STAYING POWER
Alexander tips Del to silence Pedro because he’s kept nucleus of squad
NEIL ALEXANDER chose to leave Aberdeen because his ambition to play outweighs lapping up the feelgood factor Derek McInnes has brought to Pittodrie. But while the keeper wasn’t prepared to stick around, he reckons the success the Dons gaffer has created is there to stay – despite what Pedro Caixinha claims. There’s a train of thought, with the Rangers manager in the driver’s seat, suggesting Aberdeen have hit the height of their success and will inevitably be a team in decline next season. The subsequent loss of captain Ryan Jack to Caixinha’s squad and the departure of star player Jonny Hayes to Celtic only added momentum to that argument. But Alexander’s decision to join that summer exodus wasn’t because he sees a dip in the road ahead for Dons. Far from it. With McInnes snubbing Sunderland and the club adding quality replacements such as Greg Stewart and Shaun Maloney, Alexander believes Aberdeen can get even better next season. Which would only have made it harder for him to get the first-team action he craves ahead of keeper Joe Lewis, who has just signed a two-year contract extension that ties him to Pittodrie until 2020. Alexander said: “I don’t see Aberdeen struggling to keep the momentum going. Obviously players come and go and managers have to rebuild but Derek McInnes is more than capable of bringing in good players. The chairman is going to give him money to spend and I know they’re trying to keep a hold of Kenny McLean and a few others to keep the nucleus of the squad together at Pittodrie.
“I’m sure Derek has a few players in mind and he’ll be thinking of bringing in similar quality if not better than what he had.
“It was a wee bit disrespectful of Caixinha saying that but it was maybe said in the heat of the moment or it was a bit of mind games.
“Aberdeen have done fantastically well over the last three or four years competing with Celtic so it’s unfair of him to say that.
“Only time will tell. It’s going to be a tough season for Derek to match because last year they probably went over and above what was expected – reaching two cup finals, second in the league and Celtic’s closest rivals in every competition.
“They’ll do well to match that with Rangers getting better, Hearts sure to improve and now Hibs in the league who are putting a good squad together.
“But Derek has a good squad and a skilled backroom staff so I’m sure they’ll keep building and do really well again.
“What Aberdeen have that Rangers don’t at the moment is continuity whereas Rangers are gelling a new team. The signings he brings in will have a huge influence on how it goes.
“Greg Tansey is a very good signing already and if he can bring in players of the stature of Maloney they’ll do very well.
“Obviously they have the nucleus of the squad still together and that has been one of the main things for Aberdeen over the last three or four years.
“If they’re signing it’s only two or three adding to the main squad who are kept together and those boys obviously know what each other can do.
“It’s a very close dressing room which has served them well over the last two or three years.
“So while the manager has a bit of work to do in terms of bringing players in I’m sure he has guys in mind who will make Aberdeen better. That’s his aim and I think that’s why he stayed.
“He still wants to win another trophy and is building a legacy. He’s a good enough manager to do that.”
Having left Aberdeen on good terms, Alexander is currently a free agent keen to add another chapter in a career that has taken him to Cardiff, Hearts and Rangers.
He added: “I enjoyed my time at Aberdeen. Derek was fantastic for me, as were Tony Docherty and Gordon Marshall – I can’t speak highly enough of them.
“OK, it didn’t work out in terms of action on the pitch but on the training ground and behind the scenes they managed me fantastically.
“I appreciated the opportunity and it was great to be part of a very successful season and a really close-knit dressing room.
“But I couldn’t stay because my priority is to play. Joe did fantastically well so I could have no qualms about him playing.
“He was one of the best goalkeepers in the league so it was easy for me to accept taking a back seat.
“It’s frustrating at times but it’s part and parcel of being a keeper. There’s only one position and the other guy has to sit, wait patiently and make sure you’re always ready if called upon.
“But I didn’t want to wait around too long because at 39 I still feel I’ve got a lot to offer on the pitch and behind the scenes. I look after myself well and have hardly taken a day off in the summer to be ready to hit the ground running.
“I was goalie coach at Hearts for two years, combining that with playing for the first team, which gave me good experience so it’s something I want to do in the future.
“If the next club give me the opportunity to do the joint role I did at Hearts that would be amazing. But my priority is to keep playing as long as I can.”
EUAN McLEAN