McGhee: Aberdeen game is Uefa Cup key

May 8 2008

MARK McGhee believes a win against Aberdeen on Saturday will book Motherwell’s passport to Europe.

The visit of Jimmy Calderwood’s Dons has been viewed as being so crucial that the Fir Park gaffer rested top stars for their double-header against SPL challengers Celtic and Rangers this week.

And the club has slashed prices to just £5 for all supporters of both clubs in a bid to entice a bumper crowd to Fir Park.

McGhee said: “The Aberdeen game is the most important game of our run-in, and these are the games we should be thinking we can win, not against Celtic and Rangers, which as we keep saying are bonus points.

“I think if we win the Aberdeen game we probably won’t have to even beat Hibs. We’ll probably have to go there and not get beaten, to make sure that we get that third spot.

“Games between ourselves and Aberdeen are usually crackers and I hope this is no different, but at the end of the day results are the most important thing at this stage, and we want to win the game — so if it isn’t entertaining next Saturday I really don’t give a monkey’s.”

McGhee was pleased with his side’s performance in the 2-1 defeat by Celtic last Saturday, but was disappointed not to take anything from it.
He said: “I thought it was a cracking game on Saturday and it was probably entertaining for those watching.

“There was plenty of action, but I’m disappointed that we didn’t get anything out of it, because we made a big contribution to the game.

“However, it gives us a lift to be able to put in that kind of performance against Celtic, and I said to the boys that they looked like a seriously good, well-organised football team.

“We didn’t just look like a team with a lot of attacking flair — we looked well organised and like we knew what we were about, which was good, and I was pleased with that.”

Striker Ross McCormack was this week named in the full Scotland squad to face the Czech Republic in a friendly in Prague on May 30.

Motherwell last night (Wednesday) lost 1-0 at Rangers, with Ibrox captain Barry Ferguson scoring the only goal of the game.