Former Aberdeen goalkeeper Bobby Clark believes the Dons can keep up their recovery from one of the darkest weeks in the club’s history.
Clark regards Jim Goodwin’s final week in charge at Pittodrie as was one of the lowest points in the club’s 120-year existence, with the shock Scottish Cup exit at Darvel bookended by a 5-0 Premiership defeat at Hearts and a 6-0 mauling by Hibernian at Easter Road.
The games spelled the end of Goodwin’s 11-month managerial reign, but Clark can see green shoots of recovery for the club under interim boss Barry Robson.
He said: “There’s no easy games and Darvel showed that against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup.
“The draw would have been unbelievable for Aberdeen had they beaten Darvel.
“Falkirk at home then Ayr United at home in the quarter-final would have given them a great chance of getting back to Hampden for a semi-final.
“But there is no use looking back.
“Poor Dave Cormack must be pulling his hair out thinking what might have been.
“But sometimes the darkest days are before the dawn. That week was probably among the darkest days ever at Aberdeen, but I think things are getting brighter.”
Result in Glasgow would be huge for players – and Robson
Robson has one win and one defeat from his two games in charge and is set to continue in the role for Saturday’s league trip to Glasgow to face his former club Celtic.
Former keeper Clark knows the Premiership champions are in a rich vein of form, but he hopes Robson and the players can grasp their chance to make amends for their poor display when the Hoops visited Pittodrie in December.
The former goalkeeper said: “Celtic look very good, but Aberdeen have a lot of good players.
“They are much better than their record has shown so far, so this is a big test for them but also an opportunity.
“It’s a big one for Barry, too. If he and the players can get a result, it would be huge for them and him.
“It will be interesting to see how Barry does. He’s certainly got the team going in the last two games and he’s had three weeks to work with the players now.
“Saturday will be interesting as the last Celtic game was one where I don’t think Jim Goodwin did himself a lot of favours in terms of the way he played the game.
“He sat back and took a lot of criticism as a result. The fans were disappointed with the approach.”
Clark hoping for more attacking intent for Robson’s Dons at Celtic Park
The ultra-defensive approach of Goodwin against the Hoops at Pittodrie almost worked until Callum McGregor struck a late winner for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Clark, who won the top-flight title with Aberdeen under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1980, when the Reds finished a point ahead of Celtic, is hoping to see more attacking intent from the Dons in the east end of Glasgow this weekend.
He said: “This is a harder game as it’s down at Celtic Park and I’m intrigued to see how Barry approaches it.
“I don’t know him well enough to know the way he’ll see this game, but I know he was a very aggressive and competitive as a player.
“You could see some of his character traits in the team in the two games he has been charge.
“You have got to defend well, but you have got to attack when the opportunity allows.
“I remember under Alex Ferguson we did well at Celtic.
“I can remember a cup replay down there when Alex McLeish was breaking into the first team and he was used as a holding midfield player to make sure we were really solid defensively.
“But his big thing was always ‘we go to Glasgow to win games’ – even though he made sure the back door was bolted, he encouraged us to get forward.”
Aberdeen confirm Barry Robson to remain in interim charge for rest of February
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