Willie Miller: Will Aberdeen skipper Graeme Shinnie play at left-back or midfield in the new season?

Gothenburg Great Willie Miller believes 33-year-old captain Graeme Shinnie will be an important player for Aberdeen for years to come, but in what position?

Graeme Shinnie, Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup-winning captain, may be a veteran, but he can still be the team’s driving force for many years. Shinnie turns 34 in August, but there has been no hint of the skipper’s enthusiasm or desire waning. There is no reason Shinnie cannot play a significant role in manager Jimmy Thelin’s pursuit of additional success over the next two to three years. Shinnie still has so much to give Aberdeen, both as a player and captain, as evidenced by his outstanding performance in the Scottish Cup final victory over Celtic.

The question is, what position does Shinnie envision himself playing for Aberdeen in the coming season? Shinnie is powerful and versatile enough to be effective in both midfield and left defence.

Thelin changed formation in final

Shinnie’s position is a difficult decision because it is determined by the formation that manager Thelin will utilise for the most of next season. Throughout his first year at Pittodrie, Thelin played with a back four, and it appeared that this was his identity and what he would stick to. I believe the Aberdeen manager prefers to play four at the back. However, for the Scottish Cup final victory over Celtic, Thelin switched to a back five and moved Shinnie back into midfield.

Aberdeen have signed versatile left-back Emmanuel Gyamfi from Bundesliga 2 club Schalke 04 on a four-year contract. Signing a left-back was required after Jack MacKenzie left Aberdeen and James McGarry was linked with a move to the Australian A-League Brisbane Roar. Shinnie has the option of playing left-back because he performed admirably in that position for the most of the games at the end of the recently concluded season.

The option of playing at left-back

Shinnie’s use at left-back is dependent on how the opposition plays and the quality of the wide man he is up against. I don’t think Shinnie is suited to facing a high-quality, speedy, and difficult winger. However, the vast majority of Premier League teams do not play this way.

Shinnie, in my opinion, should play in midfield because he is so effective there. And the club captain would probably perform better in a midfield three than a two. Shinnie led by example from midfield in the Scottish Cup final’s 120 minutes of play. He subsequently repeated the feat, netting the Dons’ first penalty kick in the shootout. Shinnie captained Inverness Caley Thistle to Scottish Cup final glory in 2015. Having that big game experience is essential, and he took it to the final against Celtic in a tremendous performance as captain. Shinnie, at 33, still has a lot more in the tank and has the potential to make a significant impact in midfield going forward.

Shinnie also plays an important role off the park as captain and a leader.

Leading the bid for further glory

Aberdeen accomplished what very few clubs have done: they defeated Celtic in a Glasgow final. It is an outstanding achievement at any time. However, given Celtic’s vast financial resources, this is especially impressive in the present. Shinnie will play an important part in continuing that success. He is a player Thelin will be glad to deploy anywhere he sees fit, depending on the opposition.

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