Jack MacKenzie does not have far to look for inspiration as he looks to get a handle on what makes a successful wing-back.
Asked by Jim Goodwin to transition from a more traditional full-back role, the 22-year-old has looked towards Scotland’s Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson for ideas on how to get it right. Something has certainly gone in with MacKenzie bolting past Paul McGinn before delivering the cross onto Duk’s head for the winner at Fir Park on Saturday afternoon.
It gave the Dons a much needed victory on the road – only their third in 24 games – and gives the Pittodrie side confidence that they can go to Ibrox next Saturday and add to Rangers’ woes. “The main two: Tierney and Robertson,” said Mackenzie when he was quizzed on the wing-backs he studied. When Tierney was at Celtic I looked at the way he played - very powerful, really good going forward and really good defensively. He was the main one I looked at.
“I have predominantly played left back through my whole career. The fact I’m getting the opportunity to play a slightly different role is only going to help me and obviously gives me more license to go forward. I can improve on my play going forward so even if I drop back into left back I can contribute.”
Goodwin had urged Aberdeen to find a bit of quality from their deliveries in order to maximum the chances they have been creating. The Irishman has switched to a back three to accommodate both Bojan Miovski and Duk in the team.
Both were on the scoresheet with a goal in each half at Fir Park to lift Aberdeen up to third in the cinch Premiership. Stuart McKinstry’s leveller briefly gave Motherwell hope before MacKenzie planted the ball on Duk’s head with the new found attacking verve something he has been delighted to embrace.
“You want to be creating goals, scoring goals, taking shots and getting crosses in,” he added. "On Saturday with the cross Duk headed in, it’s an unbelievable feeling, to put the team in front, got us the win in the end, it’s a really good part of the game, I really enjoy it.
“There’s a lot of running, because you have to press the full back and track the winger. There’s a wee bit less defensive responsibility, but there’s a lot more responsibility going forward.
“It’s a slightly different role, still similar but it’s something I’m looking to build on. It’s something that I’ve been working on – my attacking play – I always feel that defensively I’m a lot better.
“I look at Hayden Coulson, Jonny Hayes the way they attack from wing back. Jonny’s brilliant, he’s doing his coaching as well. He’s really good at describing different roles, and ways to play the game.
“Just watching him, you don’t even need to speak to him, just watch what he does on a day-to-day basis, he’s a massive influence. He probably would have learned something off Tierney and Tierney would have learned stuff off him as well. The fact I’ve got him and Hayden Coulson there that I can learn off is brilliant.”
VAR worked in Aberdeen’s favour with Miovski’s beautifully chipped opener given after initially it had been chalked off. Duk had one deemed offside but could still have left with more than just the one goal to his name with Aberdeen the more dangerous of the two teams.
“Duk’s brilliant,” said MacKenzie. When he came he wasn’t quite as fit as he could have been, but the last couple of weeks he’s been unbelievable, and if he keeps going like this he’s going to be have a hell of a season.
“He can come to feet, go in behind. He can finish, he’s a real handful and he and Bojan seem to work really well. Long may it continue.”
Consistency has been the problem for Aberdeen this term but goals have not. Second only to Celtic in terms of goals scored across all competitions this season, Goodwin’s side will go to Ibrox next weekend confident of taking something from an under pressure Rangers side.
“It is a really big week for us,” said MacKenzie. We’re not really looking at the table too much. It’s nice to be in that position, because that’s where we want to become the end of the season. But we need to keep focus. Saturday was a really important win for us.
“We’ve had a good week, beating Hearts, following it up by beating Partick Thistle in the cup and we’ve had to back it up even more by coming here and picking up three points against a team we have struggled with over the last couple of years.
“Hopefully next Saturday we can put in a good shift as well. We’ve got players at the top end of the pitch that can cause defences problems and can get us goals.
“We’ve got Duk and Bojan scoring. We’ve got really good attacking options. We take pride in our goalscoring record but we also take pride in our defensive one as well. We are definitely heading in the right direction.”
