The McInnes Era

thestooge · March 9, 2021

Been a while since I logged onto a football forum but social media doesn't really lend itself to longform posts. It's the usual shite I used to post so if you thought I was an arse before, this will only corroborate things.

And so it is done. The end of a dynasty. Derek McInnes departs, just shy of 8 years after taking charge of the perennial “sleeping giant” of Scottish football, having fleetingly woken us from our slumber. I’m not sad to see him leave, it’s been too long coming, but I am appreciative of the first few years of the relationship that certainly brought back a degree of pride to the club that had been all but extinguished after decades of ineffective management in the dugout and in the boardroom.

Overall, McInnes was a good manager for Aberdeen but he departs having stayed too long with his reputation diminished compared to his high water mark around 2017. For me, he was a safe pair of hands who Milne desperately wanted to make a legend, consequently, he overpaid for a guy who at exactly the point he'd past his best for us, we provided a bumper pay rise. While the League Cup win will remain forever in our history books, there remains a feeling of what might have been, especially from the first few years, and the two SC semis and 2017 final in particular.

Season 2013/14

McInnes arrived at an incredibly fortuitous point in Scottish football history. The departure of Rangers from the top flight was compounded in his first full season by the departure of the Edinburgh clubs, both also victims of poor managerial appointments, boardroom unrest, and financial mishandlings. With Rangers, Hearts and Hibs out of the equation, and Dundee United, though initially still an impressive side, also in serious decline off the park, the gulf between AFC and the rest was vast. McInness inherited an Aberdeen side that had been underperforming but that had the makings of a solid side, Anderson, Reynolds, Considine, Jack, McGinn, Hayes, Pawlett and Vernon provided an impressive foundation and it’s notable that out of his first foray into the transfer market, which saw the additions of Zola, Wylde, Flood, Robson, Weaver and Shankland, only Flood became a first pick, with Robson also contributing significantly despite his best years being behind him. Even looking back at the first tranche of signings, there were warning signs. Zola and Wylde contributed nothing and were gone before the season was out. Shankland, despite promise, was under-developed and moved on before establishing himself and becoming a Scotland cap. Flood though epitomised the successes of the McInnes era, taking the best of the rest in the league and exploiting the financial gulf between ourselves and our less affluent competitors.

Within his first year, McInnes did what no other manager could do in the previous two decades. The drought was over and Aberdeen quenched their thirst. On reflection, the route could not have been kinder, Alloa and Falkirk from the lower leagues, Motherwell a tricky away tie, St Johnstone in the semi, quite possibly our best single performance of the McInnes era, followed by Inverness in the final. You can only beat the team in front of you and fortune favours the brave, but labouring to a goalless 120 minutes and requiring the penalty shootout lottery to reach the pinnacle of his Aberdeen tenure was again indicative of the safety first, conservative approach generally adopted by Derek.

A few weeks later and with expectations rising, Aberdeen were back within touching distance of a trophy. Delivering two trophies in his first season would surely have established McInnes as an Aberdeen legend. He was unbeaten against his former club, and the 4-0 drubbing in the previous cup tie had many fans booking a long weekend in May, with a final against the still fragile Rangers a hugely attractive prospect. Alas though, it was not to be, despite an early lead, Aberdeen squandered their position and St Johnstone fought back, inflicting our first cup defeat under Derek. They went on to lift the cup, beating United, and securing their first of two trophies that makes them the second most successful Scottish club of the McInnes era, in terms of silverware at least.

Still, one season in, McInnes looked destined of greatness at Aberdeen, his January business had been excellent with the addition of Logan and Rooney to the squad, initially on loan but both signed in the summer and with a trophy in the bank and European football back in the calendar, everything was very much on the up at Pittodrie.

Season Rating: A

Season 2014/15

The summer signings provided an indication that McInnes wasn’t quite what we’d hoped for. Signing Ash Taylor once was unfortunate, that McInnes would sign him twice would be one of numerous examples of how Derek seemed to be stuck for ideas. The other signing of the summer was equally ill-judged, David Goodwillie should never have played for our club. It was an error of judgement to bring him in due to his off field situation, that McInnes extended his contract even after his on-field contribution had been so limited again reflected badly on the gaffer.

