The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
McInnes right to snub
Aberdeen’s new signing Greg Stewart believes Dons manager Derek McInnes was right to avoid the crazy world of the English Championship.
Birmingham City forward Stewart completed a season-long move to the Dons yesterday and the former Dundee player returns north of the border with a point to prove after his own dream move to England turned sour.
Stewart moved from Dundee to St Andrews in a £500,000 move last summer but started only six games in the English Championship.
The 27-year-old believes his own experience at Birmingham last season highlights the pressure managers in the Championship are under to win promotion to the lucrative English Premier League.
Stewart played under three managers during his season at the Blues, having been signed by Gary Rowett, who was replaced by Gianfranco Zola last December. But the Italian was sacked in April and replaced by Harry Redknapp, who helped the club avoid demotion to League One on the final day of the season.
Stewart reckons McInnes was wise to think twice about moving to Sunderland after being offered the job at the Stadium of Light a fortnight ago.
Stewart said: “We won the game the night before at home to Ipswich and were three points off third and we went into training the following morning and Gary Rowett was sacked and we were like ‘What’s going on here?’
“It’s a crazy world. Our manager Derek McInnes could have left a few weeks ago but he didn’t want to leave and I’m delighted he’s here because I’d like to work under him.
“He could have done well in England and still be out of a job. We were doing well at Birmingham and were in the play-offs when the manager was sacked.
“You could also go there for the money but he
“Gary Rowett was sacked and we were like ‘What’s going on here?’”
didn’t feel it was the right move. I watched him last season when I was down south and Aberdeen were brilliant, so it was always a place I felt I’d like to go if it didn’t work out at Birmingham.
“I didn’t play as much as I thought I would have at Birmingham and three managers in one season didn’t help either.
“There were a lot of changes – a change of formation and we didn’t play wingers. When Gianfranco Zola came in he didn’t play wingers and I struggled to get in squads.
“I started the first three games under Zola but I got injured going into