I’m terrified... not
McInnes shrugs off Markovic’s claim Dons won’t be able to handle heat in Bosnia
DEREK McINNES has warned Siroki Brijeg his Aberdeen players won’t be intimidated in the partisan surroundings of the Pecara Stadium tonight after emerging from the cauldrons of Celtic Park and Ibrox with victories under his command.
Stipo Markovic, who scored in last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw at Pittodrie, has told Aberdeen they can expect to ‘melt’ in an atmosphere he insisted will be ‘hell’ for the Scots.
But although the Europa League clash will be played in stifling temperatures, with the thermometer hitting 39 degrees during the day and only dipping slightly by the evening kick-off, McInnes scoffed at suggestions that his team won’t be able to handle the heat as well as a raucous home support with a reputation for being among some of the most notorious fans in the Balkans.
Indeed, when appraised of Markovic’s words, he replied: ‘I’m terrified... not!’
Aberdeen need to score at least once to have any chance of reaching the third qualifying round for the fourth year in a row, but McInnes reminded this evening’s opponents that his men have a strong recent European pedigree away from home, with impressive wins at Rijeka in Croatia and Groningen in Holland.
‘We expect a noisy crowd,’ he said. ‘They have a passionate support for their club but we have won at bigger European venues, we’ve won at Parkhead and Ibrox. The bigger the venue, the more we relish the challenge.
‘Rijeka’s pedigree before and since that game (a 3-0 win in 2015) illustrates how big a performance it was for us.
‘We’re going to have to withstand pressure and the heat will be a factor in how we approach the game. We will have to defend well as we did that night but it’s a game that is finely balanced.
‘Siroki have the advantage but we feel we can get the goal which will apply the pressure. Their supporters and team will feel they’ve done the hard part in getting the away goal and it will be a disaster if they don’t go through — but we’re confident we can get a result.
‘I know Siroki well enough now. They have strong individuals but their strength is in their team. They are happy when they don’t have the ball and have good confidence to counter teams when they break on goal. There is a lot to admire about the team.
‘I believe we can win the game and we’ll feel the benefit of having played the first game last week. Siroki looked match sharp and I felt that gave us the advantage we had when we beat Groningen and Rijeka in the past, but I hope the extra week will give us enough to win the match.
‘The game lasts 90 minutes so we have got to be sensible with our approach. Our best European results have come when we have scored on the road and we feel we have goalscorers in the team.
‘We’ve shown the ability in previous years and we don’t have to go gung-ho, but we are confident we can score.’
Captain Graeme Shinnie is desperate to make up for last season’s Euro disappointment when Aberdeen crashed out to Maribor on his 25th birthday.
And he is sure he and his team-mates can dig the Dons out of a hole after last week’s draw as they try to claw their way through to a potential trip to Cyprus to face Apollon Limassol in the next round.
‘Our confidence is high, everyone is looking forward to it,’ he said. ‘We wanted to do well in the league last year so we could experience occasions like this.
‘I don’t think the stadium and their fans could get worse than Maribor and the fans there, so we know what we have to do to come here and get a result.
‘It would mean everything to reach the group stage. It’s one I’m desperate for, to get through, but it will be tough as they showed they are a good team at Pittodrie and we know what it will take to get past them.’
Siroki manager Goran Sablic said: ‘I don’t think Aberdeen underestimated us in the first leg and there were spells when they dominated.
‘But we are playing well and are in good shape and there’s no reason why we cannot finish the job.’
The Dons received a major boost ahead of tonight’s game when McInnes and his No2 Tony Docherty pledged their futures to the club until 2020, just weeks after the manager rejected a move to Sunderland.
‘Continuity is important, which is why Tony and I were delighted to sign an extension,’ said McInnes.
‘But the work continues on and off the pitch and I feel there is enough energy to deliver everything we want at the club in terms of training facilities and the stadium. We’re happy in our work and happy to continue.’
“It’ll be a noisy crowd but we’ve won at Celtic Park and Ibrox”