Willie Miller: Could Aberdeen v Hibs give us Jamie McGrath's Charlie Nicholas moment?

Press and Journal

22-04-2025

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin has a managerial dilemma over Hibs-bound Jamie McGrath during the pivotal closing stretch of the season, following the Irishman's role in helping the Dons beat Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
McGrath, alongside winning goalscorer Oday Dabbagh and another substitute Dante Polvara, made an influential contribution off the bench at Hampden – with the trio all playing a part in the Reds' 2-1 extra-time victory.
Attacking midfielder McGrath returned to the Aberdeen squad on Saturday for the first time since his shoulder surgery in January.
While he was recuperating, it was revealed the out-of-contract 28-year-old will be switching to the Dons' Premiership third-place rivals Hibernian in the summer.
Now McGrath is fit again, the question is how much his soon-to-be-ex-gaffer Thelin will use him in a final stretch.
Aberdeen face five huge top-six clashes, where they will attempt to overhaul Hibs and secure the potential European riches of third, before the Scottish Cup final against Celtic.
Dons manager Thelin will have to weigh up two things:
The first is McGrath's undoubted ability, because at his best the former St Mirren and Wigan Athletic man would start for most of the sides in the Premiership, and – with five goals and six assists in the first part of the season – has the potential to contribute to a successful end to the campaign.
McGrath showed Thelin he has quality and can have an impact on Saturday when he delivered the cross late in extra-time, which, following Jack Milne's initial effort, Dabbagh turned home to knock Hearts out of the cup.
You cannot ignore his ability if it could be useful to you, just because he is leaving, and Thelin is an experienced enough manager to know this.
This will need to be balanced against the player's decision to commit his future to the very team the Dons are locked in their battle for third with, though.
Thelin also midfielders and widemen at his disposal who are staying (or could be staying) at the club beyond this term, and guys he has signed, including Topi Keskinen, loanee Jeppe Okkels and Ante Palaversa – who McGrath replaced at Hampden – who will also be desperate to play their part.
But if McGrath is still willing to give his all to the cause for his remaining matches in red, I think they should find a way to use him.
Only if there is a sense McGrath is saving himself or holding something back for his new club, can you justify not doing so.
Saturday's Premiership post-split opener against Hibs at Pittodrie is an all-important must-win for Aberdeen.
They certainly cannot afford to lose and fall six points behind their visitors, not with St Mirren and Rangers away trips to follow.
Defeat would likely be curtains in the hunt for third place.
Even a draw and allowing their Edinburgh adversaries to retain what is effectively a four-point cushion with the goal difference would feel like a big step towards the Hibees sealing third, and would be a big blow for Aberdeen.
For McGrath, this game could produce a moment akin to Charlie Nicholas' 1990 Scottish Cup final shoot-out penalty for the Dons to help beat Celtic before he rejoined the Hoops after the game.
But only Thelin will have the necessary insight into McGrath's state of mind to decide if he can feature and be the man who can potentially spoil the third-place party for his next club – it would certainly be an interesting way for McGrath to introduce himself to the Hibs fans!
I am backing McGrath's professionalism to do whatever is asked of him by Thelin before he bids farewell to Aberdeen and the Red Army.
Oday Dabbagh's winner at Hampden has gone some way to convincing me he is worthy of a permanent contract at Aberdeen.
The Dons' passing early on was really poor – something they will not get away with if they want to upset Celtic in the final – but ultimately, they did the most important thing: they won the game.
Thelin's substitutes, paired with Hearts' two red cards on the day, helped them disrupt their opponents in a way they had not managed to do prior.
Palestine international Dabbagh, after coming on with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, showed his energy, athleticism, enthusiasm and willingness to work hard off the ball and when Aberdeen are defending.
The January loanee from Charleroi is a hungry striker, who is clearly desperate to score goals, and you won't see him passing the ball in the box – the area of the park where he really comes alive.
Dabbagh – who the Reds have an option to buy this summer – was unlucky not to score earlier at Hampden when he was denied by great stop from Jambos goalie Craig Gordon.
But he seems to have the knack and movement to get himself in the right place and was there to capitalise from close range on 118 minutes for his fourth goal in 10 Aberdeen outings.
Midfielder Polvara has also made 10 appearances to this point in the campaign, having found himself back on the Dons fringes following a serious hamstring injury last summer.
He is contracted to 2026. He should still have a good future at Pittodrie, based on what I saw from him on Saturday.
Polvara had a big impact when he came on – he not only had a hand in the winning goal by winning the foul which gave the Dons the chance to score the winner, but was direct in his running.
He upped the tempo of the game and brought some forward passing into a midfield area where the Reds had been playing a lot of square and backwards passes.