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Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes laments player exits after Celtic defeat

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments29

Derek McInnes and Niall McGinn
Derek McInnes consoles Niall McGinn after Aberdeen's Scottish Cup final defeat by Celtic

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes said there is "no shame in finishing second" to the current Celtic team as he lamented the break-up of his squad.

The Dons lost the Scottish Cup final 2-1, having also been beaten in the League Cup final and finished runners-up in the league to the treble winners.

Midfielders Ryan Jack and Peter Pawlett, winger Niall McGinn and defender Ash Taylor are set to leave.

"I just wish I could keep them all," said McInnes.

McInnes highlighted the massive gap in resources from his club to Brendan Rodgers' Scottish Premiership champions, who were unbeaten in their domestic season.

"My weekly budget for my whole squad will equate to one of their players' salaries," he said.

"We are working at roughly £42,000 a week for our whole squad and we've spent £200,000 putting this team together - one player.

"We rinse everything out of them and their application is second to none."

McInnes is understood to be among the candidates being considered by Sunderland as a replacement for fellow Scotsman David Moyes, who resigned on 22 May after relegation from the Premier League.

However, as he did before Saturday's final at Hampden Park, he refused to say whether a move to the Black Cats would interest him.

"This isn't the time to speak about anybody's future," said McInnes. "Today was all about trying to win a trophy for Aberdeen.

"I love my job here and I've said that time and again. I'm just concentrating from tomorrow on bringing good players into the club."

Pawlett, who did not play at Hampden, has already signed a pre-contract agreement with MK Dons, while Jack has announced he is leaving at the end of his deal.

Northern Ireland international McGinn and Taylor are also out of contract this summer.

"We'll get good players in to help the remaining players and we'll go again," added McInnes.

"It's been a fantastic season. It could have been so much more special by winning the cup, but fantastic none the less."

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29 comments

  • Comment posted by User0389026502, at 13:45 28 May 2017

    As a spurs fan I noted a couple of seasons ago we loaned 2 players to rangers.
    A question I kept asking was what if strong English sides loaned players to more Scots clubs, & thus leveled the playing field.
    The old firm have advantage enough , (Celtic get 12 £ mil Roberts on loan ) so the help is misplaced perhaps?
    I feel for McInnes, as if the fat get the food & the lean starve, its wrong .

  • Comment posted by User0406199541, at 17:13 28 May 2017

    I dread the day McInnes leaves. We suffered 20 years of absolute rubbish and he has really given the club some pride back. You have also got to be realistic though and for someone to suggest that next season they "must do better" must have a pretty short memory. Remember how it used to be under Alec Miller, Ebbe, Paterson, Brown ? Dons v Celtic is equivalent to when Celtic have to face Barcelona.

  • Comment posted by Socrates, at 13:38 28 May 2017

    McInnes may move to another club at some point, but Sunderland regularly hires and fires its managers on a whim.

    Aberdeen has benefited from McInnes, but McInnes has also benefited from the stable environment provided at Aberdeen. The grass isn't always greener...

  • Comment posted by User0772381544, at 12:28 28 May 2017

    Shinnie and McLean should play v England ahead of Brown. Taylor leaving a no bad thing. I still enjoy not facing relegation long may Mcinnes stay. Would be good if he could get us more than a single league cup mind.

  • Comment posted by dpdpdp, at 09:05 29 May 2017

    Re 21 - it can't be far off £27m. Brown £4.5m, Sinclair £3.5m, Simunovic £3.5m, Eboue £3m, Boyata £1.5m, Sviathingy £1.5m, GMS & Armstrong £2m, Gambia £1m, Ciftci £1.5m, Ajer, Christie, Dembele, Rogic, Commons £0.5m each - all cost more than the one transfer Aberdeen have been able to make.

  • Comment posted by David, at 09:44 29 May 2017

    The problem is the dreadful sky TV deal which isn't merited and keeps Scottish football poor. Despite a fraction of the resources the Scottish cup final was as good as the fa cup final. it sounds like BT sport's are willing to at least offer something more befitting. A club like Aberdeen with two European titles merit better resources than many no history mediocre English clubs who rake it in.

