Aberdeen interim manager Peter Leven has called on players to make “fire and ice” as they bid to keep the club in the Scottish Premiership.
The Dons picked up their first league win in 12 with a 1-0 win at Motherwell on Saturday.
The win proved to maintain the three-point lead over 11th-ranked Ross County in the fight to avoid the play-off position near the back of the division.
With the two sides scheduled to meet at Pittodrie after the March 30 foreign break, Leven, who is in charge while the club conducts talks for a new manager, believes a mixture of calm and fire in the abdomen is needed.
He said: “We want that fighting spirit to win tackles and headers, but when we have the ball you have to be calm and collected.
“The players come out of there. I call it chimney and ice.
“When we don’t have the ball, we press and we’re aggressive, but when we have the ball, can we freeze?”
Leven has been hesitant to consult former coaches for advice, adding former Champions League-winning coach Roberto Di Matteo.
Leven played against the Italian at MK Dons and still uses Di Matteo’s valuable recommendations to this day.
He said: “I’m talking to some coaches but possibly I wouldn’t call them, as well as some experienced bosses and first-team coaches that I know well.
“A lot of other people have contacted me in general. I have this network if I want to call someone.
“I communicate with Di Matteo. He was one of the coaches from whom I learned so much as a player.
“He was quite angry and aggressive. He told me to relax because when you’re angry, your brain gets confused.
“When you’re mentally calm, you’re not that intense, you still want to have aggression at your center to have a transparent mind.
“I learned that from Di Matteo. “
The technique Leven was looking for was evident in the weekend’s win at Fir Park and the interim manager believes a similar plan will be needed in the remaining games of the campaign.
He said: “It’s actually vital that we gain confidence in the outcome. I know that if we go blank, we’re going to score. “
“It was a great win and I think the guys played well.
“Everyone was looking for the ball, everyone was on the same page and at times they played well.
“Our midfield in particular was good, but, to be honest, the backline and Kelle Roos keeping the blank sheet were huge as well.
“Motherwell put us to the test and we stood the test of time. Everyone who came here did their part.
Other blanks such as Fir Park, the club’s first in the league since a 3-0 win at Ross County on January 2, will be important in Aberdeen’s bid for promotion in the division.
Leven has been in wrestling at the back of the table before, having been an assistant to Lee McCulloch at Kilmarnock in 2017 at Kilmarnock.
The interim boss insists Pittodrie’s mindset should be to focus on his own interests rather than elsewhere.
He said: “It all depends on what we do, I’ve been saying that since we arrived.
“We have to win each and every game. That’s what I expect from myself and my followers; It’s not about anyone else.
“I don’t disrespect the Kilmarnock team, but this Aberdeen team is bigger than that.
“It’s just a matter of finding that balance to make sure we don’t lose control in games.
“We have to stay solid, concede and then sign players like Junior Hoilett, Jamie McGrath and Bojan Miovski and use their qualities to score goals. “
The panel: Will Aberdeen and County Ross be relegated?
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