McGraw urges Aberdeen fans to repay the loyalty shown by McInnes
ALLAN McGRAW has urged Aberdeen supporters to show Derek McInnes the same loyalty which he showed to them.
McInnes has been on the receiving end of criticism from supporters in the wake of the 5-0 Ibrox defeat to Rangers and the club’s Betfred Cup exit to Hearts – there is talk of protests at their meeting with Hibs today – but McGraw feels that his former player deserves more credit on the strength of a League Cup win and four back-to-back second-placed finishes in the Scottish top flight.
The Morton legend, still going strong at 80, feels that McInnes deserves more slack considering recent injuries to the likes of Scott McKenna, Andrew Considine, Craig Bryson, James Wilson, Stephen Gleeson, Ash Taylor, Scott Wright and Funso Ojo and the continuing chore of having to replace star performers such as Gary Mackay-Steven and Graeme Shinnie, not to mention the fact he chose to stay on at the club despite strong interest from Rangers a few seasons back.
“They should take these things to account – but they won’t,” said McGraw. “Because that is supporters. They think you should be able to bring in someone just as good as the one who went out. It would be a very easy job if you could do that. You aren’t always going to get the same results.
“Derek has shown a lot of loyalty to Aberdeen,” added McGraw, who set McInnes on course for an illustrious career in the Scottish game with a debut atMorton.“Itcouldbeahardseasonfor them in some ways but I would think the fans should show some of it back to him. Directors sack managers but nine times out of 10 it is supporters who get the managers sacked.
“Very few managers have 22 good players that they can just swap players in and out, especially smaller clubs like ourselves back in the day and maybe even Aberdeen now. One year [1993-94] I had a bad year and we got relegated and that never came into consideration, I lost the likes of McInnes and [Alan] Mahood that season. People thought I was a bit stupid when I said if we didn’t get promoted again, I would resign, but I knew if we got those players back we would be fine.
“You really needed to have a pool of 16 players to make sure you had a good season, if you lost three, maybe two of them, you were in trouble. You have got to bring in young players and it is a great thing if it works, but if you bring in three or four youngsters that doesn’t work too well, because they need guidance around them.”
Meanwhile, Paul Heckingbottom reckons Hibs are due “four goals and a right hook” if refereeing decisions are destined to even themselves out this season.
Heckingbottom is facing a Scottish FA notice of complaint after being sent to the stand during the Hibees’ 1-1 draw against Celtic and has vowed to attend the hearing next Thursday in person.
The misconduct charge relates to kicking a water bottle which struck assistant referee Alan Mulvanny, as well as his language towards fourth official Nick Walsh.
Heckingbottom had been riled that referee Kevin Clancy did not make it clear that he had awarded a free-kick rather than a drop-ball in the lead up to Ryan Christie’s leveller – and his mood did not soften when Olivier Ntcham escaped a dismissal for raising his hands at Josh Vela.
Yet, the former Leeds United and Barnsley boss is adamant that is merely the tip of the iceberg in terms of decisions going against Hibs this term.
“It’s the ones that are absolutely black and white that seem to have been going against us all season,” he said. “Blatant offsides, blatant slaps in the face.
“Time after time, there are no debating those things. They have happened and should be dealt with. “You can feel aggrieved.
“I’m not moaning about them, it’s not excuses and we just need to be even better – and hope that we get four goals given to us and one of our players get away with a right hook!
“Then it will have evened itself out over the season. But what are the chances of that? Very remote.”
They think you should be able to bring in someone just as good as the one who went out. It would be a very easy job if you could