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.

Great news, will make a difference in most games. Gives the manager real options in how to set up with Stewart, Christie, May and GMS, a lot of creativity and hopefully goals.

Happy with him returning. I have to admit to writing some shite about him at times, especially when he played his heroes, but we do miss him from the team.

Very good news. A talented footballer who can score and provide.

 

Good negotiation by him to get 3.5 years out of AFC. Hope his motivation and his legs lasts that long, the former determining the latter of course.

Aye, 3.5 years is a long time for a 30 year old. But it's fine, it gives him the security he needs at that time in his career. We're nae obliged to keep him if he starts to play badly in a couple of years time, and ye'd hope he'd need a limited pay-off to go elsewhere if that were the case. Be interesting to see if he's fit for Saturday. I'd be inclined to leave him out until after the break to ensure he's a hunner percent - based on nothing. It puts Wright further down the pecking order again, which is a shame, but he's not taken his opportunity to the extent I think he could have.

Ya beauty.

Three and a half year deal surprises me though.

 

My reaction too. Delighted to have him back and I expect a motivated McGinn to have a clear influence on the team. Too long of a contract though, but I guess that shows how badly we need him, and it took that to get him ahead of the Edinburgh clubs. Good signing!

So is Nicky Maynard giving him his number 10 shirt back since he doesn’t use it?

Aye, 3.5 years is a long time for a 30 year old. But it's fine, it gives him the security he needs at that time in his career. We're nae obliged to keep him if he starts to play badly in a couple of years time, and ye'd hope he'd need a limited pay-off to go elsewhere if that were the case. Be interesting to see if he's fit for Saturday. I'd be inclined to leave him out until after the break to ensure he's a hunner percent - based on nothing. It puts Wright further down the pecking order again, which is a shame, but he's not taken his opportunity to the extent I think he could have.

 

Won't be involved on Saturday Rico as doesn't officially rejoin until Monday.

Maynard canna just get tae fuck

 

He can fuckin get tae fuckity fuck.

 

Carved a place for himself at the top of the useless bastards you have seen turn out for the Dons league.

 

 

 

 

 

As predicted by me at half time of the first game of the season.

Won't be involved on Saturday Rico as doesn't officially rejoin until Monday.

 

How come though? He’s a free agent?

 

Great news though! Lovely wee belated Christmas present! Shows intent from both mcginn and DM

Best xmas present I've had this year!

How come though? He’s a free agent?

 

Great news though! Lovely wee belated Christmas present! Shows intent from both mcginn and DM

 

Released after last window closed so cannot sign until next one opens.

He can (and has) signed

 

However cannot be registered with SFA till 1st therefore cannot play Sat

He can (and has) signed

 

However cannot be registered with SFA till 1st therefore cannot play Sat

 

So odds on Maynard being punted and McGinn being #10 for the St. Mirren game? I’d say pretty good.

I wish I had your optimism regarding the punting of Maynard.

 

Just cant see anyone wanting to take over his contract....and to think we sold Stockley who is banging them in for fun for Exeter. Yes I accept the difference in level but I know which one I'd rather have in the squad right now.

 

Our best hope of getting rid of wine gums is to teach him the words to the Sash/Derrys Walls/No Pope of Rome then have him chaffeured down to Ibrokes and tell him to sing as if he was on Songs of Praise. Surely to fuck sevco would bite.......

Brilliant news! 

I'm surprised at the length of the contract. But, I think that may have been one of the things that swung him coming back. It will be great to see him fire in balls from the wing again.  It will also be interesting to see the effect in May's game. I think he will thrive on the better service that McGinn can bring. 

Brilliant news! 

I'm surprised at the length of the contract. But, I think that may have been one of the things that swung him coming back. It will be great to see him fire in balls from the wing again.  It will also be interesting to see the effect in May's game. I think he will thrive on the better service that McGinn can bring.

 

Think this is key.  Rooney hasn't been great this season but the service has been the worst it ever has been (in this team) so it's hardly surprising given that balls like the one Christie set him up with have been lacking. I'd like to hope that McGinn will allow us to make the most of both strikers' attributes. Might be the type of player to help May get a bit of a run going.

What a signing, goals and assists already, and no coincidence we've scored 14 goals in the four games he's been back. Wouldn't be surprised to see Stewart's playing time lessen and he'll disappear in the summer. Getting McGinn has been huge for us, plus the boost to the team is pretty clear.

