Review Of The Season

a look back at 2013/14

There were great expectations around Pittodrie when the season kicked off last August but no Aberdeen fan could have predicted what was going to unfold over the next ten months. It has turned to be one of the most memorable seasons in decades.

Early victories over Kilmarnock and Motherwell were impressive but reverses against Celtic and Hearts kept the early optimism in check. Looking back, the victory over Alloa Athletic on penalties in the League Cup proved to be a season defining moment.

After that there was no looking back.

In September the League Cup win against Falkirk was arguably the most impressive performance of the season as a young Dons side spanked the Bairns 5-0. After a 1-0 defeat to Ross County at the start of October, the Dons beat Dundee United and Hibs in the League and a 10 man Aberdeen won at Motherwell in the League Cup quarterfinal – another candidate for performance of the season. Derek McInnes duly collected September’s Manger of the Month award.

The start of November saw a very encouraging performance against Partick Thistle, Aberdeen winning 4-0. Whilst the Dons were scoring goals for fun, it was the defence who were really impressing – five games without conceding a goal.

Throughout the season, Jamie Langfield has been outstanding, along with Russell Anderson and Mark Reynolds.

Bogey side Hearts then won at Pittodrie, a game the Dons should have won comfortably, and then came a 3-1 defeat came at Parkhead, another game the Dons might have won. It proved to be another turning point as Derek McInnes made it clear to his players that he only wanted winners in his side.

The phrase ‘winter of discontent’ was absent from Pittodrie for the first time in many a year. From the end of November to the end of January, the Dons marched up the league table, winning seven games, including a seven goal thriller in Inverness. They also fought back for a point at Motherwell and only lost two games, narrowly at home to Motherwell and Inverness.

That set Aberdeen up nicely for the League Cup semi-final against St Johnstone at Tynecastle. The hype leading up to the game went on for months but Derek McInnes did a brilliant job of making the players focus on one game at a time while Shay Logan and Adam Rooney were brought in to bolster the team, arguably the two best signings of the Scottish season, during the January transfer window. The semi-final will live long in the memory and the traditional 3pm kick-off did much to help the atmosphere. It was an occasion those who were there will not forget in a hurry. The crowd pulled Aberdeen through, along with some clinical finishing and one of the best performances ever from an Aberdeen player in a semi-final from skipper Russell Anderson.

With a final to look forward to, it would have been easy for the Dons not to have been too concerned with a Scottish Cup game against Celtic at Parkhead but the Dons went to Glasgow and completely out played their opponents. By the end Celtic had thrown in the towel and run out of ideas.

Derek McInnes picked up his second Manager of the Month award, this time for the league performances in February, highlighting the fact the Dons were still competing on three fronts. Adam Rooney also picked up the player award – has any striker ever made such an immediate impact at the club?

A 3-1 defeat to Partick Thistle at Firhill came out of the blue but was maybe the best thing that happened to the side all season, a timely reminder that nothing comes easy. The hype for the final was just as big as the semi-final but despite this, Aberdeen beat Celtic again at Pittodrie in the league after Jonny Hayes’ stunning strike which also won the Dons winger the goal of the season award.

40,000 Dons fans made the trip to Celtic Park on the 16th March, probably the most that have ever been to a cup final in Glasgow. The final was never going to be a classic, there was too much at stake. With no Pawlett and with Hayes going off early, it was always going to be tight. In the end though the Dons held their nerve and as manager Derek McInnes pointed out afterwards, there is no luck in penalty shootouts if you prepare properly for them.

Five draws out of six followed but the Dons still went into the Scottish Cup semi-final in a confident mood. However the players and fans failed to reach the performance levels of the League Cup semi and St Johnstone gained revenge.

Since then, the Dons hung in there and went into yesterday’s game looking to secure a top two finish – it would have been the first time they would have done that since 1993/94 and the 19th time in history that they would have finished first or second…. …. sadly though it was not to be.

Some great highs, a few lows but that is football.

Still, much to look forward, roll on 2014/15!

REDTV | 2013-14- What a season! | Please click here

REDTV | 2013-14 Goal of the Season Contenders | Please click here