Interim Aberdeen manager Barry Robson insists his main priority is ending the club’s crash in form and bringing calm after a turbulent period.
Robson has been placed in interim charge of the Reds as the Pittodrie hierarchy search for a replacement for Jim Goodwin.
Chairman Cormack and the board sacked Goodwin following a 6-0 humiliation at Hibs on Saturday.
Aberdeen have won just once in 10 games in all competitions since the winter break and have dropped into the Premiership bottom six.
Development phase manager Robson will be in charge for the clash against St Mirren at Pittodrie on Wednesday.
He says the Pittodrie board have put no time frame on how long he will be interim manager.
Robson is second favourite with bookmakers to land the job permanently.
The former Scotland international refused to be drawn on whether he would throw his hat in the ring to permanently boss Aberdeen.
For now making sure Aberdeen start winning again is his sole focus.
Robson said: “It hasn’t been a great week with three games where we were below the standards set at this football club.
“What we will do is try to reverse that and try to move it forward.
“We need to calm everything down a wee bit and to get the best out of the players who are here.
“It is amazing how much a week in football can turn everything, which is frustrating and disappointing.
“What we need to do is to remind the players that they are good players.”
‘We want people who are passionate’
Robson has only been in interim charge for a few days.
He has already reinforced the message to the squad that there must be a pride in playing for Aberdeen.
That Aberdeen want people who are “passionate” to play for the club.
👍 Straight to work ahead of Wednesday night's match with St Mirren.
Get behind Barry at Pittodrie this midweek 👇
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) January 30, 2023
Robson said: “They will be hurting and we know that.
“We have told them they are better than that and we expect more.
“It is frustrating because you saw the chairman’s passion for the football club, which was great and what we are looking for.
“When you come to Aberdeen you want to play for Aberdeen.
“We want people who are passionate to play for this football club.
“It is a great football club and we are proud of being Aberdeen FC.
“And that will be reinforced to the players when I speak to them.”
‘No time frame given by club’s board’
Aberdeen’s board will not be rushed into replacing Goodwin and are willing to take their time to land the right candidate.
Aberdeen have sacked three managers in little more than two years with Goodwin, Stephen Glass (2022) and Derek McInnes (2021) dismissed.
It is understood the board are willing to wait months to make the right appointment if required.
Robson said: “I’ve spoken to them (Aberdeen board) and they have asked me to take over for the time-being, which is fine.
“There has been nothing further than that at the minute.
“We have lost a good manager in Jim.
“I am just here to help the club as much as I can over the next few days and then we will see where we are at.
“No, there is no time frame. I haven’t spoken about that.
“I know Dave (Cormack, chairman) and Stewart (Milne, former chairman) quite well.
“All we spoke about was the fact we have had a couple of bad results and we have to try to put a good performance on.
“To try to settle things down a wee bit.
“I will be meeting them over the next few days or so to see where we are at.”
Robson refuses to be drawn on whether he’ll put hat in ring
Poland’s World Cup manager Czeslaw Michniewicz is interested in the Aberdeen post.
Michniewicz is a free agent having not renewed his contract with the Polish national squad when it expired at the end of 2022.
He led Poland to the knock-out stages at the World Cup in Qatar, the first time the nation had achieved that feat since 1986.
Asked if he could throw his hat in the ring, Robson said: “Listen, all I’m doing is my job for this football club and that’s something that needs to be spoken about later.
“We have two games coming pretty quickly.
“That’s the most important thing we have to concentrate on right now.”
‘Winning is key’
The former Scotland international will be assisted by Steve Agnew, who worked with Robson at Middlesbrough.
He will also be assisted by Aberdeen development phase coach Scott Anderson.
Aberdeen have two quick fire home games with St Mirren on Wednesday night and Motherwell on Saturday.
Asked what his focus during the next few days will be, Robson said: “Winning.
“That is the key. You are at a club where you are expected to win.
“You are expected to run, work hard, communicate – all these things that don’t require talent.
“Be consistent when you play the game.
“That’s what I expect.
“I will never give a player into trouble when they give the ball away or make a bad pass.
“But things you need to be consistent with and don’t require talent – that’s what I am looking for from players.”
Aberdeen players ‘have been fine’
Robson has taken the players through training sessions at Cormack Park in the build up to the St Mirren game.
Confirmation of Goodwin’s sacking came just 19 minutes after the 6-0 humiliation at Hibs.
Just five days earlier the Dons had suffered the worst result in the club’s history, losing 1-0 in the Scottish Cup to sixth tier Darvel.
Aberdeen had also lost 5-0 at Hearts just days before the Darvel shocker.
Robson said: “It has been a difficult couple of weeks for the club.
“We have lost a couple of games, which has been frustrating.
“We’ve been in the last few days and I have managed to speak to a few of the players and to see how they have been doing.
“They have been fine.”
Exclusive: Poland’s 2022 World Cup manager Czeslaw Michniewicz wants Aberdeen job
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