Former Aberdeen winger Niall McGinn believes the managerial merry-go-round at the club is why the Dons have struggled for consistency.
The search for the club’s fourth permanent manager in three years continues after interim boss Neil Warnock’s spell in charge ended after 33 days.
McGinn, who was a member of the Dons’ League Cup winning side of 2014, says the new boss must be given time to build their team.
He said: “Managers need time. You need to give them maybe 18 months because all managers go through tricky periods.
“When you are chopping and changing, Aberdeen have had three managers in a few seasons and you can see it is hard to get that consistency.
“Each manager is coming in and they haven’t necessarily signed all the players and they will have different ideas and thoughts.
“It can be difficult for every manager but in fairness to the board they have backed their managers with the players they have brought in and the money they have spent.”
Top four finish is the minimum at Pittodrie
McGinn knows all about the expectations at Pittodrie, having served the club with distinction in two spells, and the Northern Irishman believes a top four finish and qualification for Europe is the bare minimum.
But after an inconsistent three campaigns McGinn believes the next managerial appointment has to be the right one.
He told the Daily Record: “Aberdeen need to get the right man on board to take the club forward.
“The demands every season should be a minimum of top four, regardless of who the manager is or the group of players.
“It should be a given that it is top four and trying to win a trophy. You need to be competing and looking to finish above the likes of Hibs and Hearts every season.
“Yes, there will always be one or two teams who will surprise you each season like St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Dundee are this season, but Aberdeen should be up there qualifying for Europe.
“When I was there we got to Europe but it was harder to get into the group stages but you saw the team get into the Europa Conference League group stages this season.”
‘Players need to pick up the wins’
While the search for a new boss continues interim manager Peter Leven is preparing the squad for a huge game against Ross County on Saturday.
The Dons are three points ahead of the Staggies, who occupy the relegation play-off spot in 11th place.
McGinn hopes the current Dons squad can dig deep to take all three points in the Pittodrie encounter.
He said: “As a collective team and a group of players they haven’t been performing week-in week-out and that is what Aberdeen demand.
“I can only speak from my time there and we had the demands coming from the manager and the club itself of trying to go out there to win every week.
“The players will be thinking like that but they are in a difficult situation. They need to pick up the wins.
“It is coming to the edgy part of the season and this Ross County game is a big one.
“They just need to win games – regardless of whether or not a manager comes in now or later.”
10 years without a trophy is too long for the Dons
McGinn, who plays for Glentoran, was back in the Granite City last week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the club’s League Cup triumph against Caley Thistle.
McGinn joined his former team-mates for a reunion dinner to help raise funds for former Dons captain Russell Anderson’s foundation.
The 36-year-old played his part in the Dons winning their first silverware in 19 years but with a further decade having passed he believes the wait for further success has gone on too long.
He said: “It was brilliant. It was good to see everyone and clubs should do this a lot more often, reminiscing about the good times.
“It was Aberdeen’s first trophy in 20 years and now this is the 10th anniversary.
“That is too long for a club of Aberdeen’s stature. I know we were disappointed not to go and get a second trophy.
“We were too good a team not to win another trophy. Under Derek McInnes, we never really went for five or six games without a win.
“If we came off defeat we had the sort of characters who wanted to get that next win.
“That is why Derek McInnes is doing so well at Kilmarnock because he is very shrewd with how he builds teams.”
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