Aberdeen exploited the departure of the Edinburgh clubs to establish themselves as the second best side in the country. Although Celtic were out of sight at the top, the gulf between ourselves and the chasing pack of St Johnstone and Inverness was considerable. The real highlight of the season though was the return of European football. An easy win against a dodgy Riga side was a lot of fun, but the performance over two legs against Groningen was arguably our best European result under McInnes. The goalless draw at Pittodrie had lulled the over confident Dutch into a false sense of security and the red army travelled in their thousands to Holland to watch a 2-1 victory which was tactically perhaps McInnes finest hour, it was also Ryan Jack’s best game in a red shirt and the last truly great performance from Russel Anderson. That trip was epic and again it put a lot of goodwill in the bank for McInnes. The euro run was ended, as expected, by a Sociedad side levels above us. It showed promise though and surely the group stages would be achievable in the years ahead.

With another semi-final in the bag, Aberdeen looked confident of securing back to back League Cup wins. Like the Scottish Cup semi though, Aberdeen squandered their lead, losing 2-1 to a United side struggling for consistency. After knocking us out of the Cup, United lost 6 out of 7 in the league, picking up a solitary point in the process. Although great to be back competing, the loses to United and St Johnstone, both from winning positions, both where we failed to make a substitution before we’d gone behind, did give cause for concern.

Season two finished with huge positivity, the euro run showed potential, the cup semi was a disappointment but it was great to be back in the big games and a comfortable second place was all we could ask for. A few decent signings to augment the arrival of Kenny McLean in the Jan window and we could really kick on and a league challenge wasn’t out of the question.

Season Rating: B+

Season 2015/16

The summer window was relatively quiet though. The squad retention was impressive, with the other, relative, big payers out of the league, Aberdeen was a very attractive option. The squad looked good with decent players in every position, save a few question marks about the goalkeeper and the perpetual left back issue. Finally though, it looked like we’d secured our first decent LB since David Robertson with the arrival of Shinnie, a much admired player from ICT. We’d also, at least until the new year, added a promising young keeper in Danny Ward, on loan from Liverpool. That Shinnie was only joined by Paul Quinn as permanent deals was a bit of a surprise, although the squad looked strong, it would be a long season and if we were truly going to challenge Celtic for the title, surely now was the time to invest.

Again, Europe started brightly, a workman like performance against the unknown but accomplished Shkendija was followed up with another exceptional win against Rejika. Despite early pressure, the Dons back three had absorbed the pressure and after taking the lead against the run of play from a great Pawlett break, Aberdeen went on to dominate and the 3-0 win was convincing. Sadly though, the next round saw us comfortably beaten by Kairat. The tie was essentially over after 20 minutes. The back three deployed again but this time we were unable to weather the storm and our tactical naivety was exposed and exploited cruelly. It was a situation that would continue to haunt McInnes for the remainder of his tenure and progressing beyond this stage of qualification was a disappointment.

The league from started with a bang, 8 games, 8 wins, including notably a home victory against Celtic. It was on. Ward was looking exceptional, Shinnie and McLean had gelled well, Rooney was prolific and aided by goals across the park. And then it was off. Despite 5 goals in 8 league games, McInnes dropped Rooney in favour of on loan and unproven Josh Parker, and, even more inexplicably, the known waster Goodwillie. Having won 8 on the bounce, the disrupted striker situation lead to 1 win in 8 and only 5 points out of a potential 24. It was a baffling situation and a seemingly needless act of self-harm. Eventually, Rooney returned to the side and winning ways were returned to, 4 consecutive wins, with Rooney scoring in each led the Dons to 2^nd place at Christmas, just a point behind the stuttering Celtic. Again, the time seemed right to invest but instead the window only weakened the Dons with Ward returning to Liverpool, and a bunch of peripheral loanees departing. Simon Church was added, a blunt but effective tool upfront, something of a precursor to what would follow, but beyond that and a failed effort to bring in Tansey from ICT, McInnes had to make do with the squad he had. This was probably the only time that McInnes can feel aggrieved by the support of the board. Throughout his time here, he was well backed financially, even as question marks increasingly emerged about his competency in the transfer market. This really did feel like a missed opportunity though, an extra player or two in this window could have made all the difference. It wasn’t to be though and the season ended a bit of a damp squib, again, the loss of Rooney proved significant, this time to injury. With Rooney out from mid Feb until the end of the season, taking just 6 points from the last 24 (with 3 of those secured with a fleeting 45 minute Rooney appearance, and goal, between injuries). The Dons finished the season 15 points behind Celtic, we’ll never know what would have happened had McInnes not dicked about with the strikers before Christmas, or had the board been more ambitious in the window after, but that certainly felt like the one that got away.

