The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Chance without change
Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark has had no complaints from the Rangers management team about the artificial Rugby Park pitch following Martyn Waghorn’s knee injury on Tuesday night.
The Gers forward went off immediately after winning and scoring a fourth- minute penalty before Mark Warburton’s side went on to win 2-1 in the Scottish Cup round replay.
Waghorn will be out for two months and a Rangers spokesman said: “The initial impact on an unforgiving Rugby Park surface resulted in bruising and lacerations which were immediately visible.”
Killie described the criticism of the surface as ill-informed.
Clark, who confirmed
fifth- captain Mark Connelly is out for the rest of the season following a hip operation, while Steven Smith will miss the visit of Dundee on Saturday as he awaits a scan next week on a hip problem which is Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen felt the f l ames of c hairman Stephen Thompson’s withering assessment of the Tangerines.
The 3-0 midweek home defeat to Motherwell infuriated the chairman, who labelled the result and performance “abysmal” and claimed the players had 13 games left to “redeem their professional reputations” after falling 13 points adrift
“The players are not happy, the coaching staff are not happy”
at the foot of the Premiership.
United take on Hearts at home today and, while Paatelainen refused to say if he agreed with Thompson’s c omments, he stressed his chairman was entitled to his opinion and that he and his players were open to criticism.
“The chairman is the head of the club and is totally entitled to say whatever he wants and affecting his groin, said: “I had a good conversation with Mark after the game. I have a good relationship with him and his assistant Davie Weir and the pitch was never mentioned. The injury to Martyn Waghorn was never linked at all.
“We know we have the highest standard of synthetic surface required and we find injuries are picked up on grass pitches also.” make a statement whenever he wants,” said the former Aberdeen forward.
“I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that he is not happy with the situation because none of us are. The players are not happy, the coaching staff are not happy, the supporters, the board. So, it’s not a real surprise.
“It’s not for me to judge what the chairman says, at all. I just get on with the job. The players and coaching staff work together. We try toimprovethe team, the performances and the results.”
Thompson’s anger has hardly enhanced Paatelainen’s prospects and, asked if he interpreted the statement as criticism of his own performance, the former Kilmarnock manager said: “Absolutely. As far as I’m concerned we are in the same boat as the players. We work together. The coaching staff, the players, myself, we are together.
“We win together, we lose together, we draw together, and we improve together.”
Clark, who will be in the technical area for the first time after taking over earlier in the week, said he has no concerns about artificial surfaces, adding: “In England, to get category 1 and 2 status in the academies, club have to these type of surfaces. If they were so bad, I don’t think clubs would have elite players from all over the world training on them.” Ben Hall scored his first Motherwell goal against today’s opponents St Johnstone but has only defence on his mind for the trip to McDiarmid Park today.
The 19-year-old defender made a surprise debut against Dundee in December and then scored Well’s opener at the end of the monthin a2-0Premiership win against Saints.
But after the encouraging 3-0 win against bottom side DundeeUnited at Tannadice on Tuesday, which took the Steelmen into eighth place, Hall is hoping for another clean sheet to help Mark McGhee’s side further away from relegation trouble.
He said: “I didn’t really know much about the goal at the time but I heard the referee blow his whistle, so I thought he disallowed it for some reason.
“It was my first senior goal and I was thrilled. My mum was in the stand as well so it was good she got to see it. I would like to get an occasional goal but it’s not really my job to score.
“To keep a clean sheet and defend is the most important thing to me.”
While the debate about the pathway for young players in Scottish football is ongoing, Hall believes nothing can beat playing first-team football in front of crowds, even if it is at the wrong end of the table.
“I didn’t expect to be playing for the first team this year,” he said.
“I thought I would be out on loan somewhere at a lower level learning my trade.
“To come in and play has been brilliant, a great experience for me. I’ve had to grow up quickly.
“I’m playing in front of thousands every week, that is the biggest difference.”