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Tuesday 26th November 2024 - kick-off 7.45pm

Scottish Premiership - Hibernian v Aberdeen

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Posted

Calderwood tells of Dons impasse

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood

Calderwood's side clinched a European place on the final day

 

Jimmy Calderwood says it was a difference of opinion over which way the club should go that persuaded him it was time to leave Aberdeen.

 

He told BBC Scotland that, although there was no ill-feeling, the club had doubts over Calderwood's ability to take the team any further forward.

 

"People might have doubts about you and you might have doubts about them and where they went to go to," he said.

 

"But it's been wonderful. There's no animosity whatsoever."

 

He added: "After five years at a big club and not the easiest club in the world to manage although it is a wonderful club and a wonderful city, it was probably best for both parties that we decided to call it a day

 

"We want to go one way, the club want to go another way. Maybe they don't think that you can take it any further or certain people might not think you can take it any further than we think we can."

 

Calderwood's final match in charge saw the Dons clinch qualification place to next season's Europa League with victory over Hibernian.

 

"We're obviously disappointed because we got back into Europe and the last time was a wonderful journey and this season's been a little bit up and down to say the least.

 

"But, all credit to the boys. We were second bottom of the league in September, October and we getting into fourth place at the end of the season and back into Europe.

 

"With all the injuries we've had, all the changes in personal that we had to do at the beginning of the season, it speaks volumes for their character. it's a very young squad."

 

"We've built probably three teams and it looked like Scott Severin, Jamie Smith and Lee Mair are going to go and it was going to be another rebuilding job.

 

"You could go on and on but you can't keep pulling rabbits out of hats. It gets very, very difficult."

 

Although Calderwood had a consistent record of finishing high up the league at Pittodrie, cup defeats to Queen's Park, Queen of the South and Dunfermline brought criticism from fans.

 

He said: "We obviously had three disastrous cup results, although on two of them we got beaten on penalties, which is a bit of a lottery.

 

"Apart from that, I think we've been very, very consistent in the league from where we started from.

 

"We've virtually taken the season to the last day every year. It will be very hard to emulate that, especially with younger kids coming through so I think it was a decision that had to be made by both parties.

 

"We could've gone with the kids and maybe the club would've still been expecting us to get into third position which is sometimes very difficult.

 

"Personally, I have never, ever heard a bad word (from fans).

 

"They love their club. It's a wonderful city, it's a wonderful club. I'm not being patronising, my wife loves the city and we love living in the city.

 

"The people that write in or phone in to certain things, you can't do a lot about. You can only do your best and that's why it was so important that the players did it for themselves and did it for the club yesterday and we signed off on a high."

 

Calderwood also insisted he does not have a new job lined up but hopes his break from the game "is not a very, very long one."

 

Should never have gone as far as penalties, Jimmy, you're clutching at straws on that one.

Posted

Och he's blowing his own trumpet a bit too much for my liking.  I have fond memories of his tenure but i cant say i will remember him fondly mainly for bullshit press statements like that.

Posted

Most of it isn't in the "bullshit" category. ::)

 

You misinterpret me, by bullshit i mean the inane droning on usually reiterating the same thing over and over which JC press releases were full of over the 5 years

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