Aberdeen: Guide to 2015-16 season

A profile of Aberdeen as part of a comprehensive guide to the 12 top-flight teams ahead of the 2015-16 Scottish Premiership season.

Even after one of their most successful seasons in recent memory, Aberdeen still had room for improvement after winning the League Cup, reaching the Scottish Cup semi-finals and securing European football in the 2013-14 campaign.

The Dons lost their grip on second place on the final day against Motherwell but redeemed themselves by giving Celtic a less comfortable ride to the title last term, finishing in the top two for the first time in the top-flight for just over 20 years.

Although they had no silverware to show for their efforts, Derek McInnes's team strengthened their position as one of the powerhouses in Scottish football and showed their seriousness in challenging the domestic supremacy of the Hoops with newfound hunger and discipline.

With other top six teams not adding too much in the way of quality to their squads in the summer, the Dons will be expected to narrow the gap with Celtic, establish themselves in second spot and make a greater impact in the cup competitions they were feebly knocked out of by the two Dundee clubs.

New captain: The former Scotland U21 international has been given the armband on a permanent basis (Picture from Sky Sports)

LADBROKES SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP TEAMS FOR THIS SEASON:

ABERDEEN

Celtic

Dundee

Dundee United

Hamilton Academical

Heart of Midlothian

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Kilmarnock

Motherwell

Partick Thistle

Ross County

St Johnstone

ABERDEEN

Prolonged stay: The former St Johnstone boss is starting his third full season at Pittodrie (Picture from Sky Sports)

Manager: Derek McInnes Assistant Manager: Tony Docherty Captain: Ryan Jack (Midfielder) Chairman: Stewart Milne Star Player: Niall McGinn (Forward) 2014-15 player of the season: Adam Rooney (Striker)

Creator: The 28-year-old Irish winger scored three league goals and assisted five others last season (Picture from Sky Sports)

Stadium: Pittodrie Capacity: 22,199 2014-15 Average Attendance: 13,267 This is the second largest stadium currently in the Scottish Premier League

Last season's league finish: 2nd (Won 23, Drawn 6, Lost 9 - 75 points) Last season's goals for/against: 57/33

Safe pair of hands: Only Craig Gordon (20) kept more clean sheets than the former Cheltenham stopper's 15 in the league (Picture from Sky Sports)

Discipline record in league (2014-15): 43 yellow cards, 2 red cards Last season's disciplinarian (2014-15): Shay Logan (6 yellows, 1 red)

First three fixtures (2015-16): Sunday 2 August v Dundee United (A), Sunday 9 August v Kilmarnock (H), Saturday 15 August v Motherwell (A)

Thistle trip: The Dons travel to Firhill for the last of their six league fixtures in August (Picture from Sky Sports)

Other key fixtures (2015-16): 29 August v Partick Thistle (A), 12 September v Celtic (H), 19 September v Hearts (A), 31 October v Celtic (A), 7 November v Dundee United (H), 12 December v Hearts (H), 26 December v Inverness CT (H), 30 January v Celtic (H), 13 February v Inverness CT (A), 2 March v Dundee United (A), 19 March v Motherwell (A), 9 April v Hearts (A)

Live TV games (confirmed): 2 August v Dundee United (A) 3:30pm, Sky Sports 1, 12 September v Celtic (H) 12:30pm, Sky Sports 3, 20 September v Hearts (A) 12:45pm, Sky Sports 3, 16 October v Ross County (A) 7:45pm, BT Sport 2, 31 October v Celtic (A) 12:30pm, Sky Sports 3

Nearest challengers: Aberdeen lost all four league meetings with Celtic in 2014-15 (Picture from Sky Sports)

Biggest league win of last season: 7 February 2015 - 4-0 win v Ross County (H) Biggest league defeat of last season: 1 March 2015 - 4-0 defeat v Celtic (A)

Best moment (2014-15): 13-game unbeaten league run between November and February Worst moment (2014-15): Denied second successive League Cup final by Dundee United defeat

Chief marksman: The ex-Inverness striker was the Premiership's leading scorer last season and named in the PFA Team of the Year (Picture from Sky Sports)

Top league goalscorer (2014-15): Adam Rooney - 18 goals Top overall goalscorer (2014-15): Adam Rooney - 28 goals Most league assists (2014-15): Johnny Hayes - 5 assists Most league appearances last season: Mark Reynolds (37 starts, 0 sub apps)

