6th April 2025 Craven Cottage, Fulham, London, England Premier League Football, Fulham versus Liverpool Mohamed Salah of Liverpool pursues Antonee Robinson of Fulham PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK ActionPlus12772026 IanxStephen
Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson has identified exactly what he believes was missing from his squad last season, and he thinks new signing Alexander Briedl provides the answer.
Robinson made the Austrian midfielder one of his first summer acquisitions, bringing him to Pittodrie on a fee from BW Linz to bolster the engine room.
Robinson was candid about the deficiency he saw in his squad, saying: “He will bring something I thought we were missing in our midfield, you know, legs and energy that him and Brad will give.”
The Aberdeen boss highlighted Briedl’s statistical profile as a key reason for the transfer, pointing to his pressing ability and ball-winning numbers as particularly attractive qualities.
Robinson added that the player’s physical attributes complement his technical profile, noting: “He’s a really, really quick player, left-footed, which gives us a balance in midfield as well, and adds more competition in there with the players we’ve already got.”
Some had questioned Robinson’s appetite for signing players from outside Britain, but the Northern Irishman was quick to dismiss that perception and defend his recruitment philosophy.
“People said I didn’t like foreign players,” Robinson said, before pointing out that Briedl was in fact his first signing, reinforcing that geography is never the deciding factor.
Robinson has also added Moroccan striker Ayoub Moulou from FUS Rabat in a six-figure deal, and he argues that the overseas market consistently offers superior value compared to the British transfer market.
He explained his thinking plainly: “I’m looking at League Two players that clubs want a million pounds for and they want eight and nine thousand pounds a week — crazy, crazy money for players that maybe haven’t proved themselves at a really high level.”
Robinson acknowledged that integrating foreign signings into Scottish football is never straightforward, warning that the physical demands of the Scottish game are often underestimated by those outside it.
The manager also referenced Tony Yogane as an example of the attacking flair he wants surrounding a hard-working, physically robust core within his rebuilt squad.
Robinson, currently putting his players through their paces at a Dutch training camp, has brought in eight players this summer and confirmed further movement in and out of the club remains possible.
He praised the behind-the-scenes effort involved in reshaping the squad, singling out sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel and the recruitment team for their contribution to the process.
Robinson was clear that Aberdeen lacked a recognisable identity at points last season, partly due to an injury crisis exacerbated by the demands of competing in European football.
He closed with a clear declaration of intent: “I wanted to get a base of a team and then I wanted to get exciting players around that base — I believe we’re managing to do that.”
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