Season Rating: B

Season 2016/17

Season 2016/17 started positively, Joe Lewis was the first summer signing and it appeared we’d acknowledged Ward’s departure was at least part of the problem from the season before. Lewis was an established Championship player with EPL experience. He was a big signing and a huge upgrade to the squad. Had the board learned from the January prior? Well, maybe, they did invest heavily, Callum Morris, Jayden Stockley, Miles Storey, Neil Alexander and Anthony O’Connor all joined before the summer was out, only Willo Flood departed, now past his prime and down the pecking order with Jack, Shinnie and McLean favoured, but were McInnes’s transfer dealing starting to unravel? The squad had largely been retained again and the depth bolstered considerably, but with the exception of Lewis, none of the new boys contributed much and the quantity over quality argument might come into play here.

The season spluttered to a start. I was in Luxembourg for the away leg against Fola Esch. The 3-1 win in the first leg against the part-timers had made it look like a formality but the away goal and a sloppy 1-0 defeat made for a tense final 45 minutes of the tie. Again, inexplicably, Rooney had been dropped. Stockley had started the home leg but had been replaced before the Dons took the lead, Rooney netting a late pen to make it 3-1. Stockley was favoured away too and it appeared clear Rooney was having to battle another inferior option for his starting spot. Again, the Dons were out of Europe before the season started, this time, disappointingly, to a Maribor side we looked to have the measure of. Rooney missed a vital spotkick which would likely have seen us through and the misery was compounded by a bizarre Shinnie og in the dying seconds. The league form started equally disappointingly with draws to Hearts and St Johnstone before Rooney was reinstated to the starting 11. Only one win in the opening 5, including a 4-1 spanking at Celtic Park was not how we’d anticipated things going. The return of Rangers was hotly anticipated and the first encounter against the filth was another of the high points under McInnes. Evenly balanced at 1-1 and with seconds remaining, the on loan prodigy James Maddison produced the spectacular to sink the scum and reassure them their return to dominance was not guaranteed. League Cup wins against Ayr, St Johnstone and Morton had provided another route to a final and there was a great deal of expectation as the red army marched on Hampden once again. Unfortunately though, the tie was over by half time, Celtic eventually strolling to a 3-0 win in one of the most one sided contests imaginable. The ref should have stopped it at half time, a TKO. For me, that was the moment the tide turned against McInnes, his side were completely out matched and it was clear there was no back up plan. The game fizzled to an end and Celtic registered the first of their trophies under Rodgers. This was a decent Aberdeen side, with the exception of the CBs, as good a team as we’d been able to field under McInnes; Lewis, Logan, Taylor, O’Connor, Considine, Jack, Shinnie, McLean, Maddison, Rooney. That is should buckle so completely was a failure of management and a failure of character that has largely been consistent through the remainder of the McInnes era.

The league form did improve though and between 23^rd Dec and 4^th April, 14 games, 12 wins, 36 points out of 42. Switching Maddison for Christie in Jan didn’t derail the season too much, if anything it only improved the league form, but not having access to Christie against his parent club in the SC final did prove costly.

