Shortage of silverware only blot in a golden era

HOW more bountiful would Andy Murray’s Grand Slam title haul be had his career not collided with an era of three behemoths bestriding the game of tennis in Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic? A similar type of question could plague Derek McInnes once his Aberdeen reign warrants thorough reflection — and he’s suffered the misfortune of bumping into only one sporting freak in the world of Scottish football.

McInnes rightly, and proudly, labels his period at Pittodrie ‘a strong era’. He wishes he was liberally scattering around the term ‘glory years’. Were it not for a Celtic revolution schemed by Brendan Rodgers and spawning an unprecedented level of domestic dominance, McInnes would likely be able to do so.

Not that he is complaining. You can only beat, or try to defeat, who is put in front of you. While his club was one of the several to profit from Rangers, Hearts then Hibernian disappearing from top-flight contention and clearing many different paths to Hampden,

McInnes guided his Dons to a League Cup triumph in 2014 over Inverness Caley Thistle.

But he can point to the great merit in keeping, at arm’s length, all these apparently resurgent clubs since. Last season they completed a quartet of runners-up finishes after losing only three out of 30 league games to teams not called Celtic or Rangers.

For three summers now he’s heard all about how Rangers, the club he rebuffed last December, were coming to catch Aberdeen. Maybe by May, by sheer weight of investment. But not yet. Not at the national stadium last month when Lewis Ferguson’s goal banked McInnes another go at Celtic in a major final.

These double-Treble winners have been such a nuisance. Aberdeen would have fancied themselves to scoop more prizes up against a damn good Old Firm team, never mind one that goes through seasons unbeaten and is targeting a seventh successive trophy this afternoon.

McInnes said: ‘Certainly, the first year when Celtic went through the whole season unbeaten, is recognised by the majority of people in Scottish football as the best Celtic team in a generation. A team that had everything.

‘The manager that changed the mindset and was getting performances out of players that maybe people weren’t expecting. The mentality to treat every game with the importance it deserved. That wasn’t easy to go the full season unbeaten. And we came up against that team twice in two cup finals.

‘You are put up against who you’re up against. People said to me often enough: “Once Hearts, Hibs and Rangers back in; Aberdeen will be pegged back”. Well, we’ve still been second, we are still qualifying for Europe — and are still getting to cup finals.

‘We’ll be criticised if we lose on Sunday. We get criticised if we lose finals. We accept that. But at least we are getting criticised for getting to finals. Other clubs don’t get the same criticism and don’t even get to the finals.

‘We get to finals, put ourselves in positions to be competitive. So the era is what it is. We were expected to get pushed aside a couple of years ago when everybody was back in. We were told finishing second and winning a Cup didn’t really count because Rangers weren’t really at it and Hibs and Hearts were struggling away.

‘But we’re still here. Yes, it’s tougher to maintain that. That’s the challenge we all face. But I’m actually really enjoying the challenge regardless of who the manager of Rangers, Celtic or whoever is and regardless of what teams you play.

‘I’d like to look back in the future and think we did a lot of good work at Aberdeen. Time will reflect well on it. But to be really remembered and recognised you probably have to win more trophies. So hopefully there’s more trophies to show for it.’

Suspension and injury issues dogged efforts to integrate new arrivals earlier this season, as Aberdeen were swallowed up into the Premiership pack rather than chasing the champions or surprise pacesetters Hearts.

In the Betfred Cup, however, three top-flight rivals have been dismissed. St Mirren easily at Pittodrie, Hibs away in a penalty shoot-out and Rangers in the semi-final. All without conceding a goal.

‘If we’re going to win this one, then to have beaten four Premiership teams — including Hibs at Easter Road, Rangers and Celtic at Hampden — I don’t think many have taken that route to winning a cup,’ noted McInnes.

While one player to have represented both clubs, in-form Ryan Christie, has been a dominant figure in the build-up to today’s clash, McInnes will look to a former Celtic flair player he was able to sign on a permanent basis to conjure some magic on the Hampden stage.

Gary Mackay-Steven has taken time to warm to the tasks imposed on him by McInnes since signing from Parkhead in July 2017 and being thrust into a Europa League qualifying campaign with responsibilities that weren’t cut out for any carefree, erratic winger.

‘One of his first games for me was in Europe and he dropped his man for the goal against Limassol that effectively put us out,’ recalled McInnes. ‘That ability to defend in wide areas, to be responsible for your full-back and be in the right position to defend is so important.

‘Jonny Hayes became that for me. Niall McGinn does it religiously. In fact, every player does that for me. They’ve got responsibilities for the team with and without the ball. Gary probably didn’t quite grasp the importance of that. But I trust him more now without the ball.

‘He’s become a key player. I used to say that when Hayes played well for us we normally won the game. Gary has become that as well. He had a couple of performances that I wasn’t too pleased with but we’re seeing the importance of him accepting — and then revelling — in that responsibility over the last 14 months or so.’

We will get criticised if we lose finals but at least we are reaching them