Barry Robson balancing Aberdeen FC demands and expectations as he predicts his men can deal with hectic Euro schedule

Football fans have demands and expectations. It’s often wrongly assumed they are the same thing.

At Aberdeen there are always demands. Dons supporters see their side as the third force in Scottish football and want them to act like it, competing at the top end of the league table and at the latter stages in the cups. But that doesn’t mean they expect it. Dandies are a pessimistic bunch by nature and while they might demand success – they sometimes fear the worst – but not now.

Demand and expectation have risen in tandem in the Granite City. There’s a buzz about the place ahead of the new season under Barry Robson. Aberdeen fans are – wait for it – pretty optimistic. The punters have lapped up the new signings, with the likes of Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson, Rhys Williams, Nicky Devlin Ester Sokler and Slobodan Rubezic looking the part.

There’s chairman Dave Cormack and chief executive Alan Burrows engaging with fans online and being transparent with their hopes and plans. Season tickets have been snapped up and funky new shirts are flying off the shelves. There will be an away support of more than 4000 at Livingston for this weekend’s Premiership opener.

After the trauma of last season’s mid-term collapse and the Darvel fiasco, fans are dreaming again. And boss Robson said: “This is Aberdeen. There’s always expectation. Neil Simpson is in here every day and he’s a Gothenburg Great. I keep saying to him he’s killing us! The club is in a great place. All we need is the support, which I know they will give. We need patience – and I know we’ll get that too.

“Hopefully we can perform as well as we can. It won’t be due to a lack of organisation or hard work. All of that will be there and we’ll take it as far as we can.”

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