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."

 

 

 

"We shouldn't be expecting going to Starks Park and getting a win" or something to that effect. That had my blood boiling.

 

Glad it wasn't just me then Dave.

 

They have been, for the most part, fucking awful.

 

Simple cure all for nasty chanting from the crowd. Play better, win games. It's a simple formula and one McGhee should have hitherto be aware of.

When Hibs got relegated, they became crippled with debt. Even once they got promoted, it took a good six years to recover. It wasn't the relegation that sorted them out. It was the acute business mentality in the transfer market that got them out of debt, ie "he's valued at 400k, let's tout him for 1.5million". Two weeks later ... "oh look, we didn't sell him for 1.5million, but we did sell him for 1million ... which is still double his valuation"

 

Whereas at Aberdeen, it goes something like this:

 

"he's quite handy. I reckon he'd be valued around 400k if we sold him now. Let's put a 'he is not for sale' tag on him and tell him he'll get better chances of 1st team footy at Pittodrie"

 

Ten years later ...

 

"Is he still on our books? He never did fulfill his potential did he?! What's his valuation now? 4 grand??!!! Ah shite, lets release him for now to Peterhead".

Horrendous post. For a start McGhee is on a 2 year contract initially then it may be a rolling contract but definitely 2 years to start with.

 

If we have a few more bad results there's no way McGhee should be fighting for his career, imo your right in that McGhee's comments were stupid but your statements even more so and he doesn't even need to bother making the club look like tits when comments like yours are being bandied about.

 

I see your point, it's me that's doing all the damage to the club at the moment, I should take a long hard look at myself. McGhee was asked by a couple of radio stations at the weekend if he was worried about his job, and he replied to one in particular with a 30 second tirade of swearing. If that's not a man under pressure I don't know what is. As for his contract I'm certain it was announced as a one year rolling contract, i've never heard otherwise, and besides that a two year rolling contract makes no sense, at all.

“As a player myself, I would want to challenge that and prove them wrong. But we live in different times and different players take different attitudes. Some might think, ‘To hell with this, I’m not taking this any more’.

 

do you think that McGhee was having a a quiet go at some players attitude?

do you think that McGhee was having a a quiet go at some players attitude?

 

With hindsight, possibly.

 

However, as I've previously posted that was a part of his interview that had me raging. Not at him, but at players who he implied didn't have his attitude.

 

McGhee tonight stated to have said on radio " I don't work for Stewart Milne, I work for the fans"

I see your point, it's me that's doing all the damage to the club at the moment, I should take a long hard look at myself. McGhee was asked by a couple of radio stations at the weekend if he was worried about his job, and he replied to one in particular with a 30 second tirade of swearing. If that's not a man under pressure I don't know what is. As for his contract I'm certain it was announced as a one year rolling contract, i've never heard otherwise, and besides that a two year rolling contract makes no sense, at all.

 

How does it not? He signed a 2 year contract which after this becomes a yearly rolling contract, pretty much the contract JC and JN were on before Miller gave them a 3 year deal for getting beat by Queens Park.

 

Of course I may be confusing the two managers together but for me it doesn't change that you think MM will be under pressure if we get a few bad results which is exactly the kind of guff McGhee is saying the club could do without.

With hindsight, possibly.

 

However, as I've previously posted that was a part of his interview that had me raging. Not at him, but at players who he implied didn't have his attitude.

 

McGhee tonight stated to have said on radio " I don't work for Stewart Milne, I work for the fans"

 

What was the question put to him?

How does it not? He signed a 2 year contract which after this becomes a yearly rolling contract, pretty much the contract JC and JN were on before Miller gave them a 3 year deal for getting beat by Queens Park.

 

Of course I may be confusing the two managers together but for me it doesn't change that you think MM will be under pressure if we get a few bad results which is exactly the kind of guff McGhee is saying the club could do without.

 

Thats life though, it's going to happen, it's already happening. Simply saying he doesn't want to hear it doesn't make it go away. He has to turn this around or the media are going to have him for breakfast and considering he's already made himself a soft target with the way he interviews so 'honestly' it'll be a very quick meal.

I think he'll be able to handle the media and I don't see there being any major issues this season, obviously if we lose 10 games in a row including the cup tie things may change.

 

After much google searching it would appear you are correct about the rolling contract however

On the beeb, it says McGhee is on a one-year rolling contract:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/aberdeen/8087934.stm

New manager Mark McGhee insists he is fully focused on Aberdeen after missing out on the Celtic post.

 

...

 

McGhee returns to Pittodrie on a one-year rolling contract, having been at the Motherwell helm for two campaigns. The 52-year-old former Wolves, Reading and Leicester boss replaces Jimmy Calderwood, who left the Dons at the end of the season.

On the beeb, it says McGhee is on a one-year rolling contract:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/aberdeen/8087934.stm

If he has a long term plan why would he have signed a one year rolling deal

So he can get the sellick job.

I didnt think things were THAT bad under Mowbray

I think he'll be able to handle the media

 

Firmly lodged his foot in his mouth a couple of times already this season so I do not share your optimism there, despite how articulate he may appear.

I think the club favour rolling contracts to avoid big pay offs ala Calderwood. Think it suits both parties but for McGhee to go higher than AFC he has to have a prolonged period of success I would say so not to concerned about this.

“I want almost like a blind support, until they can say ‘you have had two years and signed 10 players and it’s not any better’. Then I’ll be down the road, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s a long way from that yet.

 

I've always said Afchat was a visionary website, they've been working on the blind faith from day one.

What was the question put to him?

 

Don't know what he was asked, read quote elsewhere during the game last night.