Boss Jim Goodwin is confident Aberdeen will immediately bounce back from their Tannadice shocker to repay their fans.
A 4,000-strong travelling support were left stunned as the Dons crashed to a humiliating 4-0 loss at Dundee United.
The Tannadice club were rock bottom of the Premiership and sweeping aside Aberdeen was their first league win of the season.
Reds boss Goodwin had to watch the defeat unfold from the stands at Tannadice as he served the first of an eight game ban (two suspended).
Goodwin believes the score was not a realistic reflection of the game, saying: “I don’t think we deserved to be on the end of a 4-0 drubbing.”
However he has apologised to fans for the derby disaster and vowed to put it right against Hearts at Pittodrie on Sunday.
Goodwin said: “We apologise to those supporters who travelled down the road.
“The effort they went to was incredible but unfortunately we weren’t able to give them the result we wanted to give them.
“A huge travelling support went to the game and we let them down, it’s as simple as that.
“Now we want to repay the faith they put in the team and the effort to support us last week.
“We want to repay them with a good performance and a good result.”
Goodwin returns to dugout
Goodwin will be in the dugout for the Dons’ visit of Hearts on Sunday.
The Dons boss received an eight-match ban for accusing Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous of “blatant cheating” in his post-match interview following the Dons’ 3-1 defeat against Hibernian at Easter Road.
The Dons boss served the first of an immediate six-game ban in his side’s 4-0 defeat at Dundee United last weekend with two matches suspended until the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
The Scottish FA have confirmed that Goodwin’s appeal will be heard on October 31, meaning that the Dons boss will be able to return to the dugout this weekend.
Goodwin’s comments came in the aftermath of an incident between Porteous and Aberdeen defender Liam Scales.
Referee David Dickinson awarded a penalty and sent Scales off, for a second yellow.
However footage subsequently showed Porteous dragged Scales to the ground.
Aberdeen were leading 1-0 at the time of that controversial incident and would go on to lose 3-1.
In the next game the Dons swept aside Kilmarnock 4-1 at Pittodrie.
The ability to recover from setbacks
Goodwin points to that defeat of Killie as proof of the Dons’ ability to rebound from setbacks and bad defeats.
He wants a repeat against Hearts on Sunday.
Goodwin said: “We have shown in weeks gone by that we have been able to bounce back under difficult circumstances.
“After the Easter Road game where we lost 3-1 we bounced back with a really positive result against Kilmarnock.
“We have to do the same this weekend against a very good Hearts team.”
Goodwin could ring the changes
Goodwin could be set to make changes in light of the defeat at Tannadice.
He admits a number of players have been “patient” this season in waiting for game time.
That time could come against Hearts this weekend.
Goodwin said: “We have decisions to make prior to the weekend with the team selection.
“It’s a great position for me to be in as we have a very hungry squad that is very competitive.
“One or two players have been very patient and we will see what happens come the weekend once we make the decision on the starting XI.”
Barron in contention for start
Summer signing Callum Roberts is Aberdeen’s only injury absentee for the match against Hearts,
Roberts has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in only his second game for the Dons on August 6.
Aberdeen welcomed back midfielder Connor Barron from a four month injury lay off against Dundee United.
The 20-year-old was introduced at half-time at Tannadice.
It was Barron’s first game time this campaign having suffered a knee injury during a pre-season friendly at Highland League Buckie Thistle.
Goodwin said: “Connor Barron has had another really good week’s training.
“I thought both Barron and (Leighton) Clarkson came on and added a bit of quality to the team (against Dundee United).”
‘I don’t think we deserved to be on the end of a 4-0 drubbing.’
Aberdeen lost two quick-fire goals at the end of the first half against Dundee United to trail 2-0 at the break.
Due to his ban Goodwin was unable to go into the Tannadice dressing room at half-time to talk with his players.
The Dons would concede two more in the second half via a Jamie McGrath penalty and Ross McCrorie own goal.
Goodwin does not believe his side deserved to lose so heavily.
He said: “We were coming into that game off the back of a very good result and performance against Kilmarnock.
“For whatever reason we were just not able to break Dundee United down.
“I thought we were in control of possession for large periods at 0-0 but we didn’t do a great deal with it.
“That’s the frustrating bit from our point of view.
“I don’t think it was a 4-0 game. I don’t think we deserved to be on the end of a 4-0 drubbing.
“But certainly at 2-0 United we felt we were still in the game.
“The third one the penalty, the fourth one the OG those types of things can happen.
“It was the manner in which we lost the two goals just before half-time in quick succession.
“Losing the one with a few minutes to go before half-time was fair enough as you can talk about it at half-time and get it sorted.
“But to lose a second one so quickly after that and go in 2-0 down at half-time in a game we weren’t really troubled a great deal was a difficult one to take.”
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