Source: Team_Talk
McGhee wants a sense of realism
The depth of the Dons' financial plight became clear on Tuesday when managing director Duncan Fraser revealed the collapse of the Scottish Premier League's Setanta television deal had led to a £600,000 shortfall.
The club estimates an extra 4,000 fans would need to turn up at Pittodrie for every home game to plug the gap.
The situation has led to repeated frustration in the transfer market for new manager McGhee, who has missed out on a succession of targets.
Despite being "hugely disappointed", he refused to blame Aberdeen's directors, saying he knew this was a possibility when he took the job.
"I am a realist; I know that money doesn't grow on trees," said McGhee, who confirmed he would look again at his centre-half shopping list after missing out on Reda Johnson.
"I know that when I ask to sign a player or for that player's wages, it's the exact same money that comes out the cash machine when we all go to the bank.
"It's not fairytale money, it's real money that somebody somewhere's going to have to find.
"Therefore, I totally respect what's going on here and I will back the club in their position.
"If I have to go into the season with no new players and no money because of these circumstances then I will work like that.
"All I'll ask is that we all know the story, we all have transparency and we all know what I'm being asked to do."
Another way of helping make up the shortfall would be for Aberdeen to reach the group stage of the new Europa League.
They begin their campaign tomorrow in the third qualifying round, hosting Czech outfit Sigma Olomouc.
He said: "I'm sure (Dundee United boss) Craig Levein would love to be sitting here with the opportunity to progress to the group stages of the Europa League, which would fill that void which we're all anticipating.
"So we have a chance that other teams don't have and we fully intend to do our best to capitalise on it."
Zander Diamond is a late injury concern for the first-leg clash, having felt his Achilles in training this morning.
With or without his star defender, McGhee feels the teams are "fairly well matched", adding: "If we start the game at the right tempo and if we go for the jugular, as it were, then I think we can give Sigma problems."
Having enjoyed huge success as a player at Aberdeen in the 1980s, McGhee admits he cannot wait for his first competitive game as manager to begin.
He said: "I'm feeling nervous, but not about the tie as such. I just want to get out there, I just want to get that moment over when I kind of present myself to the Dons fans.
"From then on, I'm here and I'm working and I expect to be judged by the team's performance and by results and not by some sort of history and some sort of sentiment.
"So that sort of emotion will last up until the first whistle tomorrow night and then, for me, that's the end of it - and then they know I'm out there working."
Scots Premier Without Old Firm Win Outright: Aberdeen 7/2
