Jimmy's Here For Long Haul Says Miller

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ABERDEEN chief Willie Miller has told unhappy Dons fans who want to see Jimmy Calderwood replaced they are in for a long wait as the under-fire manager is going nowhere.

The Pittodrie natives are restless following a 4-2 Co-operative Insurance Cup loss at Kilmarnock and four SPL games at home without a win this season.

But director of football Miller yesterday backed his manager and called on the angry fans to give Calderwood time to turn it around and salvage their season.

Miller insists there have been much darker days under Ebbe Skovdahl and Steve Paterson when the club struggled for SPL survival. He said: "There have been much worse times than we are going through now.

"The manager's record is good and if we give him a bit of time he certainly has the capability of turning it round.

"I can understand the fans' frustration but I would ask them for a bit of patience in terms of what Jimmy Calderwood can do and has already done here.

"His record has been excellent, especially when you consider the problems Aberdeen were having before I brought him to Pittodrie.

That deserves a bit of respect.

"There were times when we went 11 games without a win, there was a year when we had the worst goals against tally in the divisionandonlystayedupbecause of league reconstruction. We even got so low as getting knocked out of Europe by Irish side Bohemians and we were 11th in the SPL the season before Jimmy came here.

"Since he arrived we have never been out of the top six and we got to the last 32 of the UEFA Cup last season which is the furthest we have gone since I played for the team.

"I recognise at this time things are not the way we want them to be but Jimmy is well aware of that and no one is working harder to rectify things."

Miller pointed to the inferior SPL positions of Dundee United and Motherwell as reasons for patience from the Dons support.

He said: "We've been close to a cup final on a couple of occasions but didn't take advantage so we're all disappointed we haven't been in a final for so long.

"That is a source of frustration for the fans, along with our lack of a home win, but we are still sitting mid-table at the moment.

"There are teams sitting below us going through similar things as the likes of Motherwell and Dundee United were expected to do better than they have so far.

"They had good seasons last time and will be asking the same questions as we are, so we are not alone in this respect.

"I can understand that sometimes in football the longer you are at a club the more difficult it becomes because, as in politics, people can want change just for the sake of change.

"All I can do is lay out the facts and figures in a responsible manner to get some sort of perspective on things. That is what Iamtrying to do with the fans."

Although Aberdeen have just one point from four home games Miller is confident Calderwood's rebuilt side will eventually deliver.

He said: "He has built a squad whose average age is 24 so he has bought in to the concept of trying to get exciting young players to the club which is the way forward.

"I'd ask the supporters to take all that into consideration and think things through so we can get a wee bit of time to work with the players to get the results we all want.

"No one is trying to hide the fact the start has been poor but Jimmy's track record here and at Dunfermline shows the quality of his work down the years.

"The turnover in personnel has been massive and it's not as though we wanted to lose the quality of player we have recently, that's simply down to the financial realities within the game.

"He built a team when he first got here and having done that he is constructing another side now with a new pool of players.

"Through time you will see a more exciting pool of players and certainly Sone Aluko's performances have been outstanding since he came back.

"Charlie Mulgrew has given balance and ability on the left side and looks real quality while Gary McDonald works hard box to box and has scored a couple of goals.

"Obviously there's a lot to be done and the defensive frailties at Rugby Park was concerning but I thought we played a lot of good stuff going forward."