Aberdeen head coach Stephen Robinson said the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden on Saturday gives his side a chance to respond to a poor run and criticism. The Dons head to Hampden on a run of just one win from their past five games, lost 1-0 to Falkirk amid angry boos, and sit ninth in the Premiership, three points above the bottom.
Robinson on the semi-final
Robinson said: "You haven't got time to feel sorry for yourself, if there is a moment to put it right a semi final at Hampden is that time."
He added: "As a footballer you always get another chance, sometimes as a manager you don't and what a chance it is to go to Hampden, a full house with a big support with us. It is certainly the right place to do it and we believe we can."
Robinson also said: "It's certainly an opportunity. All the pressure will be on Rangers, and the expectation will be on Rangers."
Reaction after the Falkirk defeat
Aberdeen's 1-0 loss to Falkirk ended in angry boos. Speaking about post-match talks with his squad, Robinson said: "It's a great great group of boys that want to be successful and no-one was hiding away from the fact results haven't been good enough."
He said: "The players know it needs to be better and they are all in that together. There are no factions, there are no people going off on their own, everyone wants to turn that around."
Robinson added: "There was a good performance in that as well but ultimately we deserved the criticism we got, we can't get away from that. I deserved the criticism. I don't hide behind that. I don't try and throw players under the bus. We have to respond to that."
Position and backing
Robinson joined Aberdeen in March. Asked whether he had sought assurances about his position, he said he has "normal conversations" with chief executive Adrian Bevingston and chairman Dave Cormack.
Rangers boss Derek McInnes backed Robinson to succeed if given time. Robinson said: "Until you are in this position, you don't realise how difficult things are and the parameters you have to work under, Derek obviously does."
He added: "I have nothing but total respect for him. He is one of the top managers in the country. Everybody wants time but you don't get given time in football, we are all well aware of that and results are what dictates that."
Nisbet on player responsibility
Robinson gave Kevin Nisbet the captain's armband during the summer. The striker said: "The way the fans acted after the Falkirk game was justified. It wasn't a great performance and the blame and the responsibility stops and ends with the players."
He added: "The gaffer has been battered from pillar to post all season and he has taken a lot of flak for us, but that one during the week was definitely on us."
Nisbet said: "We owe the gaffer a performance, we owe the fans a performance and we owe the club a performance."
