McGhee on the "You're not fit to wear the shirt" chants

[BobbyBiscuit]

Dons boss Mark McGhee hits out at supporters for abuse during Scottish Cup tie

Feb 9 2010

 

MARK McGHEE yesterday blasted the Red Army for abusing his players during Aberdeen's 1-1 Scottish Cup draw at Raith Rovers.

 

Frustrated fans vented their fury as the Dons faced another embarrassing cup defeat and only escaped with an equaliser in the fifth minute of added-on time at Stark's Park.

 

But the Pittodrie boss insisted their bitter reaction was out of order.

 

 

He said: "I was hugely disappointed to get that sort of reaction. We didn't play well in spells but the players deserved a bit more than to hear chants of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' before the tie was even finished.

 

"It was out of order and premature because every one of my lads proved by the way they kept going right to the death they were playing for the jersey.

 

"I hope the fans who were having a go will now be willing to give them credit for that.

 

"I accept our supporters were getting frustrated because it looked as if we were about to lose. But this was always going to be a tough tie for us, one we would need help from our fans to push us through."

 

McGhee revealed Fraser Fyvie didn't feature against the First Division side because the teenager needed a break.

 

The Dons boss said: "Fraser was a bit under the weather and didn't play well against Falkirk so I decided it was time to give him a rest."

 

 

 

[Reekie_Red]

Scored a last-minute goal against YET ANOTHER lower-league team?! Whilst we're not daft enough to expect the win, we're all wise enough to realise that Raith should not have been a goal up for 59 minutes of this game! One of the primary reasons McGhee's predecessor got the boot was because of our cup performances. I wouldn't mind so much if we lost to another SPL team ... or even a team like Dundee who are clear promotion favourites. But Raith? In the grand scheme of Scottish football, they are twelve places below us in the leagues! We SHOULD NOT be losing or scraping draws against teams like this.

[Sharpie]

Loyalty to his players is commendable. I'm sure he is clever enough to use this sort of situation in his motivation of the players. I would prefer to see the talking done on the park though.

[Ptayles]

He should be keeping quite if thats his views. The last thing he should want is the fans on his back

[baggy89]

Signings who are at best no better than what we have.

Talking crap to the press and as a result more often than not doing the opposition managers team talk for him.

Embarrassing results against lower league opposition.

Having a go at the fans and telling them their expectations are too high.

Re-signing the "dross" (Foster)....

 

A few more pies between meals, a couple of sessions at Tan-o-rama, and would anyone know we had actually changed our manager in the summer?

 

*edit. Just thought better put a smilie before someone takes this too seriously. 

[RDU_64]

Was this chanting going on? Whilst I heard plenty, I didn't actually hear this where I was sitting.

[tom_widdows]

I didnt take an interest in football till 1993 so can anyone tell me if they reckon Alex ferguson would have come out slating the fans for that reaction had his team scraped a draw against lower league opposition?

 

Considering the way he reacted after winning the 1983 scottish cup I just cant see it. I know Mcghee will never be fergie but id like to think he would be influenced by his managerial style.

[mizer]

Was this chanting going on? Whilst I heard plenty, I didn't actually hear this where I was sitting.

 

It was one of the quieter chants and very brief, after another fuck up by the two in centre mid if I remember correctly.

 

No mention of the abuse towards you McGhee? Thats what this interview is all about.

[manc_don]

I didnt take an interest in football till 1993 so can anyone tell me if they reckon Alex ferguson would have come out slating the fans for that reaction had his team scraped a draw against lower league opposition?

 

Considering the way he reacted after winning the 1983 scottish cup I just cant see it. I know Mcghee will never be fergie but id like to think he would be influenced by his managerial style.

 

I know he got it at Manchester United when he came close to losing his job.

[tsr]

McGhee is doing the right thing, he has to be standing tight with his players in public and save any verbals for indoor! I am sure Fergie would have done similar, he was a master at when to back the team and I doubt he'd have turned on them during their crucial part of the season, similar with Wenger at Arsenal, its very rare that he will publicly criticise his side.

[dave_min]

I disagree with pretty much everything McGhee said after the game, but i'm glad he said it. If he'd gone to the papers and agreed that the players aren't fit to wear the shirt (they are not!) then that would absolutely destroy any confidence the team might have left, so good on him.

 

I've not seen anywhere on here McGhee's comments on Sportsound on the way home after the match when he said "We shouldn't be expecting going to Starks Park and getting a win" or something to that effect. That had my blood boiling.

[Ajja]

I only heard this song AFTER the final whistle.

 

That said, McGhee has to support his players publicly, they are going to be down after recent results and while he had better be hammering them privately then he should support them in public.

[tlg1903]

Really dave?  I certainly didn't expect to win on sat. Thought we probably should given the gap in both clubs player wages but it was a cup game away to decent, hard working 1st division side and to expect victory given current form is just a tad silly if you ask me. Christ man utd went out of the cup at home to leeds not so long ago, upsets happen every week in football.  I can't help but think a lot of people are making to much of this, we're still in the cup after all

[tsr]

Agree, although after Dunfermline debacle think we are entitled to be a bit concerned.

[dave_min]

We should beat lower league teams everytime.

 

No exceptions.

 

I did however share the pre-match doubt that we would struggle to do it.

[BobbyBiscuit]

We should beat lower league teams everytime.

 

No exceptions.

 

I did however share the pre-match doubt that we would struggle to do it.

