Aberdeen

Livingston hope to be able to welcome back Joel Nouble after an ankle issue, but James Penrice (hip), Andrew Shinnie (groin) and Cristian Montano (hamstring) are expected to remain on the sidelines.

Angus MacDonald and Killian Phillips are both in contention to feature for Aberdeen. Interim boss Peter Leven has said Slobodan Rubezic is unavailable, however, and he will return to training next week.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Peter Leven says he's asked the Aberdeen squad to "buy in" to his methods despite the ongoing search for a permanent manager.

The caretaker boss has overseen two wins in the Dons' last two league games, as they moved away from the relegation play-off spot with victory over 11th-placed Ross County last time out.

With a trip to bottom side Livingston to come on Saturday, Leven is demanding similar standards as they attempt to climb the table.

"They asked me at the start of the week if I'd take the Livingston game, I said 'that's no problem.' I'm just taking it game-by-game, day-by-day," he said.

"I've just asked them to buy in to what I want to do, and they've shown that the last two games. I just need to build on that momentum .

"I've always said to the club that I'm here if they need me.

"We need to win every game, we're in a situation we don't want to be. Three points on Saturday would put us in a higher position and that's what we're working towards.

"I've always said the core of the staff have always been here. I'm honest with the boys. Two wins on the bounce, that's what I expect now - the same attitude and desire."

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Aberdeen caretaker manager Peter Leven has been facing the media ahead of Saturday's meeting with bottom side Livingston.

Here are the key points:

• While the search for a new manager rolls on, Leven is taking the team on a "game-by-game" basis. Adds he's told the club he's there as long as they need him when asked if he'll be in place until the end of the season.

• Honesty is important in the club's current predicament and he's asked squad to "buy in" to what he wants to do while the caretaker boss remains in charge.

• Livingston are "fighting for their lives" and Aberdeen will need to match their "work-rate and enthusiasm" to leave West Lothian with all three points.

• His side "aren't comfortable at all" and he stresses the need to pick up more points and to climb the table further.

• Angus MacDonald and Killian Phillips are both in contention, while Slobodan Rubezic is expected to return to full training next week.

Neil Warnock claims that a fear of taking money under "false pretences" drove him to quit Aberdeen after just 34 days as interim manager and reckons the Dons can challenge at the top end of the table next season with "four or five" new players. (Daily Mail, external, subscription required)

Elfsborg boss Jimmy Thelin says if he were to comment on links to Aberdeen "it would go beyond my work here", refusing to rule out a move to Pittodrie. (Press & Journal, external, subscription required)

Director of Swedish club Elfsborg, Stefan Andreasson, issues a hands-off warning to Aberdeen in their pursuit of manager Jimmy Thelin. (Football Scotland), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Despite a fairly miserable season at Pittodrie, somehow, finishing inside the top six still isn't out of the question for Aberdeen.

However, with just two games to before the split, their place in the bottom half could be confirmed this weekend.

Failing to win at bottom club Livingston on Saturday would guarantee the Dons bottom-six football, as would a Hibs win at home to St Johnstone.

Either outcome would ensure last season's third-placed side will spend the final weeks of the season battling it out with the teams at the wrong end of the table.

Image source, SNS

• Livingston are unbeaten in their last three home games against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership, winning two (D1). This after only winning one of their first 13 top-flight matches against the Dons at the Tony Macaroni Arena (D5 L7).

• Aberdeen have won six of their last 10 league meetings with Livingston (D1 L3), going unbeaten in each of the last three matchups in the Scottish Premiership (W2 D1) whilst also keeping two clean sheets.

• Livingston have won just one of their last 23 league matches (D4 L18), losing four of their last five (D1) while conceding three goals in each of those four defeats.

• Aberdeen ended a run of five straight league defeats away from home when beating Motherwell 1-0 last time out on the road. The Dons could win back-to-back away league matches for the first time since April 2023 (three in a row).

• Jamie McGrath has scored eight league goals for Aberdeen this season, matching his total for Dundee United last season. Only in 2020-21 (10 for St Mirren) has he netted more in a single Scottish Premiership campaign.

Despite assurances of an imminent managerial appointment during the international break from both the Dons' chairman and chief executive, it was Peter Leven who was to steer Aberdeen to a second league win in a row and ease fears of being dragged into a playoff battle.

Alan Burrows was forced to break cover earlier in the week to front up to the lack of activity on the search for a new manager, and you can't help but feel that the beleaguered board owe Leven a huge debt of gratitude. Gathering six points from the last two games has meant the fans' ire has been kept at a simmer.

