Niall McGinn warns next Aberdeen FC manager of bare minimum demands that are nowhere near being met

Niall McGinn has urged the Pittodrie board to get this managerial appointment right because Aberdeen should always be a major force in Scottish football.

That hasn’t quite happened in the Premiership this season because rather than chasing the European places the Dons are looking worryingly over their shoulders. Barry Robson and Neil Warnock have come and gone and now they are looking for another manager, with Peter Leven put in interim charge again.

The Reds are just three points off the relegation play-off spot - with second-bottom Ross County having the chance to draw level if they were to win in the Granite City this weekend. That is alarmingly short of Aberdeen’s expectations where McGinn knows the demands are, to at least, to finish in the top four, qualify for Europe and to challenge for silverware. McGinn stated: “Aberdeen need to get the right man on board to take the club forward.

"The demands every season should be a minimum of top four, regardless of who the manager is or the group of players. It should be a given that it is top four and trying to win a trophy. You need to be competing and looking to finish above the likes of Hibs and Hearts every season.

"Yes, there will always be one or two teams who will surprise you each season like St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Dundee are this season, but Aberdeen should be up there qualifying for Europe. When I was there we got to Europe but it was harder to get into the group stages but you saw the team get into the Europa Conference League group stages this season.”

Aberdeen had claimed that they wanted to appoint a new manager before the winter break. Regardless of whether there is a new man in place or not, McGinn knows this Aberdeen team need to dig deep and get a