Aberdeen are back in Europe after securing a third-place finish last season but as a new campaign begins Dons goalkeeper Kelle Roos believes his club can be better.
The group stages of European football await Barry Robson’s side after they reeled in Hearts to clinch third place in the Premiership in the second half of last season.
But the challenges of a new competition bring added demands on the squad domestically.
Roos, however, insists he and his team-mates can handle the extra workload.
He said: “We’ve given ourselves a platform in the new season but we have to try to be better.
“It’s looking good and I’m really excited. I can’t wait for Saturday.
“The aim and ambition of this club is to be in Europe. Qualifying last year was brilliant but now we have to try to compete in these competitions and in the league.
“It’s great to have eight guaranteed games and it’s good for us. It’s going to be a big schedule with a lot of games but this is where we’ve prepared for.
“If you are a football player you want to play at the highest level and pit yourself against the best teams out there.
“We are going to have a lot more games so the strain on the players will be high.
“That’s why it’s good to have a bigger squad with different qualities they can bring to our starting 11.”
No bold predictions from the Dons goalkeeper
For Aberdeen to be better retaining third and closing the gap on Celtic and Rangers would be easily identifiable measurements of progress.
But Roos knows talk is cheap. That’s why there are no bold proclamations at Pittodrie – only a shared determination to kick on from last season.
The Dutchman said: “If you look at last season we did well. There were ups and downs but it is important we build on what we created last year and take it to another level.
“If we can do that we can be proud but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.
“We’re at the start of the season and everything is to play for. We have to roll our sleeves up if we want to put some markers down.
“It’s not easy. We have to pick up points every week in this league.
“What I don’t want to do is sit here and say we’re going to be the best team in the league. I won’t say we’ll be the worst either.
“What I want to stress is that in football winning the next game is what you have to do. That starts this week at Livingston and I don’t like to look too far ahead.
“If we can build from one performance to another we can go from strength to strength. That’s the key to getting the best out of a team.”
Optimism at Pittodrie must be matched by application on the pitch
The level of expectation at the Dons has increased following the summer recruitment at Pittodrie and the sense of anticipation is shared within the squad.
The Dons goalkeeper said: “I think everybody has a skip in their stride. We’ve got some new bodies in the door and they have settled in pretty quickly.
“We’ve got some more experienced boys and it’s important they feel good so they can perform at their best as soon as possible.
“We’ve done a lot of work in the last six weeks and we’re all buzzing and ready to go.”
But Roos know it is vital the players deliver consistency.
He needs no reminder, especially after the shock Scottish Cup exit at Darvel last season, of what can happens if you are less than 100%.
Attitude and application is vital and the Aberdeen goalkeeper knows his side will need to show both when they start their league campaign at Livingston today.
Roos said: “Anything can happen if you are not at the races or don’t perform for whatever reason.
“Football is a cut-throat sport and you need to recharge the battery very quickly.
“The European games are going to come thick and fast and we’re going to have to take everything game by game.
“You might be expected to win but that’s not how the game works. If you don’t perform you are going get hurt.
“It’s very clear Livingston is a tough place to go.
“Whatever people might expect we on the pitch know you don’t roll Livingston over on their home ground.
“We need to match their energy and aggression and from that platform see if we can outperform them with our quality.”
