The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Canning: It was just our time to sit bottom, now we need to win
Manager Martin Canning will not read too much into Hamilton’s drop to the bottom of the Premiership, but knows the urgent need for wins.
Caley Thistle’s win against Rangers on Friday night meant Accies went into the game against leaders Celtic on Saturday propping up the table for the first time this season.
The 2-0 defeat at Parkhead left the Lanarkshire side one point behind Caley Thistle and three behind ninth-placed Ross County.
Ahead of the game against second-placed Aberdeen tonight he played down the significance of league position.
Canning said: “When it is so tight it is inevitable that at some point we were going to be bottom.
“Look at every other club in the bottom six or seven, they have been bottom at some point apart from us until now.
“It doesn’t change anything. I am not trying to cover over anything. We are bottom because we have not won enough games, as simple as that.
“But the performance levels have been relatively consistent, we haven’t been excellent one week and rubbish the next week.
“Over the course of the season we are getting beatings and I am wondering when it’s going to turn as last season we were getting beat in games where we didn’t look like winning,
“Inevitable that at some point we were going to be bottom”
scoring or creating an opportunity.
“Saturday was a good performance. But we need to stop saying performances have been good and start winning games.”
Hamilton beat Aberdeen 1-0 in September but the Dons are on a streak of form, losing only to Celtic in their last 11 games.
Canning said: “We have beaten them this season and that goes to show how tight it is. If we win before the other teams play we could be a few places up the league so it is still all to play for.
“We know it is difficult, they have a lot of attacking threat, but we have beaten them before and have to believe we can do it again.”