Barry Robson plays Hearts mind games as Aberdeen boss insists all pressure is on Jambos ahead of third-place shootout

Barry Robson insists the pressure is all on Hearts going into this weekend’s third-place shootout at Tynecastle.

Aberdeen are five points and know if they can come back from Tynecastle with something it will all but ensure they will finish best of the rest. Robson expects a significant Aberdeen improvement from the draw with Hibs. The Dons boss said: “We will be much better this week. I’m really looking forward to it and we will be back to our old selves. We will go there and try to win the game. They are a really good side and it’s a tough place to go but the pressure is going to be on Hearts and not us.

“It’s up to us to go down there and try to play as well as we can.” Robson’s side were second best in their home stalemate with Hibs but still put on a dogged defensive display and Kelle Roos also saved a penalty to ensure they dug out a point, with none of their chasing rivals able to make up any further ground. Robson added: “We’re trying to finish third and it’s not easy. Everyone is trying to chase us down.

“When you play for Aberdeen you need to have a strong mentality. We’re still in third place. Did we play the way we wanted to play? No, nowhere near it. We’ve done that to other teams. They came up here and they had to win. You have one team at their maximum and us nowhere near our maximum but we came out with a point and that was the pleasing part for me. We didn’t lose the game and we kept a clean sheet.

“Look where we were and look where we are now. That team fought. They’ve given me everything and deserve credit for keeping us in the fight.”

Aberdeen have a number of injury concerns from the weekend, with Duk going off with a hamstring issue and Jonny Hayes and Ylber Ramadani both limping come the end of the