Jim Goodwin brands Aberdeen's clash with Kilmarnock a must win as under fire boss embraces the 'pressure'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The last time Jim Goodwin looked, Aberdeen were third in the table and in the semi final of the League Cup. But the Pittodrie boss has been in the Granite City long enough – even if only since February – to know that three defeats in a row will bring you stinging criticism and mounting pressure.

It doesn’t matter if two of those losses were late sickeners against the two best teams in the country, and the third was suffered against a St Mirren side flying at home and against whom Aberdeen were leading when their captain Anthony Stewart blundered to gift a penalty and receive a red card.On Christmas Eve, Aberdeen wrapped up the three points and handed them to St Mirren.

Gave them three penalties, that red card and also hit the woodwork twice, threw in one of the sitters of the season and left their opponents with an open goal to hit from 40 yards when their keeper was up for a corner in injury-time trying to salvage a point.All of that might have made Goodwin’s turkey a little bit tougher to chew a day later but now the plate and the slate is cleared.

And he believes it’s what Aberdeen do now, starting Wednesday night at Rugby Park, that will define their season.“There’s always pressure at a big club like Aberdeen,” he said. “That pressure is there before you walk in the door.“There’s a level of expectation and if you are not hitting the targets and objectives then of course pressure comes.