Derek McInnes demands that his players concentrate on their own performance and be as good as they can be when the Men in Maroon travel to Tayside on Sunday to square-up to Dundee United in the William Hill Premiership.
The head coach and all the staff at Tynecastle are, he said, seeking success during their time with the club but, there is a recognition from himself and others that there is a lot of work still to do.
He added: “We are coming from a bottom six team, but I don’t think that should necessarily stop us aiming high and trying to stretch ourselves this season. We want to be as good as we can be.
“On the playing side of it, manager, players and staff, our job is to concentrate on the next game and that will be the mantra going forward from us. We will just need to try and win a game of football.”
The former Aberdeen and Kilmarnock boss said that the manager and players all want to work for a club with ambition and he added: “Thankfully we have that here.”
McInnes has enjoyed the luxury of a full week to prepare for the trip to Tayside following their 2-0 victory over Aberdeen in their opening fixture in the William Hill Premiership on Monday. Jim Goodwin, United’s boss, has had Europe on his mind in midweek when they travelled to Rapid Vienna in Europa ahead of Sunday’s league clash.
The Jambos boss said: “I have always thought that a team with a full week to prepare has an advantage. Our focus from Tuesday morning coming back in (after the Aberdeen game), was on Dundee United.”
McInnes said: “I do think longer preparation can help, but it does not guarantee you anything. You still have to turn up and do your job well and that is the way I have always viewed it.
“Whether we are playing a team on the back of a European game, whether we are playing against a team who are in good form, or a team that is in poor form, we have to take ownership of our own performances.
“We have to concentrate on ourselves and we have to try to be as good as we can be and not hope that the other team is not quite at it.
“Normally, when you depend on others, you end up on the losing side and, for me, we have to be as best prepared as best we can and deliver. If the performance is good then it gives us a better chance of the outcome that we all want, to win the game. Hopefully, we will be good enough to do it.”
FOCUSED: Derek McInnes at Thursday’s press conference. Picture by Nigel Duncan
