Jack aiming to build on form
Ryan Jack is looking for Aberdeen to build on their good recent Scottish Premiership form against St Mirren at Pittodrie on Saturday but knows they will come up against a Saints side who are vastly improved since the start of the season.
Danny Lennon's men had a miserable start to their campaign, failing to win any of their opening seven matches but their resurgence began, ironically, with a 1-1 home draw against the Dons at the end of September.
The Paisley side travel north unbeaten in six games in all competitions and sitting in eighth place.
And while Derek McInnes' men are looking to make it three-in-a-row after good away wins at Partick Thistle and St Johnstone, the Scotland Under-21 midfielder knows it will not be easy.
He told RedTV: "It is a good chance to build some momentum and get another league victory and another three points on the board which would be great.
"But we know it is going to be a difficult game, they are a decent football side, so we need to approach it well and be at our best.
"I think they have turned the corner, they have had some impressive results and we know they have some good players to look out for.
"But if we are at our best and approach it the right way hopefully we will get the three points."
The 21-year-old is looking forward to a hectic festive schedule with three games out of four in December at home but is determined not looking too far ahead.
"It is a great time of the year to play a lot of games, there is nothing better than to have a schedule with a good few games," he said.
"But we will take every game as it comes, that is the way the manager wants us to approach things.
"The last couple of seasons we have underachieved as a club so I don't think we need to to set our sights too high and too far and at the end of the season we will see where it takes us.
"The manager wants us to go out and show no fear, express ourselves as much as we can and show our abilities as individuals and as a team.
"I think you saw against St Johnstone last week that we can show other side to our game as well as passing the ball and creating good chances.
"All the boys are looking forward to Saturday and hoping we can get three points."
McInnes has just one injury absence for the Scottish Premiership clash.
Full-back Clark Robertson remains on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Irish midfield pair Jonny Hayes and Willo Flood both returned from injury in last weekend's victory at St Johnstone.
St Mirren manager Danny Lennon has urged his side to use their Scottish Premiership trip to Aberdeen to prove their recent form can be lasting.
A 1-1 draw with the Dons at St Mirren Park in September halted a five-match losing run for Lennon's side and they followed that with their first win of the season against Hearts four days later.
Saints have only lost one out of 10 games since that meeting with Aberdeen and Lennon wants to see his side show that confidence at Pittodrie against a similarly in-form Dons side.
"The momentum we have gathered since that game - goals, picking up points, climbing up the table - breeds confidence," he said.
"I think any club that is successful, that has a big part to play.
"We must focus on continuing that. We have done well in the last 10 games - the aim now is to do it in the next 10."
Lennon added: "The last time we played Aberdeen it was the kick-start of our good run we are on just now and we earned ourselves a very valuable point that evening.
"Since then we have gone nine unbeaten out of 10 and managed to keep five clean sheets within that. That's the kind of consistency that we want.
"But Aberdeen are going very well themselves, they have won six out their last eight games, they have had six clean sheets in there.
"Derek (McInnes) has got them sitting at the right end of the table and going forward well in all cup competitions, so it's certainly the direction that a club like Aberdeen want to be in. So we certainly know we are in for a very difficult challenge."
Lennon will have midfield playmaker Paul McGowan at his disposal after fears over a broken toe were banished on Tuesday night.
McGowan was in the stand wearing a protective boot as he watched replacement Gary Harkins open the scoring in a 3-0 William Hill Scottish Cup win over Queen of the South on Tuesday, but results of a scan later showed no fracture.
"Paul trained on Wednesday so Paul travels with us," Lennon said. "It was just a matter of getting clarification if there was a hairline fracture there.
"He's got a wee sore paw, so he went away and licked it for the last couple of days like a wee puppy and got better."
Meanwhile, Lennon refused to rule out a January loan move for Newcastle forward Adam Campbell after the player's agent revealed his player was on his way to Paisley.
"We are very aware of Adam Campbell and the ability that he has," Lennon said.
"We were in for him in the summer and he went out on loan to Carlisle United. It didn't work out for him.
"I wouldn't rule anything out on players coming in or going out in the January window."
Source: PA
