Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson has signed an entire new starting XI this summer, but he is confident the rebuild will not take time to gel, pointing to his track record at Motherwell and St Mirren.
Robinson has been the busiest manager in the Scottish Premiership, bringing in a full team and still looking to add more. He has no qualms about hitting the ground running, having previously made 17 signings at Motherwell and 14 at St Mirren.
Previous success with large squads
Reflecting on his past experiences, Robinson said: "My first season at Motherwell, I brought 17 in and we got the two cup finals and I think I brought 14 in at St Mirren and we got the Europe, so it's been okay so far. It takes a little bit of time to hit the ground running."
He added: "What I've tried to do is bring boys in that know the level or have played at a very good level and so you have more chance of them hitting the ground running."
Robinson acknowledged that while there are still areas to improve, the team is taking shape. "There's obviously still things we need to be better at. There's lots of really good aspects of performance and the chances we've created was fantastic. But we have to take those chances, of course."
Squad trimming and further additions
Robinson knows he needs to reduce his squad size but is still looking to add quality. "I think there's still certain areas we need to be stronger at. Players, I believe, will leave the club in the coming weeks," he said.
He explained the importance of early signings: "We start very early so, in Europe and even in England, the leagues don't start for a long time yet. They have a long period of time of rest over the summer. We have three weeks and we need to, as I say, hit the ground running and make our signings early so you're prepared, which gives you, in my opinion, the best chances for success."
Robinson aims for a squad of around 23 or 24 outfield players. "At the moment, it's too big, but I've made those players aware of that and that's something that's hopefully currently happening."
Upcoming cup clash with Queen's Park
Aberdeen face Queen's Park in the Premier Sports Cup, and Robinson wants to build on Tuesday's opening win over Brora Rangers. "You've seen the results the other night. Everyone thinks you're going to turn up and win comfortably. That's not how football works on a lot of occasions," he said.
He emphasized the challenge: "A big challenge. No game's easy. All teams now are well coached. Teams are very, very hard to break down. We'll have a lot of possession. It's about being clinical, looking for that movement in the box."
Robinson is looking for improvements every game: "You're looking for improvements every game. The cup games come early, I don't like the format. I enjoyed winning it, but I don't like the format. But you have to make sure you're ready for that. It sets you up nicely for the league season, but you have to come out with wins as well."
Positive signs from Brora win
Robinson was pleased with the 2-0 win at Brora, secured by a Kevin Nisbet double. "I thought we'd seen a lot of good stuff, especially in the first half against Brora. We should have been seven or eight up. It was incredible goalkeeping, some incredible misses and a little bit of luck. There was a lot of good play," he said.
He noted the team's composure: "When you don't go three or four nil in the first half hour, everyone starts to panic. But I thought we managed it really well. We competed really well, which I'm not sure could have been said of an Aberdeen team last season."
Implementing his style
Robinson believes fans will start to see his real team over the coming weeks. The Northern Irishman said: "It's always difficult for a manager to take over in mid-season in a relegation battle. Make no mistake, it was a relegation battle when we came and you're trying to implement your ways. You're maybe not able to do everything you want because of the personnel or the situation we found ourselves in. So it's good to have a fresh start over pre-season, put our ideas across and see those come to fruition."
