DEL IS BACK TO FRONT UP
Derek McInnes believes Aberdeen’s switch to a back three has made them better to watch – and a potent attacking threat.
Before this season, the Dons gaffer had regularly deployed a four-man defence in the Premiership. The signings of Tommie Hoban and Jonny Hayes, the return of Scott Wright and the extra firepower provided by new arrivals
Marley Watkins and Ryan Edmondson have dictated a switch.
So far it has worked for McInnes’ side. They’ve started the campaign well and warmed up for today’s clash by putting four past Hamilton in midweek. McInnes is pleased with their progress and says their 3-5-2 shape – with wingers playing as wing-backs – will cause most teams problems. He said: “There is more speed in the team now. We’ve traditionally been a 4-3-3 team but now have a back three. We needed to change.
“We were so keen to get Hoban in because that allows us to do that. It suits the players we have. Andy Considine is perfect for the left of a three with Hoban on the right.
“We had Scott McKenna, Ash Taylor and Mikey Devlin as good options in the centre, even though we’ve now lost Scott to Nottingham Forest.
“Hayes is the perfect wing-back. Matty Kennedy can do that as well, as can Connor McLennan. We want wingers in the wing-back areas to try to cause problems and carry a threat.
“We’ve added Ross McCrorie in midfield where we have good numbers and it allows us to play a front two.
“Once Sam Cosgrove is back, we have players who can play around him like Watkins, Edmondson, Wright, Niall McGinn, Curtis Main and Ryan Hedges. “The change was down to the players we recruited, with Hoban and Hayes key. We wanted to carry more of a goal threat and not be reliant on one guy (Cosgrove). “We wanted more speed. We’ve been good on the eye this season because we have a shape that suits us.
“But as long as we’re winning, that’s the most important thing.”
McInnes accepts today’s test against Celtic will be the measure of how much improvement there is. He said: “When I first turned up, we were judged against the likes of Inverness and Ross County. We are now judged against Rangers and Celtic and that pleases me.”