OUTOF ORDER

The fans deserve better and the players should not have gone out especially after losing an important game to Rangers.. they’ve really let themselves down

DEREK McINNES has been at Aberdeen long enough to know the first rule in the dressing room – don’t venture into town after losing to Rangers.

That eight of his players chose to do exactly that – and during the strict public restrictions of a global pandemic – has left the Dons boss utterly bemused.

Even more so, given the protocols Dons have put in place at Pittodrie and their Cormack Park training ground to ensure they meet all Covid-19 guidelines.

So it was a clearly peeved Pittodrie boss who faced the media on Zoom yesterday to answer questions on how and why his club – and Scottish football – had become headline news for breaking Project Restart guidelines.

The reason is simple enough. Eight players had gone to a bar linked to the city’s coronavirus spike on Saturday following their opening-day defeat by Rangers and two had since tested positive for Covid-19. But why were they there in the first place when the strict four household rule applies to footballers like everyone else as soon as they leave their club ‘bubble’. McInnes did not hold back as he accused the ‘Dons 8’ of letting themselves and the fans down. He said: “The supporters deserve better. They have stepped up and fully supported us.

“I can assure them the club have done everything they can to minimise the risk.

“We only have them so many hours a day. When they leave the training ground then the players have to be even more aware of the responsibility to act in the right manner.

“These players went out for dinner. And they are guilty of a real bad decision.

“The bit for me that makes it even more of an issue is that they then go into a pub for half an hour or so.

“There were no intentions to go out partying and only a couple of them had a glass of wine with their food.

“But they have been really foolish in the fact we have lost an important game to Rangers and we’ve all been at Aberdeen long enough to know you don’t go over the door if you lose.

“For me, that can only infuriate supporters if anybody sees them. I’m not happy about that aspect of it at all. That’s where they’ve really let themselves down.”

“In terms of breaking rules there’s not a club in the land that would discipline their players for going out for dinner in normal circumstances.

“But, despite having the right intentions, they have broken the protocol rules. As a consequence they have put themselves at an additional risk and put our bubble at risk.

“The club has done so well and players and staff to this point have done brilliantly to adhere to that but we know the cluster in Aberdeen over the weekend makes everyone more aware of what they are doing.

“That part of it’s disappointed me, that they’ve lost an important game, and that we’re training the next day, you’d assume that the players are preparing for that.

“I don’t have a problem with them going for dinner. Throughout my time as a manager, I encouraged that socialising aspect.

“But in the current situation, even before this cluster in Aberdeen, we’re not in a position where we can go out in those numbers for dinner.” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon didn’t mince her words yesterday as she accused the Dons players of putting the return of Scottish football at risk.

McInnes feels the same anger as he waits to see if the Dons, who internally dealt with the players, will face any sanctions.

He added: “I understand everybody’s frustrations. We are all angry, we are all disappointed.

“Everyone connected to the club, whether it’s supporters, the board, myself, the staff, the players, we’re all extremely disappointed and angered at finding ourselves in this situation.

“The focus is on us and we’re taking a kicking, understandably. Whatever comes our way, we’ll have to manage our way through this.”