Alan Burrows has officially taken over as Aberdeen chief executive and the former Motherwell man has a huge inbox to get through over the next couple of months.
Dons chairman Dave Cormack has put his trust in Burrows to steady the ship at Pittodrie on and off the field in a bid to calm the anger among the fanbase which has built up in recent months. The Red Army has not been shy in coming forward over their disgust at the running of some aspects of the club - mainly the football side which has seen two managers sacked in the space of two years.
Jim Goodwin was the most recent to be shown the door in the Granite City, while Stephen Glass did not last much longer than the former St Mirren boss in the hot seat. Burrows impressed at Fir Park and Cormack revealed he was quick to snap him up when he announced he was leaving the Lanarkshire club last month.
Here are five things he has to address at Pittodrie.
New manager
The biggest and most urgent decision Burrows has to make is getting a new manager in the dugout to replace Jim Goodwin. Former Dons midfielder Barry Robson has been given the role on an interim basis but many supporters are looking for a more experienced man to take over. Aberdeen's Football Management Board has so far failed to single out a candidate to take the helm and have tasked Burrows to lead the process as Chief Executive.
Many names have swirled about the north east, from Chris Wilder to Gordon Strachan but Burrows will have to take a serious look at the budget, who is available and base his decision on that. Since Cormack took over from Stewart Milne as chairman he has failed in his first two appointments so the pressure will be on Burrows straight away to get this one right.
Keep Angus MacDonald?
Aberdeen have struggled to keep the ball out the back of their own net this season but the acquisition of Angus MacDonald may be the answer to their problems. The former Swindon Town centre-back was recruited to replace Anthony Stewart who Barry Robson allowed to leave in the January window and so far he has impressed the Red Army.
The Dons picked up their first clean sheet on Saturday against Livingston since early January and many believe the presence of MacDonald is pivotal to the defence's fortunes. Burrows will have to decide if he wants to keep the Englishman beyond his short-term contract which is due to expire at the end of the season.
Steven Gunn
After Aberdeen's humiliating defeats to Darvel in the Scottish Cup and Hibernian in the league at Easter Road three people got the hairdryer treatment from the Dons support. Jim Goodwin, Dave Cormack and Steven Gunn.
The inexperienced Director of Football was scolded by the fans for his recruitment over a number of transfer windows that has led to Aberdeen be in the situation they current find themselves. Gunn has a place on the Football Management Board but as Chief Executive Burrows may feel his services could be used elsewhere in the club.
Red Shed
Dave Cormack has improved many aspects of the club off the park and none more so than the creation of the Red Shed. The fans zone has brought the atmosphere back to Pittodrie, but many supporters feel the level of stewarding could harm that going forward. The Red Ultras had an on/off relationship with the club during Stewart Milne's tenure. It will be important for Burrows to make sure he keeps the vocal side of the home support on side or it could be back to the seagulls making all the noise around Pittodrie.
New stadium
Aberdeen's move to a new stadium has had more turns than the Hazlehead Park maze, with a number of options touted over the years. The four things above are more for the immediate future but Cormack will be keen to know the new Chief Executive's views on the move to a new ground. It is all about building the capital for the Dons and you'd think Burrows will work with the Chairman to secure that in order to eventually move away from Pittodrie.
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