Aberdeen legend Russell Anderson is confident leaking ‘cheap goals’ will be eradicated by a summer defensive rebuild.
Manager Jim Goodwin has completely overhauled the back-line as part of a transfer window signing spree.
Centre-backs Anthony Scales and Liam Scales were secured along with full-backs Jayden Richardson and Hayden Coulson.
Keeper Kelle Roos was also signed and has taken the No.1 spot from Joe Lewis.
That defensive reconstruction was in reaction to last season when the Reds registered just six clean sheets in 47 games.
Aberdeen have yet to concede a goal so far this season, albeit against lower league opposition in the Premier Sports Cup group games.
Boss Goodwin will have to reshuffle his defence for the trip to Celtic as Liam Scales is unavailable.
Secured on a season-long loan from Celtic, stopper Scales is ineligible to face his parent club due to the terms of his loan agreement.
Anderson, 43, said: “If you have a solid base at the back to build from, players feed off that.
“It gives confidence if you go into a game knowing you will not concede any soft, cheap goals.
“It is a much better position to be in than the other side of the coin where you think we will have to score two or three goals to win a game.
“Aberdeen have not conceded any goals so far, so the initial signs look promising for the centre-back partnership.”
‘Early signs are encouraging’
Boss Goodwin attempted to sign Scales on a permanent deal earlier this summer but Celtic were not willing to sell.
He aims to launch another bid to land Scales permanently during the January transfer window.
Goodwin recently said having Scales unavailable to face Celtic is a price he is willing to pay to get a player of his quality to Pittodrie.
The Reds boss will have to find a solution to the Scales conundrum on Sunday, with Ross McCrorie likely to drop to centre-back from midfield.
That is a 90-minute conundrum. And Anderson thinks the Scales-Stewart partnership will continue to flourish after Parkhead.
He said: “The League Cup group games are not something Aberdeen have been used to playing of late.
“It has given game time to mold the centre-back partnership.
“They will obviously be missing one half of that in Scales when they go to Parkhead.
“However, when you are looking at the season as a whole, they look like they are in a good place at the moment.
“The early signs are encouraging.”
New signings have gelled quickly
Goodwin has secured nine signings this summer with a transfer outlay in excess of £1 million.
The Reds began the campaign with four straight wins to top Group A in the Premier Sports Cup.
Anderson said “Aberdeen have started this season well.
“A lot of new players have come in and sometimes it can be difficult for them to gel.
“However, from the looks of it they have gelled well.
“Aberdeen should be looking forward to the season ahead.”
The importance of the club captain
Club legend Anderson made 407 appearances for the Dons over two periods.
The former Scotland international has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Russell Anderson Development School (Rads).
Set up in 2012, it aims to improve the availability of football coaching in deprived parts of Aberdeen.
The foundation has run free summer fun activity camps for under-privileged kids in the city.
As club captain, Anderson led the Reds to League Cup glory in 2014, the club’s last trophy success.
He insists newly-appointed skipper Stewart will be vital in driving standards both on and off the pitch.
He said: “It is not just about ability on pitch, but what else you can bring off the pitch in the changing room.
“The manager maybe already had in mind who his choice of captain was going to be.
“Or it maybe came from the first couple of weeks of training when he saw how the new players integrated.
“When you see how much of an influence they can have in the changing room… It can be important in terms of driving standards and making sure players are ready every day for training and when the game comes as well.”
Multi-million-pound exits from Pittodrie
In a frantic summer of transfer activity, the flow has not only been into Pittodrie.
Two players have left in multi-million deals to major European leagues.
Teen right-back Calvin Ramsay transferred to Liverpool for a deal that could be worth up to £8m to the Dons.
Aberdeen initially secured £4.5m, but could land another £3.5m in additional add-ons should Ramsay meet certain landmarks with the Premier League giants.
Scotland international Lewis Ferguson transferred to Italian Serie A club Bologna in a £3m deal.
The Dons also pocketed an extra £1m this year in add-ons when Scott McKenna earned promotion to the English top flight with Nottingham Forest.
McKenna had been sold to Forest in a £3m deal in September 2020.
Aberdeen on Euro big guns’ radar
Anderson has experienced a big money move to a major league.
In summer 2007, he transferred from Aberdeen to then top-flight Sunderland in a £1m transfer.
Anderson believes Aberdeen is now firmly on the radar of clubs in Europe’s top leagues.
He said: “You saw this summer how much Aberdeen were able to raise from the transfer of Calvin and the additional money from Scott McKenna.
“Although Lewis Ferguson didn’t come through the academy, he still developed as a young player from being at Aberdeen.
“A lot of the money I’m guessing is being reinvested back into the squad.
“Maybe not all of it, as they also have a stadium to raise money for.
“If they are able to attract young players and show them that is a possibility, then it can only help.
“Once you sell a couple, the perception of the club changes as well.
“Other clubs will come and look to see what’s happening at Aberdeen.
“You have seen that with other clubs previously through the years.
“Hibs went through a spell many years ago when they sold quite a few that came through the academy.
“If you can get yourself into a position of being seen to be producing good-quality young players then you would like the team to benefit from them.
“But, ultimately, as with Calvin’s position, the club benefits financially.
“Calvin also has a great opportunity to go on and try something else.
“The team also benefitted from him while he was here.”
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