  • Comment posted by User0523680615, at 15:15 28 May 2017

    GG - when there is such a gulf in ability, all you can do is find a way to win. Playing a tiring pressing game was the option chosen that inevitably drains the players. Plus Aberdeen bench not as strong. Plus add on Aberdeen having 2/3 week close season breaks over last few years. Bottom line - one team has money the others do not.

  • Comment posted by banjoman, at 15:39 28 May 2017

    I admire what McInnes has done. Scottish football needs astute managers to challenge the big two. He may lament the loss of key players but the knock on effect shuffles down the line. How many key players have Aberdeen taken from ICT in the last few years? Don't complain. Stick with Aberdeen. Everyone outside the big two needs you.

  • Comment posted by dpdpdp, at 20:14 28 May 2017

    Celtic paid £27m to assemble their squad. Aberdeen paid £250,000 for Kenny McLean. The rest were out of contracts or came through the youth ranks. And the disparity is only going to get worse.

  • Comment posted by Toto, at 16:34 28 May 2017

    I'd like to ask a simple question.
    When are we going to have an even playing field in Scotland?

  • Comment posted by The Phantom, at 12:17 28 May 2017

    We can't allow the hurt of this season to harm us next season. We need a good recruitment over the summer to freshen up and keep the hunger there to rectify the losses of this campaign to turn them into wins next season. Aberdeen can and should be winning trophies with the squad we have.
    A good campaign but next season has to be better.

  • Comment posted by DonPerignon, at 20:34 28 May 2017

    MacInnes will stay at the Dons for at least one more season - reckon he'll get to, and thoroughly enjoy the Europa League group stages (what other clubs can offer that experience). The board will back him this summer (as much as they can), and he'll get some exciting signings in. Looking forward to it already. Only one leaving that I'll miss is McGinn, but Maloney and Wright could cover it well.

  • Comment posted by J , at 14:19 28 May 2017

    He can keep them all; all they need do is refuse more money.

    ~IX

  • Comment posted by dpdpdp, at 13:17 29 May 2017

    Brian, I pinched the post from another site.

  • Comment posted by Glen Haig, at 12:57 28 May 2017

    He'd be mad to go to Sunderland. Few managers who go to Sunderland ever leave with their reputation intact. Teams like Leeds and Forest, who seem to sack their managers every six months, may be more a temptation.

  • Comment posted by User0125605879, at 13:33 28 May 2017

    Sunderland, lol.

    McInnes is the messiah.

  • Comment posted by D1710717513057, at 15:12 29 May 2017

    Any other year and this Aberdeen team would have picked up a trophy. Getting to both cup finals and finishing 2nd was as good as it could get for them. It's inevitable that any Scottish team that does well is then raided by wealthier teams and struggles to maintain that level of success.
    McInnes may well feel he can go no further, you'd expect Rangers to come back stronger sooner or later.

  • Comment posted by AlloaSheep, at 22:02 28 May 2017

    ChesSpir, bigger issue is wages. Noone outside of Celtic could pay Roberts's wages and unless a premiership team is happy to let fringe players go and pick up the full wage to ensure game time, most would rather keep these guys for league/Fa Cup games or loan to championship clubs who've greater financial clout. Rangers should eventually return to a level financial field as Celtic, dons never will

  • Comment posted by Darebeet, at 16:29 28 May 2017

    Celtic treble and unbeaten? its Man City in League One basically, admirable achievement but not even a surprise, which says it all. Further to the outrageous wealth imbalance and toxic influence of the misplaced Old Firm, we have media and refereeing doing much to further their cause too, great. If only the 2 bullies had gone to English league years ago..should now form a league of 2, boring.

  • Comment posted by User0523680615, at 17:32 28 May 2017

    tzankotzvetanov - absolutely spot on.