McInnes Frustrated Following Dundee United Loss

Derek McInnes was left a frustrated man at full time in our League Cup two one loss to Dundee United, and with certain issues in the game he had to admit in his initial post game response that he was working from his initial impressions, because the ‘Hampden feed was not working’ during the game.

Speaking to the Official Site following the game, the gaffer explained.

‘I am answering questions on incidents that I have not seen. My first reaction to Adam Rooney’s goal was that it was fine. The referee seemed adamant that there was a push in the build up. I think the reaction from the United players said a lot – I did not think there was anything in it.’

Describing the first half as being ‘scrappy’ he had to admit that he felt United looked the more threatening side in the first period of the game, and he wasn’t pleased with how we moved the ball around as we were doing it well enough, and were ‘too loose’ when it came to our possession play.

‘We said to the players at half time that they needed to do more. We get the goal from the set play after Donervorn gets his head on it. I thought he was excellent today from the first minute to the last. We then had a good spell and looked quite composed and very much in control of the game.’

The disappointment then was we became loose once more in possession and it allowed them back into it, and simply put ‘we did not defend the corner well enough’ and at one one it’s anybody’s game, especially with Rooney’s disallowed goal that would have changed things.

‘I thought we were in the ascendancy, it was a good response after losing the goal, but at no time did I feel we were in control or felt confident with our performance. It was nip and tuck and then we lose a poor second goal. It was very scrappy, we should have dealt with it at the edge of the box.’

McInnes adds that some players said they felt Ciftci was offside in the build up, but again he hasn’t seen replays, but in any event he knows we should’ve defended it better irrespective of whether he was offside or not.

‘It was a poor goal to lose a semi final. We had heard the pitch was poor, but it’s not an excuse as it was the same for both teams – both teams like to pass the ball. It was a poor day for us, it was a missed opportunity and I do not think we were good enough.’

He ends by saying that he thought the back four did very well on the day, and we coped with their attacking threat well enough, but our problem was the team in front of them didn’t do well enough at the other end.