Jim Goodwin: Aberdeen will not go to Celtic with defeatist attitude

Jim Goodwin insists Aberdeen will not travel to Parkhead for their opening 2022/23 cinch Premiership fixture against champions Celtic with a “defeatist” attitude.

The Dons drew the short straw for their first game of the new campaign on Sunday, July 31, where Ange Postecoglou’s side begin the defence of their crown on the day they unfurl the championship flag in front of what is certain to be a full house.

Aberdeen then face St Mirren, Motherwell, St Johnstone, Livingston and Ross County to complete the first half dozen fixtures in a campaign which, due to the World Cup in Qatar, will stop on November 12 and resume on December 17.

Boss Goodwin told the club’s official Twitter account: “We’ve looked at all them (fixtures) obviously this morning and tried to study them.

“Those opening half a dozen fixtures are the ones that you look for initially.

“Celtic is a tough game but we’re not going to go there and be defeatist, we’re going to go there and hopefully be in good form coming off the back of a good League Cup campaign and feeling good about ourselves.

“That is the plan. And then we’ve got a decent run of fixtures thereafter to really get our teeth stuck into.

“So those are the first fixtures that you look for and then obviously you start to look towards Christmas time and where are we going to be?

“Obviously the New Year, some big games to look forward to then as well.

“It’s going to be a little bit strange with the month’s break in the middle of the season for the World Cup, but listen, exciting times and it makes it all a bit more real, now that we’re back for pre-season and those fixtures are out.”