OrlandoDon

I agree 100% as I rate Hammell, just trying to understand JC/the board. Maybe we're buying Ashley Cole in the summer since he's out of favour at Chelsea??

The comment about trust was partly tongue in cheek but I doubt JC will see out that 3 yr deal. As for January, players prices are inflated and you get the panic buys. If the club/board is smart then the Hart, Anderson, Clark, and Euro money is all being saved to get players in the summer. They've said money is there to spend and the transfer and Euro money would be put back into the squad. JC will look at Bus, Maybury etc as they are cheaper than Hammell and may be better value for money - not saying the are or will be but I assume that is the 'logic' behind that. It will be interesting to see who the manager will be in the summer to spend if our current form continues.

Maybe because they don't trust him with money any more or have doubts about him being at the dons in the summer and into next season??

Honestly, I think Mark McGhee would be here in a heartbeat. From comments he's made in the past about us and having been here before he still has us at heart. Plus I think he's a good coach and his Jan signings were certainly more inspiring than ours!!

Ross Wallace on the Sunderland transfer list also??

I wish the list was around when Charlie Nicholas signed for us - don't want that c**t as he was crap at Arsenal! Beattie and Miller are better than much/all of our squad. If we can afford them get them in!!

I think Miller is in charge of football operations at all levels. JC is in charge of signings - Miller gives him the budget. JC has demonstrated he cannot spot a signing and should be held accountable but so should Miller as he approves the signings. Don't know if Miller scouts players and gives opinions - you trust your management team and pay scouts to do that but if we've hired the wrong people who are incapable then you have to question Miller and Milne.

Without doubt JC has stabilized the club and we definitely needed that. I was a JC fan up until this year when, but for the Euro performances, we have been pretty dire the entire season - he peaked last year and is now going downhill and we're going backwards fast. I could understand if he was looking to bin the crap he acquired when he came here but 3 yrs on he is looking to bin most of his signings and start again - that doesn't make much sense for a manager and certainly doesn't inspire confidence in his ability to spot a player. I think now the longer we give him the more damage he could do. Bringing in a new manager now should be a major plus - recruit pre-contracts, inspire a player to stay rather than leave in the summer (i.e Barry Nic), and give the players, club, fans etc a boost. JC is not inspiring the players, the fans, and it costs the club money with lower attendances. I just feel it's time to cut our loses. I'm thankful the club gave him time and didn't sack him within a year like happens all too often but his time is up. He was given time to build a squad but he hasn't been able to do that - why give him money to start again when the past 3 yrs shows that's a big risk or do we give the new guy a chance? I think it's time for new and fresh face.

Given he signed a 3yr contract not that long ago we cannot financially afford to sack him when you consider a solid business plan - if we do then it demonstrates how poorly Miller/Milne are doing their jobs, and neither will admit that. If the money from Hart, Clark, Anderson, and Europe have to be used to pay off JC, JN, and SC then what a shambles we would appear to be. If JC were sacked in the summer what cash does the new guy get and what players are still available at that time? If Milne had any balls he'd swallow his pride, admit he f**ked up in giving the 3 yr contract to JC, pay him off out of his own money, and get McGhee in now. Maybe a new manager boosts the squad ahead of the Celtic cup game, plus he can get the precontracts now rather than the left overs in the summer. I got slated a few months back for criticizing JC but look at us now. Where next??

We've had lots of comments on how we are having a very successful season in recent weeks. Being 'realistic' with the current form and current squad, there is a chance we go out to Celtic in the cup, out to Bayern, and a top six is no where near guaranteed. We haven't beaten a 'good side' in any domestic cup, may win one of of eight European games, and are gifting goals at the back far too regularly. People were praising the job Jimmy has done but we are starting to see us lose by more than 2 goals again far too regularly which hasn't happened much at all in the last 2-3 years. I've expressed my views on JC before, but it appears we have gone backwards this year. Luck in the cups to get as far as we did and average at best in the league. Looking at the big picture, how does the future look?

Is that Brittany Spears?

We've hit the post, the bar, and a few good saves. Best we've played since Copenhagen apparently. Got to take chances though.

Yep, we choose. Would love to see the dons play more than I can but it all comes down to the cash. Life's a bitch living in year round sun, coaching in shorts and a t-shirt today as usual even though today was a cold day!!! Still, six skin cancer surgeries and counting!

