NOISE EM UP
Miller urges players to make sure Dons are celebrating
WILLIE MILLER has told Aberdeen to make sure the pumped-up post-match celebrations are coming from the home dressing room after Rangers turned up the volume on their last trip to Pittodrie.
Dons boss Derek McInnes reportedly told Gers players to tone it down as they celebrated their 4-2 win in a bad-tempered league clash earlier this month.
Assistant Tony Docherty later said the celebrations were bigger than any they had seen but club legend Miller says there’s only one way to deal with that ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final.
He said: “Aberdeen have to make sure it’s them who are celebrating rather than the opposition.
“When I was a player or manager the whole reason for competing was to win a tie. After you win the tie celebrate as loudly as you want.
“But if anyone at Aberdeen was unhappy with it the only way to answer is to make sure your celebration is louder than theirs the next time.
“I didn’t have to experience it too many times but it never bothered me that the opposition celebrated if they turned you over.
“It shows you as well what it means to Rangers to overcome Aberdeen. In a way it’s a back-handed compliment.”
The fiery clash earlier this month saw Alfredo Morelos and Scott McKenna sent off and Allan McGregor handed a two-match retrospective ban for a studs-up challenge. Miller hopes the football is the main talking point this time. He said: “There’s always an edge when you put Aberdeen and Rangers together and I don’t see anything wrong with it.
“They’re teams of the highest level, performing well in the league week in and week out. Realistically this is a trophy both still have an opportunity to lift.
“That gives this one an edge but you hope players are not sent off or misbehave because a lot of very talented players will be on the pitch.
“I’ve played in a few powderkegs, whether against Rangers or Celtic. The important thing is to know how to handle the atmosphere and not get carried away.
“In McKenna and Morelos you’re talking about two very young players. They have to learn from their mistakes.
“Aberdeen v Rangers games have a bit of a history of exploding and boiling over but you have to put that history behind you.
“It’s such an important game for both teams that the last thing either manager would want is to go down to 10 men. It’s the same for the fans. We want to be talking about 11 v 11 right to the end and the quality of the football.”
Miller knows skipper Graeme Shinnie is vital to Aberdeen’s chances.
He added: “As much as Scott Brown is important to Celtic, Graeme Shinnie is just the same for Aberdeen. Shinnie has much more experience.
“His game is built on being physical, a player who is in the face of the opposition. He’s a great example of someone who can play the physical side of the game, close opposition players down and make challenges, but is able to control it as well.”
But there is a doubt over Shinnie’s long-term future at Pittodrie with the 27-year-old yet to sign a new deal. Miller said: “Graeme’s got to make the decision that’s right for him.
“When I had chances to move, one of them was financially much better than what I had at Aberdeen, the other not so much. But I made the decision that I thought this Aberdeen side were going somewhere.
“Thankfully I made the right decision because we went on to lift the cups we did and the European trophies with a couple of league titles thrown in.”
After you win the tie then you can celebrate as loudly as you want WILLIE MILLER