http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22535083

 

berdeen manager Derek McInnes is hopeful of persuading top scorer Niall McGinn to extend his contract at Pittodrie beyond next summer.

 

McInnes is looking to reshape the side he inherited in March by releasing 11 players at the end of the season .

 

But the McGinn's 22 goals this season, which led to an appearance on the PFA Scotland player of the year shortlist, are seen as key for McInnes.

 

And he plans to talk to the 25-year-old's agent in the coming weeks.

 

McGinn signed a two-year contract with the Dons when he joined after leaving Celtic, who had sent him on loan to Brentford, in July 2012.

 

And former manager Craig Brown successfully switched the Northern Ireland international from the wing to a central attacking role.

 

"Niall is really enjoying being at Aberdeen," said McInnes. "If I take him at his word, he's really enjoying working with us and he is well thought-of and highly regarded at the club.

 

"Hopefully, that in turn will be good for us and we can maybe extend his contract.

 

"We will be trying to do that and speak with him and his agent over the course of the next few weeks."

 

McInnes said releasing players out of contract would help as he looked to add more quality signings like McGinn .

 

"We need a few more like that at Aberdeen," he said.

 

"Keeping players like Niall and bringing in a few of a similar quality is our aim going forward."

 

McInnes was also hopeful that Jonny Hayes, having spent a year at Pittodrie, would rediscover the form that made the Irish winger such a threat with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

 

"He's a player that I tried to take to St Johnstone, like Niall McGinn, and I was delighted to know that he was here," added the Dons manager of the player who joined the club last summer.

 

"It is all being well being a main player at Inverness and the likes, but I think it's another thing again to deal with the expectation of being a key player for Aberdeen.

 

"And we're hoping that Jonny, in his second year, having settled, can produce something similar to what he is capable of and shown in the past.

 

"That is the challenge for me and him to do that week-in, week-out."

 

 

One of two things will happen.

 

1. Niall will say "LOL no thx"

 

OR 2. Niall will sign after a long, drawn out wage saga and then turn to pish.

I'd like to see youth given a chance by being squad players, replacing a Pawlett, Miles Storey, or a Christie, but replacing arguably one of if not our best player with youth isn't acceptable to me.

 

I take your point, it's not unfair.  My logic on this would be if we took Mcginn out of the current side the remaining ten would be more than capable carrying a young player like Wright through his first ten starts. If we are to sign to replace him however I would be maybe looking at Stevie Mallan at Helen.  He's always looked very capable though I'm not sure if he prefers a more central role.

If we are to sign to replace him however I would be maybe looking at Stevie Mallan at Helen.  He's always looked very capable though I'm not sure if he prefers a more central role.

 

He's just scored for St Mirren just as i was reading this

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39482050

 

 

Its the hope that kills you sometimes.

 

 

We better Ferguson's home record tonight with a comfortable 3-0 win against Caley, we then pump the dead club on Sunday with another comfortable win, 4-0 this time, then on the Monday McGinn signs a 2-year contract. Not a bad week coming up folks 

We better Ferguson's home record tonight with a comfortable 3-0 win against Caley, we then pump the dead club on Sunday with another comfortable win, 4-0 this time, then on the Monday McGinn signs a 2-year contract. Not a bad week coming up folks 

 

Only 2 years?  I blame McInnes.

Only 2 years?  I blame McInnes.

 

 

Sack the board.

Well, interesting article about Niall McGinn potentially moving back to Scotland/England today. I know a number were happy to see him go, but worth a look? As I mentioned in the KM thread, KM, Stewart, and Christie out, McGinn and O'Halloran in?

Niall is a quality player and assuming that hasn't changed I'd be happy to see him back.

I'd be gutted if he came back, i was one of the cheer leaders when he announced he was leaving.

 

First of all his brilliance was very scarce, and secondly i want to see Scott Wright get a proper chance, i look forward to watching him more than i ever did McGinn (outside of his first season with us).

 

I class McGinn in the same bracket as McLean.... someone who has used us to their own benefit, which i don't have a problem with, but their lack of passion for the club is there for all to see and contributes to their lack of consistency.

I'd be gutted if he came back, i was one of the cheer leaders when he announced he was leaving.

 

First of all his brilliance was very scarce, and secondly i want to see Scott Wright get a proper chance, i look forward to watching him more than i ever did McGinn (outside of his first season with us).

 

I class McGinn in the same bracket as McLean.... someone who has used us to their own benefit, which i don't have a problem with, but their lack of passion for the club is there for all to see and contributes to their lack of consistency.

 

Excellent post. Totally agree on every point.

And I'm also of the same opinion. We would get 2 or 3 games of brilliance a season, 20 of mediocrity and another 15 or so of utter horse shit. Not worth the biggest wage in the playing staff he would surely demand on returning from South Korea...

 

Fartz or a lower English Championship club it is then..

if can get him on the cheap i would suggest he would be worth it a far more effective player than Mclean  his last 2 seasons here he was in double figures in assists and goals was he not ?

The under-rating of McGinn on here is chronic. When you look at his goals and assists over his time here then the accusation of being mediocre in half the games doesn't stack up.

 

With Stewart and Christie only here temporarily then it would be a major bonus getting McGinn back.

