Dave Cormack's Aberdeen AGM 3 point address from Robson future to binning VAR and Viaplay Cup Final tickets
Boss Robson also spoke on the invisible men of Pittodrie who haven't played since being signed in the summer.
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has given Barry Robson a vote of confidence but is looking for him to deliver improved Premiership results that would keep him in the job for seasons to come.
The Pittodrie supremo gave his under-fire manager his backing at the 120th Annual General Meeting at Pittodrie. Cormack praised Robson for leading the team back into the group stages of European football and to the Viaplay Cup final but acknowledged that their league form has to improve. Cormack, who paid tribute to the late Craig Brown, said: “Including Barry we all agree that our league form has not been good enough.
“As with every manager we employ, Barry will be judged on results over the coming weeks, months and as we sincerely hope, seasons. In the cold light of day Barry absolutely earned the right to become our manager, especially when the highly-experienced Steve Angew agreed to come in as his assistant. We have to remember Barry single-handedly won third place in the league last season, earning two Manager of the Month awards and European group stage football for the first time in fifteen seasons.
“Since Aberdeen last won the Scottish Cup in 1990, we have had 13 permanent managers. Where does Barry rank in terms of percentage of games won? With 13 wins in 30 games, including a recent record that Barry himself, and all of us, is not happy with, he sits in second place with a 43.3% win rate.
“Yes, frustration over recent form is understandable, we have all been frustrated too. But those of us who witnessed the performance in the second half against Hearts last weekend, driven by the fans and the Red Shed leading the way, demonstrated it’s not only the love we all have for the club.
“But the players are committed to the cause and the dressing-room is fully united behind Barry and his coaching staff. We all know our league form needs to improve but let’s all get behind Barry and the boys for the cup final on Sunday.”
The club’s resolutions were all passed. The figures for the year up to June 30th, 2023 were given the green light. Directors Tom Crotty and Zoe Ogilvie were voted back on the board, while chief executive Alan Burrows was brought on as a director.
Shareholders asked about the new stadium and club confirmed they were looking at the feasibility of building an indoor training facility at Cormack Park. Burrows confirmed: “Pitch six at Cormack Park is known as the Neale Cooper pitch sitting there for development. The club is undergoing a feasibility study to have an indoor pitch.”
Questions were also put to manager Barry Robson about the lack of use of Rhys Williams, Or Dadia and Vinny Besuijen. Robson said: “Rhys came up injured and has struggled. Stefan Gartenmann came in and did well along with Richard Jensen who have both done well and so he has found it tough to get into the team.
“He (Dadia) is a lovely guy. It is not easy coming into a new team and culture. The emergence of Jack Milne has been a big plus. It is something we are looking at and we will decide on closer to that time.
“Vinny has been really good and has worked hard in training. He has had some other players ahead of him in the way we are trying to do things.”
The manager also gave an update on Connor Barron’s contract situation. He is set to become a free agent in the summer. Robson explained: “We are trying to get some positive news as quickly as we can.”
The board were also asked about the botched Viaplay Cup final sales Cormack added: “We got 19,500 in the end and I think they shot themselves in the foot because when people talk about conspiracy in Scottish football that just perpetrates it.”
There were also questions on why there wasn’t a 50/50 spit for Hampden. Cormack also spoke about looking at B teams and looking at partnering with lower league clubs in Denmark and admitted he would get rid of VAR. Cormack added: "I would bin it, the inconsistency is unacceptable."