DONS MUST BE HAVE A GO HEROES

WILLIE GARNER has urged Aberdeen to take the game to Celtic this weekend.

Although the former Dons and Hoops defender fears three influential Pittodrie players – Joe Lewis, Graeme Shinnie and Ryan Christie – will be a big miss, he wants to see Derek McInnes’s men have a right go at the champions.

Garner said: “Dons fans will want their team to have a go. Celtic are vulnerable.

“Less fancied teams in the league have shown if you have a go at their centrebacks they have a problem.

“But that didn’t happen when Celtic last played at Pittodrie. They annihilated Aberdeen.

“We know the Dons will miss Shinnie and Christie but we mustn’t forget how badly keeper Joe Lewis has been missed. Freddie Woodman has come in but he is inexperienced.

“He’s just a young boy and although he’s done some things really well there have been times when his lack of experience has shown.

“If you’re Brendan Rodgers you’ll be telling your players they should be testing Woodman and they will.

“The home fans want their team to keep Celtic on the back foot. The last time they did that, in the Scottish Cup Final last season, they had a right go at them and had a real chance of winning.

“Maybe they over-exerted themselves because of the amount of work they put in and left themselves open for Celtic’s late winner.

“But Aberdeen were always in the game because they didn’t just sit back and allow Celtic to dictate play.”

Garner is a regular in the main stand at Pittodrie and has become a fan of 21-yearold defender Scott McKenna.

But he worries that without Shinnie and Christie, McKenna and his central defensive partner Anthony O’Connor will feel the heat.

He said: “The central defenders have made mistakes and that needs to be eradicated.

“I like McKenna. Aberdeen have needed somebody who’ll just go and clear his lines.

“Look at Hearts and how they’ve stiffened their defence from Jon McLaughlin in goal and their centre-backs, John Souttar and Christophe Berra, who don’t mess about.

“Derek wants McKenna to be a centre-half and win headers and clear his lines and that’s what he does.

“That position has been an issue for a few years.

“It has chopped and changed and when you’re missing your No.1 keeper and two influential midfielders there is a need for the centre-backs to be on top form.”