'I know how to motivate teams' - Robinson urges Aberdeen to seize Hampden chance

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Saturday's Premier Sports Cup semi-final with Rangers would be the perfect place for Aberdeen to ease the tension of a disappointing start to the season, says head coach Stephen Robinson.

The Dons head to Hampden on a run of just one win from their past five games.

However, Robinson, who led St Mirren to the trophy last year, takes confidence from his own record and the unity he sees at Pittodrie.

"You haven't got time to feel sorry for yourself, if there is a moment to put it right a semi final at Hampden is that time," he said.

"As a footballer you always get another chance, sometimes as a manager you don't and what a chance it is to go to Hampden, a full house with a big support with us. It is certainly the right place to do it and we believe we can.

"Every semi-final that I've been in with Motherwell and St Mirren, we were not expected to win. So I know how to motivate teams and the staff know how to get teams to believe.

"It's certainly an opportunity. All the pressure will be on Rangers, and the expectation will be on Rangers."

Wednesday's 1-0 home loss to Falkirk ended in a chorus of angry boos and leaves the Dons ninth in the Premiership, three points above the bottom.

"It's a great great group of boys that want to be successful and no-one was hiding away from the fact results haven't been good enough," Robinson said of the post-game talks with his squad.

"The players know it needs to be better and they are all in that together. There are no factions, there are no people going off on their own, everyone wants to turn that around.

"There was a good performance in that as well but ultimately we deserved the criticism we got, we can't get away from that. I deserved the criticism. I don't hide behind that. I don't try and throw players under the bus. We have to respond to that."

Robinson, who joined Aberdeen in March, insists he has "normal conversations" with chief executive Adrian Bevingston and chairman Dave Cormack, when asked if he had sought any assurances from the Pittodrie hierarchy about his position.

Rangers boss Derek McInnes spent close to eight years at Aberdeen and has backed Robinson to succeed, if given time.

"Until you are in this position, you don't realise how difficult things are and the parameters you have to work under, Derek obviously does," said Robinson of those comments.

"I have nothing but total respect for him. He is one of the top managers in the country. Everybody wants time but you don't get given time in football, we are all well aware of that and results are what dictates that."

Robinson handed Kevin Nisbet the captain's armband during the summer and the striker insists the players owe everyone associated with the club a big performance.

"The way the fans acted after the Falkirk game was justified. It wasn't a great performance and the blame and the responsibility stops and ends with the players.

"The gaffer has been battered from pillar to post all season and he has taken a lot of flak for us, but that one during the week was definitely on us.

"We owe the gaffer a performance, we owe the fans a performance and we owe the club a performance."

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• Published18 June 2023

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Published18 June 2023