TALKING ACCIES
DARIAN MacKINNON insists Hamilton can cope if they lose star man Greg Docherty – as they’ve lost better players in the past.
The 21-year-old was missing in action on Saturday when Accies went down 2-0 at Motherwell due to an ankle knock, but speculation continues to swirl that the midfielder is poised to move to Rangers in the coming days.
To say the New Douglas Park side looked a shadow of the team which blitzed their Lanarkshire rivals 3-1 last month with Docherty in the side is putting mildly, something MacKinnon himself accepted after their Scottish Cup exit.
However, he insists he has faith in Hamilton’s ability to adapt if Docherty does depart.
“You’re always going to miss Greg, of course,” he said. “He’s a top quality player.
“If he is to move on then we’re going to have to replace him. I thought young Lewis Ferguson came in and did well. It’s going to take him a few games to find his feet.
“No offence to Greg, we’ve lost better players in the past; Tony Andreu et cetera.
“So we need to move on – that’s what our club does.”
THE conveyor belt at Hamilton is already churning away and MacKinnon is right to namecheck Ferguson, son of former Accies and Rangers man Derek, who had the thankless task of leading the Hamilton line on Saturday with little-to-no service.
The teenager looked undaunted by the prospect, a characteristic which has shone through for some time.
“Fergie’s got a big chance – because he’s not scared,” said MacKinnon. “I remember my first training session with him. I was suspended and trained with the Under-20s. I took a touch and he just smashed into me. I thought, ‘Aye, aye; what have we got here?’
“But I shook his hand after it. I knew he had something there. But he’s got quality as well and that’s the most important thing. He’s got everything. I do like guys to have the qualities he has – but give him a couple of more years yet!
“He gets a few pelters because of his dad and also especially [former Rangers captain] Barry, his uncle. I wind him up about that, don’t worry about that. But, listen, he’s a good player and he has a real big chance.”
Reflecting on Saturday’s poor defeat to rivals Motherwell, MacKinnon was blunt in his assessment.
“It was two crazy goals we lost. It was probably a brutal game to watch as well, there wasn’t much quality in it,” he said.
“We wanted a Cup run, especially coming here as well. But it wasn’t to be. I don’t think we deserved anything from the game anyway, it was the correct result. Now we move on to Wednesday.”
“If you look at the first half, Massimo [Donati] is in the team to go and play. But if you don’t give him the ball, or he’s not using it properly, then we’re in a bit of trouble. That’s what he’s in there for.
“But we knew it was going to be like that when we came here because they’re a physical side. They don’t really take touches in the middle of the park, so you need to win your headers at the back and I don’t think we quite done that.”