McInnes wants departing Dons to go out with a bang
DEREK McINNES has painted the perfect farewell scene for his players. An image that, whatever is achieved beyond Aberdeen, can never be airbrushed out of their career highlights.
Since it emerged that three of the key performers in his Pittodrie squad were leaving this summer, the Aberdeen manager has not been so subtle in helping each of them work on the vision.
A week to go to Hampden, the message from McInnes is forced home. The imaginations of Niall McGinn, Peter Pawlett and Rangers-bound Ryan Jack should have crystallised a picture worth a powerful amount of motivation.
‘I had already said to two or three of them who we know for sure are leaving, first of all, before the semi-final: “Make sure you are in that team for the final”, explained McInnes.
‘Then make sure your last game for Aberdeen is us sitting in the dressing room together, bottle of beer and a winners’ medal in your hand.
‘I think it’s important that you arrive at a club with a certain perception in mind. I think it is really important how you leave a club.’
This is not the end of an era, of course, as McInnes was at pains to point out in response to Pedro Caixinha’s comments on Aberdeen enjoying a period of success that was approaching the end of its cycle.
Saturday’s William Hill Scottish Cup final does, however, mark the time to say goodbye for at least three figures who have been prominent throughout the resurgence of the club under McInnes.
Breaking up is better to do by sharing ultimate highs with which to sign off. Beating the hitherto undefeated Celtic and ending a 27-season Scottish Cup drought for the club alongside your mates of many years.
‘If players can leave with a winners’ medal, then it’s a great way to go,’ said McInnes. ‘If you can write the story — McGinn, Pawlett, whoever else who may be leaving — it would be really fitting if they left as winners.
‘The fact we’ve reached two cup finals and finished second is good going. But I don’t want to finish second all the time. I want us to try to finish first and the Scottish Cup gives us the chance to do that.’
Knocking out Ross County, Partick and Hibernian on the way to another final and running right to the line to clinch second place in the league, having a leavers group has certainly not affected Aberdeen.
‘I said to the players at the start of the season that I felt this was going to be a special season for us,’ said McInnes. ‘Sometimes you just get a gut feeling with a group of boys.
‘While we lost one cup final, which we were disappointed with, and we will finish second in this league, “special” means winning a trophy. Hopefully, I was right with that prediction and that will play out at Hampden.’
Was this pre-season address designed to certify that no one player would wish to let down a manager with such a bold prediction and an unwavering belief in the men he trusted to carry it out?
‘I actually said it because I felt it, it wasn’t premeditated,’ McInnes stressed. ‘Whatever they take from that, I don’t know. But I did feel it.
‘Although we had a tighter squad, I felt I had a better squad. You can only ever judge if your squad is better at the end of the season when you reflect.
‘But, certainly, up until now there’s been enough to suggest this has been the best we’ve had yet.’
The problem for the best yet is that they have collided with Celtic’s best for many a year. Aberdeen chased Celtic home in the title race for two seasons, beating them in both Pittodrie clashes last term.
Since the stakes were raised by Brendan Rodgers’ employment, Aberdeen have met with five defeats in the head-to-heads and there was no such thing as a chase.
Over the long haul, Aberdeen can’t be comparable to a club capable of going through an entire league season unbeaten and storming through the 100-points barrier.
In a 90-minute encounter, McInnes continues to live in hope. ‘It’s a huge ask for us,’ he said. ‘Nobody expects Celtic not to win it. The evidence for that stacks up.
‘I’m surprised that more Celtic teams haven’t won the Treble, especially in recent seasons.
‘But this Celtic team have been convincing with their work. They’ve not really opened the door on too many occasions and given teams opportunities.
‘Their manager is Manager of the Year, quite rightly so. Their players have had Player of the Year and rightly so. There’s no real surprise, really, when the awards are getting dished out.
‘But there’s one award left and we’re in with a chance. That’s the good thing about it. And I’d rather have that chance than be watching someone else taking it on.
‘We’re huge underdogs. That’s not me trying to be clever, it’s the fact
of it. It’s like a scratch golfer against an 18-handicapper.
‘The 18-handicapper can win but the scratch golfer needs to play poorly and we’ve got to work hard to make it that type of day.
‘I think it would be a huge shock on the day, a significant result in the history of our club and, certainly, in Scottish football if we can beat this Celtic team.
‘We can win it. We still believe that. But it’s going to be tough and we’re going to have to bring an almost perfect performance.’