FOOTBALL managers are not supposed to reveal tactics before a game, especially a big cup tie, but Gary Naysmith is different.

The Queen of the South manager is more than happy to admit to at least one move his side won’t do when they meet Aberdeen at Pittodrie this afternoon.

“I’ll tell you something, we won’t be parking the bus,” said Naysmith. “What would be the point of that? This is my team: I have a goalie, five defenders and five attackers, none of which have a defensive bone in their body.

“If we went up there and sat back we’d get beaten. I can guarantee you that.

“My players like to get forward which is why we’ve scored a lot of goals this season. The flipside is that while we can sometimes score five in a game, there’s a chance of letting in three. In saying that, if I was asked to describe us, I would say we are a really well organised team.

“Stephen Dobbie and the other lads who get the goals are always in the headlines, which I understand. But we have been good at the back this season. Even for such an attack-minded side I have used more or less the same five or six players at the back all season and they have been terrific. They give the others a base for them to go on and do their stuff at the other end of the pitch.”

The Dumfries outfit have a chance today. Dobbie is a goal machine, while the rest have taken the club to another level. A place in the Premiership play-offs is a real possibility. But as luck would have it, Naysmith has been hit with selection problems right before the biggest match of the season.

“I’ll be going up to Aberdeen on Saturday night still not knowing what my starting XI will be," admitted the former Scotland and Hearts man. “There are a few struggling with injuries so that’s something we’ll need to deal with. In the summer we went for quantity over quality. I would rather get in one good player instead of two who would fill out the squad. It’s left us short for this one but we’ll manage. I have trust in all the guys.”

A superb left-back in his own playing career, Naysmith, now 40, has been a manager for five years having spent two years at East Fife where he won League Two before moving to Palmerston.

Queen of the South have the reputation of being a ‘good club.’ It’s well run, friendly and fiercely professional; otherwise the 46-times capped Naysmith, who spent over seven season in the English Premier League with Everton, wouldn’t be there.

“We know what we are as a club and what we are as a team,” he says. “The fans will be going up to Aberdeen for a day out, and they deserve it, but we believe we can win. This is a great chance for us to show Scottish football how good we can be. We are sitting well in the league in fifth place and the chance to get a run in the cup would be a fantastic bonus.”

Dobbie is not only Queens’ talisman, he is arguably the greatest player to have played at Palmerston. He has 37 goals this season including a hat-trick in the last round which helped beat Dundee.

“Stephen has been brilliant,” said his manager. “He is a natural striker, so professional and we know we’re lucky to have him.”

It would be a silly punter to bet against the veteran scoring today, although Naysmith knows this will be a test.

“I watched Aberdeen against Rangers in midweek and thought they were great,” he said. “Rangers won because Alfredo Morelos was unplayable.

“Derek McInnes has built a superb side who have got used to winning these games. They have already been to a cup final this season which tells you something.

“We are a Championship side going away to a Premiership club. Let’s not kid ourselves on. Aberdeen are favourites. However, we showed against Dundee how good we can be, and I thought we did well against Motherwell and Hearts in the Betfred Cup. I hope we can make the supporters proud.”