Despite Dunfermline being the new team in the SPL, the circumstances of that game meant I'd have been happy with a point before kick-off. However, the same cannot be said for this one. Quite simply, we must win. If we are serious about being more than just a side that survives by the skin of its teeth every year, three points from home games like this are a must. Yes, Aberdeen are a tougher proposition than Dunfermline, but we are the home side and really have to be looking to kick on in the coming weeks.
There's no reason we can't beat Aberdeen as we managed it three times last season (and it should have been four on a snowy Paisley day). They have strengthened over the summer, but so have we so there is absolutely no reason we can't take a victory tomorrow. Despite not winning on Monday night and missing a penalty, we were by far the better side and played some terrific football at times. Hopefully tomorrow will confirm that the days of digging in and hoping to fluke one on the break are gone. Now, it seems, we are going to try to dictate the tempo and play decent stuff aimed at taking three points rather than one.
It would be a surprise if there were many changes to the side that faced the Pars on Monday night. Nigel Hasselbaink was excellent up front and will be making his competitive home debut, as will Gary Teale, Steven Thompson and Jeroen Tesselaar. I was quite impressed with the latter at East End Park, although his crossing could do with some work. The same goes for Teale, although he was getting himself into some good positions at times. Thompson would have been fine if he'd scored his penalty, while Paul McGowan needs to learn to take a touch less before having a shot.
There are only really two potential changes I can see for this one, with Graham Carey and Kenny McLean the most likely ones to start. However, who gets replaced? There is no chance of Thompson, McGowan or Hasselbaink making way up front, while Jim Goodwin was excellent on Monday. The only one who may be dropped is Steven Thomson, which would allow McLean to come in. There's no way Carey could take over in central midfield but the sooner we can get him in the team the better as we need his deliveries and free-kick expertise. On the injury front Hugh Murray is still out, while Graeme Smith could return to bench warming duties if he's recovered form his sore finger.
Like ourselves, Aberdeen are looking to push on this season. When they finally dispensed with the services of Mark McGhee at the end of last year, Craig Brown's initial task was to steady the ship and ensure they didn't get relegated. This he did comfortably and his main aim now has to be to get into the top six ahead of the split - something they failed to do in either of the two seasons with McGhee in charge. The departures of Chris Maguire, Sone Aluke, Zander Diamond and Paul Hartley for various reasons over the summer may make that a hard task, but he has been able to do some interesting business over the summer.
For starters, he's managed to pull off the neat trick of signing Chris Clark on a free, three and a half years after the Dons pocketed £200,000 for his services from Plymouth. Also making the long switch from one end of Britain to the other is midfielder Kari Arnason, who will be joined in the middle of the park by Isaac Osbourne. Youl Mawene is likely to fill the Diamond shaped hole in the defence. Keeper Jamie Langfield finally made the sort of howler against us in May he usually saves for when he plays everyone else, but a seizure means he won't be playing tomorrow. Instead, it'll be Manchester City goalie David Gonzalez.
While our defence may be breathing easier now that Maguire and Aluko have gone, Aberdeen do still have Scott Vernon. He scored against us three times last season on his way to a tally of 15 goals, so hopefully by now we'll suss out how to deal with him. Having formed a good partnership with Maguire, he'll now have to do it all over again with Darren Mackie, who has turned from injury. Also back is young midfielder Fraser Fyvie, who McGhee once said wouldn't leave for anything less than £10million. That is rather wishful thinking, but there can be no denying the fact his return is a real boost to the Dons.
Not quite so popular with the Pittodrie faithful is Richard Foster, who spent last week on loan at Rangers. Slagging off your fans in the papers isn't perhaps the best tactic, although Brown has also decided to make him captain which is a bit odd. The Dons defence is strong despite Diamond's departure, with Foster, Mawene, Andrew Considine and Rory McArdle providing a decent line-up in front of Gonzalez. Here's hoping we can be a bit more effective at scoring against it than we were on Monday night.
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