It’s an occasion I’ll certainly remember for a long time
Burnley have gone through with a 4-2 aggregate win against Aberdeen but it was an occasion when both managers had positive things to say about their respective teams.
Aberdeen were always considered the underdogs but having taken us to extra time Derek McInnes was proud of his team’s performance. He said: “First and foremost we congratulate Burnley. It was a fantastic game and the intensity over the last two ties home and away has been quite remarkable at this stage of this season.
“You don’t get those types of games ordinarily. The proximity of the teams, the rivalry of Scotland v England and both sets of players have been very competitive with their intensity. Both sets of supporters helped generate what played out tonight.
“My first thoughts are disappointment for my players as they put so much into it and for my supporters. There’s no criticism or we can’t afford to be too disappointed as we’ve got to move on to the domestic game and Rangers on Sunday. It was harsh on us and somebody had to come out a winner and a loser and that’s cup football. Burnley got the all important goal in extra time and that next goal is usually the one that strikes the final blow psychologically.
“I thought 3-1 was harsh on my team truth be told and I thought we were very good over the two ties. We went toe to toe with a team like Burnley and we wish them well. We dust ourselves down and take the positives from it and there were plenty of that certainly in individual performances from my players. The personality and attitude I want from my Aberdeen team was clear in both games, but we have missed some opportunities to strike that blow that Burnley struck to us in extra time.
“We can’t dwell on it, but we’re almost sitting here thinking that could have been so different because there was nothing in the game for me. I thought we recovered well from going behind. They imposed themselves on the game and I thought they were very good in that opening 20 minutes. We recovered well and scored a brilliant equaliser and from then on in I thought we were always in the game. We knew that next goal would have finished them. We never got the goal, they did and that’s cup football.”
“It was a really good tie overall and Aberdeen made us work really hard. They delivered two very strong performances and tonight they weren’t looking to try and hang on. They came and played, and I mean that sincerely and not in any patronising way, and made a real game of it and we’re delighted to come out on top.”
The trip to Turkey next week comes just three days before the Premier League kicks off and that causes us problems, more so with three players leaving the pitch injured tonight.
Dyche added: “It’s going to be difficult but that’s what the competition holds. You can’t have it all ways. You want it and then it comes and you have to roll with it. Logistically that will sort itself out, but at the moment it’s more about players. We have a number of soft tissue injuries, not serious ones, but we’ve had to be really careful tonight.
“It’s a strange one because you want to win for the people here, but you are not losing sight of the fact that the Premier League is more important, whatever anyone says, so I’m having to take players off to protect them in pre-season, in a real game, in Europe. That’s very difficult as a manager and we had to make a decision on Woody at half time (abductor) and Aaron because his hamstring was tight, and Wardy just to make sure he was fine. It’s a new one on me, especially in a tight game and having to look at the bigger picture.
“I must also mention Dwight McNeil as well, because it was fantastic for him to be involved in a game like this. Our first European game in 51 years and a young man gets on and does really nicely.”
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