 

Agree with you Dave, we should beat sides like that everytime but did I expect to win on Saturday? No. But I should  be able to expect that, and it's a sign of where we are these days that we can not trust our players to deal with these situations.

[Ptayles]

Nice to see McKimmie having another dig at the dons fans in todays EE

[octavion]

Fucking Dingus he should be coming out with something like  ...

 

WE LET DOWN OUR FANS BY NOT BEATING A LOWER LEAGUE TEAM , AND OUR INCONSISTANCY IS CAUSING OUR SUPPORT TO BECOME FRUSTRATED. iTS UP TO OUR BOYS TO PUT THE SHIRT ON AND PULL THERE SOCKS UP AND PROVE OURSELF TO THE FANS WHO DO CONSISTANTLY SUPPORT US.

 

He came out with something like that and I would feel he understands our hurt / pride / and frustration with us .

[Azteca1903]

Interesting words from him today:

 

"It's a case of me being prepared to challenge the fans and say, come on, we need more help than that.

 

"We want them to turn up in there thousands, and we know what it costs and we know the time they give up for the club. But we need them to come and believe a bit more.

 

"I've come here and I was told that I was an Aberdeen legend and that was going to count for something. I've made it quite clear from day one that I had a long term plan. This season I was going to try and make some change along the way and I hoped to bring some success.

 

"I don't think there is any sympathy.

 

"I don't go out in Aberdeen and get greeted by a huge wave of sentiment or warmth. As far as I'm concerned I am just like any other manager - you win you win, you lose you loss, and then you get stick.

 

"We're still in the mix at the moment, we're in with a shout of the top six and in the Scottish Cup, we brought in some money in January which we needed to do and this is all part of a long term plan.

 

"I'm trying to persuade the crowd that we are doing our best and that things will get better, but in the meantime get behind the team.

 

"I think the vision they have of where we are in the game is misplaced amongst fans, we have work to do here to get ourselves to where Hibs are. That includes working with the young players and, bringing players in, and letting players leave.

 

"In 18 months I expect to be able to say that I expect us to win at Easter Road. This is a work in progress and that is the thing I want the fans to appreciate. There's a lot of work to be done before we're anything like where I expect us to be."

 

Still a fair amount of displeasure over the fans' reaction to the Raith game, and even a cheeky dig at our expectations 

 

Of course the simple answer there is that we expect to beat First Division teams, period. Nonetheless, he is certainly entitled to criticism whether he's a Dons legend or not, really.

 

EDIT: Incredulity in full here http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aberdeen/8506969.stm

[tsr]

Great, another manager who wants to slate the fans expectations.

[tsr]

Nice to see McKimmie having another dig at the dons fans in todays EE

 

What has he come up with now?

[octavion]

Interesting words from him today:

 

Still a fair amount of displeasure over the fans' reaction to the Raith game, and even a cheeky dig at our expectations 

 

Of course the simple answer there is that we expect to beat First Division teams, period. Nonetheless, he is certainly entitled to criticism whether he's a Dons legend or not, really.

No hes nay fuck him and the horse dingus rode in on !

You don’t fuck with frustrated fans as it’ll only escalate things , Dons fans are some of the shortest fused fans in the league

 

 

[Slim]

After reading his quotes on the BBC site, he can shut the fuck up and get on with his job.

 

"As a player, I would have wanted to challenge that, prove them wrong," added McGhee, when quizzed about the unrest in the stands. "But I think we live in different times and different players take different attitudes."

 

The problem Mark is you've got a team filled with players with no bottle, no desire, no winning mentality and no pride.

 

"You've got a player, for instance Darren Makie, who has suffered as much, if not more, abuse from the supporters than any other player. Yet, on Saturday, I was getting abuse for taking him off."

 

So we're damned if we do, damned if we don't. Mackie has been dreadful in the majority of his ten years at the club, however, when he goes through patches of trying hard and playing well, then he does get praise and encouragement. Aberdeen fans generally give support to players who at least look like they're trying. The reason you got booed for taking Mackie off is that you took someone who was trying and looked like he cared if we won or lost and left a bunch of imposters on the pitch.

 

"I don't go out and about in Aberdeen and get greeted with a huge wave of sentiment and warmth."

 

I find that very hard to believe, in fact I'm utterly amazed that McGhee thinks the people of Aberdeen aren't warm towards him.

 

Comments like that make the club as a whole look weak and disjointed. He could have said almost exactly the same thing but put a positive spin on it at the same time. Something along the lines of:

 

"The fans are desperate for success, it's been a while for them and frustration does creep in, they're crying out for someone to stand up and be a hero for them and I truly believe we'll get there, we just need to work together and have a little patience because it'll be worth it in the end, we'll give them a team they can be proud of and their continued support will make it easier for that to happen."

 

I'm not sure what he hoped to achieve in that interview.

 

McKimmie can fuck off too, if Paterson and Maclean are the sort of players who'd go to a team where they aren't expected to perform for an easy life then we don't want them at the club. I'm not sure we even want them if they aren't those sort of players.

[mizer]

I said on Saturday, its as bad as watching games under JC but at least McGhee is less annoying. Just watched that interview on the BBC, I would like to retract that statement.

[BobbyBiscuit]

No hes nay fuck him and the horse dingus rode in on !

You don’t fuck with frustrated fans as it’ll only escalate things , Dons fans are some of the shortest fused fans in the league

 

No he's not a legend? Really?