Reid eager to get the season underway

Aug 12 2010 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON Accies boss Billy Reid says his side will show Aberdeen every respect as they kick off their 2010-11 SPL campaign – but will be looking for three points.

Reid takes his squad to Pittodrie on Saturday looking to continue and impressive run that has seen them win three of their last four visits to the Granite City.

But he knows it won’t be easy against a side Mark McGhee has rebuilt over the summer.

Reid said: “The start of the season is something we’ve been looking forward to, but Aberdeen are a big club and it will be a hard game.

“We’ve done pretty well against then in recent seasons but that counts for nothing once the season starts on Saturday.

“Aberdeen are one of the top five clubs in Scotland, but I think they would admit they haven’t done very well in recent seasons – not for a club of that stature – and I’m quite sure Mark McGhee and his assistant Scott Leitch will be looking to try and put that right.

“Given our record in the past few seasons, I think there’s as much pressure on us as there is on Aberdeen, and I think the days are gone when Hamilton are not expected to win up there.

“Hamilton hadn’t won up there in 72 years and we’ve won three times out of four in the last two seasons, so that tells you the pendulum has swung slightly.

“But I’m not saying we’re going to go there and win – it would be wrong to say that. We’ve got to give them the respect they deserve, they’ve made a lot of changes and I watched them in a pre-season game.

“They might have signed the players that make them kick in, and if that happens it might give a bit of encouragement and enthusiasm to the players.

“They’ve got some smashing players, guys like Sone Aluko, I’m a big admirer of Chris Maguire, and Paul Hartley is a player I know from my time at Hamilton Accies.

“If their good players start playing then they can be a force.”

A fixture was added to Hamilton’s August programme with the draw for the Co-operative Insurance Cup second round, which will send them to face First Division side Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park on Tuesday, August 24, with a 7.45pm kick-off.

Reid knows John McGlynn’s side will be looking to take a scalp, and are on some form, having scored eight goals and conceded just one in the last two games.

Reid said: “We knew it was going to be difficult, but even more so when you think that they thrashed Partick Thistle 4-0 on the opening day of the First Division two weeks ago. They also beat East Fife 4-1 in the first round on Saturday.

“I think John McGlynn gets his players fit, he gets them playing for him, and they’ll see Hamilton Accies as a big scalp – but that’s the pressure you’ve got to live with when you’re a Premier League club and finish seventh place.”

In his quest to sign a striker, Reid admits he’ll probably be working right up until the transfer window closes on Tuesday, August 31, but does hope to finalise the signing of Joel Thomas on a one-year contract.

The Accies gaffer said: “We’re working on Joel at the moment, he’s been released by Colchester and there are one or two wee things to iron out. Once we’ve done that we should be fine.

“I’ve got one or two week options but that will probably go right up to the window.”

Accies go into Saturday’s game minus captain Alex Neil, who is recovering from a hip operation. Defender Mark McLaughlin is a major doubt with an ankle injury.