Barry Robson has turned Aberdeen 's**** into honey' as John McMaster labels him the new Archie Knox

Gothenburg Great John McMaster insists Barry Robson is the new Archie Knox and will lead Aberdeen into third place in the Premiership.

McMaster – a cultured left-back in Sir Alex Ferguson’s European Cup-Winners’ Cup side in 1983 – reckons Robson’s inside knowledge of the Dons and his desire to bring coaching to the heart of what he does as a boss is comparable to Knox, Fergie’s right-hand man during the Reds glory years. And he’s in no doubt their recent turn of form which has seen them surge up the league table, added to a Hearts’ form slump in recent weeks, makes them odds-on to overtake the Jambos.

He looked back to 37 years ago when the Tynecastle men stood within a point of winning the league title for the first time in 26 years but were beaten by Dundee on the last game of the season for Celtic to take the championship. McMaster said: “Hearts look like they’ve blown up – it’s like 1986 all over again!

“So European places are there to play for. Aberdeen have come from a long way back and have the momentum now. Barry has a vision of trying to get to Europe and I think they’ll do it because of the way they’re playing.”

Launching his autobiography ‘Master & Commander', at Pittodrie, the Greenock-born ex-defender is adamant Robson has embraced the chance as boss until the end of the season and made the squad his own. He said: “They’re playing the way he wants them to play. He’s turned s**** into honey over the last couple of months.

“Archie Knox used to say you can’t turn s**** into honey but you can have a go at it – well, Barry certainly has. Speaking to him and his assistant, Steve Agnew, they remind me of Archie. The pair of them are really into their coaching, they love it. And that’s when I thought it was so like