Bojan Miovski's early opener, on paper, should've seen the Dons settle into this crucial encounter and put the Highlanders to the sword but County look an invigorated side under Don Cowie. They were more than deserving of their goal through Simon Murray and could probably count themselves unfortunate to go in at the break level.

On such a significant day, the fragility of this Aberdeen side's psyche was more than evident but Leven's double switch of Dante Polvara and Duk for Junior Hoilett and Connor Barron proved to be inspirational. Duk showed a glimpse of last season's form in the build-up to Jamie McGrath's winner and Polvara added some additional physicality and presence in the centre of the park.

This allowed Aberdeen to get a greater foothold in the game and it was enough to gather three much-needed points, especially with results across the country going the way of the men in red.

Make no mistake, this was far from a vintage performance but at this stage of the campaign wins are all that matters, and Leven has managed to gather in seven points from the 12 available to him so far.

There's a lot to be said about where the team may have been right now if the horrendous Neil Warnock experience had never happened.

If Aberdeen can escape West Lothian this Saturday coming with another three points - and with Ross County, Motherwell and St. Johnstone all coming up against in-form opponents this weekend - there's a strong chance the Red Army can rest easy and focus all attention on a Scottish Cup semi-final.

And maybe, just maybe, a new manager can take the reigns, safe in the knowledge his new charges will be playing Scottish Premiership football next season.

Gary can be found on the ABZ Football Podcast, external.

Aberdeen have back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership, but were booed off at half-time last time out against Ross County.

Should Peter Leven shake things up against bottom side Livingston?

Tell us your preferred starting XI here.

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Neil Warnock has reflected on his time at Aberdeen, and insists with two transfer windows a manager could have "a chance against the top two" of Celtic and Rangers.

The 75-year-old stepped down as Dons manager less than an hour after guiding the club to the Scottish Cup semi-finals - and just 33 days after taking charge.

“It was a good time,” Warnock said on Talksport, external. “I only went in to help them out.

“Although it didn’t work out, I managed to get them through the cup. I was glad we beat Kilmarnock in the quarter-finals and they’ve got Celtic now in the semi-finals.

“It is a good group of lads. What I did think about when I was there was if you have a year at a club like Aberdeen and you have two transfer windows and an opportunity to bring three or four players in, I think you’ve got a chance now against the top two. If you bring the right ones in.

“Aberdeen have gone all data now. They bring them in from abroad on data, I’m not sure about that.

“I look at the league and it is a bit closer now [but] those two [Celtic and Rangers] are miles ahead at the minute financially.”

Warnock praised Dons striker Bojan Miovski, but is not convinced the club will be able to hold on to North Macedonia international for long.

“I think they possibly will sell him in the summer,” Warnock said. “I think he would fit in with the top two as well.

“He works hard. He did about 12k running when we played Rangers. He worked his socks off and scored a goal. He’s a good finisher. I think it’s done him a world of good going to Aberdeen.”

Warnock also criticised the "unbelievable" VAR in Scotland, saying England "have it good" compared to north of the border, adding "you had to get a cup of coffee and sit down while they decided what they were doing up there."

The relief at Pittodrie when Kevin Clancy blew his final whistle was palpable. Aberdeen ground out a massive three points against Ross County in what had been billed as a “six-pointer” in the battle to avoid the relegation play-off position and it seemed like the weight of the world was released into the skies above the Granite City following the 2-1 win.

Jamie McGrath was the match-winner as he once again proved his worth to the squad as he took his goal tally into double figures for the campaign, while Bojan Miovski’s goal drought of eight club games came to an end as well. He is still being credited with it despite Loick Ayina’s efforts on the line.

The victory has also relieved some of the pressure on the under-fire Aberdeen board who, nine weeks on from Barry Robson’s sacking, still haven’t replaced him. However, back-to-back victories has bought them some time and it may be that they are best served allowing interim boss Peter Leven to continue to sail the club through these choppy waters.

The wins over Motherwell and County have settled the Dons fans down after a turbulent few months and it seems like common sense to leave the reins in the hands of Leven. If results hadn’t gone their way then the clamour would be there from within but the noise for an appointment, for now, is coming from elsewhere.

It would make sense then for whoever replaces Robson full-time to adopt a watching brief for a period before taking charge for the final handful of matches of the season to cast their eyes over the squad and then rebuild in the summer months.

Of course, it can change. The Dons go to stricken Livingston on Saturday before hosting Dundee ahead of the split. Their top six aspirations took what was surely a mortal hit during Neil Warnock’s ill-advised 33 days in charge, there’s still a chance, but they’re relying on Dundee and Hibernian losing all their pre-split matches with those two at home to Motherwell and St Johnstone respectively this weekend.

