Aberdeen winger Jonny Hayes says there is no player within Pittodrie who can offer a defence against recent boos from furious supporters.
The straight-talking veteran accepts fans have every right to voice their anger after a nine-game winless slump in the Premiership.
Even Hayes’ nine-year-old son has pitched in by telling his dad some of the things he has done wrong recently!
Furious Dons supporters chanted “you’re not fit to wear the jersey” at full-time following the 2-0 home loss to St Johnstone on Wednesday.
That defeat left the Dons ninth in the table and a perilous four points ahead of the relegation play-off spot.
Hayes accepts Aberdeen must turn around their season quickly, beginning away to St Mirren today.
However he insists the Reds’ crash in form is not down to lack of effort.
Hayes, 36, said: “Fans pay their money and have their right to voice their opinion and I don’t disagree with a lot of stuff.
“You don’t want to hear your own fans being upset at you.
“But to be honest there’s not a player in the dressing room that can defend themselves if there is a boo.
“We just have to get on with it.
“If my nine-year-old boy can tell me some of the things I’ve done wrong I’m pretty sure boys in there can be open to self reflection on areas where they can improve.
“However I can reassure everyone that although results and performances haven’t been good enough it’s not down to a lack of effort.
“We have a good group of boys that want to do well.
“That have really bought into moving to Aberdeen and love the city.
“They realise how passionate the fanbase is.
“It is never a case of shirking responsibility.
“This city and the football club go hand in hand.
“If the team is not doing well people aren’t happy and everybody realises that.
“For us as representatives of Aberdeen Football Club we need to be better and we need to win games.”
‘They can’t be afraid of criticism’
The Pittodrie board axed Barry Robson in late January, describing the club’s position of eighth in the Scottish Premiership as “unacceptable”.
Neil Warnock was appointed interim manager until the end of the season as the club’s hierarchy searched for a permanent boss.
Aberdeen have dropped to ninth in the table with Warnock yet to register a Premiership win in five attempts.
The Dons supporters made their anger clear at full-time on Wednesday.
Hayes said: “When you are doing well you get praise.
“But when you are not doing so well you have to learn to take the criticism that comes with it.
“Especially now that football is under a lot more scrutiny and spotlight from the media than it was 10 to 15 years ago.
“The level of praise is a lot higher but the level of criticism is higher as well.
“There is plenty of experience in that dressing room.
“It is not like we have seven or eight 21-year-olds,
“There’s a lot of experience with players who have played a lot of games.
“So they can’t be afraid of criticism.
“Maybe that’s me being blunt but when I’m off my game I have a nine-year old that will tell me.
“People have paid their money to come and watch us so they have every right to tell us.”
Hayes looking up the table, not down
Aberdeen have dropped perilously close to the 11th-placed relegation play-off spot.
However they are just five points behind sixth-placed Dundee.
Hayes prefers to look up the table, not down.
Aked if there an acceptance, certainly in the immediate term, that the Dons are in a relegation battle, Hayes said: “Not for me, no.
“I’m realistic enough to know where we are in the league.
“But after the game the other night (St Johnstone) when the results came through I was looking at how teams above us did.
“People might say I’m being a bit too optimistic there given the current form.
“But that’s the way I look at it.
“Yes, we know where we are and it is tight and a bit of a cluster in the bottom half of the table.
“But we have to be aiming higher.
“Maybe that’s just my outlook on football and life that you always need to be better and look up.
“But at the same time I do take on board that we need to put wins together.
“I’m a person that tries to be positive and look forward.
“To look above us in the league table and always aiming forward.
“A couple of wins can do you the world of good in terms of pushing you up closer to where we expect to be.
“I think where we want to be is probably out of reach at this stage.
“We need to perform and get more points on the board.”
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