The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
McInnes praises midfielder’s response to disappointment
ABERDEEN 2 HEARTS 0
Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes was delighted to see Kenny McLean respond to his Scotland disappointment with a man-of-thematch performance in the 2-0 win over Hearts.
The midfielder brushed off missing out on a place in Gordon Strachan’s national squad to inspire the Dons to victory at Pittodrie on Saturday.
McLean ran the show in midfield, combining his passing prowess with a steely determination to close down his opponents, and deservedly walked off with the sponsor’s Champagne.
McInnes said: “Kenny was playing in a high gear today. He was pressing, running beyond the strikers, crossing and shooting. He’s done everything but score.
“He was disappointed, but he’s channelled it in the right way.”
Hearts’ management structure came in for some attention during and after the game, with Ian Cathro having to answer questions as to his credibility after coach Jon Daly was seen passing messages to the dugout from director of football Craig Levein.
Levein was also seen to enter the dressing room at half-time, raising questions about his influence, and the role of head coach Cathro.
Cathro said: “One of the positive things about the club is there’s a lot of people engaged in it, good staff and good coaches. I involve them in our work through the week. I like to train with a lot of coaches.
“We’re involved in this together and we work together. I’ve always worked in a situation where we have one member of our staff in the stand who understands the game plan.
“That person has the responsibility to me, to keep an active dialogue and look at what I’ve asked them to. That’s completely normal.”