Manager, Russell, Mark, Adam, Barry, Willo and Jonny on RedTV
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Derek McInnes |
“The boys have trained well all week. When the game comes around that excitement will build. The reason we came to St Andrews was to get away from the intensity that is in the city. It is good for the players to be around each other so they can focus on the job they have to do and prepare properly.
“It is something we want to enjoy as well but we have to accept we all have responsibilities to do the job regardless of the extra attention on us.
“The players have handled a lot of the challenges thrown at them this season really well. They have shown good focus on each individual challenge we have had, particularly in the League Cup where we have come through some difficult matches.
“We still have to earn the right to win the cup. No one is just going to give it to us.
“Sunday is a huge occasion for the club, but we want to make sure it is an occasion to remember and not one to forget – that’s the message I always give the players. Those players deserve a lot of credit for getting us to this cup final, but now that we are here, we’re not coming along for the ride, we want to go on and win it, just as Inverness do.
“I am full of respect for Inverness.Inverness has a good squad of players and have a squad that can cope with the midweek game. They have some really quality in there as they have some cracking players. They are a team with a good spirit.
“It will be a fantastic spectacle with the 40,000 Aberdeen fans but it is important the players just concentrate on their jobs. They have to manage their own game well. If they can do that then hopefully we can produce a level of performance.
“it is important we react in the right way to the occasion, that we trust ourselves individually and as a team to put in a performance, to work hard for each other as we have been doing all season, and do enough on the day to win.
“The players have to be busy and affect the game. They cannot let the game pass them by.
“You cannot get to a cup final and then just hope things go your way.
“I think the one thing we can learn from the semi final is that we were too geed up. As a team we were too eager and too excited to go and win the game. I would rather the players were like that though than hiding and not taking responsibility. The boys will want to play their part, get involved to get the team on the front foot.
“We know how many people want this.
“I have an idea on the team. We will wait and see if everyone is fit. Peter Pawlett trained on Wednesday so hopefully he will make it. He is a big player for us. The only person who misses out is Clark Robertson, the game has come along too quickly for him.”
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Barry Robson |
“We have had a good couple of days in St Andrews. We have had some good training sessions and have been able to spend some good time together. The experienced boys do have a responsibility to look after the younger ones but if we just go about our business in a professional and proper manner and prepare for the game as we would any other the young boys will see that.
“If you do the right things, eat the right things, live the right way, train the right way – the young boys watch that every day so you need to be doing those things week in week out and not just in the week of a cup final. The young boys have been fantastic for us all season and I am sure they will be again on Sunday.
“The young boys will enjoy it. They will be nervous but that is a good thing. I will be nervous as well. I have always said it is good to be nervous. If I did not have nerves I would not want to still be playing.
“I like to think we are preparing for this game correctly. The manager is very demanding on that.
“Every cup final you are in is special. I could not say one cup final or trophy I have been in is more special than another one. It is an incredible feeling. It is an addictive feeling and one you want to have over and over again. So this will be as good as anything I have done before.
“I have always believed in a strong team ethic. Winning the cup as a team is more important than anything that happened individually on the day such as scoring. Hopefully as a team we can win the cup but it will be very tough.
“Aberdeen is a fantastic club. It is a superbly run club and there are a lot of people who work very hard behind the scenes. It is a club with a great support, many of whom spend a lot of money travelling to games.
“Although everyone says Aberdeen are the favourites, let’s not forget that Inverness CT finished above us in the league last season. They have a great squad that they have built up over a number of years.
“It is a cup final, there will be pressure on both teams.”
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Russell Anderson |
“The way the manager has gone about his business this season he has always made the next game the most important. I think that is why we have had such a good season so far. It is obviously an important game for everyone concerned with the club.
“The players all appreciate the significance of the game but we will just be preparing for it like we have any other game this season. We will focus properly on our training and our preparation will be good. Hopefully by Sunday we will be in the right frame of mind to go out and do the job we have to do.
When the game starts it is important just to concentrate on the game and not worry about everything else that is going on round about it.
“There is no getting away from the fact it will be a very difficult match against Inverness. There has not been much between the sides in any of the three games this season and they will think they have as good a chance of winning today as we do. We are under no illusions as to how difficult a game this is going to be.
“I will not need to say too much to the players. Everyone comes into football to win things. Everyone knows how big a game this is and it is hopefully one we will enjoy.”
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Jonny Hayes |
“The manager and Doc have made sure we have concentrated on one game at time so it was only after Saturday we turned our attentions to the final. It was good to come away and prepare properly for the game which we have done. The training has been hard though. This has been no holiday camp.
“We are in no doubt how hard a game this is going to be. We are not just going to turn up and someone is going to hand us the cup.
“We are going to have to work as hard as we have done all season. There are no easy games and there are certainly no easy cup finals. Everyone is playing down Inverness’ chances but they are a good good team. If you look at the games this season, they have been very close and I believe both sides are evenly matched.”
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Willo Flood |
“Having played in a cup final I understand what it means to everyone connected to the club. It is only a good day though if you win. I was on a losing side so hopefully things will go better for me this time and we can go and get a result.
“I believe that if everyone in the team plays as well as they can we have a chance of getting the result we want.
“Everyone gets on in the dressing room really well. There is a great spirit in the dressing room. When we go for lunch everyone mixes well together. The Manager is big on that and that is the culture he has brought to the club.
“It will be a fantastic occasion on Sunday. Hopefully we can give the 40,000 fans a day to remember.
“Every time you play for this club there is pressure to win.”
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Adam Rooney |
“This is my first major cup final. I played in the BBC Alba Cup with Inverness but this is obviously the biggest game I have been involved in. I am very much looking forward to it.
“I have read a couple of papers who are trying to suggest there is extra pressure on us. Since I have come in we have had a couple of high pressure games. The only pressure you feel is from the demands we put on ourselves. We want to win and play well every week. So we will prepare as we do for any game, training hard and will be ready for Sunday.
“Things have been brilliant for me since I arrived at the club. My first five games were away from home but they were like home games because of the number of fans who travelled.
“We are on a good run at the moment so we want to keep that going regardless of the competition. We do feel that on our day we are capable of beating anyone. The reason we are on a good run is because of the desire in the dressing room to do well and improve as a squad. Even when we have not played well, we have managed to grind out results.
“My own form has been decent. To score six goals in eight games, I could not have asked for a better start. Much of that is down to the creativity in the side. The rest of the players are creating a lot of opportunities and hopefully that continues.
“We all know how tough a game Sunday will be. The most important thing is we go out and perform. The gaffer is always on to us about going out and giving 100%. The Partick Thistle game was a bit of a wakeup call. If every player does not go out and do their jobs then you will struggle. We must keep our concentration.”
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Mark Reynolds |
“It has been a long time in coming so I am glad the final is now here. The way the season has gone every game has been big, and the games and getting bigger every week now. We have had a good few days in St Andrews. We have done a number of hard training sessions and we feel ready for the game now. We have been able to focus fully on the game which is vital. Come Sunday we will be ready to go.
“The fans have been unbelievable all season. There are a lot of positives to take from the fact we have that number of fans coming to the game.”
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