Forty years after Sir Alex Ferguson left Aberdeen for Manchester United, supporters in the Granite City are reflecting on another manager search following the dismissal of Stephen Robinson. A resurfaced BBC clip from 1986 shows fans reacting to Ferguson's departure, with one claiming he would regret the move - a prediction that proved wide of the mark given his 38 trophies at Old Trafford.
Ferguson's Legacy vs Robinson's Short Tenure
Ferguson spent eight years at Pittodrie, winning 10 major trophies, before the lure of one of the world's biggest clubs proved too strong. Robinson, who also moved from St Mirren to Aberdeen, lasted just eight months before being shown the door.
In the 40-year-old clip, Ferguson said: "It's the only club I wanted to go to away from Aberdeen." One supporter in the Pittodrie Bar commented: "He will probably do well down there but it leaves Aberdeen with a bit of a problem." Another added: "I think he'll regret it."
Pittodrie Bar Regulars on Current Mood
The Pittodrie Bar, a 10-minute walk from the stadium, remains busy on matchdays. Regular Billy, 66, expressed frustration with the revolving door of managers and players since Derek McInnes' tenure ended in March 2021.
He said: "It is happening again with a new manager coming in, and with January coming up, who is going to go and who is going to stay? It will just be more of the same. I was hoping Robinson was going to do well. He did his job in keeping us in the division last season which was the most important thing at the time. But he was given a load of players (over the summer) and it just hasn't worked. I was at his last game on Saturday and it was atrocious, probably the worst I have seen them play for many years."
Billy suggested Scottish managers John McGlynn or Steven Pressley as potential candidates, adding: "I would like Pressley. He goes under the radar a bit. There is none of this bawling and shouting or making up 300 million excuses for everything." He also noted the club's new English CEO Adrian Bevington and German sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, saying: "Dave Cormack is doing everything he can, but someone is making the wrong decisions."
Criticism of Chairman Dave Cormack
David Moffat, 64, from Stonehaven, called for scrutiny of Cormack's decision-making and transparency. He said: "When Cormack does get on the phone to these guys (potential candidates), he talks about this sexy and fast attacking football. But I think he just tells them what they want to hear. What I haven't heard from him is 'okay, how are we going to achieve that?'"
Moffat, who grew up watching Ferguson's team, recalled watching European opponents train near the Commodore Hotel as a schoolboy, including Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Horst Hrubesch. He added: "Before Ferguson came we didn't expect to beat teams like Celtic or Rangers."
Martin Downie, 47, who just missed the glory years, felt Robinson should have been given more time. He said: "It was inevitable but deep down, I am not sure it was the right decision. I think the man was here with a lengthy plan but unfortunately football is a cutthroat business and results dictated that he couldn't last any longer."
Downie doubted the appeal of the Aberdeen job, saying: "I just don't think the pull of being Aberdeen manager is what it used to be. They will struggle to get someone of McGlynn's pedigree for example. Steve Clarke is in the dinosaur mould from old. I think he would do a job but I have heard him say that he will never come back to manage in Scotland again, so that's ruled out. We have already tried the foreign route with Jimmy Thelin, so I am not sure on where the club go next."
Aberdeen are seeking a new boss ahead of their return to action against Kilmarnock on November 21, with fans hoping for a more successful appointment than the last.
