Barry Robson has nine games to convince Aberdeen’s board and fans he has what it takes to lead the club beyond the summer.
His appointment to the end of the season is testament to the great work he’s done in his six games in interim charge, but also suggested the club still have some doubts.
The final race for the top six and European football is the perfect test for the 44-year-old to prove himself, having stepped up from youth coaching since retiring as a player.
The former Scotland midfielder is quietly building a case to show he has what it takes, but what does he have left to prove?
Why has Robson been given this chance?
I know what you’re thinking – it’s results, stupid.
Robson has won four of his six games in charge, with one loss coming in his first game against St Mirren with two new centre-backs thrown in a day after signing, and a red card after seven minutes for Ross McCrorie.
The other defeat came at Celtic Park, where no Scottish side has managed even a draw this season.
In three of the four wins, Aberdeen have scored three goals, and they have conceded just once – a penalty against Dundee United – in their last three games, winning all of them.
Goals for and against are an obvious indicator of performance, and Aberdeen have scored three more than they have conceded since Robson stepped in.
The goals against column is a notable improvement given what went before – and it’s even rosier when you take out the 4-0 drubbing at Celtic.
Even without looking at statistics, Aberdeen just look a more cohesive unit, culminating in their thoroughly impressive 3-0 dismissal of Hearts, which was full of energetic pressing, fast attacks and quality in the final third.
All of that is notable when you consider what Robson walked into. A club on the back of one of the worst weeks in its 120-year history, after two thumpings in Edinburgh by an aggregate score of 11-0 and a cup exit to non-league Darvel.
Defender Mattie Pollock has spoken about how much the players are “buzzing” to play for Robson and how the Inverurie native has upped the intensity of training.
You might not expect the players to say anything else in public, but it is notable just how much the atmosphere around the club seems to have changed.
It’s easy to see why Robson, and experienced English assistant Steve Agnew, have been given an extended audition.
What is the task ahead of him?
While the case for Robson to continue was compelling, the club are surely right to limit it to the end of the season for now. Six games is an extremely small sample size to assess any manager, never mind one who is in his first job.
The 3-1 win at Dundee United was a tad fortunate in the sense the hosts had an expected goals rating of 2.02 to Aberdeen’s 0.78, which tells you Jim Goodwin’s side ought to have won on the quality of chances created.
That also underlines there is an ongoing issue with the club’s away form – which has been dreadful for two seasons. Robson needs to prove he can rectify that on a consistent basis, given three of his four wins have come at Pittodrie.
Trips to St Johnstone and Ross County before the split give him the perfect chance to start putting that right, while a home game against Kilmarnock needs to be taken care of too.
Provided Aberdeen finish in the top six, further clashes with Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and, likely, Hibernian will also prove fertile ground for testing Robson’s credentials.
If, at the end of that, the Dons are looking at third spot and guaranteed group stage European football next season, then Robson’s case truly does become compelling.
But finishing fourth, or even fifth – given that is likely to earn a place in the Europa Conference League qualifiers – would represent a job well done.
But what questions still linger?
Even achieving European football might not be enough to get the job beyond the summer, though.
Stephen Glass and Goodwin both enjoyed positive starts, but when things got bumpy they were unable to sort them – or might argue weren’t given time to – and were promptly dismissed.
Plus there are numerous examples of caretakers doing well, before results slip once they’ve been given the job full-time.
Aberdeen cannot afford another mistake, which is why the assumption was they would look for a more experienced hand.
By doing so well, Robson seems to have complicated things. The club’s statement announcing his extended tenure until “initially” the summer, revealed they had held “in-depth discussions” with two other candidates.
That left more questions than answers. Were the club too worried about disrupting their momentum to change now? Did other candidates indicate they would prefer to take over in the summer? Or were they ultimately deemed unsuitable?
We simply don’t know.
Chief executive Alan Burrows revealed on social media this week the club used an analytics platform into which they plugged management criteria in order to identity candidates who hadn’t applied.
That suggests the club have an idea of what they are after, but no more than that.
Meanwhile, Robson has given the club’s hierarchy food for thought and a chance to further impress.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how it unfolds over the final nine games of the season because, right now, nobody has a clue how it’s going to end.
‘Good call’ or ‘lazy decision’?
Paul: 100% earned the right to see the season out and earn a chance at a full contract. Good luck to him.
Allan: Having someone to manage the club who knows it inside out, has a sound management team behind him and has an old hand like Craig Brown about the place to impart advice is a better shout than bringing in a total stranger who couldn’t find Aberdeen on a map previously. Come on Robson’s Reds.
Bob: It’s a good call to have Barry in charge for the rest of the season, he is not as experienced as some other people but he seems to have the team on board with what he’s trying to accomplish at Aberdeen so yes give him a chance.
Donald: Welcome Robson’s extended appointment albeit I reckon that he has got a really ineffectual football management board out of jail. Who knows who they would have appointed had Barry’s short period so far been poor.
Mike: It’s taken eight weeks to come to this decision. Something is not right between the walls of AFC. It’s a lazy decision.
Martin: Top-four finish he should get an extended contract, top six he should be considered for the job.