Stranraer, Ross County, Partick and Hibs were all seen off on route to Hampden. Again, in a big cup game, the Dons took the lead, again, they couldn’t hold it, this time pegged back within a minute of scoring. The Hayes/McLean exchange will not be easily forgotten, one chance, out of all the chances over the last 8 years, we’d all want to take again. Rogic’s winner in the dying seconds was yet another question over the frail character of McInnes’ side. Yes, Celtic were a more imposing side than St Johnstone and Dundee United, but why couldn’t we hold on to leads in these biggest of moments.

Overall, this season was Derek’s high water mark, runner up cubed. Finishing comfortably clear of Rangers in the league, though 30 points behind Celtic. That last second Rogic goal brought an end to the first half of the McInnes era, it was the last time the band would play together in their original line up, soon Jack would depart for Rangers, Hayes for Celtic, McGinn to Korea and Pawlett, to MK Dons. Those four players had brought much of the shape to McInnes side, Jack was the metronome in midfield, dictating pace and tempo, a hugely disciplined cog in the machine. Hayes and McGinn had consistently provided the quality to win games for Aberdeen, directly themselves or through providing the ammo for Rooney. Pawlett had become a bit of a fringe player but almost all of McInnes best performances as Dons boss featured the enigmatic maestro at his best. Simply, we still haven’t found our identity since these guys left.

Season Rating: A

Season 2017/18

McInnes himself seemed to be considering his options and an approach from Sunderland could have resulted in a £1,000,000 windfall for the Dons, and with Alex Neil out of work, there was an attractive alternative potentially available on a free. McInnes turned down the English basket cases in a move that seemed shrewd for his own longevity, Simon Grayson eventually took the role, though there have been 8 further bosses since he took charge in the summer of 2017. McInnes was also financially rewarded for his loyalty, with a contract extension for both him and Docherty on substantially improved terms.

Initially, the player departures were papered over by the squad strength and depth, having been able to pilfer the best of the rest for a number of years, Aberdeen were still able to field an excellent SPL first 11. The return of the popular Kari Arnason and the acquisitions of GMS and Stevie May offset some of the concerns about the departures, as did the return of Christie, albeit still on loan from Celtic. Tansey and Maynard also came in with mixed degrees of expectation and anticipation.

The season started with a real disappointing Euro setback. Siroki Brijeg were dispatched reassuringly and a very winnable tie with Limassol was next. A home win, 2-1, set us up nicely but a meek 2-0 defeat in Cyprus left us unable to progress beyond the qualifiers yet again.

The league started brightly and the flat track bullies tag seemed apt, Aberdeen went undefeated in the league from 6^th Aug to 25^th Oct, when they faced Celtic, though there had been a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Motherwell in the LC, however, 10 games in with 8 wins and 2 draws was nothing short of excellent. That form didn’t continue though, first another disappointing loss to Motherwell before back to back games with Rangers approached.

Pedro Caixinha had departed Ibrox late October. Rumours abound that McInnes was the man they wanted to replace him. Despite turning Rangers down, and again strengthening his own hand here in the process, McInnes returned to Pittodire after meeting the vermin with 0 points from 6.

Just 6 months after departing, McGinn returned on a staggering and lucrative 3.5 year deal. It seemed an odd move. The player was already 30. Although he’d been very successful in his first spell, such a lengthy contract for a player most considered past his peak, seemed overly generous. It would not be the last time McInnes re-signed old flames against his better judgement. In addition to McGinn returning, Aberdeen added the croaked Michael Devlin to the wage bill. The player had suffered a serious injury in May 2017, he was added to our squad in Jan 2018, and eventually played his debut in July 2018. Three years on and Devlin has barely made 30 starts for the club. On the final day of the window, Sam Cosgrove, possibly the most divisive player of the McInnes era joined from Carlisle on a nominal fee.

Again, Motherwell ended the SC run, with another 3-0 drubbing, this time in the semi-final. The league form continued to be strong, though the first 6 games vs the Old Firm had resulted in zero points. A draw with Rangers in the last home game of the season, and a win at Celtic part on the final day resulted in Aberdeen pipping Rangers to second spot by 3 points.

