Latest news with #LeightonClarkson
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Best feeling I've had in my life'
Midfielder Dante Polvara: "I've been here four seasons, we've went through a lot. "The whole time I've been here, I've just wanted to give the fans something. Honestly, I never would've imagined."Midfielder Leighton Clarkson: "Absolutely incredible. No-one believed in us. "We always had that hope, that bit of faith that we could come here and do it. We did the plan to a T. We came into this game believing and we've done it. Everyone was unbelievable. I'm so happy."Defender Jack Milne: "This is the best feeling I've had in my life."We had the belief. All of us knew we were capable of coming here and getting this result. It's amazing. It's a dream come true."Goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov: "[I thought] just be the hero."Penalties is the opportunity to help your team. I'm super happy I managed to do that. Now it's time to party and celebrate."We have a short break and then it's onto next season."
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Clarkson? Mitov? Your views on Dons difference maker
We asked for your views on who could be Aberdeen's hero in Saturday's Scottish Cup final against what some of you said:Alan: For me, there won't just be one hero if we win. It's down to the team as a whole. They need to work together and make Celtic work. Shayden Morris, Graeme Shinnie and Ante Palaversa will be instrumental in this but everyone in Aberdeen colours will have their part to I am hoping Leighton Clarkson shines bright on Saturday. I just hope he can show the form he did when he arrived on loan from Liverpool. When we signed him permanently for the following season, he just failed to show that he was an undoubtedly talented footballer that we were all raving about. We all know that he's got the talent, and potential to be a big influencer in big games. Well they don't get much bigger than on Saturday against an exceptional team, but no one, or team is infallible. Come On You Reds!Daniel: Dimitar Mitov. A string of sensational saves to keep it 0-0. Saves a Earlier in the season some Dons fans thought that Jimmy Thelin could walk on water. Sticking with that theme, I think he should play a 5-4-1 formation and pray for a Clarkson with a pure filth Anything better than a 5-1 defeat will be reasonable. Even as a Dons fan I think Celtic will simply blow us away. A 2-0 loss would be I think the in-form striker for Aberdeen is Kevin Nisbet, so he will attract attention from a very solid Celtic defence. This may leave space for someone else to nick a goal or two. As for who that might be it is hard to suggest and I'm not sure it really matters, the trick will be to get the goal/s. After that keeping the Celtic goal machine out, which is something we struggle to We need a whole different approach to this game. We cannot rely on a similar approach and system that has failed so, so many times against Celtic. If we are to be successful and lift the trophy, we need absolutely everybody to be on their A game, but the likes of Clarkson, who can unlock defences and pick that pass, can also score from set-pieces and long range strikes. We need him at the very top of his game.
Press and Journal
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Leighton Clarkson: Aberdeen need to find a Plan B against Celtic
Aberdeen midfielder Leighton Clarkson believes his side have to change their ways if they are to have any chance of Scottish Cup glory against Celtic next week. The Dons are due to face Celtic in the final at Hampden on May 24, but will head for the National Stadium bristling from yet another bruising loss to the Hoops following Wednesday's 5-1 defeat at Pittodrie. Aberdeen performed admirably in the first meeting of the sides in October, rallying from 2-0 down to earn a point at Celtic Park, but since then the Hoops have reeled off four straight wins against Jimmy Thelin's side. Wednesday's defeat by a second-string Hoops side was a sobering reminder, not that it was needed, of the size of the task facing the Dons against the treble-chasing Hoops. Consecutive 5-1 losses to Brendan Rodgers' side have left Clarkson convinced he and his team-mates need to come up with a different approach at Hampden. The midfielder said: 'They are champions for a reason – they're so clinical, and they can blow you away. 'They've done this throughout the season. 'It's not just to us. They've done it to other teams as well because they can punish you. They're relentless. 'We need to find a way of stopping that. 'We know we've got one more game against them, and we might have to do a bit of something different to get a result.' Having conceded 19 goals in five games to Celtic this season, it is not difficult to see where Aberdeen need to improve most. The Hoops are clinical, but Clarkson knows the opportunities being offered up by his team are too many. He said: 'We felt pretty comfortable in the game, but they can punish you off a few chances and it's about limiting them to as little as possible. 'It's something that we'll look at. I don't think we'll be telling you how we're going to play, but yeah, maybe on Wednesday we got maybe one or two things wrong. 'After Saturday we've got a week to prepare for the Celtic game, but what I would say is we need to tighten up massively against Celtic and we need to find maybe a different way of beating them. 'We know it's a cup final – probably a different ball game, a one-off game where we know what's up for grabs. 'It's something that we're still looking forward to.' Celtic's victory at Pittodrie not only served as a warning shot ahead of the cup final. It also ended Aberdeen's hopes of finishing third in the Scottish Premiership. That honour goes to Hibernian, who are four points clear heading into the final weekend of the league campaign. Clarkson knows his side have not been good enough. He said: 'I don't think we've been consistent enough, in all honesty. 'Hibs have obviously got third and they've been consistent enough. 'Hibs fully deserve third, in my opinion. Since the turnaround against us, they've been really, really good and consistent. 'So congrats to them – but we want to be finishing fourth which I think is still a decent season. We don't want to be finishing fifth.' The equation for the Dons is simple as they head to European rivals Dundee United on Saturday for their last league game of the campaign. If Jimmy Thelin's side avoid defeat to the Tangerines, they will be fourth and in the second qualifying round of the Europa League if they fail to win the Scottish Cup. Lose, and it will be a fifth place finish – which means entry into the second qualifying round of the Conference League. Clarkson said: 'The teams around us have done really well. Dundee United have done well to be in and around it. 'Our full focus is on United. We know what we need to do there, so from now until the game that's all we're worried about. 'We need a good performance, but we need to win the game, or obviously a draw is good enough, but we're going to win the game. 'Hopefully, we can do that and that sets us into a nice week up into the final.'
