Niall McGinn is confident that if Stephen Robinson gets the financial backing he needs, he can turn Aberdeen into a major Premiership force again. The former Dons star worked closely with Robinson during his time with the Northern Ireland national team and later faced his sides in the Scottish Premiership.
Robinson's Proven Track Record
Robinson was brought in as one of Michael O'Neill's coaches for Euro 2016, where Northern Ireland advanced to the last 16. McGinn knows he is a top coach and a proven manager who, given the right tools, can transform Aberdeen's fortunes. "I think he'll do well, but it's like anything. He obviously needs the backing, which he seems he's going to get," McGinn said. "He knows the league very well, so that's a big plus straight away. Stephen is coming into a league where he knows what the standards are. He knows what he's come up against every week."
Squad Revamp Underway
Robinson has already started to revamp his Aberdeen squad. He has agreed deals to sign Brad Lyons, Lewis Mayo, Alexander Briedl, and Dan Happe. A move for Connor Ronan from Colorado Rapids should also be completed when the transfer window opens. The Aberdeen boss has made it clear he is looking for more physicality and power with a lot of British know-how. "It's not going to be pretty at times," McGinn insisted. "It's going to be hard graft. He's been saying that over the course of the last six weeks of how the games are and moments such as set-pieces. Just really fine moments over the course of 90 minutes which games can be won or lost."
Winning Mentality
McGinn emphasized that while fans want exciting football, Robinson's priority will be winning games. "You want to play free-flowing football and you want to excite the fans. He'll obviously do well, but more importantly, he'll want to win games. Ultimately, he'll just be wanting to win games straight away." McGinn was pleased to see his countryman get the top Pittodrie job after he led St Mirren to Premier Sports Cup glory. "He was assistant coach at the 2016 Euros. I just knew how brilliant of a coach he was. Obviously, I haven't worked under him as a manager, which is a wee bit different. But from speaking to other players and knowing how he is, I've spoken to him a few times since he's arrived. He's just wanting to do very well, first and foremost for himself and more importantly for the group of players and obviously the fans as well. It'll be a united effort. Yes, he'll need a bit of time. He'll need a bit of adaptation regarding pre-season, regarding the players coming in, regarding everyone gelling together, with the current squad and the players he's bringing in. He will be looking to do that over pre-season."
Brad Lyons: A Standards Driver
McGinn is also pleased to see another Northern Irish international player at Aberdeen. Midfielder Lyons makes the switch from Kilmarnock. "First of all, delighted to see somebody from the north coming into the Aberdeen squad. Looking from the outside in and knowing him briefly but not too much. I have watched him closely over the years to see his progression from Coleraine and Kilmarnock. He then made his international debut and has won a few caps, so he has quality. He's just a hard working, honest guy. He'll work box to box, he'll maybe chip in a goal or two but he'll just drive standards."
Replacing Leadership
Lyons is experienced and was Aberdeen captain. McGinn knows adding those sort of characters is important, especially as the Dons have to replace skipper Graeme Shinnie, who has returned to Inverness. "Brad is a good honest footballer and a good type. It's going to be important because when you lose the likes of Graeme Shinnie you need characters to come in and get up to the standards straight away. He's one of those boys who will drive standards."
