Aberdeen: Where are the Pittodrie club in their new manager search?
- Published
Chairman Dave Cormack said Aberdeen were at 'an advanced stage' in their search for a new manager over a fortnight ago
If Aberdeen are still aiming to have a new manager in place by the end of the current international break, they will need to hurry.
Almost two months have passed since Barry Robson became the fourth manager to depart Pittodrie in the space of just three years.
In the following 56 days, Peter Leven has been placed in caretaker charge twice either side of Neil Warnock's whirlwind five-week tenure.
With a seismic weekend fast approaching, the prospect of a new manager being in the home dugout at Pittodrie is becoming less likely by the hour.
So what is the current state of play at Aberdeen? Here, BBC Scotland attempts to make sense of it all.
Is search really at 'advanced stage'?
In the statement announcing Warnock's departure, chairman Dave Cormack said Aberdeen were at "an advanced stage" in their search to replace the Englishman.
Eighteen days later, they are yet to seal a deal.
The club were set to conclude their interview process last week, with the hope of appointing a new manager during the international break.
This comes against the backdrop of an independent "wide-ranging review of the football operation" at Pittodrie. All the while, the club sit ninth in the Scottish Premiership table with 30 points from 30 games.
Ross County, currently in the relegation play-off spot, are within three points of the Dons. Guess who's next to visit the Granite City on Saturday? Yep, Don Cowie's County.
There isn't much time to waste for Cormack and co. But at the same time, rushing another unsuccessful appointment could have huge consequences.
Is O'Neill part of three-man shortlist?
Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has been linked with the Aberdeen job in recent days
Reports suggest Aberdeen have whittled their shortlist down to three candidates - is Michael O'Neill one of them?
The Northern Ireland manager was in Glasgow on Tuesday, guiding his well-drilled side to an impressive friendly win over Scotland, and was asked post-match whether he would be back in the Hampden dugout for the Dons' Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic next month.
O'Neill said he doesn't plan to be, before going on to say the speculation has been created by the media, but he refused to rule out a return to club management earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, Leven has pulled out the interim manager cliche handbook each time he's been asked about taking the role on a longer-term basis.
Given the improvement in Aberdeen's performance in their win at Motherwell last time out, perhaps the board could do worse than letting the season play out with Leven at the helm.
But the optics of such a move would only result in more scrutiny for the Pittodrie hierarchy, who have backed themselves into a corner with their recent communication on their pursuit of a new manager.
'No surprise if Leven's in charge for County game' - analysis
Liam McLeod, BBC Sport Scotland
This is not where Aberdeen supporters expected their team to be come the spring, but it is the reality. Millions of pounds have been spent on a squad that has underachieved.
Still, the win at Motherwell before the international break was as welcoming as it was imperative, particularly given County's victory over Hearts in Dingwall. It also stopped the Dons equalling a club record winless run in the league.
It seems a huge away support is heading to the Granite City on Saturday for a match that could see the teams end the day either level on points or with clear daylight between them.
It would be no surprise if Leven is handed the reins for this one as the club's search for Robson's long-term replacement chugs its way through an eighth week.
The good news for the Dons is key man Bojan Miovski rediscovered his scoring touch during the break with a superbly-taken goal for North Macedonia in their friendly against Moldova, having gone eight games without one for his club.
Most neutral observers, while acknowledging Aberdeen are in a survival battle, feel they have enough in the squad to get them over the line and keep themselves out of trouble.
It's now up to those wearing the shirts to prove that is the case.
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