NIALL MCGINN
With Christmas fast approaching, we felt it was time to look at the season thus far, a half term report if you like. And who better to ask than Niall McGinn, stalwart of the team all season long. How does he feel it’s gone so far?
“It’s been a bit up and down to say the least! Obviously we made a great start to the campaign. The boys were first class the first eight games or so. Even looking back, in those eight games, yes at times we were excellent but there were times we maybe did not play that well but we managed to see games out and got the right results. That is what we need to get back to. That is what we need to get back into our play, winning those tight matches even when we are not at our best.
“I think the disappointing thing from a personal point of view is the fact I would have liked to have scored a couple more goals. I have had a lot of assists this season, which has been pleasing, but at the end of the day you want to chip in which a few more goals as well, I want to get that right in my game and everything will be fine.
“Personally I want to score more goals but it has been hard because my game has changed completely in the last couple of years. It is a lot different to when I first came into the club. I am taking corners, I am taking free-kicks, so that means from set pieces I am not in the right areas to score goals but then again from open play there have been times when I have been in the right areas but have hit the woodwork and stuff. But I will keep working hard to improve that aspect of my game. Hopefully been now and the end of the season I will chip in with a few more goals like I have done the past couple of weeks as well continuing to offer assists”.
ADAM ROONEY
“I have got 11 for the season now and have scored five in the last six games, so I feel confident. We didn’t have a great time last month, but we are playing our way back into form and hopefully we can now build on that in the weeks ahead. We just want to get back to our old selves and move forward. We have to takes the positives out of this while also hoping to improve.
“We are looking at what we did last season and want to do even better. That has always been what the gaffer wanted, to improve year on year. We’re looking to get as many points on the board as we can and, if we can improve on last year, that will mean we have had another really good season. We should not be looking at league positions but just looking at ourselves and how we’re doing.
“Hearts is just another game for us really and we don’t look at it as anything more than another three points up for grabs. It’s just important we show the same desire we showed against Dundee.”
RYAN JACK
“It is never easy having to watch from the sidelines, but at least the team have eased the pain a little bit by putting together a good run of results and putting that blip we had in October behind us now. We are now unbeaten in our last four games, and back to back wins against Ross County and Dundee are precisely what the team needed and that has got back into the top two and in a good position as we come into the busy Christmas period.
“Last time we were at Pittodrie, we saw off the challenge of Ross County which was important after we had lost at Dingwall a few weeks earlier. In a way, it reminds me a bit of this time last season when we’d had that poor results at Hamilton but then beat them well at Pittodrie a few weeks later. That was a result that really got us up and running and we went on a terrific run either side of the new year which was the platform to go and clinch the runners-up spot. Hopefully, turning things around against County this season can see us go on and do the same thing now.”
Plus: Derek McInnes, Andrew Shinie, Richard Gordon, Chris Crighton and an interview with Sky Sports presenter Ian Crocker. Season 1979-1980 reviewed when both Hearts and Aberdeen won the league, that was the week that was, feature on ex Aberdeen and Hearts player Eddie Thomson, time team from 2000, tribute to former player Ian Burns, golden years goes back to 1954-55, all the latest club news from the various AFC departments, Robbie Mutch Q&A plus all the U20 reports and stats. And much more.
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 Saturday you can buy a copy of RedMatchday online please click here
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 Saturday you can buy a copy of RedMatchday online please click here