Although Aberdeen ended the season just 3 points behind the previous years total, and although the satisfaction of keeping Rangers in third was pleasing, it was clear the summer rebuild had not quite gone as planned. May had not settled as well as had been hoped. Arnason departed having somewhat tarnished his previous status. GMS was largely inconsistent. McGinn’s contribution since his return amounted to just 2 goals. Maynard left without a single goal or notable contribution, despite amassing 20 anonymous appearances. Tansey had not proved to be worth the wait. Notably, the goals scored had reduced from 74 in 2016/17 to just 56 in 2017/18. It would only get worse.

Season Rating: B-

Season 2018/19

Rooney, frustrated by his restricted game time, departed for Salford and the English National League. In 4.5 seasons, he’d bagged 87 goals in all competitions for the Dons, he’d finished the season as top scorer again but with Cosgrove, still yet to score a competitive goal now starting ahead of him, the writing was on the wall. Further, McLean left for Norwich and replacing the outgoing talent was looking a near insurmountable task for McInnes.

The summer of 2018 really left us in no doubt that the job had become too big for Derek. Money was being spent but in a very haphazard way. The 4231 system that had served us so well for the first few years, save the ineffective tinkering with 3 at the back in Europe, was now less suited to the current squad. McInnes seemed unsure whether to buy players to fit the system or to change the system to fit the players. Had Aberdeen been able to make Ryan Christie a permanent signing, that may well have solved many of the issues. Christie had been a hugely positive influence during his loan spell. A true game changer, he was establishing himself as a top talent in the league despite his tender years. He was a player to build a side around. Unfortunately, Celtic’s transfer failings resulted in the Christie/Aberdeen relationship ending, a sliding doors moment which went against McInnes this time. Instead of Christie, the Dons added the hapless Gleeson, the hopeless Forrester, the largely ineffective Ball had his deal loan deal extended. Tommy Hoban was recruited despite a serious history of injuries. James Wilson was signed on loan from Man United where it was clear his time was up. Lewis Ferguson, still just 18 and with only 12 SPL games on his CV at Hamilton was signed for the future. Retaining second spot looked like a serious stretch this time.

The season started with the usual short Euro jaunt, the “glamour” of Burnley this time. Despite a spirited effort, taking the EPL side to extra time, the gulf in resources eventually proved too great. The league season started well enough, a 1-1 with the scum. Bruce Anderson netted his first goal for the club in the 90^th minute to earn a point. A debut goal, just minutes after coming off the bench, to score a vital goal for your own team is a dream very few will ever accomplish. Had we found a saviour? Well, no. Instead the still goalless Cosgrove and mis-firing May were favoured. The league form was erratic and neither Gleeson nor Forrester could establish themselves. Hoban was already injured. Ferguson, at least, had shown to be one of the best signings of the McInnes era, announcing his presence with a fantastic goal at Burnley and a string of performances way beyond his years. He ended the season having made 44 appearances for the Dons, scoring 8 goals. In what was a disappointing season, the arrival of Ferguson was a definite highlight.

The League Cup campaign was progressing better than the league, wins against St Mirren and Hibs set up a semi tie against Rangers at Hampden. Ferguson netted the winner and showed we were still not yet relinquishing our position as perpetual runner up, a position we confirmed in the final with another loss to Celtic, this time in a 1-0 defeat with the fatal blow inflicted by the prodigal son, Christie.

Then something weird happened. Despite little promise, Sam Cosgrove went, virtually overnight, from ineffective, shot shy, carthorse to the lovechild of Batistuta and Ibrahimovich. He’d netted twice in a comfortable 4-1 win against St Mirren in October, but the run from Dec until summer was remarkable, with a further 19 goals in 28 games. He may have been awful to watch, but he was proving to be extremely effective.

The Scottish Cup run, with wins against Stenhousmuir and QotS again lead to Rangers. A draw at home felt like a missed opportunity but we’d proven we still had it in us in the LC semi. In the replay, McInnes delivered another of his best results, despite Rangers intense pressure, with a 2-0 win that reignited the flagging support for the manager. Another trip to Hampden to face Celtic was next with a familiar outcome. Two red cards and a 3-0 defeat proved to be just another in the long line of meek capitulations that we’d become accustomed to.

