McGinn fully primed to go distance on epic Euro trek
IT IS the lot of a modern footballer with European and international ambitions to become expert in the little things that make travel either a pleasure or a chore.
As Aberdeen prepared to embark on a 16-hour round trip of almost 10,000 miles, crossing and re-crossing five time zones, how they journey will undoubtedly have a bearing on their chances of success in Kazakhstan.
‘This is another country I can tick off the map,’ said Niall McGinn with a grin, the Aberdeen and Northern Ireland midfielder — scorer of a nerve-settling goal in Thursday night’s aggregate win over HNK Rijeka.
‘I am getting used to all the travelling. I have been to South America, San Francisco and Hong Kong but Kazakhstan will be up there.
‘I will be turning to the sleeping tablets to get a decent rest on the plane but at least we are going out a night earlier and we will be doing all the right things.
‘We are leaving at midnight on Tuesday, so we are sticking to our normal routine. I’m all right sleeping on a plane, fortunately. I will put on the headphones to sleep and avoid wee Jonny Hayes’ chat!
‘Seriously, it is one we will be looking forward to because we will be prepared — and we know we will need to put on another strong performance.’
In terms of the average Scottish f ootball observer’s breadth of understanding, Kairat Almaty are about as unknown as a mysterious smudge on the surface of some newly- discovered planet hiding behind Pluto; the fact that they have signed Ukraine captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk might just have crept into the public consciousness.
Derek McInnes is nothing if not thorough in his preparation, though, the Aberdeen manager making good use of a professional system offering clubs full match video footage from even the least well-known leagues. He will also have FC Kairat, to give them their local name, watched by someone he trusts in tomorrow’s home game against Tobol.
‘Preparation is always key,’ said McGinn. ‘ The manager, being who he is, puts in some incredible work behind the scenes. He is always doing the right stuff and using video analysis and bringing that to the players.
‘It works and shows, with us working hard on and off the ball. We have another hard game coming up but it is one we are looking forward to.
‘It is no mean feat to score five goals against the quality of the opposition we were up against in Rijeka. To score three i n their backyard and to score two at Pittodrie must give us big confidence.
‘We will take confidence because, before Thursday, we had a couple of decent clean sheets as well. We have to keep this European adventure going as long as we can.’
Aberdeen got precisely this far last season before being ousted by Real Sociedad. A lot of people are assuming that, because Kairat are not as well known as the Spanish club with the proud pedigree, this tie represents a much better chance of success — taking the Dons one step closer to the group stage of the Europa League.
‘Looking at our next opponents, they are all beatable,’ said McGinn. ‘But it is all about putting in the right performance and taking our chances.
‘We won’t go into any games lightly because we know they are a good side, although, we know they lost on Thursday night.
‘We played against a number of internationalists against Rijeka and we know it is all about our team. If we work hard to cancel out the opposition, then we will have a chance.
‘We are getting to the stage where there are no bad teams left but I am sure they will be looking at our performances and results and will be wary of us, as well.
‘The performances are getting better, we are creating chances and scoring the goals. If that continues, we will be happy.
‘We all just want to do better than last year and try to get to the group stage. For us as players and a team, we would love that.
‘You want to play against the better teams and some of the best players in the world.
‘You are sitting at home watching the Champions League and Europa League… so to be involved in it would be incredible.’