Aberdeen will head to Hampden on Sunday as big underdogs for the League Cup semi-final against Rangers, but the signing of one man has given the Red Army some hope.
Graeme Shinnie's arrival at Pittodrie was greeted with the same verve as the second comings of Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn combined. Dons manager Jim Goodwin has been crying out for a player with Shinnie's attributes and he could be key come Sunday. Since the World Cup, Aberdeen have only managed to pick up four points from a possible 18 on offer, leaving many fans irate at Goodwin on a number of fronts.
The signing of Shinnie from Wigan Athletic on loan until the end of the season took the pressure off the manager as he attempted to alleviate some of the pressure on him - and it paid off. Saturday's 2-0 win against St Johnstone was just what Goodwin needed ahead of the trip to Glasgow.
Aberdeen will need to be on top of their game to replicate the 1-0 semi-final win they had against Rangers back in 2018 when Lewis Ferguson nodded home from a corner.
Record Sport looks at how Shinnie's influence in the team can help them upset the odds and topple Michael Beale's side on Sunday.
How does he compare to Barron?
Connor Barron was one of the casualties after the defeat at Kilmarnock last month and has started on the bench in the two games (Ross County and St Johnstone) since. Many Dons supporters believe Barron will listen and learn from Shinnie in the short time he is back in the Granite City.
Both are similar in their high intensity styles of play with the youngster seen as a bit more offensive than Shinnie. The question is who starts in the semi-final alongside Ylber Ramadani? It's got to be Shinnie, right?
Looking at the 2022/23 season so far Shinnie just edges it in the statistical battle. His passing rate is currently 85 per cent to Barron's 81, however he averages two less passes per game than the 20-year-old. Aberdeen are expected to play a lot of the game on Sunday without the ball so having someone like Shinnie will come in handy when recovering possession and keeping shape.
Staying disciplined will be vital if Aberdeen are going to advance to the semi-final. The heat maps above show Shinnie keeps his position a bit more which may give him the edge for a starting berth on Sunday.
Shinnie slightly edges the ball recovery and ball recoveries in opponent's half stats, while he also makes more challenges in a game than Barron on average. The margins between the two are very small but Goodwin will want Shinnie's experience and organisation in the centre of the park on Sunday.
Organisation and leadership
Anyone who has watched Aberdeen this season will recognise they are missing a leader on the park to get the message from the manager across to the rest of the team. Within five minutes of his second debut at Pittodrie Shinnie was ordering his teammates about and encouraging them throughout his 90 minutes on the park.
It may only be one game but his in-game management and intelligence around the park has improved since he left at the end of the 2018/19 season to join Derby County. He was far more disciplined alongside Ramadani than many may have suspected. Against Rangers these attributes will be crucial if the Dons are to advance to the final of the League Cup later this year.
When Shinnie signed Goodwin made it clear what he was looking for. He said of Shinnie: "He has great leadership qualities and will bring a wealth of experience to the squad. We look forward to working with him in the coming months."
Shinnie and Ramadani
The addition of Graeme Shinnie to Aberdeen's team will allow Ramadani to advance a bit further and influence the game in the attacking areas. After Anthony Stewart and Liam Scales, the Albanian has made the most passes in the Aberdeen team this year however very little have been key ones.
His only assist this season came against Hearts back in October when he received the ball high up the park and was able to slip Duk in to finish. Ramadani averages 44 passes a game compared to Shinnie's 25 but expect more of them to be in advanced positions over the next couple of months.
Goodwin has changed formation on a number of occasions this season, but it's expected he will go with two sitting midfielders for the semi-final. Aberdeen have been guilty of sitting deep against Celtic and Rangers in recent fixtures, but with Shinnie and Ramadani both in the team it could allow the Dons to be more expansive if they know both players are there to cover.
The value of having both will also protect the two centre backs (Stewart and Scales) who have been less than convincing since arriving at Pittodrie.
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