The 75-year-old has been placed in interim charge of the Dons until the end of the season and has already taken charge of a game against Rangers.
Neil Warnock firmly believes clubs of Aberdeen’s stature have what it takes to eventually compete at the top level with Celtic and Rangers with the right collective approach across the board.
The veteran manager, who began his coaching career in 1980, took charge of the Reds last week on an interim basis until the end of the season, following the sacking of Barry Robson last month. Less than 48 hours after taking up the reins at Pittodrie, Warnock was in the dugout as Aberdeen suffered a narrow 2-1 loss to Rangers at Ibrox, conceding two goals that the former English Premier League gaffer later admitted where avoidable.
Days before his arrival, Warnock watched on as the Dons, picked up a deserved point in a spirited 1-1 draw at home to Celtic. Aberdeen have endured a torrid first half of the season and currently find themselves 23 points adrift of third-placed Hearts, but Warnock, who has three Premier League promotions on his CV, is of the opinion that the leading clubs in Scotland outside of the Old Firm can bridge the gap on the top two over time.
Speaking to the media ahead of Wednesday’s league clash with Motherwell, he said: “I think it is possible to break into the big-timers, but I think it would take anybody time to do that. Having been here for two or three games now, I can see that some of the players under me are relishing the challenge up here. I think that’s the big thing for clubs like Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs who are challenging the top two.
“But I haven’t had much time to look beyond that. I have got enough to do in looking at my players and trying to get the best out of the group and deciding on who will play and who won’t play.”
Warnock, who got his first win in the job with a 2-0 victory against Bonnyrigg Rose in the Scottish Cup last weekend, recognises the financial gulf separating Aberdeen and the Old Firm but hinted that he will be delivering an honest opinion to the Pittodrie hierarchy about how they can go about trying to successful. He added: “I think it’s a mixture of things. The recruitment has got to be excellent and in liaison with the manager. Then it’s all about opinions really. My opinion on a player would probably be different to another manager, you all have your trends.
“I like my leaders in a club who can stand up and be counted during a game. We haven’t got many of those besides Shinnie, but they are a genuine bunch and I will move on with that. There will come a time when Dave (Cormack) and Alan (Burrows) will ask me about certain things, and I will be straight up with them. It won’t be a eye-opener for them but I would definitely try and tell the truth.”
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