By Paul Third

 

Published: 04/11/2010

 

ABERDEEN hover perilously near the bottom of the Scottish Premier League but manager Mark McGhee insists results do not matter at this stage of the season.

 

The Dons have three huge fixtures coming up with a home game against Caley Thistle sandwiched between trips to Celtic and Rangers.

 

The Pittodrie club is eighth in the SPL, two points above bottom club St Mirren, who beat Aberdeen 2-1 on Saturday.

 

With just four points gained from a possible 24 the Aberdeen supporters are desperate to see their side pick-up some much-needed points. McGhee insists there has been progress, despite the miserable run of league form and his club’s season will not be defined by the next fortnight.

 

He said: “We may come out of the next three games with one point but prouder of the performances than we are following the St Mirren game. I am not going to concern myself with results too much at this stage. Once we have played Rangers we will not be too much further behind third place than the six points we are at present. We have won two out of the last three games, so there are signs of progress but there is also room for improvement.

Massive

 

“Maybe three games in a week was too much for Sone Aluko. We will find out soon enough as the games go on.”

 

McGhee insists he is calm about the club’s league position but he knows there is still massive room for improvement. Defensive deficiencies have crept into his side’s play with the players’ inability to deal with set-pieces fast becoming a major source of frustration.

 

McGhee knows what the answer is but it is his players who must provide the improved attitude, aggression, improved workrate and better concentration he craves.

 

He said: “Is it tempo, attitude or workrate or a combination of all three which is affecting us? It’s probably a bit of all of these factors.

 

“What I do know is when we go to Celtic on Saturday we will have to be ready from the start.

 

 

Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1991333/#ixzz14IsfrpRt

Some people have no ambition

I have lots and lots of ambition, still in with a shout in the cups, scoring tons of goals, couple of wins away from being where we want to be in the league.

 

Its snae a doom and gloom

I have lots and lots of ambition, still in with a shout in the cups

 

This is true, we are still in the Scottish Cup, WHICH WE'VE NOT FUCKING ENTERED YET

 

MMcGIG.

Thanks

 

I'm a slow fucker but im sure I will get there

 

Pretty amazing remarks from McGhee "results don't matter".

 

Awesome.

 

Enough.

I have lots and lots of ambition, still in with a shout in the cups, scoring tons of goals, couple of wins away from being where we want to be in the league.

Its snae a doom and gloom

 

Delusional clown.

Jute, you are psychic!!

Thats coming from Chris Maguires number one fan.

 

Delusional should be your middle name =)

McGHEE ASKS FOR DESIRE, CONCENTRATION AND WORK ETHIC AS DONS HEAD FOR CAULDRON OF PARKHEAD

 

Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee wants more than a performance from his players at Celtic Park tomorrow. He wants to see some pride in his team.

 

The Dons are sliding down the table. With four points gained from the last eight league games following maximum points from the first two games of the season, McGhee knows his players must stop the rot.

 

Easier said than done at Celtic Park, however, as Neil Lennon’s men have been the polar opposite in terms of consistency.

 

The Hoops have won 16 of Lennon’s 17 SPL games in charge with champions Rangers the only team to break the run when they won 3-1 at Celtic Park two weeks ago.

 

Not quite mission impossible for Aberdeen this weekend, but the manager knows the size of the task.

 

Whatever happens tomorrow he wants to see defiance from his players and said: “We have a huge three games ahead of us. Even if we had won the last eight games the match at Celtic on Saturday would be a very difficult one. If we didn’t win, nobody would be too surprised.

 

“But given our run of results and the performances, I am looking for something more at Parkhead.

 

“I am looking for more desire, better concentration and work ethic. We could do all of that to the best of our ability and still lose, so the result comes secondary to an extent. But whatever happens I want to be coming away from Glasgow having shown a message of intent from my players for the Caley Thistle game next midweek.

 

“I want to see the spirit and attitude which will make me believe it will be better.”

 

McGhee will urge his side to heed the painful lessons St Johnstone learned when they faced Celtic in Glasgow.

 

The Dons have failed to keep a clean sheet in the last 10 games.

 

With his players struggling to keep the ball out of their own net, McGhee had told his charges to remember how Saints fared against the Bhoys in recent matches.

 

Saints trailed 3-0 following 15 minutes in the League Cup but rallied before losing 3-2. Last Saturday Lennon’s team raced into an early lead again, scoring in the opening 70 seconds and McGhee knows his players can ill-afford to follow suit at Celtic Park.

 

He said: “We need to find an answer before we go to Celtic Park because if we start the game there the same as we have started the last two games we will be three or four-nil down at half-time.

 

“St Johnstone did well to come back in the cup against Celtic, but on the whole if you go 3-0 down to Celtic there is no way back.”

 

Nikola Vujadinovic is still struggling with a hamstring injury while Andrew Considine is doubtful.

 

Andrius Velicka is expected to be on the bench as he continues to work on improving his fitness.

 

Got to say like, it's a great feeling going into games with the result being insignificant. Takes a lot of pressure to be honest, and just allows you to enjoy the game regardless of the skelping you're being handed. If this it what we were in transition to, I'm all for it.

McGhee just found out he has chlamydia, but isn't worried by the result.

Kind of contradicts himself in the BBC pre match report today.

 

 

 

Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee: "The biggest thing for me is a result and I still believe the best route to a result at Parkhead or anywhere is by playing well."

"Everything in training points to us being up for it, being sharp enough, being fit enough, being willing enough.

"The best team Aberdeen have had over the last 20 years haven't won all that often at Parkhead.

"But I think we have enough about us to put up some sort of performance which would at least make Celtic earn a result."