Dons boss Del will never give up on his ambition
Ambition is a necessary fuel for a manager.
Six years into his stewardship of Aberdeen, Derek Mcinnes still burns through more of it than most.
The signs are there when he talks about the future.
Long-term, he hopes to become the Scotland manager many tipped him to be this summer, before Steve Clarke swept into Hampden.
But, for the moment, the fire inside Mcinnes still glows for the Granite City.
Another Pittodrie squad rebuild has been tackled as another campaign looms.
Another crack at Europe will this week kick it off.
For the Dons boss, after a closeseason of speculation, it all adds up to unfinished business.
“The club was approached, saying I was being considered for the Scotland job.
“But it’s always difficult when no one has really asked you the question,” said Mcinnes.
“I want to be the Scotland manager – it’s part of my plan for myself – but I don’t want to give up being a club manager.
“Everything seemed to fit for Stevie with Scotland, and it’s a good appointment.
“I’ve been here for six years, and while you work for a club, you also work for the people within a club – my players, my staff and my chairman. That’s why I’m here. “I’ve got lots more to do here.” Ambition is well and good, but Mcinnes is a realist, too.
He k n ow s the budgetary strength of the Dons’ big Glasgow rivals will be a factor in how this season pans out.
But he has seen enough in a 30- plus- year career to know Aberdeen can achieve big things, starting with this week’s Europa League opener against Finns ROPS Rovaniemi.
Mcinnes’ side have come close in previous years.
But after crashing to Premier League millionaires Burnley in the second qualifying round last season, the Dons boss wants to see his side ease their way through to the third this time around, then hope for a kind draw.
“Getting to the group stages would be a game - c h a n g e r, financially, for the club. But also in terms of the respect and regard we’d earn in a football sense as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, he was critical of pitch conditions and set piece defending as his Aberdeen team were held in their final match before Thursday’s Europa League qualifier, a friendly against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Elgin.
New boy Curtis Main opened his scoring account with a penalty before Brad Mckay quickly levelled for John Robertson’s Championship challengers.
Mcinnes blasted the dry park which led to him keeping fellow summer signing Craig Bryson on the bench as an unused sub so as not to risk a recent ankle problem.
“The pitch was truly awful, it was treacherous and it wasn’t until the rain came on in the last 10 minutes that it got better,” he said.
Mcinnes also los t ex- Manchester City defender Greg Leigh, on loan from Dutch side NAC Breda, to an ankle injury after 20 minutes but hopes to have the player fit for Thursday.
“I was hoping to give Greg 90 minutes because he’s a wee bit behind the rest in fitness, but he rolled his ankle. He got a wee bit of a fright but I’m hopeful he will be alright.”
“Curtis got his first goal and could have maybe had three or four but that’s him up and running.”
There was an early blow for Caley Jags when full back Shaun Rooney went over his ankle, eventually being replaced by Coll Donaldson after only four minutes.
Within a minute, Donaldson played a woefully short pass back which Scott Wright intercepted before squaring to Curtis Main, who squandered the chance by lobbing a poor effort into Cammy Mackay’s hands.
Mackay did well to block a second Main effort on 19 minutes after he burst through on to Connor Mclennan’s through ball.
Dons keeper Joe Lewis rushed out of his area on 28 minutes to deal with an attack from Caley Jags’ Aaron Doran, who lifted the ball over him but wide of the goal.
On-loan Irishman Jon Gallagher fired over the final Aberdeen opportunity in a goalless and scrappy first 45 minutes.
It was Gallagher who won an Aberdeen penalty just after the hour which led to the opening goal.
The winger was fouled by ICT sub Nikolai Todorov and Main stepped up to convert the kick for his first Dons goal.
Eight minutes later Caley Jags were back on level terms thanks to a 10-yard Brad Mckay volley.
Former Manchester United summer signing James Wilson came on for Mcginn to a warm reception from the big travelling Dons support.