Monday press conference: Sacking me as Aberdeen FC boss would be unfair

[mizer]

Boss McGhee vows to battle for his future

 

By Charlie Allan 

 

Published: 08/11/2010

 

ABERDEEN FC boss Mark McGhee today insisted he doesn’t deserve to be sacked in the wake of the worst defeat in the club’s history.

Headline of the EE but not much to read.

 

 

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6494997,00.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

Mark McGhee has again insisted he has no thoughts of leaving Aberdeen as manager following their record SPL defeat to Celtic on Saturday.

 

The Dons were put to the sword at Parkhead at the weekend after suffering an embarrassing 9-0 loss to Neil Lennon's title challengers.

 

McGhee has held talks with director of football Willie Miller and managing director Duncan Fraser following the heavy defeat, but refused to reveal the outcome of the discussions.

 

Speculation is rife that McGhee could be axed if they fail to bounce back against Inverness on Tuesday, although the 53-year-old would not comment on whether the contest is a must-win game.

Experience

 

"In my experience as a manager I've left lots of football clubs for different reasons, generally by my own decision," he told Sky Sports News.

 

"Whether that be because I've left to go somewhere else or whether I've come to a conclusion with the people around me that it's time to leave. I certainly don't have that feeling at the moment.

 

"I have regular discussions with Willie and Duncan and those powers that be. The discussions I've had since the game are as the same as others. They are private.

 

"The fans are the most important people. I think that this morning there'll be a huge disappointment, but there will be a huge feeling, strong feelings out there about me and the team and about the club.

 

"The fact is I'm still here and all I can say to the supporters is 'we're hugely embarrassed by what happened on Saturday'. I never dreamed that any team of mine could lose by a score like that."

 

 

 

[BobbyBiscuit]

"The fans are the most important people. I think that this morning there'll be a huge disappointment, but there will be a huge feeling, strong feelings out there about me and the team and about the club.

 

"The fact is I'm still here and all I can say to the supporters is 'we're hugely embarrassed by what happened on Saturday'. I never dreamed that any team of mine could lose by a score like that."

 

 

and yet there is still no apology.

[Guest ally s]

and yet there is still no apology.

 

You beat me to it. I can't believe it's now been two days since that debacle and still there's been no apology from McGhee, or indeed anyone at the club.

[dave_min]

No Mark, it is unfair on the fans that you are still here. Simple stuff really.

[manc_don]

Complete joke, as both Ally and BB said, no apology. How can this be the case?!?!?

[mizer]

And the BBC's coverage of this morning

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aberdeen/9164615.stm

 

Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee 'comfortable' after 9-0 loss

 

Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee insists he is comfortable in the role following Saturday's 9-0 thrashing by Celtic.

 

Talking to the media ahead of Tuesday's home game with Inverness, the 53-year-old said "he doesn't feel it in his stomach" that it is time to leave.

 

Discussions were held among Pittodrie board members on Sunday in the wake of the heaviest defeat in their history.

 

McGhee would not be drawn on those talks but repeated that he was "hugely embarrassed" by the loss in Glasgow.

 

A positive result on Tuesday appears crucial for McGhee, who has been in charge since June 2009. However, Inverness have not lost an away league game for a year.

 

Facing repeated questions about his future, McGhee said: "I'm a realist. I've been in the game a long time and I know how it works.

 

"I've left lots of football clubs for different reasons. It's generally been my own decision, whether it's leaving to go somewhere else or coming to a conclusion with people around me that it was time to leave - and you know when that is.

 

"I certainly don't have that feeling at the moment.

 

"You have a feeling in your stomach that you don't want to come in here or that you can't face walking out in front of the crowd.

 

"The day I have that, I'll know it's time up for me."

 

Aberdeen sit ninth in the Scottish Premier League, with 10 points from 11 games and McGhee's record of 17 wins from 57 games is under increasing scrutiny from disgruntled fans.

 

"There will be strong feelings out there about me and about the team and about the club," he continued.

 

"The fact is I'm still here.

 

"All I can say to the supporters is that we are hugely embarrassed by what happened on Saturday.

 

"I will continue, in my way, to do the best that I possibly can to get a result against Inverness on Tuesday and to eventually claw back some sort of respectability.

 

"I would never have dreamed that a team of mine could lose by a scoreline like that. I take a huge amount of the responsibility for it.

 

"Saturday highlighted, regardless of any circumstances, how much work is still to be done."

 

McGhee refused to speculate on whether Tuesday's game was a must-win for him and would not divulge his thoughts on what had gone wrong against Celtic.

 

"The most important thing for me is the Inverness game," he continued. "It's a good thing that we've got a game tomorrow to bounce back. It allows me to focus on that and not concern myself with what everyone else is thinking.

 

"We have another three points to go for on Tuesday and I believe that we have a team in there that, if we get it right, can beat Inverness.

 

"The reasons for me saying that are only going to sound empty on the back of the result, so I don't think it's necessary or constructive to try and explain why I feel that.

 

"We could play the best we have in 10 years and lose 1-0. There are all sorts of dynamics in football. Likewise we could win 6-0 and doesn't really change a lot. We'll play the game then reassess."

 

Asked if he considered stepping down over the weekend, McGhee said: "I have a belief in why we are where we are and at this moment. I'm entirely comfortable sitting here as manager of Aberdeen.

 

"The fans want to see passion and commitment in every situation, in every area of the field, every week. If we do that often enough, then I'll have the opportunity to explain what happened at Celtic Park. But only from a recovered position."

 

There is also a 7min video of the press conference.

[stoney]

and yet there is still no apology.

 

Paul Hartley just gave you one on RedTv 

 

There are a lot of people to blame for saturdays result, the players, the manager, the board. The only consistant in the clubs decline has been wiggy.

[maverick sheep]

Complete joke, as both Ally and BB said, no apology. How can this be the case?!?!?

 

I said when it was 24hr after the game, for no one on the board to have said one word to the fans is the biggest thing for me. I woke up today determined not to give the club another penny with things as they are. If they have nothing to say to me when what they've presided over has led to me feeling like this, then how can they expect me to give them any more?

 

I still don't believe Mcghee going would solve very much. I want everybody gone. Rip it up and start again.

 

edit - took stuff ott because I didn't notice the scotsman thread

[Penfold]

Just watched them both on RedTV.

 

McGhee "I'ts not about honour, I think you're talking nonsense there"

 

To be honest he seems like he knows he's going but for whatever reason he is still in charge for Tues. Hartley also point blank refused to talk about McGhees position.

[Guest ally s]

I said when it was 24hr after the game, for no one on the board to have said one word to the fans is the biggest thing for me. I woke up today determined not to give the club another penny with things as they are. If they have nothing to say to me when what they've presided over has led to me feeling like this, then how can they expect me to give them any more?

 

I still don't believe Mcghee going would solve very much. I want everybody gone. Rip it up and start again.

 

edit - took stuff ott because I didn't notice the scotsman thread

 

I genuinely don't believe the players McGhee has there are that bad. I didn't expect us to go to Celtic Park and dominate them but to lose 9-0 to someone in the same league as you is fucking out of order. I reckon with a better manager in place we'd be nowhere near the bottom of the league.

 

There is though, as you alluded to, a cancer within the club that badly needs ripped out. It goes far deeper/higher than the manager.

[dave_min]

Global shame:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/sports/soccer/08iht-SOCCER.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1

 

Awesome!