Videos
The Manager | "my players deserve so much credit"
Derek McInnes:
Pride
“I am feeling real pride in the players tenacity to keep going.
“They never gave it up.
“There are different ways to win a game of football. You can do it tactically which we did not do tonight. You can do it through big moments individually or you can just do it with sheer guts to make the game go our way. And that is where we were.”
First half
“I thought the first ten minutes, we started really well. we went with a really positive team I thought with the two wingbacks playing as two wingers. We thought we would get more control through the middle of the park than what we did.
“After the first ten to fifteen minutes it was clearly not working and we were a bit restricted as to how we changed it. I still did not think there was too much in the game although Kilmarnock were enjoying the game too much. I was not enjoying that last half hour of the first half and it was compounded with such a rotten goal from our point of view. It was in slow motion – I don’t know how he can be spare in the box like that. It just epitomised how we had been in that last half hour.
“Clearly we had got it wrong. And if we had not won the game tonight that would have been the narrative. We would have been saying we picked the wrong team. I felt we should have had more control through the middle to allow us to go and ask questions.”
Second half
“We made the changes at half time. It is very unusual to make three changes at half time. You don’t see it very often. You run the risk if someone goes down injured before extra time. It was a bit of a risk, but it was a risk that we needed to take to be honest.
“I thought all three substitutes contributed brilliantly.
“In the second half, if we had lost the game 1-0 it would not have been for the want of trying. We did everything to go and score an equaliser. Thankfully Andy gets on the end of one of many crosses into the box to take the game to extra time.”
Extra time
“I thought in the first period of extra time we were the better team. Kennedy gets his goal. He was another one who carried the fight all night, he was excellent.
“The equaliser I was not happy about because Ash did not look ready to deal with the free kick and then we have two or three opportunities to clear it and we clumsily give away a free kick. You have got to applaud Brophy – just when everyone thinks he is going to smash it, he lifts the ball over the wall. It was a great bit of skill and a bit moment for them.
“And then the last goal for them, young Campbell has got to make the tackle on the by-line and big Mikey can not sort his feet out in time. It was a calamity goal. It was not even a dangerous situation.
“So 3-2 down.
“We told McKenna to get up the pitch, as they took Brophy off and put a centre half on. So we put him up but it was Ferguson who made the difference.”
Lewis
“The thing about Lewis Ferguson for me, the bigger the game the bigger performance.
“When the game needed a big moment he delivered. He could have done what everyone had been doing the whole game, laid it to Shay and he would have put the ball in the box. But he did not take the easy option and he drove into the box. He had the courage to drive in and make something happen. That is what I love about the boy. He gets us the penalty, it is a clumsy tackle from the Kilmarnock point of view. But it is a lifeline for us and Sam get the equaliser.”
Andy
“And just as we are sorting out the order for penalties, I had my five penalty takers, I turn around and Andy is running down the line like Ryan Giggs. I don’t know where he gets his energy from!
“There is another boy there – if ever a player deserves to win more than one trophy then it is Andy. Similar to our third goal, their defender can not get his feet sorted in time and it is a big break for us, no doubt about it. But no more than the team deserved for the tenacity of the team.”
Fitness
“Those two big moments in the last 90 seconds of the game is magnificent for us.
“It is such an important night for us and such a brilliant night for us.
“It is harsh on Kilmarnock. Similar to last night, you don’t see a game like that without two teams deserving some sort of credit. Kilmarnock deserve a lot of credit. They are good team. They have a lot of knowhow and experience.
“I thought the energy of my team was still apparent in extra time. I thought we looked really fit tonight and strong. Sometimes that can come from your mentality as well, but it is testament to all my staff and my players for being so strong and fit in those last moments. It paid dividends.
“We have won a very tight game and I am absolutely delighted and we now look forward to a Quarter Final next Saturday.
As One
“You see 1,200 fans celebrate with the fans and the club coming as one.
“When you see the players celebrate like that with the supporters, we have needed that connection, we have needed that big performance all season.
“It is almost like we have lit a fire under our season now.
“In the last few games there has clearly been a real improvement – we have scored plenty of goals. Performances are not perfect, but we are getting back to the standard that I expect.”
Ross County
On Saturday, they will be mentally ok but physically is a big issue.
“Hopefully Funso will be back. I thought we missed him in spells tonight. Hopefully he will be back and will train on Friday. Bit Ash felt his calf again, I don’t think it is too serious, but it might be enough to keep him out. Thankfully we have Michael there and we have some decent cover and decent options in certain areas of the pitch.
“Hopefully the fans turn out on Saturday and help the team because Ross County will be rubbing their hands tonight seeing that and then knowing we had a four hour journey back. With the energy put in tonight there will be a few tired bodies but it would have been even worse had we gone out of the cup.
“The fact we have managed to stay in the cup with such a spirited performance – my players deserve so much credit. We have taken a bit of a kicking at times this season – but hopefully now the narrative is about how strong my team was.”
The season
“I thought even the first game against Kilmarnock, there was a lot right with that performance. But it is results that matter. The cup is so important for our club. No one knows that more than me. Every team we put ourselves forward to say that we are a team that can win it.
“You can’t say that as a manager if you don’t believe in your team. I would not say that if I did not think we could win the cup. But we are one of the few teams at the start of the competition that feel we can win it and nothing has changed.
“Our club, our fans, our players need a cup run. Not just for the feel good factor but for the financial side of it as well. It also can give a shot of adrenaline to your league campaign if you have semi-finals and finals to look forward to. We have been that team who have benefited in the league from that and hopefully we can be that team again.
“It was a big win for us but I do feel there has been a real improvement over the last four or five games. We are getting back to a situation where we have a squad that is stronger because we have players coming back. And we are getting back to a level of performance that is more akin to the standards that we have set for ourselves every year.”