Kelle Roos senses Aberdeen belief as they go from down in the dumps to European team to beat

Tonked at Tynecastle, disgraced at Darvel and lashed in Leith in El Sackico.

It’s hard to believe it was just a couple of months ago Aberdeen’s season was circling the drain with the Dons now in the thick of the fight for third spot in the Premiership. Back then, the Pittodrie men were nine points behind Hearts and a slump towards the bottom six looked more likely than a European push. The s*** hit the fan, was how keeper Kelle Roos described it. It was more like the fans who were hit with the brown stuff, mind you.

But the Dons have been hosed down and sharpened up under Barry Robson and after chiselling out a win against spirited 10-men St Johnstone on Saturday, they are not just in the race to be best of the rest – they now look favourites for the spot. Hearts have gone to pot of late and with just one point between the sides with eight games to go, confidence and momentum has shifted to the Granite City. Robson has gone from caretaker to a halfway house arrangement as boss until the end of the season. But if he lands third – and potentially European football until Christmas next term – then there will need to be another new contract typed up.

Roos played his part at McDiarmid Park with some superb saves and he insisted he always felt the Dons could mount a challenge – even when the mud was flying a few months ago. The Dutchman said: “I would be lying if I said we didn’t look at the table.

"You are at the point of the season when you look at it and it is brilliant we are getting results. It is nice we are creeping up the table but we have to stick with it.

“Hearts are a good team but people are realising we are a good team too, who is going in the right direction. If the s**t hits the fan it is never nice, you can