Derek McInnes, Russell Anderson and Mark Reynolds on RedTV
SPFL | Aberdeen v Kilmarnock | Pittodrie Stadium | Saturday 3rd Aug | 3.00pm KO
ticket news please click here | We strongly recommend you a ticket in advance of the game.
RedTV | There will be live audio commentary on RedTV with Dave Mac, Dave Galloway and Andrew Shinie. The two Dave’s and Andrew will be on air from just before 3.00pm. With the usual completely bias commentary, RedTV is the one and only place to listen to all the Dons matches this season.
Derek McInnes | “We have tried to implement a few changes but the proof will be over the course of the campaign. We have done a lot of work behind the scenes off the pitch. Now we will be judged on the pitch. We are well prepared and I think the boys will be ready for it.
“There will always be a tough opponent in front of us. No one is just going to give us the three points but we will be doing all we can to get a win. All the players are raring to go and hopefully we will see that passion and real competitiveness and desire to win on Saturday from the players.
“It is a happy dressing room. All the players have mixed well. All the players we have brought in will bring something on and off the pitch to the squad. It is a good dressing room to come into. There are a lot of good lads in there. We have just tried to give them that bit more focus, that bit more direction and more belief. They have to have that belief if we are going to achieve anything.
“It is important we start strongly but win lose or draw on Saturday it is not going to affect how the rest of the season goes. We will be judged over the whole campaign but like every manager I want to get off to a winning start. Every manager throughout the country wants to get those first three points on board as quickly as possible. We have a good opportunity on Saturday as we have a home tie.
“We have got something a lot of clubs don’t have, a really good support that provide volume. We have to use that to our advantage. They will greatly help the cause. The Red Army have already backed us this summer by buying season tickets in good numbers. I would ask them to come along and give us good backing. The players will be ready every Saturday at 3.00pm and ready to go. They will be full of energy and full of commitment and they will play the game the way the supporters expect them to play. All we ask is when maybe things are not going for us in a game, please stay with us and the players will be doing their best to get the result we all want.
“When everyone is fit we have got good depth to the squad. We have added good players to what was already a good squad. Like every manager you would want a couple more but in terms of quality we have got some good options right throughout the team. The youngsters will have to be quite prominent this season but I don’t think that is a bad thing. It gives everyone from the U20s down encouragement that they will get a chance. 16 year old Scott McKenna has been involved and 17 year old Craig Storie was involved last year so there is no restriction in terms of age.
“I can understand the reason people are predicting us to finish second. Every year people are waiting for Aberdeen to be that team. A lot of people predicated Aberdeen to finish second last season. I remember myself and Tony last year down in Bristol thought the same thing after the signings that had been made. There is a lot of optimism this season but we have to make sure it is sustained optimism. I cannot give any guarantees but I can assure fans the players will be ready and will work hard for the support. No one will work harder than us Monday to Friday and on a Saturday. That is the only guarantee I can give at the moment, anything other than that would be foolish and arrogant.
“The team news is that everyone is fit apart from Chris Clark and Andrew Considine.”
The manager also confirmed that he had been speaking to Isaac Osbourne over the summer and was keen to keep working with him but it was not to be. Derek and everyone at Pittodrie wishes Isaac well at his new club Partick Thistle.
RedTV |
The Managers Media Conference in full please click here
Russell Anderson’s Media Conference please click here
Mark Reynolds interview please click here
Please note a change of referee for the match.
Referee: Crawford Allan (not John Beaton)
AR1: Brian McGarry
AR2: Gavin Harris
4th official: Stevie O’Reilly
