Red Matchday 03 | Preview

In Sunday’s Red Matchday we have feature interviews with the two Scott’s:

There comes a time when potential is no longer enough – it has to be delivered upon. Judging from Scott Wright’s early season form, in his case, this could be his time to do it.

Like Scott McKenna and others before him, Wright has had to bide his time and wait for his opportunity but, just like the big centre-back, it looks as if a spell out on loan might prove the key to him finding his way into the Dons’ first team.

Scott Wright

“Personally, it’s a big season for me. I am looking forward it. All I can do is keep working hard in training, work hard in games if I get an opportunity to show what I can do. I spoke last year in the programme about the need to keep being positive, and not get down if I’m not playing. It’s so important to have a positive mindset.

“For all forward line players, I think confidence is such a big factor. You have to have the confidence to beat players, and then when you do that, you have to have the confidence to put in a good cross or have a shot. That final ball is one of the hardest things to do in football because it is so important.

“The manager has said to me countless times that you could fail to take a man on nine times out of ten, but if that tenth time you get through and it leads to a goal, then you have done your job. You can then be the match winner and that is what you are remembered for.

“That is what I have to try and focus on. I can’t beat myself up if things are not happening for me on the pitch. I’m normally my harshest critic and sometimes can be too hard on myself. You just have to brush it off and go again and try and the ball and try and make something happen.”

Scott McKenna

“The issue last year was finding consistency. It was a difficult season, it was hard to get going and the suspensions did not help on top of the injuries. I think I was out for six weeks the first time, then back for three or four games and then suspended. And that pattern continued all season. It’s hard to get any consistency when you keep missing out.

“If you get a two game ban, then it’s two or three weeks before you play again. It’s a lot of football to miss and although you are in training, you lack that bit of sharpness and edge that you have if you play nine or ten games in a row. I never quite got there for enough games last year. I had spells in one or two games but then my form would dip and then I was out of the team.

“It’s going to happen, especially at my age. I have to just accept that. You have to remember, it was my first full season really so I need to learn from that. All you can do is try and limit the amount of bad games you have and the amount of mistakes you make.”

There is an in depth preview of the new season with skipper Joe Lewis

“We have to be solid defensively too though and not lose that side of our game and I think having Funso Ojo here will help with that. He gives us that security at the base of midfield and that willingness to get on the ball. In training, he is always asking for the ball. He will take the ball in games even if he is under pressure and has a man on him.

“It’s really important for any team to have a player who can build attacks and that will help us play more attacking free flowing football, which is ideally what everyone wants to play. If you want to do that, you need to start somewhere with somebody demanding the ball. He does that.

“And when we do not have the ball, he holds that middle of the pitch, he does not get dragged out of position. He protects the back four. He organises everyone around him and he talks well. That is very important. When you have him, Craig Bryson, Lewis Ferguson also doing the same, we look strong in that area of the park. Funso will be the anchor that will allow the other players to give more.”

Plus a Q&A with Michael Devlin and there are also a number of new features this season.