The Manager | "it was the performance that was needed."

The Manager | Post Match Quotes

“It was not a perfect or a polished performance but it was the performance that was needed.

“We had to right a few wrongs from the other night. I think we were set up better which gave the players a better chance to deal with the threat from Motherwell.

“Having watched Motherwell prior to the double header, I have been hugely impressed by them and what they do. They engage with us quickly, if their strikers don’t retain it they are ably supported and then they get it wide and asked questions of you. They are very good at it. I said it was a simplistic approach but that was not being disparaging. They are very good at what they do and I think Motherwell will cause teams a lot of problems, as we found the other night.

“The better players were in a Motherwell shirt on Thursday. I had thought the better players were in Aberdeen shirts today. We brought a performance.

“We set up with a team and a way of playing that was an antidote of what we were facing and we had to deal with it. I felt the win was no more than we deserved. We tried to play with a fluid front three to move their big central defenders about. We did not want them set in their places. We did not want them being comfortable. I thought May, McLean and Christie played with that licence to go and drag people about and they tried to retain the ball in there.

“I thought we carried an element of threat. But what I think we did more importantly was we nullified their threat. Once we did that I think Motherwell found it more difficult to go and play their natural game.

“McKenna and Arnason are at different ends of the spectrum. Kari is coming to the end of his career, his has loads of experience, is an experienced international and young Scott is just starting out. But both were every bit as good as each other.

“I thought it was a good game for McKenna. He is an old-fashioned centre half. He had a tough loan at Ayr last season but I never doubted him. We had to pick him up a bit and put the arm round him. But over the past few weeks he has been getting more and more confident. I had thought about playing him on Thursday night because of the type of game we would be facing. On Friday morning when I started to look at this game he was playing. He was able to go and deal with that first header and he has that strength. Scott and Kari gave us that. We looked a bit bigger and bit stronger. We were more physical. When the ball is put in your box and questions are asked of you, you have to deal with it. And we did it perfectly.

“I thought we countered well, I thought we passed it well at times. Tansey was a bit of a risk because of the injury he has got but we wanted him in there for balance and his set play delivery.

“All in all everyone did well.

“The focus was on the defenders and big Joe got a clean sheet which was brilliant after the other night. Everyone played their part today and it was a really committed performance. We won tackles. We won individual battles, won enough headers.

“The winning goal was typical of what we were about today. Christie works as hard as any player but he has the finesse and he lights the game up. He is like his dad, has a bit of tenacity and temper and goes in for tackles. He does not like it when things are not going his own way. He was so unlucky not to score what would be a memorable goal. But there were four in the box and my right back is crossing for my left back to score.

“So anyone who doubted how much we wanted to win, the goal encapsulates everything.

“You would be right to say it was an ugly win but it was the type of performance that was needed. We got the reward for doing the basics right. More aggression. More intent.

“We came here today and people would have been questioning us and I get that because of the other night. But we have won eight and drawn one of our last nine away games in the league. So we know how to win different types of games.

“In terms of searching for that settled team, I have always been one who adapts to what we are playing.

“Our identity has always been pace in wider areas and handling the ball and looking after the ball. Our identity has also been to have three attacking players and players playing behind a main striker. Also pace and creativity but there is no point in having that if like the other night you can’t get the ball to them and you are spooked at the other end of the pitch and are giving encouragement to the opposition.

“I am pleased with the league start but we are still looking for that perfect 90 minute performance. Today was a bit more of that but in a different way.

“It has been a strong start to the league campaign. We have always been a team who are capable of going on long unbeaten runs. I am not surprised with where we are, but we are still trying to get a few players integrated into what we want.

“If someone had said to me at the start of the season, in terms of league form, we would be where we are, given the amount of changes, I would have been pleased and taken that. I am honest enough to know we are going to have to be better as we go along.

“The supporters were as miserable as we were after Thursday. Friday was just as bad. Saturday we started to build the determination for what was needed today. We leave today feeling a bit better about ourselves.”