HAMILTON captain Darian MacKinnon has admitted he’s been pulling out of tackles in training, as he warned the club’s signings from under-23 football in England to man up from the “tippy tappy stuff” they’ve been playing down south.

Hamilton manager Martin Canning has brought in a number of new players as the club again attempt to beat the odds on relegation and ensure a sixth successive season in Scotland’s top flight.

Creative midfielder Aaron Smith, 20, was top goalscorer for Nottingham Forest in the under-23 Premier League, while Adam Philips has joined on loan from Norwich City, as has Mason Bloomfield, and Aaron McGowan has signed from Morecambe and Sam Kelly from Grimsby.

However, combative midfielder MacKinnon, with Accies since 2012, has let the new boys know in no uncertain terms they’ve arrived at the high school of the Scottish Premiership compared to the primary level they’ve experienced in England.

“A lot of people we’ve brought in are from the under-23 level down south,” said MacKinnon.

“Without being disrepectful to that league, it’s tippy tappy stuff. It’s not real men’s football.

“So you have to let them know what to expect here.

“The pre-season games, especially at Annan, they’re discovering you’re not going to get that time on the ball, tippy tappy, pass it to the side. It’s 100 mile an hour.”

With Craig Levein’s beefed up Hearts providing Hamilton’s first Premiership test on Saturday at the newly-named Hope CBD Stadium, MacKinnon admits he’s hoping those team-mates have got the message across in time.

“You’ll see it against Hearts and I don’t know how it’s going to go,” confessed the 32-year-old.

“I’ve been letting a couple know — but I don’t know if they’ve been listening.

“We’ll soon see when Hearts come to town.

“I spoke to the manager on Friday and said that I’d deliberately pulled out of tackles. I didn’t want anybody to get hurt.

“But over the next few days we’ll find out what we’re all about.”

MacKinnon insists he has been impressed with the players, who also include Tom Taiwo from Falkirk and Lennard Sowah rejoining Hamilton after last playing with Cracovia in Poland, that Canning has signed.

But more reinforcements are needed, the former Junior footballer with Clydebank adds.

“I think the manager’s done well with the guys he’s brought in,” said MacKinnon.

“But I think he’d admit himself we probably still need another two or three, especially the spine of the team, just to give us a bit more creativity and strength at the back.

“But he’s working hard to bring them in and hopefully he’s successful because it will help us.”

And MacKinnon has no qualms admitting what constitutes success for Hamilton this season.

“We just look to stay in the league and anything above that is a bonus,” he said.

“We’ve got the know-how to do it and we just need to start well. Hopefully it’s another successful season.

“It will be us who will get written off, it’s always us.”