Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie says 'we need to stand up to the fight' ahead of Dundee United Premiership clash

Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie says they have to roll their sleeves up and stand up to the fight of getting themselves back to winning ways.

The Scottish Cup holders have yet to score a goal in the league this season and currently sit bottom of the Premiership with just one point after three defeats and a draw from their first four games.

They were also dumped out of the Premier Sports Cup at the weekend in a 1-0 home defeat to Motherwell that denied them a return to Hampden.

Shinnie says that players have to be able to “carry the weight” of expectation to succeed at a club like Aberdeen, but insists they have enough quality in the dressing room to turn their season around.

He said: “You have to be able to carry that weight when you are playing for a club like Aberdeen. There is always an expectation on you to win games, and you’ve got to be able to carry that.

“That’s why the players who are here are at this club, so it’s about taking that on to the pitch. We see it every day in training, but the main part is when you are under the lights and in the game.

“You have to carry that weight, and you have to show your character to be able to win these games.

“I’ve been through periods like this in my career, it’s tough, but you have to be able to stand up to the fight and be willing to roll your sleeves up and do the hard work.

“The talent is there in this squad, so as long as we’re working hard enough then we’ll be able to pull through it.

“So, it’s just about driving that message through the team and making sure they’re giving everything they have got and more, because when you are in these moments, you need a bit more, so if we can do that, then we’ll start winning games.”

The Dons face a tough trip to Tannadice on Tuesday night to take on Dundee United as they look to finally get off the mark with three points that will ease some of the pressure on cup-winning manager Jimmy Thelin.