Search for goals must be priority for Mcinnes
Aberdeen will hope to avoid any distractions such as their manager being linked with jobs elsewhere this season.
They will also wish to do better in the cups, having fallen twice to Motherwell in the quarter and semifinals of the Betfred and Scottish Cups respectively. Whether they can do any better in the league is debatable; finishing second again is as much as they can hope for. They will aim to run Celtic closer.
Of course, Rangers are another threat – as they were last season. Aberdeen have made some solid signings but are yet to secure a potential headline grabbing striker. Having lost Adam Rooney, a reliable source of goals even off
Ithe bench, Mcinnes knows this remains a priority. Sam Cosgrove has potential but is raw while Stevie May has not ignited the way the Aberdeen fans hoped would happen when he signed a year ago. Their current lack of options in attack was highlighted in last week’s 1-1 Europa League draw with Burnley.
Otherwise, Mcinnes will be content with a squad that has been augmented in defence and midfield. Losing the drive and creativity of Kenny Mclean is a blow but Lewis Ferguson, pictured, looks a very exciting project while Stephen Gleeson and the returning Dominic Ball add ballast to midfield. t’s been a strange off-season this year. There has been the inevitable departure of players, some expected others perhaps not so, but the incoming players have arrived with less of a fanfare. It’s hard to point to any marquee signings rather than understated acquisitions that are filling the holes the manager has identified.
There are still a few gaps though and a hope that there are still one or two additions to be announced, in particular in the striking department. Whilst the additions may not have been blockbuster, the game against Burnley last week showed that the team is in no way weaker from the turnover of personnel. A satisfyingly competant performance, that perhaps surprised the uneducated neutral, offered a great deal of promise for the season ahead. Now all we need is a cheeky wee 2-2 on Thursday night!
STEVE WILSON