Willo Flood

Another July, another football season. The Dons are getting used to playing serious games at a time of year when most other clubs are still shaking off the close season rust, but after tasting the special flavour of European football once again last season, nobody at Pittodrie would have it any other way. Least of all Willo Flood who has more experience of this side of the game than most, actually making his competitive debut in the UEFA Cup as it was then, back on August 28th 2003 when he was a youngster at Manchester City in a tie against TNS of Wales.

“I remember the game very well, not just because it was my debut but because the manager, Kevin Keegan, played me as a left wing-back! We played a 3-5-2 formation and I had to do a lot of running that night! Keegan was a very decent person who I had a lot of time for. I remember that he told me two days before that I was playing and would be making my first start and that he wanted my mum and dad to come over from Ireland to watch.

“The club sorted flights for them to come over but unfortunately I just told them to get the boat to Holyhead as that would get them to Wales and once they were in Wales it could not be more than an hour away. It took them seven hours to get to Cardiff! My dad was not a happy camper! They only just made kick-off!

“People asked me my aims for this season, my aim is simply to play a full season for Aberdeen. It is something I haven’t done since I have been at the club. My career at Pittodrie has been quite stop start, especially last season when I got a bad injury. It was a bad hamstring tear, which left me out of the side for twelve weeks. It took me a bit longer than normal for me to get back to full fitness and for me to get back to the way I know I can play. So hopefully this season I can play for the whole campaign for Aberdeen and then you will see the real Willo Flood and see what I can offer.”

Derek McInnes

It was a job well done by everybody, including our scouts Tom O’Neill and Russ Richardson, who prepared us for that game in such a short space of time, but again there has to be a realisation that the team we are playing on Thursday is more than capable of overturning the score as it stands and we have still got work to do. If we were 3-0 ahead with 45 minutes to go, I would still be concerned that we have to be fully concentrated.

It’s only half-time, there is still 90 minutes to play and we’ve seen enough of them first hand, particularly in the early stages over there and in games we’ve watched to know that we’ve still work to do. They’ve got many good players, a very good manager and are well organised and if anyone thinks this game is a formality, they are very much mistaken.

Ryan Jack

The players and all the staff have been really good since the manager made the announcement and they have all made the job so much easier for me with the way they have played and responded to everything this season. It has been a very intense period as we’ve had three really hard games so far – with another to come this evening – but results have gone really well for us and we have given ourselves a real chance of getting into the third round of qualifying for the Europa League for the second season running.

We won’t be taking anything for granted because although we got a great result out in Croatia, HNK showed what a good team they are, especially in the first half when we really had to do a lot of defending to keep them out. I thought we got our tactics and our shape spot on, we were really well organised and everybody did their job.

Andrew Considine

“They are a very good team but I thought we were very solid. Every player did their bit to help the defenders, it was a superb team performance. Everyone played their part and the boys who came off the bench were also great. We really worked hard as a team and took our chances. That is what you have to do in a game like that.

“We know that on Thursday night we will have to be on our toes. They have a lot of very good attacking players so we have got a job to do, but we know the manager will have us well drilled and well prepared. We will be ready to go again and hopefully we can get the result we need.”

Peter Pawlett

“I think they had only lost one home game in their last 50 odd matches, which is an incredible record. It shows just how good a result it was for us and it was nice the way their fans responded to us after the game, as well as the fact that we gave our supporters a great night after they’d travelled so far to see us.

“The manager said before the game make sure you come off the pitch knowing that you have given everything and that you have performed well, and we did that. We have put ourselves in a good position, but we know there’s work to do with the second leg to come. We know we have to go out and put in just as good a performance. We cannot take anything for granted.”

Kenny McLean

“Getting that goal makes a big difference. It was a bit of a relief and it takes the pressure off me.   “I’ve never worked for such a meticulous a manager before. Even in these European games, we have had the opposition down to a tee. That’s down to the manager and the staff, who work very hard every week to get the message across. It’s just up to the players to go out and act on it.”

RedMatchday Magazine is priced at £3.00 and is available from the sellers in and around the ground before the game as well the AFC Club shop. For anyone who can't make it along to Pittodrie on Thursday you can buy a copy online by clicking here