Barry Robson: Aberdeen sack manager saying eighth place is 'unacceptable'
- Published
Barry Robson had signed a two-year contract in May
Aberdeen have sacked Barry Robson after just nine months as manager, describing the club's position of eighth in the Scottish Premiership as "unacceptable".
Boos rang out around Pittodrie following Tuesday's 1-1 draw at home to sixth-place Dundee.
Robson, who was appointed in the summer after impressing as caretaker boss, had said "there is no panic from me" after his side's third game without a win.
But Aberdeen have decided to seek their fourth manager in three years.
Chairman David Cormack said: "Although it has been a difficult call, the board felt the change was necessary and in the best interests of Aberdeen.
"Barry earned the right to be Aberdeen manager and knew the high level of expectation we had when he took the role.
"We gave Barry as much time and support as we possibly could in the hope, and expectation, he could return us to the league form we witnessed in the spring of last year."
With assistant manager Steve Agnew also departing Pittodrie, first-team coach Peter Leven, assisted by Scott Anderson, will take temporary charge.
Robson replaced Jim Goodwin on an interim basis in January and signed a two-year contract in May for his first full-time managerial role.
The 45-year-old had made a terrific early impact at Pittodrie, lifting the Dons from seventh place to finish third with a run that included seven successive Premiership victories.
This season, Aberdeen missed out on a Europa League place, losing the home leg of their play-off with Hacken following a 2-2 draw in Sweden.
Dropping into the Conference League for their first taste of European group football since 2007-08, they finished third in their group behind PAOK and Eintracht Frankfurt after one win and three draws.
Robson regularly bemoaned that packed European schedule for poor league results, but his side did manage to reach the League Cup final, losing 1-0 to Rangers at Hampden immediately after a fine 2-0 defeat of Eintracht.
Aberdeen won three of their next four games and have only lost once in their latest five, but Saturday's defeat by Hearts almost certainly ended the Dons' hopes of catching the Edinburgh side to finish third behind the Old Firm.
"There is a talented squad of players at the club, which makes our current league position unacceptable," Cormack added.
"With 17 games left in the league and still in the Scottish Cup, this change is necessary to help us refocus on our ambitions for the rest of the season."
Robson, capped 17 times for Scotland, ended his playing career at Pittodrie, winning the League Cup in 2014 before moving into a coaching role two years later, and Cormack paid tribute to "a good man who worked extremely hard in everything he did for us".
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