60 league goals in 183 matches.

 

For a guy who isn't an out and out striker that is fantastic.  Doesn't take into account the number he sets up. That some people thought we'd be better without McGinn is utterly laughable. We've scored 10 in the 3 games he's started since coming back, it's no coincidence.

Yesterday wasn't his best game - nor was it a good team performance - but he still scored.

 

In the second half, it reminded me how much better-than-average he actually is. He kind of drops his shoulder when shifting direction and sort of "ghosts" into positions to cross into the box. He's been a breath of fresh air this time round and given GMS's twinkle toes performance yesterday and Ryan Christie also being pretty ineffective for the most part, McGinn is filling one of our gaps in comfort and style.

McGinn’s great in that he just needs to steal a single yard to be able to deliver a dangerous cross into the box, even from difficult angles.

 

GMS seems to need at least a quarter of the length of the pitch and to run at full pelt to get past the full back and get a cross in.

Yesterday wasn't his best game - nor was it a good team performance - but he still scored.

 

In the second half, it reminded me how much better-than-average he actually is. He kind of drops his shoulder when shifting direction and sort of "ghosts" into positions to cross into the box. He's been a breath of fresh air this time round and given GMS's twinkle toes performance yesterday and Ryan Christie also being pretty ineffective for the most part, McGinn is filling one of our gaps in comfort and style.

 

I always thought he would be the bigger loss between him and Hayes. It's the subtlety of McGinn we've missed.

 

Hayes was all action and lifted the team, but a lot of the time we got through trudged and stifled games with a McGinn goal or assist – the main example of this was the 1-1 draw with Killie up here pre-Clarke; I remember telling the guys I was with that it was game we missed missed McGinn and it was exactly the type of game he would of scored. Needless to say I was happy to see him re-sign!

 

As much as he drifts in and out of games, he’ll give you 5-10 minutes of something to help you score.

 

It also looks like the 6 months sabbatical across the world has done him a world of good. The Euros and early Europa league campaign really did knacker him early last season. He’s influenced every game he’s stated now; and it’s no wonder we’re on the goal  rampage again with him back!

 

GMS seems to need at least a quarter of the length of the pitch and to run at full pelt to get past the full back and get a cross in.

 

Similar to what SdG mentions above, you could easily have applied this statement to Hayes. Just that Hayes managed it more consistently than GMS.

Niall McGinn though is really showing how much we missed him and I was one of the fuds who wanted him away at the end of last season, shows you I know sweet FA. 

 

 

I always thought he would be the bigger loss between him and Hayes. It's the subtlety of McGinn we've missed.

 

Hayes was all action and lifted the team, but a lot of the time we got through trudged and stifled games with a McGinn goal or assist – the main example of this was the 1-1 draw with Killie up here pre-Clarke; I remember telling the guys I was with that it was game we missed missed McGinn and it was exactly the type of game he would of scored. Needless to say I was happy to see him re-sign!

 

As much as he drifts in and out of games, he’ll give you 5-10 minutes of something to help you score.

 

It also looks like the 6 months sabbatical across the world has done him a world of good. The Euros and early Europa league campaign really did knacker him early last season. He’s influenced every game he’s stated now; and it’s no wonder we’re on the goal  rampage again with him back!

 

There is no doubt that he had got stale in his last seasons with us. He was always capable of a much better average performance than he delivered. He was sometimes sublime but too often happy to exist in a team of journeymen who were never good enough to win anything.

 

I remember that goal at Tynecastle when he crossed for Hayes and another time at Tynecastle, he took it from the left corner flag, ghosted past a bunch and buried it to give a commanding lead in the first half (3-0 I think and he may have scored more than 1 that day).

 

On the other hand, he never showed that degree of passion and desire often enough and whilst I criticised him as "lazy" in previous seasons, others misinterpreted this as physical laziness where I was talking about his motivation issues.

 

When he reflects back on his career, I would imagine that he must admit that he's been an underperformer. He's a quality act, far superior to the average we've had at AFC the whole of this century, one of the more gifted footballers that we've had but AFC is an easy life for him. He never challenged himself to be the best he could be but then again, the vast majority don't either.

 

A frustrating footballer sometimes but totally galvanised by his time in Korea. Hopefully he will work his bollocks off in these swansong last years of his career but given his previous, I don't see him keeping it up with the same consistency that the best (in any sport) do.

Looks familiar....