McGinn tells team-mates to play for Easter Road futures As next manager will be watching
Hibernian Aberdeen 1 1
IT was a clear indication of the issues facing Hibernian and Aberdeen this season that the aftermath of this game focused on how significant the summer transfer window will be for both teams.
A year on from finishing third and fourth in the league, the Premiership heavyweights fought out a bottom-six 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Hibs right-back Paul McGinn, who earned his team a point with a late strike, acknowledged that the players are effectively playing for their futures on the basis that the new manager will be watching.
Aberdeen centre-half David Bates, meanwhile, is bracing himself for a squad overhaul.
The visitors may already be ahead of the curve with a
manager – Jim Goodwin – in situ, and McGinn concedes the Hibs squad are acutely aware that performances could influence the new incumbent’s thinking.
“You know whatever manager is going to come in will be watching,” said McGinn.
“They might not go back and watch the games you played well in, but they are going to watch these games, so we need to be bang at it. We need to try and win our remaining two games.
“You should enjoy these times because the pitch is amazing and these are the sort of games you want to play in.
“It’s just a shame we are not playing for anything other than trying to finish seventh. You can’t not enjoy a day like that with the weather and the pitch being like that.”
Such is the technology used by clubs these days that McGinn concedes there will also be no hiding place for the players during the close season, even if a permanent manager is not place.
He added: “Most players are professional during the sum
mer. They track you now with this Strava app anyway. You can’t get away with anything unless you’ve got a dog and you can strap it to the dog!
“You can’t get away with doing nothing. But with the new manager coming in I would imagine all the boys will be doing extra running.”
McGinn, however, will look to get in some much-needed rest time, particularly to fit in his rearranged wedding. Finding a date to suit brother and Scotland playmaker John has proved difficult.
He added: “I’m getting married at the end of May. I moved it with Scotland, but then the Ukraine game got moved and I thought John wouldn’t get there, but he’s managing to sneak a wee day in.”
On paper this game was a dead rubber and that’s exactly how it felt during an uninspiring first half.
Bates livened things up when he lashed a close range shot home after 55 minutes but Hibs earned a share of the spoils when McGinn met James Scott’s knock down to beat Joe Lewis.
After the game Dons manager Jim Goodwin revealed that he picked 11 players who were likely to be at the club next term, and admitted six of the nine on the bench had no future at Pittodrie.
Former Rangers defender Bates knows there will be plenty of comings and goings this summer.
He said: “The manager has said to us he is straight up and honest and I think he has been that with the boys. To us all really.
“If you have a bad performance he will tell you during the week and what you have to work on.
“He is straight up and honest. “It will be a big summer and the gaffer will get players in for his style of play.
“We’ll see what happens in the summer but I think there will be a lot of players coming in.
“The gaffer will have a pre-season so we will see what happens.”