 

It's all academic mind you as it'll never happen.

if can get him on the cheap i would suggest he would be worth it a far more effective player than Mclean  his last 2 seasons here he was in double figures in assists and goals was he not ?

 

 

Yes. But goals and assists clearly aren't good enough for us!

The under-rating of McGinn on here is chronic. When you look at his goals and assists over his time here then the accusation of being mediocre in half the games doesn't stack up.

 

With Stewart and Christie only here temporarily then it would be a major bonus getting McGinn back.

 

It's all academic mind you as it'll never happen.

 

I agree. He got absolutely no credit for the amount of tracking back he did in all games, which was phenomenal. He was classed as lazy and disinterested when he was struggling - as all wingers do - to beat his man (we see Wright missing for large spells of games and will continue to, as it comes with the role). He never shirked his responsibility when tracking his man, which has been far more visible since Stewart, Wright, GMS and Christie have joined.

 

I don't want him back because the fans don't particularly like him, and I can't be airsed with the general abuse and pre-conceived performance criticism he gets because he looks like a sulky Tim fuck. Same reason I hope McLean leaves for looking like a sulky hun fuck.

Aye but the difference is that McGinn was a decent enough player while McLean is a fuckin arse.

The under-rating of McGinn on here is chronic. When you look at his goals and assists over his time here then the accusation of being mediocre in half the games doesn't stack up.

 

With Stewart and Christie only here temporarily then it would be a major bonus getting McGinn back.

 

It's all academic mind you as it'll never happen.

 

I find some of the negativity around McGinn's legacy bewildering.  McGinn, Hayes and Rooney were the cornerstone of the dramatic turnaround in the club's fortunes in the last five years.  He may have had poor games like anyone else, but he was easily one of our best players.

 

There can be no questioning that he was a massive upgrade on what we had been used to for the previous 15 years or so and he did give us some fantastic performances. I just feel in the last 18 months or so his performance consistency levels dropped to a level where it showed he really wanted to be somewhere else.

 

Given the choice of resigning McGinn ( on a free admittedly) or getting Christie in for a fee (750k?) on a 4 year contract, I'd prefer the board showed a bit of ambition and took the punt on Christie. If he kicked on at us in a couple of years we could be looking at selling him on for 3-4 times that fee. And if not well we know we have a player who is still significantly better than most within Scotland and who we get the best years of.

 

Bringing players back who had previously been with us generally doesn't work out too well. Joe Miller in his second spell wasn't half the player he was before he joined the dhims. Leighton was god awful in his second spell ( admittedly playing behind a defence that was nowhere near as good as when he left). Jess never really hit the heights of his first spell although to be fair he was consistently above average.

 

If the board feel Christie is too expensive....as an alternative I'd be happy with them going for Chris Cadden from 'Well.

 

 

McGinn didn't leave us because he wanted to go to South Korea, he left us because he wanted to get away from Aberdeen and play for someone else, anyone else.

 

If he does come back here, it'll be with his tail between his legs because he can't hack it in South Korea and no-one else wants him, his heart won't be in it. As much as I liked him while he was here, it's a no for me.

I'd say no because he'd become an even bigger target for the boo boys. We had him at his best but the last season or two he went stale. Can't deny his goals and assists were huge for us but we pass and move forward, he wanted to leave and doubt he'd be so passionate and enthusiastic to return.

Christ, he's coming back fae Korea already?  Obviously nae a big fan of the hairy muff. 

Never go back. Same thing applies to ex's as well as football teams. Unless you're russell Anderson

Never go back. Same thing applies to ex's as well as football teams. Unless you're russell Anderson

 

Did he have a tidy ex?

He’s officially a free agent again, think he’ll end up at hearts?

He’s officially a free agent again, think he’ll end up at hearts?

 

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/1849677/aberdeen-derek-mcinnes-hearts-niall-mcginn/

 

I've clicked the link so you don't have to. 

 

DEREK McINNES has confirmed he will join the race to bring Niall McGinn back to Scotland.

 

The Dons boss will battle Hearts to sign his former winger from South Korean side Gwangju.

 

McGinn left Pittodrie last summer after five years and moved to the lucrative K-League, but things haven’t gone to plan for the Northern Ireland international.

 

McInnes has kept in contact with the 30-year-old and will be interested if he’s available.

 

McInnes said: “We were always aware that Niall’s league finished up in November and I have kept in touch with him.

 

“Whether it’s a possibility remains to be seen but he’s a good player, someone who was very good for us in the past.

 

“I don’t think it has been the most enjoyable stint for him over there so far, but if we got any encouragement that he could be available for loan in January then it’s something we would look at.

 

“If he has the enthusiasm to do it and it could happen, then it’s something that we would enjoy.

 

“And I’m sure our supporters would love it, too.

 

“We enjoyed working with Niall. He is very well thought of here and rightly so because of his high level of performances.

 

“I speak to Niall often. We text back and forth regularly and he still speaks to the lads all the time.

 

“We have had to try to work with different types of wide players this season because you can’t always get like for like.

 

“Niall was a different type to what we have now.

 

“Someone with his experience and ability would always be attractive to us, especially as we have worked with him before.”