McINNES: We can handle the pressure
DEREK McINNES has vowed his Aberdeen side will not take stage fright i n front of a capacity crowd at Pittodrie today.
A sixth straight league victory would give the Dons their best ever start to a season — eclipsing the previous record set in the title - winning season of 1984-85.
The perf ec t start McInnes’ side has made to t he Premiership season means there is not a ticket to be had for the top of the table clash. But the manager feels he has s een enough mettle from his men over the past two years to believe they will not be unsettled by the occasion.
‘We’ve done it in European games, in semi-finals and winning cup finals,’ said McInnes. ‘The players know and buy into the pressure as Aberdeen players. ‘They are fortunate to play for an Aberdeen team that can get sell- out crowds, to have that expectation and demand. ‘They don’t look at that as something that will hinder then. They’ve
shown they are past that and can use that to inspire us. Their efforts have made it a sell-out — not the fact Celtic are coming.’ The Dons’ failure to take a single point from four matches with Celtic last season culminated in them finishing 17 points behind the Parkhead side. But McInnes does not feel that a victory today would signal their intentions of giving Ronny Deila’s side an even better run for their money. ‘I am not too interested in sending out a message,’ added the Dons boss. ‘I am looking for improvement. We’ve only conceded one goal all season and had four clean sheets before the international break. We are looking to win the game. But we are looking to improve as we go along. You just want to have a competitive team. ‘We can never compare the resources but we can be better in other aspects of the game. Hopefully, we can show that.’ Dons legend Willie Miller believes his old team cannot afford to dwell on the historical importance of today’s match. Miller was skipper at the outset of 1984-85 — the season Aberdeen last won the league — but feels any player dwelling on breaking their consecutivewins record will not have his mind on the job at hand. In his blog for SPFL sponsors Ladbrokes, Miller said: ‘After a great start to the season, my old side Aberdeen are on the cusp of breaking a record that has stood since my days at Pittodrie but the current crop of players should put that out of their mind as it is not important. ‘The record doesn’t mean anything. It just means you’ve started the season well but it’s all about beating Celtic, getting one over on the champions and taking some points off them. Any record is secondary to that. ‘The focus should be on beating Celtic and amassing points. If they can keep the run going, then the confidence and belief that they can do something special will continue to rise.’