Jim Goodwin sets Aberdeen points target, speaks on 'responsibility' & admits possible 'gamble'

Jim Goodwin won’t pass the buck if the Aberdeen fail to reach the top six as he targets nine points from the three remaining pre-split fixtures.

The Dons currently sit tenth in the Premiership, four points off the top six.

Aberdeen host Hibs at Pittodrie on Saturday knowing three points will take them to within two of their opponents who currently occupy fourth spot.

It is followed by an away game at Dundee and Ross County at Pittodrie.

Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin is targeting nine points from nine. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

"They are all cup finals and we need to win all of them," Goodwin said.

“I think it is going to take three wins to get us to where we want to be. It might not be enough but we have to believe it will be. Some people are suggesting two wins and a draw might be enough but I think we have to go all out and try to get three wins and see where it takes us.”

Goodwin has been in charge for just shy of four weeks and overseen four games which have brought two points, draws with Motherwell and Dundee United.

He has been encouraged by what he has seen in “decent performances" aside from a “really bad one” in defeat at Hearts.

With two weeks of solid work on the training ground, Goodwin is reluctant at looking back to the previous management team to explain away any disappointments.

‘Full responsibility’

“Coming in at the time I knew it was difficult but now, four weeks in, we’ve had plenty of time to get our ideas across to the players and give them a good understanding of what we are asking them to do,” he said.

“We could have won at Motherwell. We had the ball in the net and it was chalked off wrongly. We had so many good opportunities against Dundee United at home, and we put in a decent performance for 65 minutes at Ibrox, restricting Rangers to two shots on target. I don’t think many teams will have done that this season, especially at Ibrox.

"It could have been so different in the games I’ve been in charge of but it has been quite hectic.

“There has been a lot of work done on the training pitch to get my ideas and it is now very much my way of doing things. That’s why I will take full responsibility. You can’t keep passing the buck and blaming the past manager. It’s on me now going forward and we need to win these three games. We won’t be shying away from it.”

Goodwin has been boosted by the return of Andy Considine and Marley Watkins to his squad.

Keen not to expect too much too soon, he admitted a calculated gamble may have to be taken.

“Unfortunately right now we don’t have the luxury of bedding guys in again," he said. “We’ve got big, big games coming up and we need to maybe gamble with one or two as well.

“Without being unfair to the players, I don’t want to rush guys back who physically can’t do what we’re asking them to do, but the conversations I’ll have with the medical team and sports science teams, we’ll make calculated decisions on those ones who have been out for a long period of time.”

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