Source: Team_Talk
McGhee has faith in Dons stars
Mark McGhee is confident Aberdeen will show their spirit when they bid to avert lingering relegation concerns against St Johnstone on Sunday.[LNB] McGhee felt his players failed to match the determination of Kilmarnock after losing the opening goal in last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Rugby Park.[LNB]But the Dons manager claims a lack of resolve has not been the cause of the club's failure to make the top six of the SPL for the first time in six years.[LNB]Aberdeen went on to lose 3-1 against Rangers on Wednesday and could go into the Pittodrie clash just six points off the bottom of the SPL.[LNB]But McGhee, who previously bemoaned long-term injuries to Zander Diamond and Sone Aluko, feels their troubles this season have purely been down to a lack of quality.[LNB]"We have had good results along the way where the spirit hasn't been in question," McGhee said.[LNB]"In many ways, even in some of the poorer results and performances, it's one of the things we couldn't question.[LNB]"I'm with them every day and I have a sense of whether there is a spirit or not, and I don't delude myself, and it's never really got away from us in that respect.[LNB]"Most of the time we have just not been good enough. It's not because we haven't been trying, we have just been found not to be good enough.[LNB]"The spirit was there the other night and we hope it is again on Sunday.[LNB]"When it wasn't maybe there as much as we would have liked was when we went a goal down at Kilmarnock.[LNB]"That's when you need the real spirit, not when you go a goal down at Ibrox. It's a bit easier to rally then.[LNB]"St Johnstone will ask more questions from us in some ways than Rangers were able to do."[LNB]McGhee, who handed 16-year-old Jack Grimmer his debut at Ibrox, is keen to banish all fears of going down in order to build for next season.[LNB]"We have six games left and we're only nine points above Falkirk," the former Motherwell manager added.[LNB]"We would like to close that out as quickly as possible so we can give one or two young boys like Ryan Jack a bit of a run."[LNB]St Johnstone could yet sneak into the top six with victory at Aberdeen, but would need Hearts to lose at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday to retain any hope.[LNB]However, McGhee is not hoping for a Hearts victory to ensure there is less motivation for the Perth side.[LNB]"That would be wishing ill on St Johnstone," McGhee said. "I think they deserve to be in the top six as much as Hearts do.[LNB]"If they are still in with a chance on Sunday we'll deal with the consequences.[LNB]"If it means St Johnstone don't have a chance because Hearts have done the business, that will be a shame."
