Duk given 'bad' Aberdeen FC transfer advice as Neil Warnock backs star to shrug off deadline day disappointment

Neil Warnock has had to pick Duk up after he failed to secure his Aberdeen exit last month.

The striker was the Dons’ top scorer with 18 goals last season but this time around he has failed to hit the heights and been a shadow of that player. Duk missed out on Cape Verde’s African Cup of Nations squad and then saw La Liga 2 leaders Leganes fail in a number of lowball offers before the last transfer deadline.

Warnock said: “He knows he is here now the window has been closed. He might have had bad advice before I came in. He is training really well. (Put an arm around him?) I think you have to do that. He is a genuine kid and I am sure between now and the end of the season he will score a few goals. Some of the things he does in training are amazing. Let’s hope he can do that on the pitch.”

Bojan Miovski has been Aberdeen’s main scoring threat but Warnock wants to employ Duk back as a striker again, although he had to switch him out wide in the weekend Scottish Cup victory over Bonnyrigg Rose. His manager admitted: “I felt a bit sorry for him on Saturday. I started him up front but I had to change it. In fairness to him, he does exactly what I want him to do without moaning. It is not his position out wide.”

Warnock has now assessed the squad he has inherited and believes it is short in some areas. He refused to go into specifics but the lack of wide and attack options seems to be issues.

The veteran said: “I think the squad is short in one or two areas if I am being honest. “We can’t really think like that. We have to use the players we have to try and get results. I don’t think it is fair to say where publicly when we have lads here who play in that position.

“I would imagine before the end of the season I am sure Alan