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Joe Harper: Securing Alan Burrows as chief executive is Aberdeen’s best signing of the season

JOE HARPER: Aberdeen should contact Poland’s 2022 World Cup manager Czeslaw Michniewicz if he want the Pittodrie managerial hot seat.

Alan Burrows has started his new role as Chief Executive at Aberdeen. Image: SNS
Alan Burrows has started his new role as Chief Executive at Aberdeen. Image: SNS

Securing Alan Burrows as their new chief executive is Aberdeen’s best signing of the season.

Burrows did a fantastic job at Motherwell and can be the man to drive the Dons forward.

It is a masterstroke from chairman Dave Cormack to land the highly-respected Motherwell chief executive.

During his time in that role at Fir Park, Burrows helped Motherwell record their highest ever net profit and record season ticket sales.

They finished third in the Premiership in 2019/20 and played in two domestic cup finals.

Burrows ticks the boxes in terms of both his football and business knowledge.

Aberdeen need young, ambitious people like Burrows with a forward-thinking vision to take the club to the next level.

Everyone I have spoken to about Burrows since the Dons announced his appointment have talked about him in glowing terms.

He is very well respected, and trusted, in Scottish football and beyond.

Motherwell chief executive Alan Burrows sits in the dugout at Pittodrie ahead of a match with Aberdeen on January 23, 2021. Image: SNS

Burrows has a deep understanding of football and business and is a great appointment, particularly with the club looking to eventually move to a new stadium.

After the good news of Burrows’ Pittodrie position, hopefully the Pittodrie board will  follow that up soon by appointing a new manager.

Alan Burrows, right. Image: SNS

I was disappointed to hear Chris Wilder is out of the running as he was a strong candidate due to his Premier League experience.

However, Aberdeen remains a huge draw for prospective managers and big names have indicated they want the job.

Get in contact with Michniewicz

Poland’s 2022 World Cup manager Czeslaw Michniewicz has bossed at the very highest level and wants the Aberdeen position.

It was only a few months ago Michniewicz was managing Poland in the last 16 of the World Cup finals in Qatar.

Michniewicz’s Poland lost that last 16 clash to eventual beaten finalists France.

Poland qualified for the knock-out stage from a group that also included Argentina, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

Michniewicz managed against World Cup winners Argentina and beaten finalists France only months ag0 – and wants the Aberdeen job.

Barcelona and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski and Czeslaw Michniewicz after the World Cup clash with Argentina. Image: Shutterstock

He has a very impressive CV and won the Polish title with Legia Warsaw in 2011.

Surely Aberdeen must contact someone of his calibre to have a discussion, if he is interested in the position?

Lillestrom’s head coach Geir Bakke pictured during a training session of SK Lillestrom ahead of a UEFA Europa Conference League clash with Belgian club Royal Antwerp. Image: Shutterstock

Another potential candidate that has impressed me is Geir Bakke of Lillestrom SK.

Bakke led Lillestrom back to the top flight of Norwegian football in his first season in charge.

He then steered them to a fourth-place finish in their first season back in the top tier to secure Europa Conference League qualification.

Hopefully Aberdeen will spread their net far and not plump for the same managers on the Scottish managerial merry-go-round.

Chairman Dave Cormack and the Pittodrie board have a bit of breathing space to appoint a manger as the Dons are not in action this weekend.

That is due to the humiliating Scottish Cup loss at sixth-tier Darvel.

Next up for the Dons is an away trip to Premiership leaders Celtic on Saturday, February 18.

Aberdeen interim manager Barry Robson against Motherwell. Image: SNS

I would have no concern if interim boss Barry Robson was still in the dugout for the trip to Parkhead.

Robson will certainly not buckle under the pressure of managing away to the Hoops.

He has already shown the right attitude and returned the Dons to winning ways.

If it takes waiting until after the Celtic game to appoint the right manager, then wait.

Robson is a safe pair of hands.

And the search for a new manager cannot be rushed.

Aberdeen interim manager Barry Robson and coach Steve Agnew. Image: Shutterstock

Miovski can still smash 20-goal mark

Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski can still smash the 20-goal mark this season after rediscovering his scoring touch.

Miovski’s form suffered a dip which coincided with the Dons terrible run of results.

He had scored just one goal since the winter break, in the 2-1 League Cup semi-final loss to Rangers at Hampden.

However, he looks sharper since Barry Robson took interim charge of the Dons.

His two goals in the 3-1 defeat of Motherwell were great finishes and took him to 16 counters in all competitions.

Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski celebrates with Luis Lopes after scoring to make it 2-0 against Motherwell. Image: SNS

North Macedonian international Miovski has 13 Premiership games until the end of the season to smash 20 goals.

I think he will do that which would be a great return in his first season, albeit it has been a troubled campaign for the Dons.

Despite the drastic drop in form which saw Jim Goodwin exit Pittodrie, the Dons can still secure European qualification.

That must be the target for the new manager, whoever that is.

Aberdeen may be in seventh place, but they are only three points behind fourth-placed Livingston.

The whole team has looked sharper since Robson took over.

Bojan Miovski celebrates his second goal against Motherwell. Image: SNS

Robson was unfortunate Ross McCrorie was sent off so early into his first game in charge against St Mirren, which threw the game plan up in the air.

Although the Dons lost 3-1 to St Mirren there was a lot more fight, desire and quality shown.

And they delivered it again, at a higher level, to beat Motherwell.

Aberdeen’s season is not over and Europe is the target.

Remembering the Gothenburg Greats

It is fitting the Gothenburg Greats will be presented with the Freedom of the City by Aberdeen City Council.

The club legends will receive that honour on Friday, May 12 as part of a week-long celebration to mark their European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph.

Not only did Aberdeen beat the mighty Real Madrid, they also overcame SV Hamburg later that year to win the European Super Cup.

They remain the only Scottish club to win two European trophies.

That should be acknowledged by not just people in Aberdeen, but the whole of Scotland.

 

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