LET’S BE PATIENT
McInnes: We can’t panic at Pittodrie
THERE was a time when playing European football felt akin to some kind of extraterrestrial experience. Before the world got all homogenised on us, issues of travel, language, cuisine and culture made the task of winning on foreign soil arduous in the extreme. The rule of thumb was that the job would have to be done at home or not at all.
As Derek McInnes assesses his Aberdeen side’s prospects of seeing off Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia over two legs, though, the Dons boss’ plea for patience this evening stems from his view of a sporting world that is no longer as it once was.
Three years ago, at this stage in the Europa League, the Dons were held to a goalless draw with Groningen. In days gone by, it would have been viewed as a near disaster. McInnes and his players simply kept their nerve and promptly won 2-1 in Holland.
Make no mistake — fail to beat the Bosnian Cup holders at Pittodrie tonight and there will be no disguising the disappointment.
Provided the tie is in the balance, however, McInnes (below) believes he has seen enough from his players on the road over the past three years for them yet to prevail.
‘We’re aware that even when we haven’t won at home, we’ve been able to get that away goal,’ said McInnes.
‘It’s important to remember that while you don’t win the tie in the first leg, you can lose the tie in the first leg.
‘We’re hoping for a positive result to take to Bosnia but we don’t have to go and win the first leg.
‘We’re comfortable on our travels. We have picked up some decent results on the road. But I do think an away goal for either team is important. ‘As soon as we scored in Groningen, the pressure really hit them. We managed to counter on them, regularly, and got the second goal. ‘I like the tactical element of the European stage. While it is a wee bit more possessionbased tactically than you get domestically, I feel there is still a need for us to play at a tempo that suits us and to try to get after the opposition and play in a manner which maybe they are not used to in their own domestic league. ‘But they look a very capable team and I don’t think home advantage is necessarily as much of a factor as it used to be.’
You suspect McInnes would settle for the slenderest of advantages to pack in the bag for next week’s return — provided the side which finished seventh in their domestic league do not have an away goal to cheer.
Last week he watched from afar as the Bosnians protected a two-goal lead in Kazakhstan against Ordabasy with comparative ease.
He has no reason to believe Siroki will be any less resolute this evening.
‘I know you’d expect me to say this but I’ve genuinely been really impressed by them,’ he added.
‘They’ve good pace both at full-back and the wide areas. They’re a team that’s happy when they don’t have the ball. They’re confident in their defending. They don’t score a lot of goals but they didn’t give up too many opportunities against Ordabasy.
‘They weren’t favourites in the last round but based on the first leg I thought Siroki would do enough to get through and they were quite comfortable in the away leg.
‘They have good size at centre-forward in (Ivan) Krstanovic and the two wide players join in. They look a very well-coached and well-managed team.’
McInnes has fresh fire power in Greg Stewart and Nicky Maynard even if Jayden Stockley is suspended. Taking the few chances that are likely to come their way will be imperative.
‘I always feel that, regardless of what you come up against, it’s natural that the onus is on the home team to try to find answers and break the opposition down,’ said McInnes.
‘The way this team sets up, they’ll take confidence from their defensive shape and try to counter against us.
‘We’ve got to be guarded against that, we’ve got to use the ball well, play in the right areas, move the ball quickly. We need to make it as much of a British kind of game as we can.
‘I think we’ve just go to try to play a game that suits us. We can’t be something we’re not. We’ve got to try to be comfortable with how we play.’