Jim Goodwin has been warned he can’t let Rangers “have the run of the place” at Pittodrie on Tuesday night or there will be “uproar” in the stands from Aberdeen fans still angry at the negative approach in Saturday’s home defeat to champions Celtic.
It took until the 87th minute for Hoops captain Callum McGregor to net the winner in the north east but the dismal Dons didn’t lay a glove on the visitors and Goodwin has been slammed for his ultra-defensive tactics, with club legend Willie Miller slaughtering the Irishman.
And ex-Celt Kris Commons, writing in his Daily Mail column, says there’s no way the former St Mirren boss will get away with the same in the second half of their Old Firm double header with new Ibrox boss Michael Beale taking his side north for his second competitive game in charge. Commons reckons Goodwin has to understand the size of the club he is now managing with Aberdeen regraded as Scotland’s third force. The former Parkhead ace said: “Given the intense rivalry that exists between Aberdeen and Rangers, there's no way supporters will accept such a negative approach from the Dons There would be uproar in the stands at Pittodrie if Goodwin's side just sit back and let Rangers have the run of the place for 90 minutes.
“That's pretty much what happened against Celtic at the weekend. It might have taken 87 minutes for Callum McGregor to finally break the deadlock, but Aberdeen were beaten before a ball was kicked.
“Fans turned up and paid good money - only to be served with 90 minutes of absolute dross from their team. It now puts Goodwin firmly under the microscope heading into the clash with bitter rivals Rangers at Pittodrie. This can often be a powderkeg fixture when these two rivals collide. The fans at Pittodrie will want their team to play on the front foot and put pressure on Rangers.
“Listen, I know what it means to go into a game as underdogs. One of my best nights on a football pitch came when we were written off and had our backs to the wall.
“But against Barcelona in the Champions League in 2012, I was part of a Celtic side who always carried a threat on the counterattack and from set-pieces. Aberdeen didn't do any of that on Saturday. It was a pathetic performance from Goodwin's side and, ultimately, he has to carry the can for that.
“We were playing against Messi, Xavi and Iniesta in their absolute pomp in 2012. Aberdeen were playing against a Celtic side who had just come off a month's break and could have been a bit rusty.
“But the Dons just never had a go at all. They sat back for 90 minutes, barely strung two passes together, and failed to register a single shot on target. Regardless of whether you're playing the champions or not, that's just unacceptable for any Aberdeen team - and the fans let Goodwin know about it.
“This is where he's still very much learning on the job as a young manager. He might have got away with that sort of approach at St Mirren, playing it cagey and trying to nick a point.
“But Aberdeen fans demand more. This is supposed to be the third-biggest club in the country. That shows a little bit of naivety on Goodwin's part that he thinks the fans will settle for watching that type of football.
“Rangers should be a totally different proposition. Hibs showed at Ibrox last week that there are some serious defensive frailties in this Rangers side. They are still adapting to life under Michael Beale and the Aberdeen fans will demand that their team press Rangers high up the pitch and try to unsettle them.
"A double-header against the two Old Firm clubs was always going to represent a tough start for the Dons after the World Cup break. But these games become even harder when the team is set out with such a glaring lack of belief. It's a question of mentality and that's what Goodwin has to rectify against Rangers.”
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