Pittodrie legend Theo Snelders insists Aberdeen should delay appointing a new manager… to see if Barry Robson secures a top-six finish.
Interim boss Robson has overseen an upturn in form with three wins from the last four games.
That has elevated the Reds back into the top six and into contention for European qualification.
Aberdeen can slash the gap on third-placed Hearts to four points should they beat the Edinburgh club at home on Saturday.
In the background, chief executive Alan Burrows is overseeing the hunt for a new boss with director of football Steven Gunn and director Willie Garner.
The Dons have whittled down potential candidates for the position to a shortlist.
The search for a new boss is now into a sixth week, but Snelders reckons the Pittodrie hierarchy should hang fire a little longer: to see if Robson can guide them to a top-six finish.
He said: “I don’t know how Aberdeen are looking at it.
“However, with the way Barry (Robson) is going, it looks like they will make the top six.
“It looks like Aberdeen are doing okay at the moment and could get that top-six finish.
“If they do that then why get a new manager in for the post-split games?
“They should maybe wait until the end of the season to get a new manager. Maybe managers are becoming free at the end of the season and Aberdeen will not have to pay money for compensation.”
New boss could bring ‘fresh eyes’
Interim boss Robson and assistant Steve Agnew took over an Aberdeen squad in crisis following the sacking of Jim Goodwin on January 28.
The Reds had suffered heavy away losses at Hibs (6-0) and Hearts (5-0) either side of a humiliating Scottish Cup defeat to sixth tier Darvel.
Robson has reignited not just a Euro bid, but hopes of overtaking Hearts to finish third.
Snelders said: “You can say reasons for and reasons against why the club should go with the interim manager.
“It is hard because you have to be close and see day to day how that connection is.
“It is always difficult for an interim to come in.
“Ole Gunnar Solskjær was caretaker manager (at Manchester United) and won most of the games before signing a three-year deal.
“Then he couldn’t win games anymore.
“It was like the players thought we helped you get the job, now we can relax again.
“A plus for a new manager would be that there would be fresh eyes and someone who is always demanding.”
Snelders at Pittodrie to witness late capitulation to Rangers
Pittodrie legend Snelders was signed for £300,000 from Dutch club Twente Enschede in 1988.
He would go on to star for the Reds for eight years, racking up an impressive 291 starts.
Snelders won the Scottish Cup and League Cup double with the Dons in the 1989-90 season.
Now 59 years old, he was back in the Granite City in December last year to take in Aberdeen’s Premiership clash with Rangers.
He thought he and his son had witnessed a memorable victory as the Dons led 2-1 in injury time.
Then the Reds suffered a calamitous collapse when conceding two late goals to lose 3-1.
Snelders watched stunned from the Pittodrie stand as the Dons imploded.
He thinks “it all went downhill from there” for manager Jim Goodwin – who was sacked on January 28 to spark the ongoing hunt for a manager.
He said: “When I went to Aberdeen’s game against Rangers it was a real sore one.
“To be 2-1 up in injury time and then to lose the game. You would be heartbroken after that.
“To draw from that position would have been a sore one, but to lose. Wow.
“Aberdeen just couldn’t take it over the line against Rangers and they defended far too deep.
“It all went downhill from there with the former manager (Jim Goodwin).”
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