mizer

http://www.northsound2.co.uk/Article.asp?id=236085

Reports in Holland claim De Graafschap have rejected a bid from Aberdeen for defender Dave Bus.  The 29 year old trained with the Dons two weeks ago and is keen on a move to Pittodrie.  His contract expires in the summer and Jimmy Calderwood had hoped a loan deal could be agreed.

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LIKE CHICKENS WATCHING FOUL PLAY

 

Squashed into a tiny space barely big enough to move, no natural sunlight, and absolutely nothing to stimulate or entertain before the eventual slaughter. If Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall had ever sat in the Jerry Kerr Stand watching Aberdeen, he wouldn't be so bothered about those chickens.

 

Chicken is one of many words that could be used to describe this gruesome Dons display. Utterly heartless, completely devoid of even the most basic skill, thoroughly stupid, and those are the least unpleasant ones.

 

Jamie Langfield's patchy kicking has always threatened to cost the team a goal and the asinine opener signaled game over as his outfield teammates couldn't even trap a ball let alone get a shot on target. Even when presented with a penalty - rookie keepers don't have the nerve to stand their ground and be made to look silly. A second goal did not flatter a vastly superior United and the third, inevitable from the second the whistle blew for the free kick, put the dunce caps firmly on the Dons' heads.

 

Barry Robson will have been one of many Ronaldo impersonators to smash daisy-cutters under defensive walls this weekend; the bamboozled Aberdeen players clearly didn't watch Match Of The Day.

 

If his latest capture is any indication, Jimmy Calderwood's signing criteria seems to have become 'local and out of contract', so we can expect to see Annie Lennox joining up before the window closes. Steve Lovell already thinks he's a pop star, so the Dons may as well have a real one.

 

Sweet dreams are assuredly not made of this dross. Aber-deen have overachieved under Calderwood and players capable of serving up garbage like Saturday are not up to pushing the club to the next level. Jimmy has 10 days left to put his money where his mouth has been and if he fails he will, like the wasteful Nicholson, have unforgivably missed a golden opportunity.

Pre game I'm sure I read Mackie wouldnt be risked as he wasnt fully fit - oh look he played too

Aberdeen defender Jackie McNamara insists he and his Dons team-mates cannot afford to dwell on their poor performance at Tannadice on Saturday.

 

The former Celtic captain had his first game since November 29 when he came off the bench to play the second half of his side's 3-0 defeat by Dundee United, a result which means the Dons have slipped to fifth in the SPL.

 

With a Scottish Cup replay against Falkirk at Pittodrie tomorrow followed by a crucial league game against Hearts and the League Cup semi-final against United at Tynecastle all in the next eight days, McNamara knows there is no time for anyone at Pittodrie to reflect on why they were so poor against the Arabs.

McNamara said: "We haven't been playing well recently, but getting draws, and the manager is disappointed we didn't ask any questions of United defensively. For the supporters, I am sure they are disappointed, too. The fans have been great this season. They have paid good money to follow us everywhere this season and we didn't do those who came to watch us justice with our performance.

 

"But we can't dwell on this result as we have Falkirk, Hearts and United coming up. They are three massive games for us and it is good that we are playing on Tuesday so we can put ourselves right. The manager will have a few more words to say to the players before Tuesday, I'm sure, but we have to put this behind us and focus on doing well against Falkirk."

 

McNamara had no plans on taking part on Saturday but, with Chris Clark having left the club, Lee Miller suspended and Michael Hart, Richard Foster and Karim Touzani injured, Dons manager Jimmy Calderwood named him and Darren Mackie, who hadn't played since October, on the bench for the game. While the final result was a sore one, the former Scotland international was happy to have gained valuable playing time as he bids to regain match fitness.

 

Calderwood questioned the commitment of his senior players following the game but McNamara believes the Dons could have taken something from the game had they converted their penalty when trailing 1-0.

 

He said: "I wasn't expecting to be involved. I have been back running for the past couple of weeks but I have only trained for three days with the rest of the players. It was good to get 45 minutes under my belt. The boys are disappointed with the performance. This is our local derby, the fans were up for it, but we didn't perform.

 

"It was a scrappy first half in terms of passing football but United got their goal at a crucial time. We had a chance to get back into the game with the penalty but, unfortunately, Barry Nicholson, who has been good from the spot for us this season, put his effort over the bar and it gaveUnited a lift."

