Paul Hartley tells Aberdeen they're in safe manager hands with Barry Robson as players told to buck up ideas

Paul Hartley believes Aberdeen are in safe hands with Barry Robson because he has already started to settle things down.

The former Scotland cap has taken over the Dons hotseat but is very much in consideration for the job in the longer term. Robson has already taken charge for the games against St Mirren and Motherwell and is expected to take the team into this weekend’s clash at Celtic. The Aberdeen board have already made it clear that they will take their time to appoint a new gaffer after Jim Goodwin was fired last month.

Former Aberdeen captain Hartley said: “Barry is there just now to settle things down and he knows the club really well. It looks like they will maybe take their time to get the right guy. There have been names linked already. It’s a big job. Aberdeen is an attractive job. It’s a big club with a great fanbase. When things go well at Aberdeen it’s brilliant but it’s like any club when things aren’t going so well – the fans have the right to be disappointed.

“If somebody can go in there and get it going I firmly believe they have good players at Aberdeen. It’s just trying to get a team that can go win matches.”

The goals for Aberdeen at the start of the season were cup runs, third place and a return to Europe. They’re out of both cups and Hearts look too far ahead in third spot. But Hartley doesn’t think it is outwith the possibility that Aberdeen could still salvage their season by finishing fourth.

He said: “Hearts are strong. Robbie Neilson has built a really good group, Aberdeen started really well, especially at home.

‘They were flying and scoring goals, things are just not happening right now – which does happen when you go on a bad run of results and then the pressure mounts. I still