Their season rests on this game so the heat is all on Dons
SAYS STEVE CLARKE
AFORMER righthand man to Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Steve Clarke watched from close quarters as the Stamford Bridge boss regularly engaged in mind games.
Using every trick in the book, the Portuguese master-manipulator would seek to take the pressure off his players while heaping it upon their rivals.
So it should come as no surprise that Clarke appeared to be deploying the very same strategy yesterday against Aberdeen’s Derek McInnes.
The Kilmarnock boss insists that tonight’s Scottish Cup quarter-final replay between the two teams is potentially make-or-break for the Pittodrie club’s season.
Unsurprisingly, McInnes does not subscribe to the view that the Rugby Park encounter could prove defining for his Dons.
But the claim adds extra intrigue to an already spicy fixture. One that saw Clarke and McInnes embroiled in a public spat over Killie’s Jordan Jones winning a penalty in the initial 1-1 draw in the Granite City.
‘There will be a little bit more pressure on Aberdeen than us because their season rests on a good cup run,’ insisted Clarke.
‘When you look at the comments coming from Aberdeen, they are talking about winning the cup and, if you say that, you put more pressure on yourselves.
‘We are only talking about trying to get to a semi-final and trying to beat Aberdeen in a replay.
‘If Aberdeen go out, having been drawn against Kilmarnock at home in a quarter-final, they will be disappointed.
‘If we go out having drawn Aberdeen away, we will be sad but we will move on.
‘Our season is going well. If we finish in the top six, having been near the bottom previously in the campaign, it will be a good achievement.
‘We have already had a good season but Aberdeen’s could be defined by how well they do in the Scottish Cup.
‘Maybe Derek will say different, but I think there’s a little bit more pressure on them.’
Killie midfielder Gary Dicker (right) echoed his manager’s thoughts about the importance of cup success for Aberdeen.
‘It is a massive game for us, but the pressure is probably on them,’ said the Irishman. ‘They’ve been one of the best teams in the league in the last few years.
‘They were in two cup finals last year and finished second.
‘They have been the only team right behind Celtic and they are expected to get through, whereas, for us, it’s a bonus.
‘Our aim was to stay in the league — let’s not butter it up any other way. ‘Anything after that is a bonus. This is a bonus game for us — a one-off. ‘Nobody expected us to get this far. Nobody even expected us to get something up at Pittodrie. When the draw came, people probably thought our chance was gone. We are looking forward to it, but they probably need to win to keep their season alive.’
In addition to his publicly-stated ambition of winning the cup, McInnes is also hoping his side can catch Rangers to reclaim second place in the Premiership.
After Sunday’s Old Firm defeat to Celtic, the Ibrox side are five points clear having played a game more than the Dons.
However, the Aberdeen boss hopes victory tonight can aid his side’s league push.
‘This tie gives us a real opportunity to have a really successful campaign, as it will for Kilmarnock and anybody left in the cup,’ said McInnes.
‘We said at the start of the competition that it’s one we will set out to try and win, regardless of who we’re up against and we still say that.
‘We are sitting third in the league and we are used to being better than that, but there’s still a lot of points to be gained in the league.
‘It’s not season-defining but, for the perception of it, it will help us with our league form if we can win.
‘The feelgood factor and momentum will give the supporters a lift.
‘Hopefully, we can get into the semi-final because we know how strong cup runs are important to everyone.’
McInnes’ side go into tonight’s replay having failed to win any of their last four games.
By contrast, Kilmarnock have lost just once in 17 matches and Rugby Park is statistically the toughest venue in Scotland right now, outwith Celtic Park. But the Dons are hoping to maintain their record of not losing at the Ayrshire venue since December 2011.
‘We are looking to get to our sixth semi-final in five years,’ said McInnes.
‘That will be new to some of the players here. Ideally, we will use that experience to get through the tie, but I don’t think it’s hugely important.
‘For the first time in a long time, Kilmarnock are enjoying playing at home and that’s credit to them.
‘We enjoy going down there and we have picked up some positive results.
‘For me, that means it should be a tight game and it could come down to a bit of quality, a lack of concentration or a bit of luck.’