Money is not McCrorie’s motivation, says McInnes
DEREK McINNES has branded claims that Aberdeen offered Ross McCrorie more money to steal him from under the nose of Hibs as ‘absolute nonsense’.
The highly-rated midfielder was in talks with the Edinburgh side over a move from Rangers, with owner Ron Gordon publicly claiming McCrorie was keen on Leith.
After the player chose to head to Pittodrie instead, former Easter Road boss John Collins suggested money was at the root of the player’s sudden change of heart.
However, speaking to BBC Sportsound, McInnes said: ‘Just on Ross McCrorie, I heard on Sunday — I think it was John Collins who was your guest — indicating that Aberdeen had outdone Hibs on money, which is an absolute nonsense.
‘Hibs had agreed a figure with Rangers and we met the same valuation. At no point speaking to Ross was money even mentioned.
‘He was actually prepared to come for a lot less to get himself going. I know that we did not offer a penny more than what was on offer.
‘So it’s wrong — and it needs to be said that it’s wrong — that Aberdeen done Hibs on money. Because once someone says things like that then people believe it to be true — and it’s not true!’ McInnes revealed he was not left waiting long for an answer after making his personal pitch to McCrorie. He said: ‘I met him on the Sunday and we had a good chat and I left him. Five minutes later, his agent phoned to say: “Ross is signing for Aberdeen and he will be up tomorrow”.’ Meanwhile, McInnes (below) admits the prospect of facing Sporting Lisbon away in the Europa League third qualifying round is ‘mouthwatering’. But the Dons boss won’t look beyond his side’s second round qualifying match away to Norwegian outfit Viking. ‘We have drawn one team at the moment and need to negotiate our way through that,’ McInnes said. ‘Out of the three teams we could have got (in the second round), Norway is the strongest league and it will be a tough game. They won the (Norwegian) Cup and they will be a disciplined and capable side. ‘A big performance will be needed from us and then the motivation for both teams is to face Sporting Lisbon, which is a mouthwatering and exciting tie. It’s just a pity supporters would not be allowed in but we need to get through the first game, which will be tough.’ The Dons have certainly bounced back from their early-season Covid crisis which saw eight players fined over a trip to a city bar.
Skipper Joe Lewis believes a combination of strict rules and solidarity with those team-mates will stand them in good stead for the rest of the campaign.
‘We’ve had discussions,’ he said. ‘We’ve not had an official meeting, but there’s been lots of talks and discussions.
‘The manager has spoken to everyone and the club has spoken to everyone, as I’m sure every other club has, to just remind the players and get everything nailed down.
‘So, there’s no confusion and everyone is aware of their responsibilities and the rules that are in place.
‘There have been conversations. But we’re pleased now that it’s behind us. It’s been ongoing but we’re looking forward to moving on.’
Sam Cosgrove, Scott McKenna, Craig Bryson, Jonny Hayes, Bruce Anderson, Dylan McGeouch, Michael Devlin and Matty Kennedy all faced differing degrees of isolation and financial punishment from the club following their breaking of social distancing protocols on a night out in Aberdeen city centre.
Lewis, reflecting on a run of four straight wins, insisted: ‘The lads who haven’t been involved and have been here the whole time have been working really hard.
‘The lads who came back last week and were back available have shown a great attitude. The response has been there already.
‘There’s been loads spoken about it, and lots of media coverage, as you’d expect.
‘There have been loads of conversations. I spoke to the lads about various things but obviously that all stays in-house. ‘They’ve shown a great attitude throughout the whole thing, in terms of getting back training and getting themselves fit. ‘You can see from a couple of the boys involved in recent games that their performances were excellent. ‘They’re all good lads. They’ve all got great attitudes. And they’ve remained professional since they’ve come back.’ Like his boss McInnes, Lewis has been hugely impressed by McCrorie, the captain testifying: ‘You’d think he’d been here for months. ‘It’s a brilliant signing for the club — and the sort of signing the club should be making. We should be signing the top young Scottish talent. So it’s a coup for the club to get players like Ross, with so much promise. Even now, he’s delivering performances.
‘I wouldn’t say I was surprised (to get McCrorie). Aberdeen can be an attractive club for young players to come to.
‘You look at Fergie (Lewis Ferguson) and what he has achieved since coming here.
‘There are examples of players coming here and doing well, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
‘We’re a big football club and Ross has seen what the club can offer him.
‘He talks well. It’s probably a bit easier for everyone else to hear that with no fans in the stadium.
‘You can hear who is doing the talking. And he’s very good at that.
‘It’s something I think we’ve probably needed a bit more of. And certainly this season, we’ve got the voices and the leaders in the team who will help us a lot.’