Aberdeen v Hearts: McInnes in place but will not make presence felt until after league split

ABERDEEN will have two managers watching over them today.

It has been evident for some time that the squad could do with some extra help, although Derek McInnes will restrict himself simply to observing from the stand as Craig Brown instructs the side at Pittodrie for the final time. The Aberdeen manager will be relieved by McInnes when the Clydesdale Bank Premier League splits.

The former Bristol City manager was appointed Brown's successor earlier this week but it was agreed he would remain unseen by the players until after Brown had shuffled off upstairs to take up a role as a non-executive director. His presence in the stand during a match with Hearts today will allow him to quietly jot down some notes about his new side, then, although he is likely to be offered some helpful pointers from a home support that will find a bottom-six finish to be quite unpalatable.

It will be up to McInnes to serve up something different next season and he has already been issued with a list of those Aberdeen players that are out of contract in the summer; Gavin Rae, Isaac Osbourne, Rob Milsom, Josh Magennis, Gary Naysmith, Scott Vernon and Rory Fallon all among them. It will be up to McInnes as to how he clears out the cupboards.

"We have discussed the overlap and it was my feeling that it would be better if they came into the dressing room when it is their team," said Brown, who will retire from management following a trip to Dundee United next week. "I said they could come in if they wanted and also to the training sessions. He declined and said he wanted to wait until it was his team. He was adamant about that."

Aberdeen could be without Ryan Jack this afternoon after the full-back suffered an injury while on Scotland under-21 duty, but Vernon acknowledged that those playing will be aware they are being assessed by McInnes. "We will be trying to impress him," said the Aberdeen striker. He has scored just twice since October.

One member of the Aberdeen team has already left an impression, though, albeit on an opponent. Jamie MacDonald, the Hearts goalkeeper, will be situated at the other end of the pitch to Jamie Langfield but his admiration for his Aberdeen counterpart knows no bounds since Langfield returned to competitive action just five months after a brain seizure.

Langfield will today wear special signed gloves which are to be auctioned off in aid of charity. "He's a credit to the profession because it's something you can't imagine happening to yourself," said MacDonald. "He's an inspiration, really."

Taken from the Herald