The Dons’ positive start to the campaign continued in midweek with another clean sheet, a handful of goals, and a victory that all but eases them into the knockout stages of the Premier Sports Cup.
Even a draw tomorrow afternoon against Raith Rovers would see them through, and a bonus point penalty shootout victory might be enough to secure a seeded place, but nothing will be further from the minds of Jim Goodwin and his players.
After the last three matches they will be going all out for a win, and given the evidence so far laid out in front of us, there is nothing to suggest they won’t achieve that.
I am well aware that the opposition – one League One side and a couple from League Two – were hardly top-notch, but they still had to be taken care of, and from what I’ve seen, the Aberdeen players did that in a highly competent fashion.
There were five new signings in the starting line-up at Forthbank and another, Luis Lopes, was introduced at half-time. Mason Hancock, Ryan Duncan and Jack Milne – all still just taking their first tentative steps towards becoming first team players – were also given game time.
It has been a remarkable turnaround, albeit a much needed one, and the early signs are that Jim Goodwin, having made some big decisions over the summer, is going to have a significantly better strike rate than Stephen Glass had 12 months ago.
Stephen’s failure in the transfer market was what ultimately cost him his job.
It is far too early to rush to firm conclusions, but if Jim continues to coax the kind of performances out of his players that we have so far seen, and those who have yet to rack up any significant game time also impress, he looks likely to be on to a winner.
The goals have been shared around, which is important, and the defence is keeping the ball out at the other end.
Both those areas will help to build confidence, and if this squad gathers momentum, it could be a campaign to remember.
One of the many bonuses for the manager must be the early impact made by Matty Kennedy. Injuries haven’t helped, but he became a hugely frustrating figure, especially given the talent we all know he possesses. Having him fully fit and firing on all cylinders will be like having another new signing for Jim.
The biggest plus though has been the apparently serene navigation of the group stage, and assuming no slip-up against Raith, the progression into the last 16.
Ross County should also be fine, but St Mirren and St Johnstone have already exited, and Hibernian have gone out in farcical circumstances, while Kilmarnock and Livingston could yet miss out.
That would have been a nightmare scenario for Jim and his newly revamped team.
The real test will begin next week at Celtic Park, but the Dons have so far built up through the League Cup matches, getting stronger with each one. A similar outcome at Pittodrie tomorrow will set them up nicely for the trip to Glasgow.
Then we really will be able to start assessing the strength of the side.
Another entertaining season in store
In a season preview at the start of the week, P&J Sport described the Highland League as the best league in the country.
It is a claim which is hard to argue with.
It will be fascinating to see if Fraserburgh and Buckie Thistle renew the rivalry which kept us all gripped almost to the final whistle of the last campaign.
I bow to my colleagues’ superior knowledge of the division, and their assessment that Graeme Stewart’s side might just go in as favourites, but it would take a brave man to wager any kind of significant sum on that.
Brechin City will have benefitted from the experience of last year, and Brora Rangers will, at the very least, be looking to maintain their consistency, and add to their run of top four finishes.
There will also be significant interest in how Banks o’Dee fare after stepping up from the juniors.
When I move home permanently in a couple of months, seeing more of the Highland League will be on my bucket list. I can’t wait!
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