Ahead of tomorrow’s Premiership opener at Celtic Park, Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin is talking up his side’s targets for the new season. Goodwin, who joined the Pittodrie side last April from St Mirren, stated that he is setting his sights on European qualification. The Dons will be up against it as Ange Postecoglou’s Scottish Champions look to put down a marker in the first game of the season.
As reported by STV, Goodwin has said that his side are aiming for the top four and to seal a place in European competition next season.
“We need a vast improvement on what happened last season. Our main objective this year is to get back into the European competitions next season and to qualify for those kinds of games.
“We need to finish at least in the top four places in the league. That’s our main objective at the moment.
“We have got a very similar playing budget to the likes of Hibs and Hearts. We know that Hearts finished third in the table last year, so we should be up there competing with them this time around.
“Last season was extremely disappointing for everybody involved but this is a very new group. There’s no scars hanging around from last season.
“There’s no reason why this group of players can’t be positive and can’t be optimistic. The new lads have settled in really, really well.
“That has to be the target. I’m not going to come on here and say our aim is top six, I think the supporters would be up in arms if we spoke about that.
“Aberdeen is the third biggest supported club in the country and should be competing for the top three or four spaces every single season and that is what we want to get back to doing this year.”
The Dons finished 10th last season but provided Celtic with some stern tests, narrowly beating them on three occasions – victories that would push Ange’s team towards the title.
Aberdeen have had an impressive start to life under Goodwin this season with four victories out of four in the Premier Sports Cup Group Stages, scoring twelve goals and conceding zero. Celtic, meanwhile, will be looking to get the visitor’s season off to the worst possible start by inflicting a victory that will serve as a marker to the league that last year was not a one off.