For Aberdeen, it is about putting enough points on the board to forget about what is going on beneath them and then focusing all their energy on that Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic in just over two weeks. The sooner the spectre of 11th place is slayed, the sooner they can concentrate on that match which is what their season would come down to.

Jimmy Thelin, the Swedish 46-year-old who decided last month not to leave Elfsborg so close to their season kick-off, remains one of the Aberdeen's top targets and the Scottish Premiership club could now even hang on until the summer to appoint a new permanent manager. (Press & Journal), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Scotland Under-19s head coach Billy Stark has announced his decision to retire at the end of this month, and believes the future is bright for the national team.

Stark's impressive playing career saw him turn out for St Mirren, Aberdeen, Celtic, Kilmarnock and Hamilton, before he managed at clubs such as Morton, St Johnston and Queen’s Park.

He had a spell as Scotland Under-21s manager, before taking up his current post in 2018.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the best young players in Scotland throughout my two spells at the association," Stark said.

“I would like to thank the staff and players who have helped me throughout the years.

“Regarding our most recent group, we are proud of the achievement to qualify for the elite round and, although it was disappointing not to progress to the finals, the players in this group will be better for the experience and I am certain we will see them continue to flourish in the future.”

Image source, SNS

"They're a massive club who are underachieving. They should be doing so much better."

Former Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson did not mince his words when asked about the state of play at Aberdeen on Monday's episode of the Scottish Football Podcast.

He also went as far to say it was "a bit of a laughing stock appointing Neil Warnock" and given his short spell, it seemed evident it was "done on a whim".

"I just thought it was a wee bit short sighted and a wee bit of laughing stock when they put Neil Warnock in," he said.

"I've got massive respect for him, and I didn't mean to be disrespectful to Neil Warnock, but the fact that he's then given it up after about 33 days tells you that it was a wee bit done in a whim.

"I think if he had come in and just stuck it out and got to the end of the season, then I don't think you make yourself look as much a laughing stock, but to go through what he's went through and to leave after they win just their second game, albeit in the cup competition... I just think it's such a huge club, with great history and they should be doing so much better."

We asked for your thoughts after Aberdeen gained a vital three points against Ross County to move six points clear of the relegation zone.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Ross: Duk and Dante Polvara made the difference when they came on. I’m amazed that Junior Hoilett started as he did not look fit and lacked sharpness. Overall, another poor performance but the three points are all that matters.

Atulan: There was no midfield present at Pittodrie today. No point in playing Graeme Shinnie, Connor Barron, Leighton Clarkson or Jamie McGrath. They were nowhere to be seen and added nothing to the team.

Niall: A vital three points but for long spells it was really difficult to believe we were the home team. There was battling in midfield but County had much more composure and creativity. The final third seems to be a real problem for the Dons. More grit, creativity and cohesion required with another three points at Livi.

Richard: It will never go down as a classic and Ross County maybe feel they should have shared the spoils. But as a Dons fan this season can't end quick enough.

Graham: Very nervous performance. Missed Angus MacDonald badly.

Andrew: Another week under Peter Leven and another three points. At this point in the season I would take three points over a performance. Yes, we were poor for 40 minutes following the opening goal but Leven clearly had a word at half time. His substitutions were yet again a master stoke. We appear to be stabilising our position under Leven thankfully.

Fred: A win but we were so lucky. Our performances are not worthy of Aberdeen. Two goals but the team really lacked drive and, with the exception of a couple of players, quality. A major recruitment drive is needed if there's to be any hope of restoring pride next season.

Anon: With all the outside noise about a new manager, fair play to the player. It maybe wasn't the best display but they got the result in the end. Hopefully the last few results gives the team the confidence to end the season as high as possible in the league.

A huge result for the Dons.

Were you at Aberdeen's 2-1 win over Ross County or following the match from home?

Either way, we want your views on the game – have your say here.

Aberdeen caretaker manager Peter Leven tells BBC Scotland: "I thought we started really well. We scored a good goal, but then Ross County came back into it and we were a little disjointed. But our reaction second half was really good.

"I thought we were going to score more goals. But, credit to Ross County, they caused us problems. Again, we showed character. The subs were great when they came on - Duk and Dante.

"To get three points - at home, where we have not been great this season - full credit to the boys for finding a way to win."

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen caretaker Peter Leven picked up his second win in three games, but there was little to celebrate about the home side's overall performance.

His team were booed off the Pittodrie park at half-time and there is no wonder why, as Bojan Miovski's early opener was handed to them on a plate before a poor 40 minutes of football followed.

Staying in the game is all Leven could have hoped for as Aberdeen weathered the storm and kept themselves in it until Jamie McGrath popped up to direct home the winner.