Barry Robson was stuck between a rock and a hard place after finding a meaningless Europe Conference League group match standing in the way of much more pressing affairs in the Viaplay Cup final this weekend.
Aberdeen’s return to European football has been a campaign of ifs, buts and maybes this season – what if the Dons had taken their chances in the Europa League play-off against BK Hacken for starters?
If they had, there is a fair chance we would have all spent the autumn months watching the club compete in another competition entirely.
As it is, the Conference League has been a steep learning curve for Robson and his players.
There is little doubt a new-look squad, playing for a manager in his maiden European campaign, have encountered tough obstacles in Eintracht Frankfurt, PAOK and HJK Helsinki in Group G.
It is also painfully clear the demands of playing on Thursday nights has taken its toll on the Sunday afternoon domestic affairs which have followed.
Dons manager had a dilemma ahead of League Cup final – because they deserved Euro group stage win
Those European hangovers were clearly on Robson’s mind as he pondered what to do for a dead-rubber finale against the visit of Dino Toppmoller’s already-qualified Frankfurt outfit at Pittodrie.
After all, the Dons boss and his players did not want to exit Europe having failed to win a game.
Their performances in Europe this season have deserved more than having that statistic thrown at them.
But the balancing act of chasing a win in the final game against the Bundesliga outfit had to be tempered by the fact the Reds have much bigger fish to fry at Hampden this weekend.
It is a nonsense both Viaplay Cup finalists had to navigate European ties three days before a showpiece domestic final, but here we are.
Aberdeen at least had the option of resting some players ahead of Hampden.
Robson’s counterpart Philippe Clement and his Rangers players were in Spain to face Real Betis, needing to match Sparta Prague’s result against Aris Limassol to reach the knockout stages of the Europa League.
The Light Blues have improved significantly under Clement, but the Dons have held the upper hand in the two league encounters against Rangers so far this season.
Robson guided Aberdeen to a 3-1 win at Ibrox in what was Michael Beale’s final game in charge.
They very nearly repeated the trick against the Clement-era Gers, with James Tavernier’s injury-time penalty at Pittodrie rescuing a point for the visitors last month in a 1-1 draw.
The third and most important meeting of the sides this season was clearly – and rightly – uppermost in Robson’s thoughts against Frankfurt.
Makeshift line-up dug deep against the Germans, and players who came in have staked Hampden claim
Only three of the players – Kelle Roos, Stefan Gartenmann and Jack Milne – survived the weekend win against Hearts for the final European game.
That is not to say the line-up severely weakened.
With captain for the night Angus MacDonald, Duk, James McGarry, Connor Barron, and Dante Polvara among the starters this was a last chance to show their manager they should be in his starting XI on Sunday.
Those who featured all performed admirably to secure victory at the last.
The Dons had to weather the early storm from Frankfurt before breaking away to open the scoring through Duk in the 41st minute.
But when Duk’s replacement Ester Sokler came off the bench to double the Dons’ lead with 16 minutes remaining, it was no less than Robson’s Reds deserved.
A class finish to secure the W.#StandFree | #UECL
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) December 14, 2023
As a send-off to Hampden goes, this was not a bad one at all for Aberdeen.
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