The manager spoke to RedTV earlier today and reflected on the first few days of training in Dubai

“We knew what we were coming to in terms of the facilities and we are just looking forward to the game on Sunday. While it’s not going to have the same intensity as a league game, it’s important for us to have that match sharpness and decision making that a game gives you.

“I thought long and hard about the need for a game but we thought it was a bigger risk not to have a game and going into the Stranraer game feeling a bit cold and short of that match sharpness so we took the game on. It will be against good opposition who are looking to build their preparations for their season, we watched them play the other day and they are definitely a more than useful side and it will be a good test for us.

“It will be good for the players. When you come away to a training camp it’s good to have the focus of a game at the end of it so we are looking forward to it. The players have been terrific, it’s good for them to be about each other and we are hoping that the same sort of things you look for at the start of the season in terms of getting a good start can happen off the back of this trip.

“The business side was a big part of it, we are grateful to Mike Loggie and Saltire Energy for funding the trip. Part of us being out here was to interact with the business community and our supporters out here. We had a good day yesterday at the corporate golf event yesterday after training in the morning.

“What it does show is the passion and the desire and the feeling that so many people have for the club so far away from home. I think they all appreciated the effort of the club coming out here and we got a lot from it. It was a great day speaking to supporters out here and hearing the effort that they make to see Aberdeen on the live games or listening to RedTV.

“I think it’s been a good trip and hopefully it’s something that will happen a bit more regular. I think last night it showed just how many Aberdeen supporters we have got out here and from a business point of view it’s getting the AFC brand out here and our sponsors maybe getting the benefit of that as well.

“We had a bid for Jonny late last night and it fell way short of our valuation of the player so it’s been rejected. As with any of our players, especially in the January window you might anticipate offers, that one had been anticipated through the press. That’s now been firmed up with an offer but I spoke with the Chairman and Duncan Fraser last night and we are all of the same opinion that it fell way short.

“The January window isn’t ideal for losing players which makes it difficult to get players in for that reason. We want to go as we are, I feel that the squad is strong and I want to add at least one to the squad so we are not looking to lose anybody. We want to be quite clear that this squad that was put together is the squad that was put together for the season and it will take a big offer for us to think anything different from that.”

“The January window isn’t ideal for losing players which makes it difficult to get players in for that reason. We want to go as we are, I feel that the squad is strong and I want to add at least one to the squad so we are not looking to lose anybody. We want to be quite clear that this squad that was put together is the squad that was put together for the season and it will take a big offer for us to think anything different from that.”