Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes eyes shock result against Celtic after own goal from chairman Dave Cormack

At least Dave Cormack has demonstrated how to score a goal at Aberdeen – even if it was into his own net.

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes - undermined by chairman Dave Cormack's plan to hold a Q & A session with fans on eve of tomorrow's clash with Celtic (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Even at the time it was announced, the Aberdeen chairman’s decision to submit himself to a live question and answers session, originally scheduled for tonight, seemed a colossal misstep from someone whose business acumen helped earn him a fortune.

In fairness to Cormack, he quickly held up his hands. It was all on him, he acknowledged, though he stopped short of saying “my bad” in an otherwise chatty statement released on Sunday night as he postponed the event to allow focus to return to the team’s on-field efforts. In the meantime, he urged fans to avoid being “mean” to manager Derek McInnes, whose side face a trip to face champions Celtic on Wednesday.

As one of those replying to him on Twitter put it, there was no point holding the event anyway, since he’d answered the one question everyone wanted answered. By this, the fan seemed to be referring to Cormack re-emphasising his support for the under-fire McInnes.

It’s slightly misleading on the part of this supporter-in-question to use the term ‘everyone’. There was a banner tied to the railings of the car park outside Pittodrie on Saturday as Aberdeen spent another fruitless 90 minutes trying to score a goal. “In Derek We Trust,” it said as the hosts played out a 0-0 draw with St Mirren.

At least one person is pro-McInnes. There are many more among the 100,000 Cormack estimated follow the fortunes of the club.

Rarely, however, has it been quite so dire under the current manager, who must wonder about his chairman’s recent actions. Not only did Cormack’s original Q & A plan threaten to undermine McInnes, the manager was also left unhappy at being forced to “scramble” around on the last day of the transfer window to recruit much needed firepower – he was informed the sale of Sam Cosgrove had to go through first.

McInnes has been forced to bed-in important players such as Kamberi and Fraser Hornby while being uncomfortably aware that the team are edging closer to an unwanted record.

In his most recent statement, Cormack was quick to point out that Aberdeen have never been in administration and neither have they been liquidated in their 118-year history – but then they have also never gone six games without scoring.

“No-one will really give us a chance,” said McInnes, with reference to tomorrow’s Celtic game – the first of two trips to Parkhead in ten days. “But I think it’s important, in every game, that we see it as an opportunity to pick up points.

“We’ve got to go down there with the belief and the confidence that we’re good enough to put in a performance that will get us something from the game. We’ve got our squad now, we’ve a few injuries to contend with. But, by and large, the squad for St Mirren was the squad that will be with us now for the rest of the season.

“Celtic have improved, I have to say, of late,” he added. “Their results have been really good. It’s always a tough game regardless of whether they are flying at the top of the league or searching for form.”

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