Barry Robson deserves the chance to prove himself as Aberdeen manager, and I’m delighted the Dons have ended any uncertainty by making the decision to put him in charge at Pittodrie.
He has more than earned being given a crack at it, that’s for sure.
Aberdeen need stability and Barry, assisted brilliantly by Steve Agnew, has given the club that.
From one win in 10 games to eight wins in 10 is a turnaround any manager could only dream of… but Barry has made it a reality at Pittodrie.
The incredible surge up the table has taken the club on the cusp of clinching third place and with it a return to European football next season.
That’s where Aberdeen need to be. It’s how they can really bring in more revenue and grow stronger as a football club.
Early appointment will bring certainty to Pittodrie
I’m genuinely delighted that a local lad who understands the Dons and what they mean to the local community is being given the job.
I’m also pleased to see the club ending what was surely a foregone conclusion anyway by letting everyone know now there is a new man in charge, permanently.
We are delighted to announce that Barry Robson and his assistant Steve Agnew have agreed two-year contract extensions and will remain at Pittodrie until at least the end of the 2024/25 season.
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) May 1, 2023
It keeps the fans, who are already enjoying the feelgood factor at the club, smiling and also gives the players a sense of security.
There’s nothing worse for a player than uncertainty. If you are working under a short-term boss you are always wondering what the future holds.
With Barry in charge the Dons players know who he is, how he works, and what his approach is.
Most will have a fair idea whether they have a future at the club under him, too.
Barry is closing in on Europe with Aberdeen, which would be a great achievement from where the club was at the start of February.
But, more importantly, he can now with the even more important task of reshaping his squad for next season.
Angus MacDonald has already got on board by signing a two-year deal with the club, and I imagine others will want to follow suit.
But for Barry and the club the hard work never stops. Aberdeen are on a great run and they are looking to finish the season on a high by clinching third place.
European football brings another challenge both in terms of the quality of the squad and the depth of it, though.
The earlier Aberdeen can have their squad in place, the better their chances are of making further progress from where they are now.
Given the job he has done in his first 10 games in charge, I’m excited to see what the future holds for Barry and my old club.
Caley Thistle cup run is as crucial as it is timely
Their push for the play-offs has gone to the wire, but Caley Thistle’s fairytale Scottish Cup run could be the most important one in the club’s history.
It is a tough time right now for the club in the Championship with the £835,000 loss for the period ended May 31, 2022 bringing the total losses at the club to £3 million in the last five years.
That’s the price of Championship football in a nutshell for a club who have enjoyed regular top-flight football in the last 20 years.
It’s also why Saturday’s 3-0 semi-final win against Falkirk at Hampden was a huge result for the club.
The estimated revenue generated by Billy Dodds and his players reaching the final is in the seven-figure bracket and could be as high as £1.5m.
That’s a huge amount of money for the reasons I’ve just outlined.
McWilliams the unsung hero for Inverness
Billy and his players deserve huge credit for what they have done, but so, too does Fiona McWilliams, the secretary at the club.
It was Fiona who spotted Queen’s Park had fielded an ineligible player in their win against Caley Thistle earlier in the competition.
I might be overstating its importance by saying she has saved the club as I don’t think anyone is ever really sure whether the club is in a precarious position. Losses are just that, losses. And if directors are covering the shortfall then the club can absorb them.
But certainly Fiona’s attention to detail has set in motion a welcome cash injection into the club coffers when it is most needed.
Doddsy and his players have done the rest.
Yes, they were given a second chance, but boy have they made the most of their cup reprieve. They knocked out Livingston on their own patch then eliminated another Premiership team in Kilmarnock.
On Saturday, they cruised past Falkirk in impressive fashion with a 3-0 win.
Billy Mckay’s early goal was the perfect start and from there Inverness were content to let the Bairns have the ball and soak up the pressure.
Falkirk had some chances, but didn’t take them. When the opportunities came Caley Thistle’s way, they were ruthless.
Mckay is no spring chicken, but give him service and he will score. In Jay Henderson, Inverness have a player who has deliver quality crosses into the box game after game.
It’s a perfect partnership in that respect.
It means a return to Hampden on June 3 to face a treble-chasing Celtic lies ahead.
It is the most formidable of tasks for any team in Scottish football right now – but Caley Thistle have nothing to lose.
And, as we know, if there is one team the Highlanders revel in facing as underdogs in the Scottish Cup, it’s the Hoops.
Promotion now the priority for Caley Thistle
But, for now, Hampden can wait. All eyes must be on the final game of the Championship season against Ayr United at Caledonian Stadium on Friday.
What a finale it promises to be – a win ensures Inverness are in the play-offs. Defeat could mean they are out of it.
A draw will have both clubs looking at events at Balmoral Stadium in Cove, where a victory for Morton would knock both Caley Jags and the Honest Men out of the top four if the shares are spoiled in Inverness.
There’s still the small matter of a title-decider between Queen’s Park and Dundee, not to mention a three-way relegation dogfight at the bottom involving Cove, Hamilton and Arbroath.
What a league. What a finish. What a season.
Three points a must for Ross County
A thrilling end to the season of a different sort lies ahead for Ross County.
The post-split run-in gets under way on Saturday and, with five games remaining to save themselves from relegation, I’ve put this weekend’s match against Livingston firmly in the must-win category for the Staggies.
With a resurgent Dundee United at St Johnstone and Kilmarnock buoyed by their first away win of the season heading to Motherwell, the Staggies cannot let the four-point gap increase.
Killie host Livi next weekend, while County head to Tannadice. Their hopes of staying up could effectively be sunk with three games remaining.
It’s tense and the stakes are incredibly high for Malky Mackay and his players.
Saturday has to be a win for the Staggies in Dingwall. It just has to be.
If they don’t beat Livingston, they are in deep trouble.
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