1. Should they not be thinking what the fuck went wrong? Is this what happened after 4-1 at Tynie and 3-0 against well?

2. Yes we have paid alot of money, you get paid a lot of money now stop playing crap!

  Something I said in another thread...

There is no longer such a big gap between teams in the league methinks, and looking at the league table I'm probably right, so more games are 'dire' because teams are cancelling each other out. 

 

Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, Motherwell, Dundee United, Kilmarnock, ICT and Falkirk can all beat each other on their day, so for me, the defining factor come May will be who's got the best squad to deal with injuries/suspensions.  I'm convinced that Aberdeen will finish 3rd on this fact alone.  The Old Firm are not really that far ahead in terms of their first 11's, but the depth of their squads are so vast that they can cope with losing players whilst the rest of the league really struggles.

 

Right lets start at discipline

We have 5th worst discipline record this season in the SPL (hibs, well, bairns, ICT and St Mirren have better records)

Now squad

1 Jamie Langfield CLANGERS

3 Richie Byrne CANT PASS AND GETS INJURED

4 Jackie McNamara  OLD CRIPPLE

5 Alexander Diamond OUT INJURED ALREADY THIS SEASON

6 Scott Severin  

7 Jamie Smith    Mr HAMSTRING INJURY

8 Barry Nicholson

9 Steve Lovell

10 Darren Mackie INJURED TWICE THIS SEASON

11 Stuart Duff HA - INJURY PRONE TOO

14 Richard Foster

15 Karim Touzani OOH ANOTHER INJURY PRONE PLAYER

16 Lee Miller

17 Daniel Smith  

18 Lee Mair INJRY PRONE TOO

19 Derek Young  

20 Derek Soutar

21 Andrew Considine JUST BACK FROM INJURY

22 Christopher Maguire  

24 Jeffrey De Visscher GETS A FEW INJURYS

25 Jonathan Smith   DOESNT GET A GAME TO GET INJURED

26 Sone Aluko Striker 

So that's a current squad of 22 (not including Mr Bus - who had not been playing in Holland, injury?) and I would say 11 of them (half) are not the most resistant to injurys.

Giving that hearts have a giant squad they must win that bit of the rating.

So going on your criterion, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell, Falkirk, ICT and St Mirren are better rated. This means we will finish in 9th place. Its not my opionin we will but if we use your way thats where we will!

www.afc.co.uk

Yesterday's defeat to Dundee Utd was hardly the dress rehearsal the Dons were looking for ahead of next Tuesday nights CIS Cup semi final against United at Tynecastle. Still there was one big positive to take from the game - Darren Mackie back on a football pitch. RedWeb caught up with Darren after training to see how he was. 

 

"It has been so long it was good to get back although I have preferred to have come on during better circumstances. The result was a massive disappointment"

 

How did the body feel after being out for so long?

"I was fine. Obviously it is totally different to what I have been doing in training so I just need more of the same to get that match sharpness and fitness back. It normally takes a couple of games. After that you start to get into it, feel a lot fitter and everything else comes back."

 

"It has not been ideal trying to come back at this time of the year. There have been no reserve games and the weather has not been ideal for training, with the pitches being frozen, it has been hard to do a lot. It is just good though to be back."

 

Darrens season has very much mirrored that of the Dons - full of incredible highs and a few low points as well - like yesterday. The striker put his name into Pittodrie folklore with the goal against Dnipro back in October that enabled Aberdeen to gain access to the UEFA Cup Group stages for the very first time, but then an ankle injury sustained in the 2-1 victory away at Inverness later that month meant Darren had to sit out all those European fixtures.

 

Darren admits it has been a difficult time. "I can't tell you how frustrating it has been. It has been hard to take after scoring the goal to get us there but the boys have done unbelievably well to get us through the group stages and there are obviously some big, big games to look forward to in Europe and in the Cup.

 

"A lot has happened since I have been out with players joining, signing new deals and leaving, plus all that has gone on in the cups, but its a good time to come back into the squad."

Any support had for Ultras gone after some of their behaviour today

I heard you guys had a few arguments with them 

I canna see put down your flag

No

Put it down I cant see

No

Put it down or its going to be stuffed up youre arse

Not sure of the exact stats (sure someone will tell me if I'm wrong) but the guys on BBC Scotland said we are on a run of 10 away games with only one win whilst at home we are on a run of 12 unbeaten games (including games against 3 top European teams).

