TELL DEL YOU’RE SORRY GERS
ABERDEEN chairman Stewart Milne has demanded Rangers apologise to Derek McInnes for “having a go” at the Dons boss after his decision to snub a move.
The Pittodrie chief last night hit out at the strongly-worded statement released by the Ibrox club as he revealed his
disappointment at the tone used by the Glasgow club towards their former player.
Milne branded the statement “totally out of line” ahead of the Dons’ 1-0 win over Dundee on Friday night, McInnes’s first game in the dugout after turning down a return to Rangers.
And he followed up last night by insisting Gers should have used the opportunity to let their fans know what was going on rather than to launch a personal attack on McInnes.
The statement – that caused fury among the Light Blues support – emerged on Thursday night in the wake of McInnes’s decision to remain at Pittodrie.
It stated the Ibrox outfit would “endorse” the 46-year-old staying with Aberdeen “because moving to a massive club like Rangers is a big step with concomitant risk”.
It added Rangers will only appoint someone “in whom we have full confidence and who feels he is ready for the job” – even though McInnes had been the No.1 target to replace Pedro Caixinha following his sacking almost seven weeks ago.
Aberdeen chief Milne said: “I was very disappointed on a number of fronts.
“It was very easy to read into it that they were having a go at Derek which they had no right to do.
“Instead of trying to focus on Derek their focus should have been on trying to reassure everyone associated with Rangers Football Club, ‘We have missed out on this opportunity, we are disappointed Derek has made the decision he has but we have got to accept and respect that decision’.
“Then they should be providing some reassurance to their own people – the staff at Ibrox, their players and fans – they have a clear plan on how to move forward.
“It was very disappointing a statement of that importance at that point of time came out without anybody taking ownership of it.
“As far as our club is concerned we can deal with that but they do owe Derek an apology.
“Whether it was intended or not the words they used were having a go at Derek which is totally out of line.”