Barry Robson is running the risk of putting himself in the frame for the Aberdeen manager’s job.
Aberdeen have taken their time in identifying and appointing a successor to Jim Goodwin.
Today is day 45 since Goodwin departed the dugout at Easter Road following the 6-0 loss at Hibernian on January 28 and the lengthy delay in naming his successor is largely due to the job Barry has done as interim boss.
I know Barry, having worked with him at Caley Thistle, and I’ve no doubt his focus has been firmly on getting the team organised and points on the board.
Winning over the Aberdeen board will not have been uppermost in his thoughts.
He will have been working away in the hope the new man will be impressed enough and want to find a place for him on the coaching staff when he comes in.
But, given Aberdeen’s steady progress, it is becoming increasingly hard to overlook Barry as a viable candidate.
Third win in a row for Dons would put Robson in a strong position
I’m making the trip to Pittodrie on Saturday to watch the team and if Barry can lead the players to victory, the Dons will be four points behind the Jambos.
That will be no mean feat… considering the gap was 10 points at the start of February and the Dons had slipped into the bottom half of the Premiership table.
It is no secret the Dons have cast the net wide in their search for a new manager, but again, they have been able to take their time because of the job Barry has done.
It is clear the players are enjoying playing for him and his assistant Steve Agnew.
But, if they want Barry to remain in charge, it is up to them to continue to do the business on the pitch.
The longer this process takes, the harder it is going to be to ignore Barry as a genuine contender.
Aberdeen are certainly back in a position to challenge for a European place and Saturday’s game against Hearts will be an acid test of the Dons’ recovery.
From shipping five at Hearts, then six at Hibs, either side of the embarrassment of that Scottish Cup exit at Darvel, it seemed all hope was lost.
But a win this weekend could have the Dons firmly back in a European spot as their other rivals Hibs face a daunting trip to Celtic Park.
Celtic have been relentless and I’d be surprised if they didn’t take all three points at home.
It is vital Aberdeen, who I expect to be backed by a big home support, make their game at Pittodrie count.
Cup progress is great but promotion remains the priority for Inverness
I’m delighted my old striking partner Billy Dodds has guided Caley Thistle to the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.
The financial situation at Caledonian Stadium has been well documented in the last couple of weeks and it makes for gloomy reading.
The timing of this Scottish Cup run could not have been better for the club from the financial viewpoint and I hope reaching Hampden will go some way to easing the pressures at the club.
Inverness are well worth their place in the final four after coming from behind to beat Kilmarnock 2-1 in Friday’s quarter-final.
Former Dons boss Derek McInnes received a lot of plaudits for his brand of football during his Pittodrie tenure, but it was nowhere to be seen in his Killie team in the cup-tie.
The three central defenders did nothing but lump the ball forward all night and it left their strikers fighting for every ball which came their way.
I cannot believe any coach would want their team to play that way and can only hope it was a poor night for Killie.
But that should take nothing away from Doddsy’s players.
Caley Jags worthy winners in quarter-final
Kilmarnock started brightly and got their early goal, but from the 10th minute onwards it was all Inverness.
They were the team getting the ball down, making runs, playing football and they got their reward with the two goals to win the tie.
Caley Jags have a Hampden day out to look forward to at the end of April, but for now all their focus has to be on the Championship.
Inverness are seven points off the play-offs and have work to do if they are to secure a top-four finish.
Promotion remains the number one priority for Billy and his players this season, even if it has to be via the play-off route.
The next three games against Queen’s Park, Partick Thistle and Morton will go a long way to determining whether they can force their way back into the play-off hunt.
Is VAR worth the hassle?
I was on the fence about VAR when it was introduced, but I was prepared to give it a chance in Scotland.
However, some of the recent decisions have left me wondering whether we should scrap it altogether.
We’ve spent an awful lot of money on introducing video technology in the top flight, but we’re nowhere near getting consistent outcomes.
If our officials are still watching incidents back and making decisions which leave people scratching their heads then what’s the point?
I’m beginning to lean towards going back to accepting honest mistakes.
Conversation