McINNES IS SETTING THE BAR HIGH FOR McGINN
SAYS DEREK McINNES
DEREK McInnEs has urged niall McGinn to leave Aberdeen ‘on a high’ after the Pittodrie boss confirmed he is now resigned to losing one of his star performers at the end of the season.
The ups and downs of a football manager were rather neatly encapsulated in just one day in the Granite City.
no sooner had McInnes announced the pre-contract capture of midfielder Greg Tansey from Inverness Caley Thistle than he conceded that McGinn is likely to be on his way to England, where his suitors include Bolton Wanderers and sheffield United.
While not exactly claiming he will be replacing like-for-like — that would be unfair on Tansey given that McGinn has been a spectacular success since Craig Brown signed him for the Dons in 2012 — there was no hint of panic in McInnes’ voice over the exit of one of his true game-changers.
The Aberdeen boss has, after all, become used to losing gems and unearthing new ones. But he remains convinced that, for now, the northern Ireland star will continue to give his all as the team pursue second place in the Premiership and a scottish Cup triumph.
Asked if McGinn, 29, was on his way at the end of his deal, McInnes (right) said: ‘It looks like it, unfortunately.
‘His agent has indicated there may be Championship interest in niall, which I am not too surprised about. It’s difficult for us to compete with Championship clubs.
‘niall has been very respectful. He accepts that our offer was very good and he has thought long and hard about it. But we pushed for an answer and unfortunately there may well be Championship interest and it looks like that may well be his destination.
‘He has still got plenty to offer and I don’t want to talk in the past sense at the minute. We look forward to the remainder of the season but he has been a real key player for us over the years and he remains that.
‘It’s important, if players are leaving here, it’s important how we leave, and it’s important they finish on a high if possible.’
McInnes is still waiting to see if defender Ash Taylor and captain Ryan Jack will extend their contracts.
‘Both Ash and Ryan have asked for a wee bit more time to talk that through. I’m hopeful on both but no more than that.’
Aberdeen previously thought they had signed Tansey late in the 2016 winter transfer window when their offer met a release clause in the player’s contract, but Caley Thistle did not agree to the deal and later claimed Tansey had decided to stay. now Aberdeen will get the 28-year-old for free on a three-year deal when his contract at the Caledionian stadium expires in the summer.
‘He’s a player I have long admired,’ said McInnes. ‘We tried to get him, as you know, previously. ‘He is a very accomplished footballer. He is good age, he brings that level of experience. There is still more to come from Greg and, hopefully, he can do that in an Aberdeen shirt. ‘Whenever we have lined up against him and whenever I’ve watched Inverness, I always think he is a key player. ‘He has a good range of passing, he has goals in him, he gets about the pitch. He is a good character, from what I know about him, and he has set-play delivery. Being a free agent, I think he is a brilliant signing.’ Aberdeen face Dundee at Dens Park tonight in a match which will see Celtic crowned champions should the Dons lose. As ever, however, McInnes insisted his main focus is on beating rivals Rangers to second place. ‘It (Celtic) won’t get mentioned,’ he claimed. ‘It’s not something I even thought about, to be honest. We all agree that Celtic are going to win the league, it’s just a matter of when it will happen. ‘We just want to make sure we continue to try and chalk up points and win games for our own benefit.
‘We’ve got plenty to look forward to. We have nine league games left and each one of them as you tick them along becomes even more important.
‘We are 17 points clear of Hearts, who we thought would be a real challenge for us.
‘We are eight points ahead of Rangers and we would have taken that at the start of the season given the difference in resources.
‘so we don’t really look too much at this moment in time at what Celtic are doing. It’s more about concentrating on ourselves and trying to keep ourselves ahead of others.’
Dundee striker Faissal El Bakhtaoui, meanwhile, has warned the Dons he has more top-quality goals in his locker following his stunning strike against Celtic.
In the last outing before the international break, he fired in a thunderous drive from distance past Craig Gordon moments after coming off the bench at Dens Park.
His third goal of the season wasn’t enough to prevent Paul Hartley’s side losing 2-1, but it gave the French-Moroccan player a confidence boost ahead of Aberdeen’s visit.
‘Yes I think I can do the same against Aberdeen,’ he said. ‘I think I can do that against anybody.
‘Aberdeen are second in the league, so obviously they are a good team. But we are a good team as well and we know we can do something against them.’
Dundee have lost their last three matches and are in eighth place in the Premiership, four points off the top six, but also just six off the bottom. But El Bakhtaoui is looking up rather than down.
‘I feel I can do something for the team when I come on or when I start as well,’ he added. ‘It’s a big game for us. We’re looking for the top six.’