Dons look to emulate Fox trot to title...
Leicester inspiring us, says McInnes
“I do think that we can give teams a scare”
DEREK MCINNES has urged his Aberdeen players to emulate t he ‘ energy and momentum’ which has taken little Leicester to within touching distance of a stunning Premier League triumph.
But the title-chasing Dons boss insists that, while he has used the Midlands outfit in team talks, his own personal inspiration comes from just looking around the home dressing room at Pittodrie.
McInnes, who takes his team to Firhill tonight knowing that a win over Partick Thistle will cut the gap on leaders Celtic to just a single point, is aware of how badly Reds f ans crave Premiership success, saying: ‘We won’t get pats on the back for finishing second.’
In pursuit of the club’s first l eague f l ag si nce 1985, t he Aberdeen head coach admits he would be foolish not to cite the example of Claudio Ranieri’s high-flying outsiders.
‘With reference to Leicester, they are an inspiration to loads of teams. not only ourselves,’ he said.
‘I think I just look towards my own team. And I think that we can give teams a scare, we can win games. But, when you see the energy and momentum that Leicester have created, that can only be a good thing.
‘Leicester have been mentioned (to the players), aye. They’re not the only team we’ve talked about but they have been mentioned. They are on the cusp of a special season for them, you know.
‘ You t ake motivation and inspiration from loads of different examples. But the biggest thing that provides inspiration for me is my own team.’
With 10 games left, his tight-knit squad remain within touching distance of the leaders, reigning champions Celtic. Close enough to make them jump, perhaps.
Just because McInnes really wants to finish the job now, do not assume that he views the closing stretch of this season as some great last hurrah.
His Dons, he insists, are here to stay. And they certainly do not fear Rangers, Hibs or any other interlopers who might barge into the top flight this summer.
‘I thought last season people said we’d never have a better chance,’ said McInnes with a grin, adding: ‘Yet here we are.
‘I think that if you have good practice, put together a hungry squad, a tight squad, you can always have your aspirations.
‘You know, we don’t have what others have. But what we have got, a lot of that I do not see elsewhere. That pleases me.
‘I said when we came here that I wanted to create a competitive team, a team who can get in the fight for leagues and cups, a team who can do well. I think any team can win a cup and we want to be winning more cups.
‘But our league form over the last three seasons has been very consistent — and we’re looking strong to finish the league in a very good position this season.
‘so the league form has been very good and I think, for us, regardless of who is in the league, we just l ook to get i mprovement f or ourselves.
‘I think it’s important we keep trying to improve the squad, improve things off the pitch, improve training facilities, things like that.
‘I don’t think that Aberdeen fans should have their heads in their hands just because it looks as if Rangers and Hibs are maybe coming back into the league.
‘ We’ll be ready f or the c hall enge of any t eam coming into the league. It’s i mportant t hat we s how continuous improvement.’
For a guy naturally conditioned towards reticence, possessing an almost pathological dislike for unnecessary bravado, McInnes was in a positive mood yesterday.
The Aberdeen manager seems to be bristling with intent.
However optimistic he may feel about coming back to challenge again and again in the coming years, you can sense that he is fully aware of the circumstances that have left the door so ajar.
There are never any guarantees, obviously. nothing to say that they will definitely take all three points from tonight’s trip to Firhill, where the combination of a stuffy Thistle team and a rotten playing surface await.
Yet, if McInnes could do without such doughty opponents, he takes heart from the congested nature of the Premiership. He wants the run-in to be a scrap for every point which is still available.
‘The way the league is set up, every team has so much to play for,’ he explained. ‘Dundee United looked dead and buried a few weeks ago. Hearts want to get to us, the top six is more important this year because of the play-offs. Every team has so much to play for.
‘And that pleases me because, although we’ll find that difficult, it means Celtic and Hearts are the same. We’re all playing teams with something to play for — but we are determined to go all the way.
‘There’s got to be a feeling when picking sides and managing games of how important wins are to us. We always try to win matches and when we are one up we always try to get a second.
‘But it’s no use being unbeaten — we have to win games.’
Aberdeen will have Jonny Hayes back i n the starting l i ne- up following the winger’s recovery from a hamstring injury, potentially a massive factor over the run-in.
McInnes believes the Irishman has to be in the running for Player of the Year honours, insisting: ‘His return is a brilliant bonus for us. He is fully charged up and ready to go. I wouldn’t want to play against him but he looks good to go.
‘ He is a real competitor. He brings that real competitive edge. He brings a totally different dynamic to my team. His energy, his work rate, his quality on the ball, his flexibility — but the thing that really differentiates him is his pace, that ability to go past people. He gets people on the back foot and creates plenty of opportunities.
‘We want more goals from Jonny. That’s something he needs to add to his game to look for perfect performances. There have been very few games you could be critical of Jonny in terms of what he has given me in the last three seasons.
‘I think most teams, when they play us, will have conversations about him, trying to stop the service to him. That probably shows how important a player he is to us and how we play.
‘He’s been very consistent and very influential in a lot of our better performances. We’ve had good consistency as a team and he’s been a big part of that, so you would have to think that he would be in with a shout (for Player of the Year). He’s a player that opposition players recognise as a big threat.’