Why the disparity?

Ach well Mizer, will make beating them a week on Tuesday all the sweeter

Dont think we will. I knew we would lose today (check my predictor) and I was going to put down 3-0 or 4-0 but thought nah, wish I had now. We have been playing gash lately. I could have easily gone today as I was up early and have done nothing all day but I cant be bothered with the bollocks we play.

"Aberdeen have been hammered"

Robson 2-0

Missed pen from Nicholson

"Miles over the bar"

Langfield fuckup 1-0 Arabs 

I may have missed this, but where is Touzani? Is he injured again? That aside, and possibly I would have liked de Visscher to have got a game, it's probably our strongest fieldable line up. Only major concern is having Mair AND considine in the same team 

JDV was found out a few weeks ago against Falkirk as he was soooo slow compared to latapy..!!!

Mair will result in us shipping a goal - thats numberwang!

Jimmy Calderwood makes three enforced changes as the injured Foster, suspended Miller and the departed Clark are replaced by Considine, Young and Aluko in what looks like could be a 4-5-1 formation. Joining McNamara and Mackie on the bench are Soutar, de Visscher, Maguire and new signing Stuart Duff. Today's referee is Craig Thomson and the full starting line up is:

 

Aberdeen: Langfield, Byrne, Diamond, Considine, Mair, Nicholson, Severin, Smith, Young, Lovell, Aluko.

I think quite a few more people will bite the bullet at the end of the month when their pay comes in.

However, one player not on his radar is Everton midfielder Bjarni Vidarsson who clearly did not catch Calderwood’s eye as he watched the Toffees reserves take on their Manchester City contemporaries recently.

 

"I was at the game but wasn't looking at the Icelandic lad,†Calderwood told the Evening Express. “I don't know him at all."

Why were you even reading that nazi rag?

Happened a few days ago but there is no thread about it.

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Sone Aluko has just signed an extension to his contract that will see him stay on loan at Pittodrie until the end of the season.

 

The 18-year-old's existing deal was due to finish today, but ex Aberdeen defender and Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has agreed to the extension.

Alex McLeish has told Sone Aluko his Premiership dream will be realised if he can steer Aberdeen to success this season.

 

The 18-year-old was sent on loan to the Dons by Birmingham during Steve Bruce's tenure as manager.

 

McLeish's appointment at St Andrews led to uncertainty for some Blues fringe players but Aluko has been told he still has a future with the club. McLeish agreed to extend the England youth player's loan this month and Aluko is now looking forward to the remainder of the season.

 

He said: "It was a last-minute extension to my loan and Aberdeen tried hard to keep me here. It is great for me because every player likes to feel wanted.

 

"I was introduced to Alex McLeish when I was in Birmingham recently and he asked me if I was enjoying it in Aberdeen.

 

"He spoke to me about the Bayern Munich game and the other cup ties. He told me to keep trying hard, to keep playing well and to learn as much as I can.

 

"The manager has said he will be watching my progress. Steve Bruce and Eric Black also have a good knowledge of the Scottish game and that is a good thing for me.

 

"It was Eric Black's links to Aberdeen which took me to Pittodrie and those linkshave continued with the new manager.

Hopefully he can bag a few more goals for us before he leaves

I'll reserve judgement on Duff.

 

Derek Young's signing didn't exactly fill us with enthusiasm but he's not set a foot wrong since he joined.

Not exactly true, he was utterly gash against Killie away at the start of the season (even though he won the corner we scored from woohoo) as he was doing his usual pointing to other players where to go and wandering away from where he should have been. Again as Jute says he was MIA against Falkirk and did nothing in the game.

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Calderwood said: "I don't think Stuart has got too much to prove. I don't want to sound big headed but I expect him to prove my judgment of him right. I have heard a lot about him and I have tried to sign him twice before. In the two days he has been here he has only substantiated what I thought of him.

I initially thought we would take significantly less, but already we have the same amount of Globes or people we go to games with normally traveling. Ticket all sorted through the supporters club this time, no panic. 

The 25-year-old utility player

Thas all JC heard it and it was a done deal.

On just now on the top ticker under transfer news......it cant be true surely?

Dont worry sneckie, I'm sure he will stay