WE’LL KEEP RYAN OUR HEARTS OUT
MOTHERWELL v ABERDEEN McInnes desperate to land Christie in summer as he vows Dons will fight on in battle to stop run v Celts
DEREK McINNES admits he’s hoping not to lose out to Celtic again by making their starlet Ryan Christie’s move to Aberdeen permanent.
Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers regards the talented 23-year-old, who will enter the final year of his contract in the summer, as one for the future.
It’s understood McInnes tried to secure the Scotland Under-21 star on a permanent basis after his initial loan period last summer.
Now Christie’s impressive performances during his second loan spell at Pittodrie have made the Dons boss more eager than ever to keep hold of him.
McInnes said: “The plan is for Ryan to go back to Celtic at the end of the season.
“But if we are told any different to that of course I would like the chance to work with him again.
“It is Celtic and Ryan’s call. He has been a brilliant addition to us in his loan spells.”
Christie missed last Sunday’s clash with his parent club but McInnes could have done with him as he slumped to a 10th defeat in a row to Celtic.
Dons fans hit out at him for encouraging his team to allow their rivals so much possession in the first half but the gaffer took the criticism on the chin.
McInnes saw enough against the champions at the weekend to be convinced they will soon end the Hoops hoodoo.
McInnes said: “I am fine with the criticism. We are being criticised for not beating Celtic which has been the case over the last couple of seasons.
“So be it. We don’t really have a lot to defend ourselves with because of the results.
“Until we win a game it will be difficult to argue against that but we take confidence because we gave ourselves a chance to get a result.
“We had some good performers but we missed Graeme Shinnie and Christie. The team performed very well, put everything into it, and never quite got the result.
“We are a tight group and we all know our own jobs.
“There were disappointed people in the dressing room because we felt we had a chance and were close to getting a result.
“A lot of stats backed up how I felt about the game. We had more shots and had more traffic in their box than our box.
“When the result doesn’t come you can be criticised for that. It is the nature of the job.”
McInnes is relieved to have Christie back against Motherwell at Fir Park tonight alongside skipper Shinnie who returns from suspension.
But he’ll be without banned new boy Sam Cosgrove who was red carded for what his manager believes was a stupid lunge at Scott Brown on Sunday.
McInnes said: “It’s a learning curve for him it and there’s not a player who hasn’t made a mistake.
“It was costly as the momentum was with us at the time and I think his sending-off played a part in killing that.
“Sam had got us up the pitch and drawn a couple of fouls and showed a real eagerness to play in the limited time he was on.
“He was foolish and it was a mistake but he has to move on. I have told him not to overthink it as he will get stick but it won’t define his career here.
“He was upset compounded by the fact that it was his debut but it was a poor challenge and I wouldn’t have been happy if it had been on one of my players.
“Hopefully we get back to winning ways tonight. After that it’s Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup quarter-final then we might be in the Cup semi and it will be somebody else’s turn for criticism.”