then it is not right. I am responsible for that. It is difficult to front up.
“I am happy the players are getting closer to where they should be and the performances are improving.
“Hopefully the players can recharge and get ready to hit the second half of the season hard.”
Players have responded well to the tests they have faced
Glass does not dispute it has been a tough first half of the campaign for his first full season in charge at Pittodrie but he believes his players have handled the challenges well.
With his side also having won five or their last six home games the Dons boss believes the club is well placed for a strong finish to the season.
He said: “We could do better, we always try to do better.
“We have shown a bit of mental toughness when we were getting kicked a bit when we were down.
“We have five of the last six games here and I want that to continue when Rangers come here next.
“We had spells where we didn’t get many points but we aren’t a million miles away from where we should be.
“If we do what we can then we should be right up there where we should be.
“We could do better and will do better.”