As the season puttered out, Rangers had comfortably taken second spot. Worryingly though, Aberdeen couldn’t secure 3^rd, slipping behind Kilmarnock on goal difference. The two cup wins against Rangers allowed us to paper over the cracks and for many to keep the faith but really by now it was clear our decline was terminal.

Season Rating: C

Season 2019/20

Summer gave chance for a fresh start, having ditched Tansey and Forrester in Jan and with Reynolds, GMS and Shinnie departing in the summer, it did look like wages had been freed up that could allow some progress, even if replacing Shinnie in particular looked a challenge. The window was again damning of McInnes ability to build a squad. Ash Taylor became the latest player to return, a guy most had been delighted to see the back of just a couple of seasons earlier. That disappointment was compounded when the truly awful Main was added to the squad. James Wilson, despite offering little in his loan spell was signed permanently on a sizeable contract. Ojo and Hedges came in with good reputations, if not much profile. The marquee signing of the summer was the capture of Craig Bryson, a Championship veteran, on an alleged 7k a week.

The Euro provided the usual pre-season entertainment, RoPs and Chikhura easily defeated to set up a rematch against Rejika. This time though, the Croats were comfortable winners, winning 2-0 both home and away.

The season was ultimately disrupted by Covid, but a win percentage of only 40% was comfortably McInnes worst to date. Goals were increasingly a problem, despite Cosgrove remaining prolific. The goalless run for 5 games from Jan into Feb mirroring what would follow this season. Again, McInnes had to release one of his main summer signings ealr when Wilson was passed off to Salford just a few months into his deal. Bryson managed just 5 league starts through a mixture of injury and irrelevance and the eye watering salary providing only slightly more value than that of the managers. There was a brief moment of optimism when the January window allowed for the signing of a Ronnie Hernandez from Norweigian club Stabeak. Securing a Venezuelan international on a substantial fee was something of a surprise though it did seem at odds with our established signing activities.

This time, it was Motherwell who claimed 3^rd spot, finishing a point ahead of us after the season was called 30 games in. Thoughts of second place were firmly out the window with Rangers, despite a game in hand, finishing 22 points clear.

Season Rating: C

Season 2020/21

This season very much felt like the last chance saloon. The Covid situation probably meant keeping McInnes was the sensible option but time and patience were in short supply. Gleeson and Bryson were cut without anyone caring, their combined salaries likely reaching well into 7 figures despite their combined starts barely troubling double figures.

The striker situation this year really emphasised how poorly managed we’d become, how lacking in identity the side was and how poorly maintained the squad had been. We started the year with Cosgrove, Main and Anderson, not an attractive triumvirate at the best of times. Edmundson was brought in to cover for injury to Cosgrove, but he was quickly injured himself. Watkins was brought in to replace him and provided the platform for a brief burst of optimism. He was light on goals but his energy, connectivity and willingness to go the grunt work was exactly what was needed. When his season was ended by injury thanks to yet another unpunished assault from the arsehole Scott Brown, our season effectively ended too. The Jan window saw us switch out all the strikers, selling Cosgrove, releasing Main and sending Anderson to SPL rivals Hamilton on loan. Hornby, Kamberi and Hendry came in. 32 games in, the 8 strikers used by Aberdeen this season have contributed a combined 10 goals. 1 goal in 9 games, 2 wins in 13 tells its own story. The fact it’s likely Anderson will be Aberdeen’s highest scorer in the SPL while away at Hamilton rubs further salt in the wound.

Far from kneejerk, McInnes exit has been a long time coming. His 8 years can be defined by the old cliché as an era of two halves. The first was promising but unfulfilled, there were definitely highs, with silverware delivered for the first time in decades and some truly excellent European results but there were also missed opportunities and a failure to exploit a Scottish football landscape we’ll unlikely see anything like again. The second is defined by the slow but steady and obvious decline towards the inevitable. McInnes was well financially rewarded for his efforts. He was backed extensively by the board. The fans showed tremendous loyalty and many, the majority, are sorry to see him go this way. A more ruthless board would have cut him loose at least 18 months ago.

