OrlandoDon

Ha ha, critical yes, but definitely not a miserable c*nt. I could complain about JC, not getting the 10 new signings again, not getting the 3 signings we were told just a few days ago, but I'm not. The start to the season is promising, the signings made look good, and the shakey defense looks like it has improved. I feel our problem of the last few years has been a small squad and we have that again. We sell/release more players than we add. It has happened year after year. Less than 20 players with experience this year. We'll naturally get to the injuries and have to rely on young players or squad players to become key players when that is not their function. A signing like Kerr is free, can't be that expensive, and would be worth the investment in my opinion.

Not when you are counting on Bateman, Hodgekiss, Crawford, Smith, Pawlett, and Paton, non of whom have played a 1st team game for us and are under 20. We are left with 19 players - Seve, Jamie Smith are injury prone, 2 are GKs, and XX (insert number) are pish. Brian Kerr would be a welcome addition.

Don't really agree we have squad depth with many youngsters plus I think Jimmy sees Seve as a central defender this year. A few key injuries and we are relying on Foster, Duff, Young etc who are role players at best and not first team regulars. Also don't really see Duff as a central midfielder. The signing of Brian Kerr would give us strength, depth, and experience in the centre of the park, an area we've been weak for a very long time.

I may be wrong but since he's been released does this mean the window does not apply to him. As a free agent he could come on a week trial for example?

Just been released by Hibs. Always thought he was a decent player and with our thin squad and injuries inevitable surely worth a look??

2 more signings before 3pm tomorrow??? Any update?

I'd say 40+ should be the strikers target. My 'logic' suggests - One strikers should be getting 20+, our main striker (Miller or Wright) Second striker should be 10+ (Miller or Wright) 2 additional strikers should be 5+ each (Macguire, Mackie) Agreed none of our strikers has had a 20+ season in a while but this should still be the goal.

Loan signings are the norm in world football now with the current financial climate. Unfortunately we don't have the cash to buy so, to be honest, I'd take 3 or4 loan signings every year if it means not having a paperthin squad. Still think Ayr's Stephenson would be a good investment and someone who'd make us a profit in the future.

We haven't signed an ex Dunfermilne player this summer..... yet! Dunfermline defender Sol Bamba is still likely to leave East End Park - despite Watford pulling out of the deal to sign the Ivory Coast defender. It had been expected that the 23-year-old would complete his transfer after returning from the Olympics. Pars boss Jim McIntyre told his club website: "The transfer was agreed. "And, for whatever reason only known by them, they have decided to pull the plug on it. It was disappointing, but we move on." Bamba, who arrived in Fife from Paris St Germain in 2006, returned to the Dunfermline side in Wednesday's 2-0 Challenge Cup defeat by Queen of the South. He was a surprise inclusion in a youthful line-up after returning earlier than expected, on the morning before the game, from Beijing. "Bamba is a good player and he is back in the squad," added McIntyre. "I thought he did very well considering he travelled all the way back from Paris through the night."

Until we sign two more defenders we're going to struggle this year. We don't have a right back and a dominant centre half to partner Zander. Seve and Kerr in centre mid with McDonald on the right, JDV isn't good enough. The midfield will struggle IMHO because we don't have the confidence to push forward as a result of us being pish at the back. As posted earlier, none of the signings have really improved us and the problems from last year haven't been rectified. Will be interesting to see what happens and if we'll actually fix the defensive problems before the window closes. While many don't want Steven Pressley he'd bring organization, leadership, passion, and a determined mentality which we clearly lack.

More from the BBC - is this a real person ABERDEEN FAN PETER MURCHIE, 37, FROM ABERDEEN "Aberdeen fans can face the new season with a high degree of optimism. One can never read too much into pre-season friendlies, but an astonishing reverse at the hands of the Blue Toon notwithstanding, the lads have done fantastically well. "A fine showing against the Champions of Europe and victory over Dutch cracks Vitesse Arnhem suggests we have little to fear from anything the SPL can throw at us. ''Jimmy Calderwood, for my money, the best pound for pound manager in the SPL, has spent wisely and added strength and depth to the squad with the signings of Mark Kerr; Gary McDonald; Charlie Mulgrew; Sammy Stewart, and Tommy Wright. ''Taking a balanced view and looking at the facts, 2008-2009 strikes me as the year when we may see the re-emergence of the New Firm, since there is little doubt that Levein is a man worth his salt. ''Nevertheless, if Calderwood gets the backing of the fans and Scotland's stingiest board, I don't think the Champions League is beyond us. Come On Your Reds!''

