DEREK McInnes would never make it in a Las Vegas poker school. Every emotion is written on his face. He’s easier to read than a pop-up book.
So, when he looks you in the eye and says that in a few days time his team can beat Celtic and reach a major final, you believe what the guy is saying.
The Aberdeen manager was in a buoyant mood at Pittodrie yesterday as he spoke proudly of how the youngest team he has put together over his six years in the North East have surprised even he by the way they have competed in the league -–and on Sunday will walk out at Hampden once again.
They beat Rangers in the Betfred Cup semi-final, only to then lose to Celtic, this weekend’s opponents, and he believes that five months on, his side can win.
And why not?
Celtic are hardy at their best. McInnes has beaten Rangers twice at Ibrox and also in that semi at Hampden. Aberdeen came away from Celtic Park recently with a draw. There is nothing to fear. At least that’s the message from the manager’s office.
McInnes is without captain Graeme Shinnie on Sunday and so will turn to the likes of Scott McKenna, Lewis Ferguson and Connor McLennan for leadership.
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The young trio may lack miles on the clock but their manager has faith in them to keep Aberdeen motoring towards a fourth cup final in the three years.
McInnes said: “I have mentioned [lack of fear] before. Young boys like McKenna, Ferguson, McLennan who’s come in this season, even Max Lowe at 20 and Sam Cosgrove, who is still young. Everything is new and fresh to them.
“I’ve had a few different squads now and what this team has is a real strength about them and resilience. Going down to 10 men at Ibrox in the league this year after the cup final, the last thing you want after losing a cup final is Rangers at Ibrox and then you go down to 10 men, when Cosgrove got sent off.
“I saw Ferguson and McLennan actually grow in that game – when we needed more they gave it. Sometimes when more is needed that’s when you find out a lot about your players.”
The match at Ibrox on December 5, when McKenna scored early and Aberdeen still managed to win despite playing with 10 men for a lot of the game, told McInnes a lot about his men.
Yes, they could play, but they also proved they were men in the way they coped against Rangers.
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McInnes said: “Ferguson had let me know before that night, and we knew about McKenna, but certainly McLennan. He was the one who carried the fight and kept the ball for us that night and showed resilience – there was no flakiness, no anxiety. That’s what I feel about this team, this squad. They just deal with the game. Where we’ve been in the league, in particular at home, [we’ve been] lacking a bit of inspiration and creativity at times.
“We have missed [Gary] Mackay-Steven, Ryan Christie from last season and Kenny McLean – guys who can make a difference. I certainly think we have gained in other areas. That’s come to the fore this season in some of the bigger games.”
Suspended Shinnie will be a miss on Sunday. There is no doubt about it. How much? His manager will find out soon enough.
McInnes said: “I can only really answer that on Sunday night after the game – how much of an influence he may have been. I can’t sit and dwell on it. Of course I would love Shinnie to be there but he isn’t – we’ve known that for a while.
“Graeme’s a key player but we have been without Mackay-Steven and Shay Logan of late, so we’ve had to deal without big players for a while but have still been able to win big games,” assessed McInnes.
““Do I think it is harsh – two bookings in five cup games – yes, I do think it is harsh. You want your best players playing and he is obviously a key player, but I have known for a while he is not available. There is not any merit in me talking about it too much.
“We have been without key players already this season. It is probably the season we have suffered most from injuries and in turn you find out more about others. We will find out a lot about my team on Sunday.
“It’s well-documented how I feel about Shinnie but we’ve known for a while that he’s going to miss this game, so we can’t be too hung up about that.
“We just need to make sure the 11 who are starting are at their best and we’re not getting asked about missing Shinnie after that game.
“We need our young players to step up and show their motivation to be successful.
“It’s great when you can rely on younger players like that. You tend to find that younger lads tend just to play the game rather than the occasion, which certainly this season has been a benefit to us.”
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What everyone in red must do is show there isn’t a mental block when it comes to Celtic.
Three times Aberdeen have lost to Sunday’s opponents in finals. they have beaten Celtic only once over the last three seasons – and that was when the league title had been won.
McInnes insisted: “I don’t think it’s different facing them in a semi than a final.
“There’s a huge expectation on Celtic to complete this treble treble. Will there be any more pressure on them to deliver that at the start of the game than there would be any other game? I would say no.
“I think we can certainly make them think about that during the game, certainly by going in front and laying the first blow.
“As the game progresses, one or two might start to think about that. It will be a big thing for them that and rightly so.
“I think for us, whether you play Celtic in the league, in Glasgow, or whether you play Celtic in a semi-final or a final, I still think it’s the same challenge for us. “
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