The Scottish football media will, no doubt, return to the tired old nonsense about unrealistic expectations and the entitled Red Army still longing for a return to the 80’s. The reality though is that this outcome is entirely of McInnes own making and ultimately stems from his inability to transition away from the side that broke up at the end of the 2016/17 season. Had McInnes himself departed in 2017, his legacy as the best manager since Fergie would be near universally secured, but the gloss has come off since then and his failure to stop the rot has reached its natural conclusion.

The next boss has a massive task ahead. The squad needs an entire overhaul. Two new fullbacks are essential, a new CB highly recommended, two if we can’t retain Hoban beyond the summer. Ferguson may well fancy a new challenge and the club might take the opportunity to cash in on one of few remaining sellable assets to plug the Covid losses, leaving only McCrorie as a guaranteed first pick in midfield. Hedges will need to regain fitness, Kennedy might get a new lease of life and fulfil his promise when not shoehorned into an ill-fitting role. All of the strikers need replaced. All this will likely need done on a significantly reduced budget as the ramifications of the last year take effect.

Cormack has been vocal about his own expectations for the club, expectations that do not appear to have been met but, however favourable the circumstance initially, McInnes has set a benchmark for the Dons that will be hard to maintain, he couldn’t himself, and this will be an attractive opportunity for many good bosses in spite of the challenges ahead.

I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

tom_widdows · March 9, 2021

Just dawned on me that Mcinnes is the first Aberdeen Manager to win at both Celtic Park & Ibrox since Alex Smith

Personally I'm happier with that than the League cup win.

RicoS321 · March 9, 2021

Aye, that about sums it up stooge. Harsh on Cosgrove perhaps! Wilson was actually given as many starts as Cosgrove before he went on his scoring run. One of the other persistent issues with McInnes was that every season he would dick about forever trying to find his best team, never giving one consistent setup time to bed in (this season very much a repeat of that). We'd always go on a run of points when he eventually worked it out (and worked out just to leave it). The apollon game was the biggest failure for me, but I wouldn't describe the performance as meek, rather predictable after scraping the home leg. It was crystal clear that we needed to buy a striker before that game, and we had the open goal of the shitey Danish team - already drawn - to get us the money spinning group stages. I'd love to hear the inside track on that. It was such a massive fuck up, and not in hindsight either. McInnes should have been battering down Milne's door to get a deal done that week, and Milne should have been insisting that we brought forward any recruitment the manager needed to secure the win (or draw). The fact that we went and bought May the week after was like rubbing salt in the wound, we should have just saved the money. I still can't fathom it. I have no doubt McInnes would still be in a job had we won that one as it'd have set us up for a couple of years and allowed us to replace the players who exited. For me, that was our turning point.

Also, I think you've neglected the club's role in all this. If they had concerns about McInnes' recruitment (which they should have), they should have offered significantly greater support. McInnes didn't scout guys like Wilson, Ojo, Forrester etc that's as much a club failure as manager and I think that if we don't put something in place that's better, then the next manager will be in the same place in 18 months time. McInnes was given far too much responsibility and I think that's a structural issue that requires changing.

Finally, I don't believe Bryson was on anything like £7k per week!

Edited March 9, 2021 by RicoS321

manc_don · March 10, 2021

Good to see you posting here again, Stooge! Looking forward to reading this on the train in the morn

scotfree · March 10, 2021

Top notch post Stooge. One of the best posts on here in a while. Great to see you back min.

manc_don · March 10, 2021

Great post and I think it summarises my thoughts and feelings towards the McInnes era well. I’ll be forever grateful for the league cup win and breaking the into hoodoo (which I and not Jute was present lol). Definitely felt that 2017 was the time for him to go and I do wish he’d left for the Huns. Would he have been successful there? Maybe, maybe not. He hasn’t necessarily proved that he knows what to do with money.

id rate his overall time as a B-, it really could and should have been much better. A second trophy would have changed everything IMO, and qualifying for Europe. Why he failed consistently to do that is beyond me. Yes, we faced some big teams, but there were also shit teams we should have dispatched.

