Under-pressure McInnes calls for united front
Embattled boss Derek McInnes insists Aberdeen must stick together if they are going to halt a woeful run of form.
Yesterday’s 2-0 setback at Hibs means the Pittodrie outfit have now only won one of their last eight Premiership matches.
And the Dons now find themselves five points behind their Leith counterparts, although they do have a game in hand.
McInnes, who has been in charge for nearly eight years, has come under growing pressure from supporters.
It had even been suggested during the week that the 49-yearold’s job would be on the line if Aberdeen lost in Edinburgh.
However, McInnes insists the only way the team will get through their barren spell is if they show a collective fight.
He said: “It’s a bad run we are on but having been through these types of games before as a manager you need to stick together.
“You need to work hard and work closely with the players to turn things around.
“I can understand the fans’ concerns as we have been used to far better than that.
“Over the piece we have offered more than that and it’s not a stat (one win in eight) we are proud of.
“We are disappointed to be on that run but we will work hard to stop that.”
Aberdeen lacked creativity in the final third at Easter Road and rarely threatened Hibs’ keeper Ofir Mariano.
The Dons started with January recruit Fraser Hornby as their sole striker, but the on loan Reims forward was given little support by his team-mates.
McInnes, who also signed strikers Callum Hendry and Flo Kamberi last week after losing Sam Cosgrove to Birmingham City, added: “They had the game won at 2-0 and it was up to us. Despite the players’ efforts our quality of crosses wasn’t good enough.
“We have to say that, we have to be honest with that. And I do think trying to reinvent our front line at the end of January has been difficult.
“We get these boys for a reason, because they’ve not been playing. Unless you’re spending money, you have to get them up to speed.
“Fraser Hornby and Flo Kamberi can be big players for us.
“The three new strikers will hopefully get up to speed and that will help matters.”
McInnes, whose side host St Mirren next weekend, added: “It’s disappointing to lose such an important game.
“This was a big game for us – all the fixtures against Hibs have been big.”