THE GOING GETS TOUGH
McInnes admits Dons now have to fight much harder for second spot
ABERDEEN boss Derek McInnes last night admitted that the days of securing Scotland’s ‘Best of the Rest’ tag at a canter have long gone.
For the last three seasons his Dons team have easily emerged as Celtic’s closest rivals in the Premiership, wrapping up second place by a comfortable margin in each of those campaigns.
However, with Rangers finally starting to show serious signs of life since the departure of Pedro Caixinha, and today’s visitors Hibs already proving they have not returned to the Premiership just to make up the numbers, McInnes confessed that finishing runners-up to Brendan Rodgers’ Invincibles is not the straightforward task his team once made it appear.
The Dons look to have recovered from an uncertain period when they lost twice to Graeme Murty’s Rangers, while speculation raged over whether their boss was going to take the helm at Ibrox — and they will be looking for a third successive league win for the first time since October when they take to the field at Pittodrie this afternoon.
But McInnes knows they are facing a tougher task than ever to retain the edge over their rivals for second place in a more competitive top flight.
‘We’ve secured second spot way before the end of the season in previous years,’ said the Pittodrie boss, whose team finished nine points ahead of Rangers last season, six ahead of Hearts the season before and ten ahead of Inverness Caley Thistle in 2014-15.
‘We didn’t just get second spot, we properly secured it without any real fuss. Last year we finished nine points ahead of a newly promoted Rangers team but this year we have a newly promoted Hibs team to go alongside Hearts and Rangers.
‘It shows that it’s a stronger league when so many teams are up there. That brings its own challenges. There are a lot of good teams in the league at the minute.
‘You don’t get away with below-par performances too much and can’t expect to win games, especially against teams in the top half of the table this season.’
Of course McInnes will hope Celtic also face a stiffer challenge than a year ago when Rodgers’ first title as manager was pretty much in the bag by Christmas.
Another win in today’s clash with Neil Lennon’s Hibs will at least allow the Dons to travel in hope, if not exactly expectation, to Parkhead next weekend.
McInnes sees signs that his players are firing again after putting the uncertainty over their manager’s future behind them.
‘I think the last two performances have been good,’ he said of the wins at St Johnstone and Dundee. ‘We go into this game feeling good about ourselves.
‘It’s a great game for us. We’re relishing the chance to go and take on a good Hibs team and let them know that we’re a good side.
‘There will be a lot of good players on show in both teams and I expect it to be tight.
‘It will be an important three points. It always is when you play teams around you. We’re hopeful we can continue our winning run.’
Teenager Frank Ross returns to the squad after missing the 3-0 win at Perth with an ankle injury, while Stevie May is also relieved to have sat out only one game after being on the receiving end of Ryan Jack’s heavy challenge at Pittodrie recently.
The Rangers midfielder is serving a three-game ban as a result and May, who only managed a handful of appearances in 18 months for Preston North End after suffering serious knee ligament damage, was happy to get off lightly this time.
‘It’s been dealt with now,’ he said. ‘Obviously, it was a sore one but, thankfully, it was nothing too serious.
‘As injuries go, I’ve not had a lot, although I was out for a long time due to a bad tackle in the past.
‘You are always worried when you get injured but, thankfully, it wasn’t a bad one.
‘It was a relief more than anything and I’ve been able to come back quickly with no issues.’