I wish him and doc well, and I’m intrigued to see what cormack does to really set his tenure going.

ayrshire_don74 · March 11, 2021

Not one to use the DR , but i feel this is very much spot on , and at least a different perpsective to the pish that was on sportsound on Monday

John McMaster believes Aberdeen's sacking of Derek McInnes was a long time coming and boiled down to winning and losing with nothing in-between.

The Gothenburg Great and former mentor of the axed Dons protege insists a legacy of only one trophy after eight years in the post didn't cut it and the minute Dave Cormack replaced Stewart Milne as chairman, the dye for his dismissal was cast.

A record of reaching four cup finals and qualifying for European football seven years in a row will be held up as the McInnes legacy but McMaster believes it's that second best mentality of accepting mediocrity which now exists at the club.

As the search starts for a successor, the 66-year-old is convinced St Mirren's Jim Goodwin is the perfect fit to replace a manager who's been stripped of his mojo during this campaign.

He said: "I've known Derek since he was a teenager at Morton, he's never been the same since Cormack came in. He appears quieter and looks to have lost some power. He was given the keys to the castle by Milne but Cormack's taken them off him.

Cup Winners' Cup legend John McMaster admits time was up for McInnes

"Derek's always been driven in life, he's wanted to achieve things, but he was driven for himself, that selfish streak has never left him.

“It’s all crept up on him this season and I always felt when the new chairman came in, it was only a matter of time. By all accounts his wages were significant but it was the interest from Sunderland and Rangers which lifted him into that bracket.

“Milne loved Derek because he delivered a league cup trophy which was won against Inverness on penalty kicks and couldn’t see past him.

“What can’t be ignored is the failures in the big games time and again. When I first arrived at Aberdeen in 1972 I saw a team of losers and runners-ups.

A side which loved reaching semi-finals and finals but couldn’t win anything. I remember reaching my first Scottish Cup Final and a mate saying I was now a legend, I told him I hadn’t won anything yet. I’d lost in the League Cup and Scottish Cup Final but somehow I was a legend?

“That was the mentality back then and it’s crept back in to the club under Derek. He had to win trophies and he knew that. The fans will accept a few false starts, missing a few finals and semis, but when it happens five or six times in semi-finals and finals then something has to change as it’s not good enough.

“It took me four attempts at finals before I won anything. It’s about winning, I remember getting off the team bus after we won the league at Hibs and I thanked Alex Ferguson on my way off. I told him it was the first time I’d won anything and he shouted, ‘F*** O** McMaster, get off the bus.”

(Image: SNS Group)

“To him you were either a winner or a loser and nobody remembers losers.

“What’s happened at Celtic this season has been a Tsunami and Rangers being resurgent has also helped sweep Aberdeen even further away from success.

“I like Cormack, he’s up front with the fans but from day one I felt Derek’s days were numbered when Milne left and so it's proved."

McMaster also believes failures in the transfer market as well as bringing old faces back to Aberdeen were mistakes made by McInnes and a major factor in the disappointments of this season for a team who've scored only five times during this calendar year.

He said: "Derek's had his throat cut every summer with the players he's lost. The one's he's brought in haven't improved the team, the only recruitment success story has been Rangers and that’s why they’re champions.

"He should never have gone back to Northampton Town and resigned Ash Taylor. Jonny Hayes is an honest boy but you don't go and bring players who've left back to the club and Niall McGinn is another example. His ambition was shown when he left for China, all three came back into a comfort zone.

"It's all too mediocre, four cup finals and qualifying for Europe every season isn't good enough for me, I'd want to see some trophies.

"We are back to an Aberdeen being happy to reach semi-finals and finals.

"That's been a huge problem for Derek, getting to the stages are great but he needed to win them.

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The McInnes Era

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