Source: Team_Talk
Lasley expects better from Dons
Motherwell midfielder Keith Lasley expects to face an improved and attack-minded Aberdeen now his former manager Mark McGhee has made his mark.[LNB] Lasley, now in his ninth season as a first-team player at Fir Park, admits the first year under McGhee was his most enjoyable as a footballer.[LNB]McGhee led the Steelmen to third place in the Scottish Premier League as he continued a trend of making a positive initial impact at clubs he has managed throughout his career.[LNB]That sequence came to an abrupt halt last season when the former Reading, Leicester, Wolves, Millwall and Brighton boss endured a disappointing campaign at Pittodrie.[LNB]The Dons finished ninth in the SPL and crashed out of both cup competitions to lower-league opposition.[LNB]But, despite losing their last two league games, Aberdeen travel to Fir Park tomorrow in third place, ahead of Motherwell on goal difference.[LNB]McGhee has added strikers Scott Vernon, Josh Magennis and Andrius Velicka as part of a major redevelopment of his squad over the summer, and Lasley does not expect the Dons to struggle again.[LNB]"I know Mark McGhee is a very good manager and I've experienced that myself," the 31-year-old said.[LNB]"It maybe didn't work out at Aberdeen last season for whatever reason, I don't know what's going on there on a day-to-day basis.[LNB]"What I do know is that he's a good manager and I'm sure he will prove that in the future.[LNB]"What I experienced here is that he is a very attacking manager. He likes to attack and I'm sure it will be no different.[LNB]"He has got a lot of strikers now and I'm sure he will use them to the best of their abilities.[LNB]"I'm sure any Aberdeen team that goes out on the pitch now will be an attacking one."[LNB]But Lasley joked: "Hopefully they don't play as well as we did a few years ago."[LNB]Lasley still holds out hope of emulating that season in 2007-08 after being restored to the starting line-up when Craig Brown took over at the turn of the year and helping Motherwell into Europe again.[LNB]"The Old Firm have moved away already but the rest of the teams are pretty bunched and we need to stay as high up the bunch as we can.[LNB]"It's going to take another great season. We managed to do that a couple of years ago and I think it was the best season of football I was involved in, in terms of the way we played and the results we got.[LNB]"So it's going to take a great effort, but that's what we have got to try and do.[LNB]"If we can keep everyone fit and fresh, we can compete with anyone on our day."
