Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson believes midfielder Findlay Marshall should serve as an inspiration for the club's future academy stars. Marshall has secured a regular place in the top team in recent weeks and has taken his opportunity.
Marshall's Path to the First Team
Marshall took a difficult route to the starting lineup, having been told he could leave under former manager Jimmy Thelin before a loan spell at Arbroath convinced the Dons to offer him a new deal. Robinson has given Marshall his top-team breakthrough, while Andrew Fasanya and Cooper Masson have also had a taste of first-team football.
Robinson said: "I have shown I will give young players their chance. I gave Andrew Fasanya his debut at 15 years of age. We've had Cooper Masson on the bench at Dundee and we have also given Findlay Marshall a good run in the team, which he has deserved."
Opportunities for Young Players
"If people are good enough they will play, it doesn't matter their age. But, they need to be good enough," he added. "There are a lot of good young players here who I like. It is up to them to grab the opportunity like Findlay has done and be better than what we already have here and then they will get opportunities."
Aberdeen overhauled their squad over the summer, and Robinson has confirmed that plans are already being worked on for the January transfer window. However, his priority remains short-term results, starting with the weekend home match against St Mirren.
Competitive Premiership
Robinson, who has managed Motherwell and Aberdeen, thinks the Scottish Premiership is as evenly balanced as he has seen. Just 11 points separate third-placed Hearts and bottom side Kilmarnock, and the Dons are looking for a couple of wins to get back moving in the right direction.
"I think it is arguably the most competitive I have been involved in. I don't think there is any result or any game where you predict that will definitely happen. There are a lot of surprises and that is the way you want it," he said.
"Every game is different. Some you have to deal with a lot of balls into the box and at other times you have a lot of possession. It is challenging. It is a small league so when you win a couple of games everything is great you are in the top six and really close to the top three or four. If you lose a couple of games then you are looking over your shoulder. It is an exciting league with some very good teams in the league."
Overseas Managers and Fitness Concerns
There has been a big influx of overseas managers, which has changed many outlooks, but Robinson insists the end game remains the same. "I don't think they have reinvented the wheel," he claimed. "Football is football. In terms of the unknown, yes. You come up against David Gray's teams you know what is going to happen because he has been the manager for a long time. The same with the new guys (Alfred Johansson) in at Motherwell."
"Football is not rocket science. It is complicated by us. It is a challenge because it might bring a different slant on systems or what you get from individuals. Ultimately, football hasn't changed in a long time."
The Dons are waiting to see if striker Ayoub Mouloua will be fit for the weekend. He went off against St Johnstone after a hefty head knock, and the club's medical staff went through concussion protocols with the Moroccan striker as a safety precaution.
