Aberdeen defender Angus MacDonald believes the Scottish Premiership doesn’t get the respect it deserves.
A plethora of players are now starring in the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A on a weekly basis after using Scottish football as a stepping stone towards a career in one of the strongest leagues in world football.
But MacDonald, who has played more than 100 games in the English Championship during his spells at Hull City, Rotherham and Barnsley, has been impressed by the standard on show in Scotland’s top flight.
He joined the Dons in January on a deal until the end of the season after leaving English League Two side Swindon Town.
Ahead of today’s visit of Kilmarnock, MacDonald spoke about the differences between English and Scottish football.
He said: “I wouldn’t say there is a huge difference.
“The fans are probably a lot more passionate and very cut-throat.
“When things are going well it is great.
“When things aren’t going too well they make it known.
“That is the same with any football fan.
“They are very passionate and it is great for us to see that on the pitch.
“I think a lot of people underestimate how good the league is.
“They probably look at it and think there are only two top teams in the league.
“That is definitely not what I have seen.
“We have played Celtic away and St Johnstone away – there are two different styles of football.
“People do underestimate it.
“There is a lot of snobbery about how good the Scottish Premiership is.
“I haven’t been surprised, but it is a step up from where I was playing before.”
A pivotal role in Dons revival
MacDonald, alongside fellow new arrival Mattie Pollock, has helped shore up a Dons defence that was leaking goals in the first half of the season at an alarming rate.
Since Barry Robson replaced Jim Goodwin at the end of January, the Dons have surged up the table and now sit only a point adrift of third-place Hearts.
MacDonald agreed to join the Dons only days after Goodwin was sacked after following up the Scottish Cup disaster at Darvel with a 6-0 thumping against Hibernian at Easter Road.
The Dons were in crisis but MacDonald had no hesitation in moving to the Granite City – and is delighted that decision has paid off.
The centre-half said: “That thought never crossed my mind.
“I felt it was something I couldn’t turn down as the move really excited me.
“Every team goes through bad spells.
“There is no hiding place when that happens.
“Before I came was the Darvel game. Darvel is probably a swear word around here now.
“It wasn’t great but you go through spells in a long season.
“It is good we have changed it around now.
“Results have really picked up.
“Barry has come in and done a great job.
“The players have stuck at it. We all know the task at hand and where we need to get to.
“Everyone is pulling in the right direction.”
New manager demands the best
MacDonald believes the high standards demanded by Robson and his coaching team will ensure there is no let-up from the Dons as they push Hearts for a top-three spot over the closing stretch of the campaign.
He said: “I can’t comment on what it was like before as I don’t know what the training was like or what the old manager was implementing.
“There is a real togetherness that Barry has brought to the dressing room.
“It is about hard work, there is no slackness – and that is not saying there was slackness before.
“You don’t get away with sloppiness and that has shown on the pitch.
“As soon as we cross that white line, the XI who are starting are fighting for each other.
“The last few months haven’t been easy.
“We didn’t play great at Dundee United away, but we got the result.
“It was similar at the weekend (at St Johnstone).
“When they went down to 10 men you are thinking you can knock a couple past them, but they stuck to their task and made it hard for us.
“We ended up having Kelle Roos pull off a fantastic save in the last minute or we would have drawn that game.
“It hasn’t been easy, but we have got it down to one point.
“Everyone knew where we wanted to be. Everyone is pulling in the right direction to get that top three spot.”
Goals would be a bonus
MacDonald thought he had opened his Dons account with the winner against St Johnstone when the Englishman’s volley was turned into his own net by Saints stopper Remi Matthews but the strike was later credited as an own goal.
He added: “I’m still claiming it.
“Whether Sky Sports or anyone else wants to put it down as an own goal, it will go on my tally.
“I didn’t find out I wasn’t getting it until Jonny Hayes came up to me in the dressing room afterwards and said it was an own goal.
“I don’t know if I have a goal bonus – I don’t score that many, but I should just in case I get the odd one.”
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