Daily Record
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
'That's the story of Celtic' - Aberdeen star knows what Dons are up against but teases 'something different' at Hampden
Leighton Clarkson knows it's an uphill battle facing Celtic but wants his team to channel something new to stun them Leighton Clarkson knows that Aberdeen desperately need to come up with something different if they are to shock Celtic in the Scottish Cup final. The Dons were left hurting after Brendan Rodgers' side put out a second string and they savagely fired five past them in their final game of the season at Pittodrie. It was hardly ideal preparation for the cup final a week on Saturday, when the Dons will be in the firing line again, as Rodgers will bring back his big guns for Hampden to try and blast the Hoops to another treble. Clarkson acknowledged: 'Of course, they are champions for a reason, they're so clinical, and they can blow you away. 'We know we've got one more game against them and we might have to do a bit of something different to get a result. We know it's a cup final. 'Again, probably a different ball game, a one-off game where we know what's up for grabs. It's something that we're still looking forward to. 'Again, it's something that we'll look at and I don't think we'll be telling you how we're going to play, but yeah, maybe on Wednesday we got maybe one or two things wrong. 'As I said, the first half I thought our shape was really good. 'We felt pretty comfortable, but they can punish you off a few chances and it's about limiting them to as few chances as possible.' The only silver lining this week is that Aberdeen have already secured their place back in Europe for next season. They are guaranteed top five but if they avoid defeat at Dundee United on Sunday then they will finish fourth and go into the second qualifying round of the Europa League. Aberdeen also have the added incentive of being guaranteed group stage football if they were to lift the Scottish Cup. 'I think fourth is still a decent season,' the former Liverpool youngster insisted. 'I think Hibs fully deserve third, in my opinion. 'Since the turnaround against us, they've been really, really good and consistent. So, yeah, congrats to them, but we want to be finishing fourth. 'We don't want to be finishing fifth. 'I don't think we've been consistent enough, in all honesty. 'We want to get fourth. The teams around us have done really well. Dundee (United) have done well to be in and around it. 'Hibs have obviously got third and they've been consistent enough. We know it's a one-off game against Dundee (United). We know what we're going down there to do. 'We'll rest, recover and take these two days and then obviously go down there and try to win the game.' Clarkson has insisted that any further talk of Hampden has to be shelved until after Tannadice. He stated:' First of all, our full focus is on Dundee (United). We know what we need to do there. So, yes, from now until Dundee United, that's all we're worried about. 'Then we've got a week to prepare for the Celtic. But what I would say is we need to tighten up massively against Celtic and we need to find maybe a different way of beating them.' Aberdeen's old Achilles Heel of conceding too many goals has been exposed again in the last two outings. They have lost nine goals to Celtic and Rangers. The Dons star acknowledged: 'That's nine in two games, so we definitely need to work on that side of it. 'Yes, (it was) really sore. It wasn't nice to be out there, I must admit. 'I thought we were doing alright in the first half and then, you know, you can't concede off a corner. 'Then we managed to get ourselves back in it and we're thinking, right, we'll get to half-time and they sucker punched us, right on half-time, which is one of the worst times to concede. 'It was still upbeat in the changing room, we thought we could rock them. 'We came out and I thought we did for the first two, three minutes, had a few corners, or chances. They've gone down the other end and punished us, and that's the story of Celtic, really.'
