Interim manager Neil Warnock insists he is not at Aberdeen for a holiday and is working as hard as he ever has in his career.
Warnock was criticised by some supporters on social media amid claims he took time off last week ahead of the trip to Kilmarnock, which the Dons lost 2-0.
The 75-year-old confirmed he was away from the club on Monday and Tuesday last week because he had an engagement he had committed to prior to joining the Dons.
That commitment had already been rescheduled to allow Warnock to lead the Dons out against Rangers at Ibrox in his first game at the helm, a 2-1 loss on February 6.
The Dons boss also said he gave the taxi driver who took him to Aberdeen Airport a “rollicking” for saying he had gone on holiday.
Warnock also confirmed star striker Bojan Miovski was given a few days off last week for “personal reasons” – not a holiday.
He said: “I have not come up for a holiday – no matter what anyone says.
“I’m working as hard as I have ever worked to try to come up with a solution here.
“I will continue to do that.
“Coming up here, believe it or not, I could have picked far easier things to do and I just want to show the fans what I can do.
“I gave the driver that took me to the airport a rollicking.
“I said: ‘I don’t know who you said something to, but apparently I went on holiday.’
“What they don’t know is that I came up so quickly for the Rangers game.
“I had an appointment on the Tuesday when we played Rangers and I had to put that off.
“The first time I could get it rescheduled for was last Monday and Tuesday, so I had to go back home to fulfil that.
“I was so desperate to get up for the Rangers game, but people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.”
Why Miovski was given a break
As Warnock met his prior commitment, the Dons squad trained as usual at Cormack Park under assistant Ronnie Jepson.
Their only additional commitment was their compulsory attendance at the club’s sponsors’ dinner last Tuesday.
Warnock said: “We had already planned what we were going to do on the Monday and Tuesday.
“The sessions were in place.”
Warnock will lead out the Dons against St Johnstone at Pittodrie on Wednesday as he searches for a first Premiership win since his appointment.
Under Warnock the Dons have drawn two and lost two of four league fixtures.
Warnock confirmed star striker Miovski was also given time off last week – but it was certainly no holiday.
He said: “I did let Bojan have two days off for personal reasons.
“That was nothing to do with a holiday.”
Warnock responds to Aberdeen legend Willie Miller’s criticism of Miovski comments
In the aftermath of the loss at Kilmarnock, the Dons boss highlighted striker Miovski’s role in conceding the opening goal at Rugby Park.
Gothenburg Great Willie Miller questioned Warnock’s reasoning in criticising his leading scorer in his Evening Express column.
Warnock has responded to the Pittodrie legend’s comments.
He said: “Willie Miller said in the paper that I shouldn’t have said anything about Bojan because it was his man that scored (the first goal at the corner) on Saturday – what Willie doesn’t see is me taking him one-on-one in my room.
“Bojan knows what I think of him, and if he wants to get to the very top, then his performances have to be very good.
“He can’t be making mistakes like that.
“While I did say that in the press, they don’t see what I do with Bojan away from that to install confidence in him.
“It is hard because you only get little bits of the story.
“It is like David Moyes (West Ham manager) at the moment.
“They are eighth in the table and won a European trophy, but he is still getting slaughtered.
“In the game of football, you are going to get criticism on the back of performances like last week.”
‘There are a lot of things weighing up in my mind’
Warnock was brutally honest in his assessment of Aberdeen after the loss at Kilmarnock, saying the players are “too nice” and lacked physicality.
He said the Dons must land signings with a “nasty edge” in the summer.
Asked if he expected a response to those comments from his team against St Johnstone, he said: “Yes, but sometimes it has to come from me.
“My selection or what can I do to get a reaction.
“Will that same team give me a reaction on Wednesday night?
“There are a lot of things weighing up in my mind.
“I’ve to decide what is the best team to get a reaction or result.”
Can Warnock install that ‘nastiness’
If Warnock has pinpointed a lack of nastiness within the squad as a problem, can that still be instilled into a player, or is it too late?
“It is difficult,” he said.
“I mentioned it on Saturday, but how many times did they (Kilmarnock) leave their foot in and it could have been a yellow card?
“They didn’t get any cards.
“We would probably have stopped and picked them up and asked if they were alright?
“I don’t want them to be nasty, but I have to come up with some formula that can bring out the best of what we have.
“We have to stop the goals – the second goal came from our throw-in for a tap-in. It is scandalous really.
“We are working hard. That is what disappoints me, because we haven’t had the results.
“I want to get results and I will be trying hard to come up with a formula that can get us results.”
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