The 2016–17 season was Aberdeen's 104th season in the top flight of Scottish football and the fourth in the Scottish Premiership. Aberdeen also competed in the League Cup and the Scottish Cup.
Aberdeen also competed in qualifying for the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.
Summary
August Aberdeen were knocked out of the Europa League by Maribor in the Third qualifying round.
They were then boosted when top-scorer from last season Adam Rooney signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until 2020.
September
October
November Aberdeen reached the League Cup Final but lost 3–0 to Celtic.
December After the Cup final loss, McInnes became under pressure after a poor run of results in December which included an abandoned match at home against Motherwell.
However, the Dons ended 2016 with 3 wins out of their last 3 matches in the year, keeping the same starting line-up in all 3 matches, easing pressure on McInnes.
January Graeme Shinnie boosted the Dons signing on an extra year to his contract.
February On 6 February, Niall McGinn was awarded SPFL January Goal of the Month for his goal against Dundee.
After 3 bids were rejected in the January transfer window by Cardiff City, on 7 February Jonny Hayes signed a new contract extension to keep him at the club until 2019.
On 14 February, Andrew Considine signed a new contract to also keep him at the club until 2019.
March On 9 March, English League One side Milton Keynes Dons announced that Peter Pawlett had signed a pre-contract deal to join the club at the end of the 2016–17 season.
On 29 March, Jonny Hayes earned his first start for Ireland in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Iceland.
On 30 March, Greg Tansey signed a pre-contract 3-year deal to join the club from Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the end of the 2016–17 season.
April
On 7 April, manager Derek McInnes won SPFL March Manager of the Month after reaching the Scottish Cup Semi-final and beating Dundee 7-0.
On 15 April, Aberdeen secured Europa League football for next season with a hard-fought win over St Johnstone in Perth.
On 22 April, Aberdeen reached the Scottish Cup final for the first time in 17 years with victory over holders Hibernian.
May
On 2 May, Jonny Hayes was shortlisted for player of the year in the PFA Scotland awards.
On 4 May, Derek McInnes was shortlisted for manager of the year in the PFA Scotland awards.
On 5 May, Joe Lewis, Shay Logan, Kenny McLean and Jonny Hayes all made the PFA Scotland's Premiership team of the year.
On 7 May, Aberdeen all but secured the Runners-up spot in the Premiership with a 2-1 win against Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle Stadium.
On 12 May, Dean Campbell was introduced as a substitute against Celtic, becoming the club's youngest-ever player (a record previously held by Jack Grimmer).
On 17 May, Aberdeen defeated Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox Stadium, their first victory at that stadium since 1991. The result also mathematically confirmed Aberdeen's second place in the final league table.
On 21 May, teenager Scott Wright scored his first senior hat-trick to end the league season with a 6-0 win against Partick Thistle at Firhill.
On 24 May, Derek McInnes announced that Graeme Shinnie would captain the Dons in the Scottish Cup Final, after it was announced that Ryan Jack was leaving the club.
On 27 May, the Dons lost the Scottish Cup Final to Celtic, their sixth, in total, defeat to them this season against what was "The Invincibles".
Results and fixtures
Pre-season and friendlies
Scottish Premiership
UEFA Europa League
Aberdeen qualified for the first preliminary round of the UEFA Europa League by finishing second in the 2015–16 Scottish Premiership.
Qualifying phase
Scottish League Cup
Scottish Cup
Squad statistics Joe Lewis was the only player to have played every minute of this season.
Appearances
|colspan="10"|Players who left the club during the 2016–17 season
|colspan="10"|Players who left the club on loan during the 2016–17 season
Goalscorers RankingNationNumberNameScottish PremiershipEuropa LeagueLeague CupScottish CupTotal19Adam Rooney1232320210Niall McGinn1011214311Jonny Hayes91011148Ryan Christie6001754Andrew Considine6000617Jayden Stockley5100677Kenny McLean4010582Shay Logan2101493Graeme Shinnie200135Ash Taylor3000315Anthony O'Connor3000316Peter Pawlett3000326Scott Wright300031422Ryan Jack2000223James Maddison20002168Wes Burns0100139Miles Storey10001Own goal10113TOTALS74851097
Disciplinary record NumberNationPositionNamePremiershipEuropa League League CupScottish CupTotal 1GK Joe Lewis30100000402DF Shay Logan40100000503DF Graeme Shinnie1102010101504DF Andrew Considine70001000805DF Ash Taylor40100010606DF Mark Reynolds51000000517MF Kenny McLean30200000508MF Wes Burns10000000108MF Willo Flood00100000109FW Adam Rooney002000002010MF Niall McGinn100010002011MF Jonny Hayes601000007015DF Anthony O'Connor200000002016MF Peter Pawlett300000003017FW Jayden Stockley320100003322MF Ryan Jack311010106123MF James Maddison300010004026FW Scott Wright0010000010 TOTALS5841315030795
Team statistics
League table
Transfers
Players in DatesPositionNationalityPlayerFromFee 11 May 2016 FW Jayden Stockley Bournemouth Free 15 June 2016 GK Joe Lewis Cardiff City Free 15 June 2016 GK Neil Alexander Heart of Midlothian Free 15 June 2016 DF Callum Morris Dundee United Free 25 June 2016 DF Anthony O'Connor Burton Albion Free 1 July 2016 FW Miles Storey Swindon Town Free
Players out DatesPositionNationalityPlayerToFee 16 May 2016 GK Scott Brown Wycombe Wanderers Free 16 May 2016 MF Barry Robson Retired N/A 18 June 2016 DF Michael Rose Ayr United Free 29 June 2016 FW David Goodwillie Plymouth Argyle Free 14 July 2016 MF Willo Flood Dundee United Free 31 December 2016 DF Callum Morris Dunfermline Athletic Free
Loans in Date Position Nationality Name From Fee 14 July 2016 FW Wes Burns Bristol City Loan 31 August 2016 MF James Maddison Norwich City Loan 24 January 2017 MF Ryan Christie Celtic Loan
Loans out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee 20 June 2016 GK Aaron Lennox Raith Rovers Loan 8 July 2016 GK Danny Rogers Falkirk Loan 13 July 2016 MF Cammy Smith Dundee United Loan 19 July 2016 FW Lawrence Shankland St Mirren Loan 3 August 2016 DF Daniel Harvie Dumbarton Loan 10 November 2016 FW Joe Nuttall Stranraer Loan 11 November 2016 DF Scott McKenna Ayr United Loan 16 December 2016 FW Connor McLennan Brechin City One-month Loan 3 January 2017 MF Craig Storie St Mirren Loan 11 January 2017 FW Lawrence Shankland Greenock Morton Loan 26 January 2017 MF Cammy Smith St Mirren Loan 31 March 2017 FW Joe Nuttall Dumbarton Loan
See also List of Aberdeen F.C. seasons
Footnotes
References