Theo was outstanding for us in a time when legend Leighton had just gone. Two tremendous keepers who I'll always defend. However, Theo was nowhere near the keeper he was after he was f**Ked by McCoist nearly removing his head in a challenge - he lost all confidence and when he signed for the Huns he rarely played because he was a shadow of his former self. He put his family first by getting big bucks to sign for the Huns when he knew he'd lost it. Don't blame him.

Apologising during preseason??? Not a good sign. Still, we signed Mulgrew out of the blue so two/three more of these and I'll be a happy camper!

The bottom line is that to be any sort of successful you need to build from the back. Fixing the defence is always a first priority yet since Anderson left we have been shocking at the back. Then we lost Hart, arguably the next best defender. Until we sign a central defender and right back we'll always struggle. 58 goals conceded in the league last year and it won't improve with the current group.

Suggest a sneeky offer to Bobo Balde. Being released if he can find a team. Experienced big strong central defender we sadly lack. As much as I hated watching the guy he was always tough to play against and gives us a thug we sadly lack! Murder to pick up at freekicks and corners which suits JCs tactics. Maybe a tad slow but with Foster and Mulgrew also at the back we'd have a bit of pace. This assumes he is fully fit from his various injuries - although injuries haven't stopped us before! Ready for dogs abuse!!

Well done AFC!! Next, central defender, right back, left mid, and forward please :-)

McNamee had injury issues. Here we go. Know what exactly or is he being brought in to keep Jamie Smith company?

Off on loan to Motherwell. Buddies Strachan and McGhee helping each other out me thinks, just like JC and..... em..... nobody. Now surely with Fergie up in Aberdeen some loan deals MUST have been discussed? Couple of young MUFC loan midfielders would do the trick to replace Aluko and Walker. Missed opportunity I think with Kennedy as he had been mentioned as someone we may have been interested in.

Don't have the time to find the exact article but I'm pretty certain either JC or WM said we'd be bringing in 10/11 players this summer. Hence this has been the number many refer to when we discuss signings.

From the EE today - Calderwood said: “Getting a striker is now at the top of our agenda. We will also sign two more defenders and another who can play in a variety of roles and that will be that." So that makes Bosso, McDonald, Kerr, plus another 4. Maybe we add the 17yr old Irish kid. Were we not told we'd be signing 10/11 from JC or Miller and this was before we sold Touzani? Here we go again.... no doubt we'll hear new signings include Lee Miller, a fit Jamie Smith, De Visscher who is fit now and like a new signing blah blah blah. I just wish JC/Miller would shut up rather than promise and fail to deliver. I know people complain when there is no noise/gossip but to me silence is the best way. Any time we hear xxx number of players will be signed it never happens and the fans just get pissed off or feel let down.

So, what positional signings do we still need? Here's what we have in my opinion - GK - Langfield RB - ? CB - Diamond CB - ? LB - ? RM - McDonald CM -Seve CM - Kerr LM - ? F - Miller F - Smith Subs - Bosso, Considine, Mair, Foster, Dan Smith (is he still here?), De Visscher, Duff, Young, Mackie, Mcguire, plus all the young boys who'll be fringe players. That makes 17 (16 if Dan's gone) first team players which, in my opinion, means we need at least 5/6 more first team players. Obvious priorities are a forward, left midfielder, and the three defenders. Starting to have major concerns that the defence will be a shambles again this year. Apart from Gow, any grapevine rumours?

For CM4 I'd sign Miller, Kerr and Barry Robson and win the league. And to think we could/should have had Robson before he went to Utd. Not like us to miss out on players....

I don't see the value of shipping players off to lower leagues. We are not Man Utd who have 50+ professional players. When has this actually benefitted us? Mackie/Stewart?? Players get better playing with better players and surely our 1st team and reserves can give the skill/physical/tactical development he needs. Aren't our coaches supposed to be better that lower league coaches so staying with us should further the players development in my opinion??

How about a Darren Huckerby type for example. Lee Trundle? Give a decent signing on fee financed by the board (which won't happen!!!), maybe a good win/goal bonus, and keep him on the same wage structure. A little excitement, no?

Agree, 400k now is like a 4 million pound player these days, but pulling off the Charlie Nicholas signing was still a surprise - to me it showed the ambition of the board. What kind of signing would inspire these days that is still realistic? I personally do think Riordan and Gow are realistic with a 'creative' contract to keep our wage structure but no ambition from the board rules them out. We've heard WM say big name signings could happen but what does that mean?