Aberdeen: Barry Robson confirmed as manager 'initially' for rest of season
- Published
Barry Robson is in his second spell as caretaker manager
Aberdeen have confirmed that interim manager Barry Robson will remain in charge "initially" until the summer.
Steve Agnew will continue as assistant, while former Dundee United head coach Liam Fox is in talks about also joining the backroom team.
Robson has been spearheading a caretaker management team following the January departure of Jim Goodwin.
Aberdeen point out that, since then, the 44-year-old "has turned the team's fortunes around".
The former Scotland midfielder has won four and lost two of his games in charge, a run of results that moved the Dons back up the Scottish Premiership table.
In a club statement, chairman Dave Cormack explained that the decision to keep Robson in charge comes despite director of football Steven Gunn teaming up with an external agency to "unearth candidates that matched our criteria".
"Once the potential manager pool was down to six candidates, Steven and chief executive Alan Burrows, together with non-executive directors Willie Garner and Stewart Milne, conducted interviews," he said.
"Three candidates, including Barry, met with this group in person for further, in-depth discussions over the last week. It was unanimously agreed that Barry should continue in his role, initially through to the end of the season."
Aberdeen are currently in fourth spot and are just four points behind third-placed Heart of Midlothian, who they defeated 3-0 at Pittodrie last time out.
"We believe that continuing the momentum, high standards and energy that Barry has instilled in the squad, with only nine league games to go is critical to the club achieving its goal of European football next season," Cormack added.
Robson said he and Agnew, who himself has experience as caretaker with Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday, feel honoured to be given the chance "to demonstrate our ability to lead the team in the longer term".
"We have had a tremendous reaction from the players and they deserve a huge amount of credit for the way they have bought into the things we have asked them to do," he said.
Following a playing career with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dundee United, Celtic, Middlesbrough, Vancouver Whitecaps, Sheffield United, Aberdeen and Scotland, Robson took up a coaching position at Pittodrie and had been overseeing the club's youths.
He first became caretaker following the sacking of Stephen Glass in February last year and on Saturday takes his side to Perth to face St Johnstone seeking a fourth consecutive victory.
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