JIMMY Calderwood has pinpointed cup finals as the next must during his Aberdeen tenure and is in the process of targeting the players to allow him to improve the club's erratic form.
Fourth place in the league secured by Thursday's victory over Rangers marked a creditable finish to a season in which Pittodrie played host to post-Christmas European football for the first time in 22 years. But the campaign was blighted by the 4-3 S
cottish Cup semi-final defeat against Queen of the South.
"I heard Willie Miller said that we need to get to cup finals so I suppose that has to be the target," Calderwood said. "I've never felt as bad in a game as I did at Hampden against Queen of the South, but we've got to learn from that. Financially it's probably been the best season for the club since the great man decided to leave."
Calderwood will use the funds available to remould his squad, a process that is already starting to take shape. Gary McDonald has been signed from Oldham, French keeper Bertrand Bossu arrived on Friday and Richie Foran is expected to join him by completing a £50,000 move from Southend.
Stuart Duff will make his loan deal from Dundee United permanent but there could be a stumbling block over wages in the bid to retain Alan Maybury, who has been on a short-term deal from Leicester City.
Calderwood is also considering moves for Dutch duo Iwan Redan and Zephaniah Davids, on trial at the same time as Bossu, but he believes contract negotiations with the current squad could also have a major bearing on progress next season.
"Lee Miller was a massive one for us to get signed on again and I thought when he did that Barry Nicholson might change his mind (about leaving] but he's probably fed up with me."
The full article contains 323 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
