Why Aberdeen must act fast over new manager with Sir Alex Ferguson due at Pittodrie soon

Sacking a manager can be very inconvenient. Producers of the excellent Aberdeen match programme could not hope to turn things around in time to reference the events of Sunday morning so fans at Tuesday night’s draw against St Johnstone were able to read Stephen Glass’ thoughts on the upcoming game.

Of course, these musings dated to the end of last month when the game was originally meant to be played.

They did provide an insert but even that was hopelessly out-of-date and had Matty Kennedy looking forward to being part of Glass’ plans. The sacked manager himself was bidding everyone “good afternoon”. There was something that seemed topical – Glass apologising for a defeat, although it was the one against St Mirren in Paisley three weeks ago that placed him under renewed pressure rather than Saturday’s Scottish Cup loss to Motherwell when the axe finally fell.

Such slightly embarrassing if unavoidable consequences of suddenly severing ties with a manager might mean Dave Cormack is feeling somewhat uncomfortable at present.

Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack is seeking a new manager after dismissing Stephen Glass 11 months into his Pittodrie managerial career. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

The chairman is clearly very conscious about how things look. His big day in the sun is fast approaching when he gets to welcome back Aberdeen' s greatest-ever manager. Their next home game against old New Firm rivals Dundee United also counts as a homecoming celebration as Ferguson returns to give a seal of approval to a statue of himself in happier times for the Pittodrie club. He will have been hoping for some respite from Manchester United. Instead, he is walking into more dysfunction.

Cormack confirmed news of the statue himself in July while interviewing Neil Simpson on the pitch at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, scene of Aberdeen’s greatest triumph. He will be livid the statue is set to be installed amid such discord - much of it generated by unhappiness with his own stewardship of the club - after such obvious delight that it was going to happen on his watch.

The recruitment process Cormack was so invested in has been exposed as flawed to the extent that he was forced to call a halt to the Glass experiment after just 11 months. There is open insurrection in the stands.

One of the team’s best players, Lewis Ferguson, found himself being booed on Tuesday by his own fans in the Red Shed – a Cormack innovation, to improve the atmosphere at Pittodrie - in what seemed a particularly striking metaphor for a club that’s lost its way. Ferguson is someone prepared to go the extra mile, who is happy to play anywhere and take high-stakes penalties, as he did, successfully, to earn a point against St Johnstone. And yet he was being condemned.

Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass at full time of the Scottish Cup match against Motherwell on February 12, 2022. He would be sacked the following day. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Aberdeen have some of the loyal, most long suffering fans in the land. Something must have gone very wrong to create such scenes as well as those witnessed at Motherwell last Saturday.

A line of stewards were forced to form a yellow-jacketed wall between over 2,000 fans and the players and Glass as they walked back up the away stand stairs to the temporary visitors’ dressing room at Fir Park. They will make this same walk on Saturday.

Another loss against their bogey team could really leave Aberdeen in the mire depending on results elsewhere. The pressure on Cormack to deliver a manager of substance to the Red Army is intensifying.

The thought of being at the centre of a double celebration next weekend where a new manager such as Jim Goodwin makes his Pittodrie bow on the day Ferguson returns may well appeal to Cormack. Whatever the motivation, he needs to produce something fast.

Former Aberdeen and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be back at Pittodrie for a statue unveiling later this month. (Photo by Bill Murray / SNS Group)

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