Delighted Barry Robson reckons whoever becomes the next manager will inherit an Aberdeen squad that can fire them into Europe.
The interim boss helped buy the Pittodrie board some time, in their search for a manager, with this convincing win, thanks to a goal from Duk and double from Bojan Miovski. The Dons had been a five game losing streak but Robson ended that and put them back on the fringes of the top six. Robson, who has brought in experienced coach Steve Agnew as his assistant, said: “We know we need to be better in the league and I still think that is doable and achievable. There is a group of players in here, who I believe you could really get going.
“Funny enough I was standing beside Steve Agnew. He is just new to Scottish football but he said he could really feel the club and the fans coming with us when we got three goals. He said I can feel it and I like it. That is a man who has been everywhere. That is where this club needs to be. The players need to give that every week.
“(Europe) I hope so. I really do. It is away in the future and let's crack on with the way we are doing things at the minute. We are trying to make players better. You saw them run today and that is what I expect every time they play.”
The Aberdeen board now have a couple of weeks to accelerate the interview process in their managerial search before the Celtic game. It wouldn’t be the biggest of surprises if Robson remained in charge for that game. Could he also come into their thinking? Why not?
And it is now 11 games without a win in the league for Motherwell and their 39 stay in the top-flight looks to be in serious doubt.
They are a team short of confidence and quality and results don’t look like they are going to change anytime soon. The team is in free-fall and the majority of the January recruitment has been underwhelming.
They have already changed manager and unless there is a ray of hope from somewhere the Steelmen are heading for the Championship. Aberdeen had been five without a win going into this one but Motherwell hardly laid a glove on them.
Robson handed a debut to Ajax loanee Jay Gorter while Liam Scales came in for Ross McCrorie after his red card suspension was thrown out. ‘Well made four changes from the midweek no-show against St Johnstone.
Aberdeen dominated the first period with Motherwell struggling to show any quality. The home side went close inside 10 minutes. Bojan Miovski sent Duk away, he turned Stephen O’Donnell one way and then the other before he cracked in a low shot that Liam Kelly blocked with an outstretched leg.
Set-plays were a big thing with Angus MacDonald seeing a header blocked, Mattie Pollock nodded another just wide and Kelly made a smart save to keep out a Ylber Ramadani shot
Aberdeen got the goal their dominance deserved in the final minutes of the first half. Jonny Hayes too easily skipped past Max Johnston and chipped up a cross to the back stick for Duk to head in. That was to be Hayes last involvement as the impact of his earlier head knock with Johnston left him groggy and needing to be replaced by Hayden Coulson.
The second half saw Hammell make a triple change as he tried to get a foothold back into things. Hammell then sent on Callum Slattery for Rickie Lamie but the change didn’t go the way he had hoped.
Slattery criminally gifted possession to Ramadani and ran forward and O’Donnell failed to cut out his pass and Miovski chipped it over Kelly in the 64th minute. It was comic-cut defending and Aberdeen then scored a killer third. A brilliant defence-splitting pass from Leighton Clarkson allowed Miovski to easily knock in at the near post, for his 16th goal of the season.
It was game over although Motherwell were given a rare sight of goal thanks to VAR, after a review from Kevin Clancy he judged that Matty Kennedy had handled Olly Crankshaw’s cross.
Kevin van Veen stepped up and sent Gorter the wrong way from the spot but that was the only crumb of comfort for the travelling Motherwell support.
Man of the match: Ylber Ramadani was a real driving force for Aberdeen. He helped the Dons win the midfield battle and was a big, big player.
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