Shinnie was amazed at the turnaround in Aberdeen under Robson
The energetic midfielder, who is keen to make a permanent return to Pittodrie after being loaned out by League side Wigan Athletic, was in high spirits after scoring twice in the Dons’ 3-0 win against St Mirren on Wednesday himself third place in the Premiership.
He admitted that while he wasn’t surprised that first-time coach Barry Robson had brought about such a change – Aberdeen were at times 11 points behind the Hearts – he didn’t see his former Pittodrie team-mate as a potential boss.
“Did I ever imagine Baz would be my manager? Probably not,” he said. “But what I saw in the youth team and the philosophy that he developed for the club when he was young made me confident that he can then implement this in the first team.”
“I think you can tell by the way he tries to play with the transitions, the tension they bring and the forwards that get the crowd going and the place going bring.” We showed that we had good rallies against St. Mirren and upped the tempo. In that regard, I knew he could do it.
“The turnaround was amazing. Did I think it would go this well? Maybe not, but it’s a testament to the manager and the staff.”
The diplomatic language surrounding his hoped-for permanent return to Aberdeen in the summer remains. There would be things to negotiate and terms to agree on, he said while savoring the immediate moments after the win, helped by Leighton Clarkson’s stunning 25-yard free-kick.
CONTINUE READING: Aberdeen 3 St Mirren 0: Barry Robson leads Dons to Europa League spot
Shinnie’s contribution since moving to north-east Scotland in January has been a major factor in Aberdeen’s rise up the league table under Robson and he will almost certainly be in the Pittodrie books soon.
He wants it, Robson wants it and Wigan, who needs money, wants it, plus a six-figure transfer fee for his transfer as he has another year on his contract.
Meanwhile, the player, who left Aberdeen as a free agent for Derby County in 2019 and then for the Latics in January last year, prefers others to work out the details.
“We’ll see what happens then,” he said. “There’s a lot to sort out in terms of where I’ll be.
“That will be clarified over the summer. At the moment I am a Wigan player at the end of the loan period.
“I love it here and it feels like home here. I’m captain and I love the club. You can see that in the passion I have for the club, but we’ll wait and see.
“Everything about Wednesday night and the frustration of not being able to play for four weeks because of a suspension and the importance of the game – finishing third and back in Europe – was huge for the club. It’s the kind of night you would expect in a club like Aberdeen and nights that you wish for. You enjoy them every time.”
St Mirren’s Mark O’Hara admitted team-mate Thierry Small received a red card after the half-hour for his overzealous attack on Bojan Miovski causing irreparable damage to Stephen Robinson’s side.
“The timing always made the rest of the game difficult,” he said. “We were discouraged, which was disappointing because we went there to get a result.
“It was fine lines and that’s probably the difference. That’s why we’re sixth.
“But it was the club’s most successful season in a long time. We will look back on that but I truly believe this team is capable of more and next season we will strive to achieve and prove that.”
“I don’t know the future of some boys. Some will move on. You’ve done a great job for the club. Some will be difficult to replace but the manager and staff have a track record of signing the right players. It will be exciting to see who we bring in in the summer.”
