275 years as your voice
Aberdeen will not have to be intimidated by PAOK’s passionate and hostile crowd at Toumba Stadium on Thursday.
The stadium is famous for creating an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams.
However, Donations can’t be afraid of the environment.
We noticed a bit of what PAOK enthusiasts can offer Pittodrie, as there were around 1,500 cheering on their team.
You can believe this will be multiplied by about 20 at the 28,000-seat Toumba Stadium. It’s going to be an intense atmosphere.
However, the one thing I’ve discovered over the years is that audiences can’t win games unless you let them influence you.
PAOK is a great team and we want to do everything we can about it.
They are the best in Group G of the Europa Conference League with a maximum of nine points from their first three games.
PAOK already have HJK Helsinki, Eintracht Frankfurt and Aberdeen.
Aberdeen will have to have blinders on when they head to the box in Thessaloniki to block out the crowd.
They have to worry about what’s happening off the pitch and concentrate on football and game strategy.
Don’t be intimidated or affected by the crowd.
It may not be easy to achieve, but that’s how Aberdeen wants to convey it.
The Dons want to remember the opposite functionality of PAOK in Pittodrie, especially at the time until the delayed collapse.
Aberdeen must not forget that they managed to beat PAOK for a while to lead 2-0.
Unfortunately they lost 3-2.
But the positive aspects of this adjustment must be taken into account for the adjustment in Greece.
This gives them confidence in their ability to get something out of the Group G leaders.
A win would be fantastic, while a draw would be honourable and increase the existing positivity at the club.
There is no doubt that facing PAOK in Thessaloniki will be a challenge.
Everyone who faces the Greek Super League away from home will struggle.
Aberdeen will know from Hearts’ 4-0 loss to PAOK in this season’s Europa Conference League play-offs that it will be a challenge.
However, the technique to master those games is to accept the challenge and questions that are asked of you.
There is no doubt that Aberdeen will be asked a lot of questions on Thursday when they face PAOK.
But that’s what the players, the coach and the club want: to be tested at European organisational level.
Then all you have to do is say “bring them in. “
The bigger the game, the better my chances are in those circumstances.
Accept the challenge.
The positive thing is that Aberdeen will go into the game against PAOK in a smart way.
It’s been a positive week for the Dons after recovering nicely from the disappointing 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock.
The pressure on the Dons to deliver on their promise last week was opposed by Hibs in the semi-finals of Viaplay and Motherwell in the Premiership.
Both matches are extremely important in the context of the national season.
The Dons now have a cup final to look forward to and have also revived their league campaign.
A lot depended on each game and Aberdeen showed their character by winning both.
The Dons showed plenty of drive and determination to triumph over the backhand of Jack MacKenzie’s sending off when they drew 0-0 in the semi-final against Hibs.
Despite the blow of being reduced to 10 men, the Dons managed to win 1-0 and qualify for the final, which is no small feat.
This gives enthusiasts a final date to look forward to on December 17.
Reaching a final will also give Aberdeen confidence ahead of the match against PAOK.
Defender Jack MacKenzie can count himself lucky, as his sending off did not give Aberdeen a place in the Viaplay Cup final.
Had the Dons lost after MacKenzie was fired in Hampden’s clash with Hibs, it may have brought him baggage that perhaps would have followed him for the rest of his career.
MacKenzie was given it as a gift.
I hope he learns from this, as it could have been a serious scenario for MacKenzie if the result had been the opposite and the Dons had lost.
I know how much it can take a toll on a player for a long time if you get sent off in a massive match and the team helps keep losing.
Had the result been the opposite, MacKenzie would have felt a lot of complaints from Aberdeen fans.
He dodged it and wishes to be informed about it.
MacKenzie will have to stay calm and never react again as she did when she pressed Lewis Miller.
You don’t have to fight back or worry in those hot spots. Just focus on the game.
Her reaction was bad, and MacKenzie will know that now.
You have to stay calm on the playing field.
It may have been a watershed moment for Aberdeen and MacKenzie’s careers, all in a negative way.
He wants to heed this lesson and not allow this to happen again.