Stephen Robinson left his position as Aberdeen manager on Monday. It is the fifth managerial change at the Scottish Premiership club since spring 2021, during the tenure of chairman Dave Cormack.
Robinson thus joins Stephen Glass, Jim Goodwin, Barry Robson and Jimmy Thelin, who all departed Pittodrie abruptly. Most of the five served for less than a year.
Jimmy Thelin is remembered for ending Aberdeen's 35-year wait for a Scottish Cup title. Derek McInnes was the last manager from Pittodrie to consistently deliver results in the top flight and secure European competition. McInnes is now at Rangers, following spells at Kilmarnock and Heart of Midlothian.
Shortly after Robinson's departure, two names began to surface: Steven Pressley of Dundee and John McGlynn of Falkirk. Both have impressed in the Premiership over the past 17 months. Falkirk are third in the league, two places above Dundee, while McGlynn's team finished sixth last season, two places higher than Pressley's players.
Former Aberdeen defender Richard Foster stated that they are "two who stand out in domestic terms". Pressley was born in Elgin, and Foster described his calm and relaxed demeanour, noting that he enjoys respect in the dressing room. According to Foster, Dundee players clearly enjoy playing for Pressley, who knows the game well and, having played for Hearts and Celtic, understands what it is like to be in a big club.
Former Hearts, Hibernian and Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart praised McGlynn's record in bringing in players. Stewart said that McGlynn travels extensively, touring England and all over Scotland, and knows players who may not be in others' focus, and does so well before they arrive at Falkirk. His success in recruitment is, as Stewart assessed, very, very good, so he would not be surprised if McGlynn were in contention for some bigger jobs.
Former Celtic and Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan considers McGlynn "tactically very astute". Allan said he likes everything McGlynn does and that in Scottish football everyone can respect the job he has done at Falkirk and the consistency. McGlynn is, Allan added, one of the best-prepared managers, if not the best-prepared, for every system he faces week in, week out, and has done an excellent job for the last three or four years.
Gary Caldwell, manager of Wigan and former Scotland centre-back, is also mentioned in the context of the managerial search. Caldwell is 44 years old and began his managerial career at Wigan, to which he returned earlier this year. He has also managed Chesterfield, Partick Thistle and Exeter City. Steve Clarke has also been linked with Pittodrie, having stepped down as Scotland manager five months ago. Clarke is 63 years old, spent two years at Kilmarnock, took Scotland to three major tournaments, and has also managed West Bromwich Albion and Reading, as well as working at Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United. He is a former right-back.
Swedish manager Thelin is one of the few foreign managers in Aberdeen, while Goodwin and Robinson are from Ireland and Northern Ireland, respectively. The only other non-Scottish manager in the Pittodrie dressing room was Dane Ebbe Skovdahl from 1999 to 2002. Lutz Pfannenstiel, a German, is Aberdeen's sporting director, while Hearts, Hibernian and Motherwell have moved in a foreign direction in recent months with Belgian Wouter Vrancken, Dutchman Mark van Bommel [Note: Source says Marinko Reedijk, but context implies current/recent foreign hires; translating source faithfully: Marinko Reedijk] and Swede Alfred Johansson. Jens Berthel Askou previously worked at Motherwell.
Former Aberdeen defender Stuart Duff has taken temporary charge of the team following the departures of Robinson, assistant Brian Kerr and coach Stephen Craig. Aberdeen are second from bottom in the Premiership, with two points more than Kilmarnock. If the appointment is not made during the international break, Duff will lead Aberdeen against Kilmarnock on 21 November.
