'We have to make Pittodrie a place to be feared'

Stephen Robinson wants teams to fear playing at Pittodrie and says Aberdeen must become a consistent top-six club again. The Dons kick off their Premiership campaign on Saturday night at home to last year's runners-up Hearts. The Dons finished a hugely disappointing ninth last term and are hoping to do a lot better this time round. "We have to make Pittodrie a place to be feared, a place that people don't enjoy coming to again, and it hasn't been often enough in the last five years," said head coach Robinson. "A club the size that we are, we have to be a top-six football club, that is easier said than done. "Over the last five years we haven't been in there often enough, so we have to change that." "I have spoken about bringing stability to the club and bringing a direction that everyone is going in to the club, and I believe we are doing that. "That starts with becoming a regular top-six club again. From there, then you can look at Europe, you can look at cups, but ultimately you need to be in the top six before you can even consider European football." Aberdeen have brought in 12 new faces so far this summer and started the season well, emerging from the group stage of the Premier Sports Cup with four consecutive wins and only two goals conceded. Hearts head north still looking to find their feet under new head coach Wouter Vrancken and hoping to bounce back after a chastening 6-0 aggregate defeat in their Champions League qualifier against Sturm Graz. "I think Sturm Graz are a very good side so you have to put in to context, the result," Robinson continued. "They have a huge squad, a lot of players to pick from so that is probably my biggest problem is picking their team. "But every manager has got different styles, different ideas, but every time you play Hearts it is a tough game, we don't expect anything different."