Aberdeen boss Barry Robson aims to repay the backing of chairman Dave Cormack by delivering glory in a huge week for the club.
Robson will lead the Dons out at Hampden in the Viaplay Cup final against Rangers on Sunday in the bid to win the club’s first trophy since 2014.
Just days before that final showdown, the Reds host German giants Eintracht Frankfurt in the last game of Group G in the Europa Conference League.
Robson is determined to deliver a winning double in a monumental week for the club to repay Cormack’s continued support – and that of the Red Army.
United States-based chairman Cormack came out in support of under-pressure Robson at the club’s AGM on Monday.
Robson insists the Pittodrie chairman has “never said no” to any of his requests and financed a major squad rebuild in the summer.
The Dons boss also revealed he faces an injury sweat over star striker Bojan Miovski for the Euro clash – and potentially Sunday’s final.
Miovski was forced off in 77th minute of the 2-1 victory against Hearts on Saturday with a hamstring injury.
Robson will make a call on the fitness of leading scorer Miovski on the morning of the clash with the Bundesliga giants.
He said: “I have always had a good relationship with Dave (Cormack).
“He has backed us every time and I don’t think he has ever said no to anything.
“That is the type of backing we need.
“Steven Gunn (director of football) has also been great and we’ve all been working hard.
“We all knew it was a difficult first part of the season and was going to stretch us but it (Europe) is where we want to be.”
Finish Euro campaign on a high note
Aberdeen have yet to win in seven Euro matches this season and Robson is determined to end the continental campaign on a high with victory.
The Dons cannot qualify from the group stages of the Europa Conference League.
PAOK have already won the group with Eintracht Frankfurt confirmed as runners-up.
However Robson insists it is far from a dead rubber and wants a win for the supporters.
Shocking Eintracht Frankfurt, the 2022 Europa League winners, would confirm a third-placed Group G finish for the Dons.
A win would also secure a £435,000 prize payment for the Dons and valuable Uefa club coefficient points.
Robson said: “I would love to get a win for the boys and for the fans.
“Sometimes we have not got what we have deserved in Europe but they have never let that get them down.
“They’ve kept battling and fighting back.
“We are still in there fighting and trying to do our best.
“I also know and understand that we have got a really difficult team to play against in Eintracht Frankfurt.
“We need to get the fans behind us and hopefully we can perform well.”
Injury sweat on star striker Miovski
Talismanic striker Miovski has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season.
The North Macedonian international netted the winner in the 1-0 Viaplay Cup semi-final win against Hibernian to keep alive Aberdeen’s bid to win a first trophy since 2014.
Robson said: “We are still waiting on Bojan and we will see how he is on Thursday morning.
“Hopefully it is nothing too serious but we will make a decision on him on Thursday.
“He has a hamstring issue.
“We are trying to give him every opportunity.”
Asked if he was confident Miovski would be fit for the final, Robson said: “It is not a serious injury so it is not going to hold him back long term or anything like that.
“It is hours and days rather than weeks so we will see how he is in the morning.”
Focus solely on Frankfurt, not final
Robson made seven changes to the team that drew 2-2 with HJK Helsinki in Finland as he rested key players for Premiership action.
It is expected there will be a repeat against Eintracht Frankfurt to protect and rest players for the final.
However Robson was keeping his cards close to his chest as regards his selection strategy.
Robson said: “You have to believe me when I say we can’t think about the final when you are coming up against Frankfurt.
“It is a big enough challenge on its own.
“We are playing against Eintracht Frankurt who are one of great sides in European football.
“For me and the players we have to fully focus on that.
“We are not naïve enough to think we don’t have to come in here to perform because this is a big game for us.
“Frankfurt have proper talented top players so we need to make sure we are at our best.”
Robson tight lipped on selection
Asked if the looming cup final will influence team selection against Frankfurt, Robson said: “I have a group of players who I believe in.
“We need to make sure we use as many players as we can from the squad.
“In Helsinki we took some players in and they performed well.
“We just have to make sure that as a squad we perform well over the next two games.
“That’s what as a manager, staff and squad we are trying to do.
“We need to make everyone as fresh as we can for both games.”
Frankfurt beat Bayern Munich 5-1
Aberdeen will face an Eintracht Frankfurt side that jetted into the Granite City on a high.
Eintracht Frankfurt destroyed reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich 5-1 at the weekend.
Robson insists his side will take confidence from having gone toe-to-toe with Frankfurt in Germany when losing 2-1.
He said: “It is Eintractht Frankfurt who have unbelievable players.
“The finances they have spent on some of these players is way beyond anyone like ourselves.
“However the way we performed in Germany should give us real confidence to put in a good performance again.
“They’ve changed shape a bit recently.
“We did a lot of analysis on the first time we played them and we don’t know what their team is going to be.
“We were pretty close to guessing the team last time but this might be a bit different.
“It is one we will have to wait until the team comes in.”
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