Aberdeen assistant manager Tony Docherty insists his players cannot allow themselves to be bullied on Saturday when they welcome Caley Thistle to Pittodrie.
The Dons have responded strongly to an eight-game run without a win by taking 16 points from a possible 18 in their last six matches to reduce Celtic’s lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to one point.
Aberdeen’s ascendancy has been built on their ability to impose their will on their opponents, a component which Docherty believes was in short supply when they lost 2-1 at Inverness earlier in the season.
The Dons assistant believes his players’ willingness to stand toe to toe against their rivals in the ugly side of the game has been crucial in the team’s improved results and has called for more of the same when John Hughes takes the Highlanders to Pittodrie on Boxing Day.
He said: “There were certain games earlier in the season where we maybe did not stand up so well to the physical side but we stood up to it against Hearts and the players deserve a massive amount of credit for that.
“A key towards us being where we are now is our work when we don’t have the ball. That’s not about bullying opposition, it’s about anticipation and winning the ball back quickly. By winning those little individual battles we’ve allowed our influential players to have more time on the ball in the final third of the pitch.
“Ryan Christie was outstanding for Caley Thistle in the last game but it was not just him. Inverness got to the ball quicker than us and exploited the areas where they had space to play. Miles Storey has scored six goals in 11 appearances and has shown himself to be a guy who can convert the chances they create. They are only two points off the top six at the moment and I’m sure they will move up the league in the second half of the season.”
Vice-captain Mark Reynolds, fellow defender Andy Considine and midfielder Barry Robson all returned to training yesterday and Docherty is delighted to have three experienced players back in contention.
He said: “It gives us real competition for places. Mark has been given the players all the graphic details about what the doctor did to him and I told him I would have broken it for him for nothing.
“It didn’t sound like the best experience he has had and there were tears involved, so the players have been on his case about it. He is looking better than he ever did as he broke his nose when he played for Motherwell and it is looking straighter than ever.
“He’s gone from Mark Reynolds to Richard Gere in one day.”