As Aberdeen search for a third boss in a year it’s hard to understand just what Dave Cormack and the Aberdeen board are looking for in a manager. However, according to a report in Scottish Sun two former Celtic captains are in the frame to replace Stephen Glass who vacated his post with Aberdeen four points off 4th place in the Scottish Premiership and with a game in hand.
Paul Lambert and Neil Lennon are apparently on the Dons shortlist, however both appointments would surely be a return to the pragmatism of Derek McInnes, something the Dons looked to be trying to shake with the left-field appointment of Stephen Glass from the MLS, and a progressive type of football that appears to have been discarded as soon as the North-East natives got a little restless.
The cry from the Granite City was the football was boring under Derek McInnes and the board who now appear happy to take a populist approach and react to fan pressure, after initially vociferously backed Stephen Glass’ footballing revolution, stating correctly it would take time to change a footballing philosophy from hoofball to football.
Now with the Dons in no danger of relegation and still with a chance of finishing in the European qualification places, the club have decided not to offer Stephen Glass the time such a secure league position would afford him to turn around the squad’s fortunes, and instead punted a manager who showed in recent ties with both Celtic and theRangers that he could produce a team who could compete with both, the only thing missing was consistency, and unless you have Ange Postecoglou in charge, finding consistency takes a bit of time and patience.
In truth both Paul Lambert and Neil Lennon would jump at the chance to manage Aberdeen, however neither are renowned for being modern thinking progressive managers. Lambert is very defensively minded, whilst Lennon relies heavily on man-management rather than any particular modern tactical thinking. As such if either is appointed it would smack of an Aberdeen board being unsure of what they want from a manager.
If they have any sense at Aberdeen, they’ll pick up the phone to another manager who was punted at the first sign of supporter unrest. Jack Ross remains unemployed after being just as unfairly dismissed at Hibs as Stephen Glass was at Aberdeen, mind you with Dave Cormack and the Aberdeen board now looking as if they wilt under supporter pressure, perhaps Jack Ross would prefer to avoid that gig.
It will be interesting to see if either Neil Lennon or Paul Lambert do end up taking up the manager’s role at Aberdeen, if they do it’s a sure sign Aberdeen regret the sacking of Derek McInnes more than they do the dispensing of Stephen Glass’ services.
Niall J