First recruit: The 23-year-old, who captained Caley Thistle last season, signed a pre-contract agreement with the Dons in January (Picture from Sky Sports)

Best signing (summer 2015): Graeme Shinnie (free transfer from Inverness CT) Key player for 2015-16: Adam Rooney Record signing: Paul Bernard (£1 million buy from Oldham Athletic in September 1995)

Last season's Scottish Communities League Cup finish: Semi-finals (lost 2-1 to Dundee United) Last season's William Hill Scottish Cup finish: Fourth Round (lost 2-1 to Dundee) Squad list:

1 Jamie Langfield (GK), 2 Shay Logan (RB), 3 Graeme Shinnie (LB/CM), 4 Andrew Considine (CB/LB), 5 Ash Taylor (CB), 6 Mark Reynolds (CB), 7 Kenny McLean (CM), 8 Willo Flood (CM), 9 Adam Rooney (ST), 10 Niall McGinn (CF), 11 Jonny Hayes (RW/LW), 14 Cammy Smith (CF/ST), 15 Barry Robson (CDM), 16 Peter Pawlett (LW), 17 David Goodwillie (ST), 18 Paul Quinn (CB), 20 Scott Brown (GK), 21 Danny Ward (GK), 22 Ryan Jack (RB/CDM), 25 Lawrence Shankland (CF)

Possible line-up:

Players out:

Nicky Low (to Dundee, free transfer) Declan McManus (to Fleetwood Town, free transfer) Joe Shaughnessy (to St Johnstone, free transfer) Clark Robertson (to Blackpool, free transfer) Craig Murray (released) Andrew Driver (released) Jamie Masson (released) Russell Anderson (retired) Danny Rogers (to Falkirk, season-long loan)

Retirement: The veteran centre-back hung up his boots at the end of last season (Picture from Sky Sports)

Players in:

Graeme Shinnie (from Inverness CT, free transfer) Joe Nuttall (from Manchester City, free transfer) Paul Quinn (from Ross County, free transfer) Danny Ward (from Liverpool, season-long loan)

Pre-season results:

24 June 2015 Friendly Brechin City 2-8 Aberdeen Glebe Park (Brechin) Jack 7 Rooney 24, 27 (pen), 49 (pen) Pawlett 34 Logan 43 Hayes 78 Rose 87

28 June 2015 Friendly St Johnstone 0-1 Aberdeen Glebe Park (Brechin) Rooney 71 (pen)

2 July 2015 EL 1st Qua 1st leg FK Shkendija 1-1 Aberdeen Philip II Arena (Skopje) McGinn 79

9 July 2015 EL 1st Qua 2nd leg Aberdeen 0-0 FK Shkendija Pittodrie (Aberdeen)

12 July 2015 Friendly Raith Rovers 0-2 Aberdeen Stark's Park (Kirkcaldy) Goodwillie 64 Taylor 74

16 July 2015 EL 2nd Qua 1st leg Rijeka 0-3 Aberdeen Stadion Kantrida (Croatia) Considine 38 Pawlett 52 McLean 75

23 July 2015 EL 2nd Qua 2nd leg Aberdeen 2-2 Rijeka Pittodrie (Aberdeen) McGinn 64 Hayes 72

26 July 2015 Friendly Aberdeen 1-0 Brighton Pittodrie (Aberdeen) Rooney 75

30 July 2015 EL 3rd Qua 1st leg Kairat Almaty 2-1 Aberdeen C Stadium (Kazakhstan) McLean 64

Prediction:

Great expectations: The Dons faithful will be hopeful their side can improve on last season's efforts (Picture from BT Sport)

Aberdeen will be desperate to close the gap on Celtic at the top but the primary aim is to fend off the competition to secure second place in the Premiership, which most Dons supporters would happily accept if it is accompanied by European and domestic cup progress. It will be difficult for Derek McInnes's team given that the squad has been trimmed although there appears to be more quality in the side with Graeme Shinnie a key summer recruit to complement the January arrival of Kenny McLean. Pittodrie will have to be a fortress again, their results against the so-called lesser sides will have to be as consistent as last term and they will have to find a way to beat Celtic if Aberdeen are to make an impact but all of the aforementioned factors are within their capabilities.

Verdict: 2nd (Europa League qualification)

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