Dave Cormack claims Aberdeen job is 'toughest outside of Celtic and Rangers' ahead of Hibs clash

Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has claimed the Pittodrie managerial position – and his own role – are the toughest positions in Scottish football outside Celtic and Rangers.
Dave Cormack made the claim on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programmeDave Cormack made the claim on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme
Dave Cormack made the claim on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme

The Dons chief appeared on BBC Scotland’s Sportsound radio programme on Monday night, launching an impassioned defence of under-fire boss Stephen Glass as well as the players.

Aberdeen have lost their last five matches and are without a win in ten. They host Hibs in a significant Scottish Premiership match for both teams on Saturday.

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"From my perspective being the chairman of Aberdeen, outside of Celtic and Rangers, is the toughest position and it’s the same with the manager as well,” Cormack told the Sportsound panel.

"The reality is this: the last five games have been highly disappointing but when I take a look at the facts and the data – and these are not excuses – it’s not just ten new players, it’s a brand new system as well.

"We won five of our first six games including two against a top Swedish team. You guys were all heralding Stephen Glass as a great appointment until recently."

Sportsound presenter Kenny MacIntyre interjected at this point, replying: “I haven't heard a lot of people say Stephen Glass has been a great appointment.”

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Cormack responded by suggesting that the media coverage after the Dons' first few games of the season had been positive, with regards the style of football and results.

He continued: “Aberdeen haven't won the Scottish Cup for 31 years. We've won one League Cup in 26 years, eight seasons ago when Rangers were in the fourth tier and Hearts and Hibs got relegated.

"The good news is this: we have a very competitive league this year. We spend over a million on our youth academy each year.

"Six months ago nobody believed our young players would get a chance. Look what we've done with Jack MacKenzie and Calvin Ramsay; players who are going to make mistakes but are clearly good players.

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"This summer we brought in ten new players and a brand new system. We won five of the first six games and whatever people say I’ve got the emails that say it was a great appointment at that stage."

Discussing Aberdeen’s five consecutive defeats, Cormack continued: “I was at Dundee on Saturday, the fans have been absolutely brilliant and nobody has any issue, particularly Stephen and the coaching staff, with how they felt at the end of the game because we're all frustrated.

"I look at those five games and the data and I'm shaking my head and going, 'how the hell have we not got most of those points'?

"The players have got a responsibility too. Lewis Ferguson came out frustrated, and took responsibility as the players do.

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"Some senior players, including some of those who have been dropped are 100 per cent behind the coaching staff.

"I hear from people like Andy Considine, who’s injured; Neil Simpson, who's involved in the first-team coaching, and Joe Lewis that we should be patient because the intensity of the training, the organisation, the planning, and the unit work they do I am told is excellent.”

Hibs defeated Aberdeen 1-0 on their last visit to Pittodrie, Christian Doidge’s strike sealing third place for the Capital club.

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