REDS HAVE GONE GREEN
DEL PLOT BOSS LOOKS AHEAD McInnes: My stars have adopted same winning mentality as Celts
ABERDEEN boss Derek McInnes feels his team have adopted some of the winning mentality displayed by champions Celtic as Dons strive to do even better next season.
However, in the results-driven world of football, the Dons boss knows capturing trophies is the only true measure of success.
With just one Premiership match left – Sunday’s home match against St Johnstone – the Dons have already amassed 75 points, a record season’s haul for a non-Old Firm side.
But it’s clear 44-year-old McInnes had hoped to pick up some silverware, via the two domestic cup competitions, to go with their runners-up spot in the league.
Dundee United halted the Dons’ defence of their League Cup trophy at the semi-final stage and Dundee dumped them out of the Scottish Cup.
Reflecting on the season, McInnes said: “The cups have been the slight on this season. They are two competitions that we can be winning – and should try to win – every season.”
Pushing Celtic so close in the league was satisfying for McInnes but he wants more. He says his charges have found “ways to win even when we’re not at our best”.
He said: “I think we’ve managed to get a bit of Celtic into the team and into the club – that winning mentality, to keep winning even when you’re not at your best.
“When we have been good some of the play has been excellent. There are loads of stats that suggest the season’s been really strong from us and better than the last one.
“But what pleases me most is the determination, resilience and consistency to keep winning games, dealing with the expectation really.
“Because of the way the league has gone in terms of being close to Celtic, there’s been an extra demand to keep winning.”
But McInnes is convinced there remains room for improvement. He added: “It has pleased me no end how competitive the players have been. I see the determination behind closed doors but it’s important we have that from day one next time.
“We’ve had some good stuff this season but I think success is normally judged on silverware and rightly so.
“I can’t underplay the efforts of the team this season with the vast difference in resources between us and Celtic. To chase them down until the last three or four games is really pleasing. It shows what can be done. The challenge for us is always to try and keep improving.”
McInnes wasn’t keen to dwell on the ‘ What ifs?’ He said: “We’ve passed that. All my thoughts for the last three weeks have been for next season.
“We can learn from our experiences and the majority was good last season. All the stats show we’ve improved but the challenge is to keep improving.”
Another positive was the decision by 23-year-old midfielder Ryan Jack to commit to the Dons until 2017.
McInnes said: “Re-signing Ryan is very important for us. He will move in time but we both see there is still work to be done here and he wants to be part of the team and what we’re trying to do.”
Jack said: “We all believe in the manager and what he’s doing. I think next season there’s a chance to do something g special.”