Graeme Shinnie has insisted that Aberdeen just weren’t good enough last season and it had nothing to do with Europe.
The finger of blame was put on the burden of European group stage football as the Dons struggled to cope on both fronts but Shinnie has rubbished that as an excuse and knows top teams and players need to cope with whatever is put in front of them. Aberdeen are now looking to get back into the European front and have made the ideal start with an opening 12 wins on the bounce.
Shinnie said: “We just weren’t good enough last season, there are no excuses for that. It is where we as a club want to be and strive to be there again. Europe can be tough at times but if you use it as an excuse it can be worse at times. It is about winning games in football and how do you do that with the situation you are in?
“You have to adapt to different things. We didn’t do it well last season, we weren’t good enough and that’s just the way it was.
“We should have been better than we were. If you make excuses it can be a downward spiral and you get into that negative attitude. It can go that way sometimes.”
Hearts now find themselves in a similar situation where they have come off third place and into the group stages and failed to hit the heights. Manager Stevie Naismith has already paid the price, like Barry Robson, last term. Shinnie knows Sunday’s opponents will be boosted by their away win against Dinamo Minsk.
Shinnie stated: “Hearts had a good result on Thursday so will have a fresh mind, fresh bit of confidence and we need to be aware of that.”
Liam Fox has taken over as interim boss. They got a draw against Ross County and then the European win and Shinnie rates Fox highly from his time as Aberdeen’s first-team coach under Barry Robson.
He added:: “A fresh face with Foxy taking over, the squad they have got is good, and they will start winning games. It is no real surprise that they had a good result and they will build on that. He came in and did well here, he was good around the boys.”
Aberdeen defender Nicky Devlin has got his first Scotland call-up and Shinnie believes it has been long overdue. Shinnie claimed: “It’s always pleasing to see boys getting called-up for their national teams as you want to see the players rewarded.
“I think the players going away deserve it, none more so than Nicky Devlin. He has been brilliant since he came in from Livingston and so consistent for the team.
“With the injuries in Scotland are having to deal with at right back I’m a little surprised it didn’t come earlier for him. But it’s a great opportunity to go and show what he’s about and if he does what he’s been doing here he will do very well.”