Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has warned his players must be ready for the intensity and pressure of trying to win the Scottish Cup and finishing second in the Premiership.
The Dons squad are in Dubai this week for a winter break training camp. The envy of many who will be training in the teeth of a Scottish winter, McInnes knows with such privilege comes expectation and has told his players they must deliver.
He said: “The players have had a break which was good for them, but it was important we get going again and get the focus right.
“We have lots to look forward to in the second half of the season and we finished before the break strongly with three wins out of three.
“The players had been ready for the break after the early start for the European campaign so this gives us the chance to re-energise and focus on the two games we have in January, the first being the cup game at home against Stranraer so it’s important we use this time wisely.
“We are delighted to do it in such a good environment. The training pitches at home are a bit battered at the moment and to get the players away to focus more on their game and being ready for the return is important.”
Three wins in succession to finish the first part of the campaign eased the nerves and although Celtic, who returned from their training camp in Dubai yesterday, are disappearing into the distance, McInnes still has targets for his team.
He added: “The season has been more than acceptable. We wanted to do better in the League Cup final against Celtic, but we got there. If the game against Motherwell hadn’t been called off because of floodlight failure we’d have been second in the league if we had won it.
“At the start of the season if you had said we were 90 minutes away from winning a cup final and being in the position we are in the league we would have taken it.
“It’s been more than all right, but to be successful we have to be better and hopefully we can show that in the second half of the season.”