JIM SPENCE: Does anyone know what Gordon Strachan Dundee 'philosophy' comments mean?
Technical director Gordon Strachan says there'll be a new philosophy at Dens, but what that means is a mystery wrapped in an enigma.
Having shipped goals like a sieve last season, does it mean the team will be much less cavalier in attack and much more defensively astute?
And if keeping the team in the Premiership, albeit narrowly, wasn't sufficient to save Tony Docherty's job, what targets have been set for his replacement (the Dark Blues' third boss in four years)?
If Doc's results fell short of the standard expected, as the club said, just what standards are acceptable?
Presumably, the expectations will be clearly outlined to the new manager, and the extent of them may have a bearing on which candidates fancy the job.
It's one thing setting ambitious and exacting standards; it's another to provide the resources to allow a manager to meet them.
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South Wales Argus
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- South Wales Argus
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Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic vs St Mirren: Visitors aim to spoil the party as Hoops hope to celebrate flag day with victory
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Scotsman
5 hours ago
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The management team will watch rival teams open their league campaigns over the weekend in anticipation of a powderkeg fixture at Tynecastle on Monday. 'We're all getting out to watch games this weekend,' said McInnes. 'I've seen Motherwell, picked them up this season, and picked St Mirren up this season already. You always like to see what teams are doing, new signings and whatever. Like last season: What teams are playing a back five? What teams are committing to a back four? You try and get a flavour of how they're going to be and you always see what the new signings are like. 'There is that interest to see what players are bringing to different clubs, but I think tactics and systems can sometimes be a bit overplayed. I think it's all about whoever makes the good signings. That can be key because I think clearly there are a lot of people doing it their own way and a lot of people are investing money. 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'It's been a long week. It's one of these unusual weeks when you have to wait to the Monday,' admitted McInnes. 'Players had Sunday, Monday off, just on the back of the schedule they've had. We've worked three pretty tough days, three proper working days. We had the bounce game [against Dundee] on Wednesday. It still feels Monday is a million miles away, though. 'Normally, you get to this point in the week and you're getting the juices flowing for the game, but they're making us wait for this game. I think it will be worth the wait. I do think the positives of the game being Monday allows us to maybe get one or two closer to playing through the injury side of it. and obviously it gives us a wee bit longer to get one or two players registered and signed as well [Kabore and Magnusson]. We are trying to take the benefits of that. 'The game itself is everything you want from the first game of the season. A home game, live on Sky, sellout, up against a good team with good players. 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When the first game proper starts, as it will on Monday, just try and come out the other end of it with three points. Every manager this weekend will just try to get that first win as quickly as possible. We are no different.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Wednesday's bounce match at Riccarton ended in a 2-2 draw with Dundee. A number of Hearts first-team squad members were given game time. 'It was good. Dundee brought a strong team down. We had 14 training and we took the luxury of playing players that hadn't had enough 90 minutes,' explained McInnes. 'I think nine that played hadn't had 90 minutes throughout pre-season, such is the way. So, I think only [Michael] Steinwender and [Stephen] Kingsley had played 90 minutes for us in pre-season. 'Everybody else managed to get a bit of football and, from that point of view, it was quite a challenge for them in terms of getting through the game from a fitness point of view. They came through with flying colours. We were quite an attack-minded team with what we had on the pitch, but we competed well. Dundee got a lot from the game as well as we did. It's better for these boys to play a game rather than just continually training. I think it was much-needed for the lads that hadn't been involved as much.' As Scottish Cup holders who finished joint-fourth in last year's Premiership, Aberdeen again have serious aspirations under manager Jimmy Thelin. They started last season like a train but then lost momentum after Christmas. Winning the cup for the first time in 35 years brought a successful ending. 'I think they've got a lot of good players, first and foremost,' acknowledged McInnes. 'It was an unusual season from their point of view, how kind of up-and-down it was, but to finish the season with a cup win, good on them for that. They deserve a lot of credit. 'I think they'll be buoyant from that. A lot is expected of them again this season. Other clubs, ourselves included, have invested and are doing their own way of trying to recruit players. You're always mindful that others are doing their work well. We just need to make sure we try to do our job as well as we can. In terms of Monday night's game, I think it's a tough game for both teams, but hopefully we can make it tougher for them. They have got a lot of good players, players that can make a difference, and we've got to be aware of that.' READ MORE: Hearts team to face Aberdeen
