‘Today really smacked me between the eyes ... my squad isn’t good enough’
DEREK McINNES reflected on Aberdeen’s latest bout of Scottish Cup heartache and admitted his own flawed transfer dealings had contributed to his team’s semi-final downfall. Acknowledging that Motherwell had deserved their 3-0 victory in yesterday’s semi-final, McInnes conceded that the absence of key trio Graeme Shinnie, Kenny McLean and Shay Logan had contributed to his team’s meek Hampden performance.
When it came to pulling together an alternative line-up from his remaining squad members, the manager admitted he found himself short in crucial areas. For that, he accepted the blame.
‘I said I wouldn’t use the suspended players as an excuse but it was clear that we struggled to replace like for like,’ said McInnes.
‘I don’t take responsibility in terms of today’s performance as me and my staff have worked really hard and you can’t always legislate for mistakes.
‘Where I take responsibility is with the recruitment in both windows. Sometimes you don’t know until you know and today smacked me between the eyes that the strength of the squad wasn’t good enough.
‘Sometimes that happens when key players are missing. Every team has players who are pivotal to what the team produces week in, week out.
‘We’ve had a strong league campaign and the players deserve credit for that but when it came to it today, we didn’t have the answers that a club like Aberdeen should have.
‘That’s where I take the responsibility. I put together a squad that I thought could take care of every eventuality. But today and in other games this season the recruitment and the decisions we’ve made in both windows have come back to bite us.’
Of the team that started yesterday, Kari Arnason, Stevie May, Greg Stewart and Dominic Ball were all brought to the club during the 2017 summer window, while midfielder Chidi Nwakali arrived on loan from Manchester City in January.
Each struggled to make any positive impact on the game and only May, who has a long-term contract at Pittodrie, is likely to be around next season.
Arnason, 35, signed a one-year deal to return to the club last summer, while Stewart and Ball are on loan from Birmingham City and Rotherham respectively.
Ryan Christie’s second loan spell from Celtic will also come to an end in the summer, while McLean will join Norwich City.
‘There is going to be a big turnaround,’ continued McInnes. ‘We have to try to keep the standard that we have been used to over the last few years. I didn’t play the team I wanted to play today. I played the team that needed to be played and it wasn’t good enough.’
Not every player drew the manager’s ire. He had praise for substitutes Gary Mackay-Steven and Niall McGinn, while stand-in captain Scott McKenna also emerged with pass marks.
‘I think if you are captain of Aberdeen at that age then it is a huge positive,’ he said of the 21-yearold Scotland internationalist. ‘He is disappointed with his part in the second goal but I would take 11 of him. He is made of the right stuff, his capacity and responsibility is fantastic and that is why he was captain today. He is a brilliant boy and he is of the standard we need.’
Asked specifically if securing a reliable centre-back to partner McKenna would be a summer priority, McInnes responded: ‘It is difficult to answer that now. I know what needs to be done, what we need to improve on.
‘I have probably known for a while now. We have missed a huge opportunity today and I would rather not look too far ahead.’
In terms of the nuts and bolts of the game itself, McInnes felt aggrieved that a hand-ball from Motherwell full-back Richard Tait had gone unpunished in the build-up to the first goal.
However, he admitted his team’s defensive shortcomings played a much bigger part in the defeat.
‘I expected more,’ he said. ‘We started well and dealt with their longer ball in that opening period, just as we have done when we have beaten Motherwell in the past. ‘But the first time we don’t deal with that, they get in. ‘Arnason should do better off the keeper’s kick. Ball should be in a better position to deal with the next one.
‘But it’s a handball. Tait knocks it on with his arm. The referee is most responsible for that one. Between five officials, you’d think they might be able to get that right.
‘Where I’m disappointed with my team is that this season there has been a pattern where we concede the first goal and quickly lose another.
‘That is down to mental focus and concentration. Resetting yourself and not letting a poor situation become an even worse situation.
‘I thought at the time the second goal was a foul on Arnason, but it isn’t. We should deal with that better.
We then took a gamble. Gary Mackay-Steven and Niall McGinn were ruled out at the start of the week and I was just grateful they both travelled and were able to take part off the bench.
‘We were 2-0 down and going out of a cup, so we made the changes. I thought we were in the game at that stage but the third goal absolutely knocks any momentum out of it.
‘The level of performance was nowhere near good enough and the plaudits go to Motherwell.’
Under McInnes, Aberdeen have repeatedly proved themselves the second-best team in the country behind Celtic but have won just one trophy under his command, the League Cup of season 2013-14.
His immediate focus will now turn to the runners-up spot in the Ladbrokes Premiership over the post-split fixtures.
‘They should be five belters if we turn up with a performance we’re capable of,’ he added. ‘It’s still in our hands to finish second but Hibs and Rangers will be saying the same.
‘That would be some sort of consolation. The fact we’re still talking about finishing second at this stage of the season illustrates the fact that the players have done a lot of good work.’