Barry Robson senses Aberdeen danger from Robert Snodgrass as he sees Hearts veteran walk a familiar path
The former midfielder can see his opposition on Saturday treading similar ground to what he previously had done.
Barry Robson played with Hearts star Robert Snodgrass and knows he has the quality to hurt Aberdeen’s push for third spot.
The pair were together in the Scotland team and now interim boss will be looking to get one over his Jambos at Pittodrie this weekend. Veteran Snodgrass has been central in getting Hearts clear in third spot - although the Dons will look to cut their advantage to four points on Saturday. Robson said: “Snoddy is a good player, terrific left foot. He can hurt you. I played for Scotland with Snoddy a few times. These days he plays a lot more central now – I did that myself as I got older. He is doing well at that.”
Robson was 37 when he hung his boots and reckons Snodgrass can do the same because he looks after himself, on and off the park. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, however, has taken things to a new level with his Swedish recall at 41. He added: “I always say to every player ‘just play as long as you can because you are a long time retired’. I kept going until I was three months short of my 38th birthday and I think I could have played on longer, but obviously Derek McInnes offered me a position as a coach at the time.
“He was telling me I was finished but I was telling him I wasn’t! I played for a long time because I looked after myself and I’m sure Snoddy is as well.
“That’s the key: if you want to play long you have got to eat right, live right – all these sorts of things. That’s how I managed to go on for so long. I tried to be really disciplined in what I did.”
Hearts ’ main goal threat is likely to come from their 21 goal striker Lawrence Shankland. He was another Robson knows well as he was at Aberdeen as a youngster, after leaving Queen’s Park.
Robson admitted: “Lawrence too, who has done really well for himself, he holds the ball up well and scores goals. They are good footballers and good guys as well, hopefully they don’t have a good game at the weekend and we are able to keep them quiet."
Robson is no further forward as to what the future holds in terms of Aberdeen’s next managerial appointment. He doesn’t know if will be in charge beyond Saturday.
Robson admitted there has been no time limit put on his interim appointment and he pointed to the fact his current assistant Steve Agnew has 12 games in a similar stint at Middlesbrough, admitting: “Players enjoy working with him and listening to him, he’s a football man through and through who loves the game.
“He always wants to make people better and it’s never about him. It’s always about ‘how can we make this player better?’ ‘How can we do this or that?’ I met him when I was at Middlesbrough years ago and enjoyed his sessions.
I loved working with him and stole a lot of his sessions from back in the day and tried to improve them. He’s been very good for the football club in terms of the staff. He’s a really experienced guy and a proper football man. His attention to detail is first class."
The Aberdeen stand-in boss admitted the experienced English coach has been brilliant for him and he has stolen a lot of his drills and taken them into his own coaching career.
“It’s his mannerism and the way he is,” he explained. I’ve spoken about the coaching and tactical side of it before but players enjoy listening to him and they enjoy working with him.
“He is a football man through and through who loves the game. It just oozes out of him, he always wants to make people better and it is never about him – it’s always ‘How can we make this player better? How can we do this or that?’
I liked the detail he went into. I stole a lot of his sessions from back in the day and tried to improve them. He has been very good for the football club if you ask all the staff and everyone about the place. He is a really experienced guy, a proper football man, and his attention to detail is first class.”