I plan all my trips home around where and when the dons play. Have flown in from Los Angeles before, Atlanta, and now Orlando.

The beauty of football is that we all have our opinions and are entitled to them. Having been a dons fan for nearly 30 years and having flown over 4000 miles to see them play before I've seen the highs and the lows of the club, and have seen some quality football from the team and some complete crap. Having an opinion doesn't make anyone more or less of a fan and doesn't make us more or less deserving. The pub would be a hell of a boring place if we all agreed with everything and have the same opinions. I give my thought out opinions and my reasons why. I don't agree with some peoples posts and some don't make logical or coherent cases or points; some are just blatant abuse and insults. Some are great and some funny. However, regardless of my point of view, I'll cheer on the team regardless and I've never hurled abuse at one player or manager during a game as that doesn't help the team and performance. I wish JC all the luck and success now as the dons manager and wherever he goes in the future as he is a likeable guy who tries his best (regardless of whether I think he is capable or not.) I hope we are successful in every game we play but I am still open minded enough to look at the bigger picture.

He gets the squad free tanning and cheap flights to Majorca. Apart from that, not sure.

I did too but doesn't appear to be working any more given the dross of recent weeks

Wow, quite an article. Don't agree with the lack of talent and overachieving as I feel we have got some pretty capable players in Foster, Hart, Seve, Smith, Nicholson, Miller, and Lovell (dare I say.) Diamond, Considine, and Aluko are young but should progress into good players with the right guidance and coaching. However, we aren't playing well and haven't for quite a while, and appear to lack the drive and motivation in recent games which suggests something is wrong. In terms of the signings, you do have to question JC but also the board. Mair isn't good enough and Young is a squad player at best, but you have to give Duff a chance before judging. However, are we seeing any transfer money or is all the recent transfer and Euro income servicing the debt? You cannot expect JC to sign good players if he has little or nothing to offer.

How would you explain the performances of the national team and our club teams in Europe then? Em, well, we are lucky to be in Europe with one win in six games (great to be there but we were VERY lucky that all results went our way) and Rangers and Celtic are the top two teams in our league. I think we look at the other eight SPL teams in a different light financially and in terms of quality, hence the old firms domination of the SPL over the last 20 years or so. As for the national team, many of the players don't play in the SPL and the national team rarely picks players from outside the old firm these days. (Barry Robson was the only player outside of the old firm in the last squad according to the Scottish FA website.) I am very proud of our national team and would love to see more home based players in the team/squad but the quality simply isn't there.

In attack I actually rate Foster and Hart when they push forward, and Seve, Nicholson, Smith, Miller, and Lovell can play a bit, plus I think Aluko is a tidy player. That's why I think we are capable of playing more quality stuff. I don't think there are that many players in the SPL that I'd take ahead of them when they play to potential. I also think they are players who can play with the ball at their feet and aren't so suited to long ball/kick and run stuff. We seem to play some pretty crap stuff on a regular basis which suggests a lack of motivation, tactics etc.... hence I look to JC. As for the state of scottish football, I would say the league is more even than it has been in years which again I put down to the financial state of scottish football, but I wouldn't say it's the best quality in years. Considering the quality on show yesterday between us and Dundee Utd, two of the 'better' teams by league positions, I don't think the quality was particularly high from what I have heard/read.

Yep, I think that is pretty obvious. With no money in Scottish Football we lose so many more players to the lower leagues in England and don't attract nearly as many decent players to Scottish Football. We were gash while other teams still paid for players now it is much more even again since few teams can spend.

Nope, just this season. He's been here long enough to establish a system and pattern of play, but he hasn't. I'm all for giving managers time to implement their thoughts and style but I just don't think he is capable of doing any more for us. We're not consistent and rarely produce quality/inspiring football, but I think we have the players capable of that. It's dire to watch with the odd exception like Copenhagen. He's motivated and inspired us to work and that, along with the decline of the opposition, have meant we are no longer as pish as we used to be. However, even the JC motivation seems to be lacking these days and I hate hearing his same old crap in the papers after another poor performance. With the quality of opposition in the SPL and the players at Aberdeen, some decent tactics and play and I think 3rd should be rapped up and we try to challenge the old firm. There is an opportunity with the decline of Hearts and Hibs this year to solidify the '3rd force' again but I just don't think JC has the skills to do so.

JC quote after the Dundee Utd game - "But too many good players are not performing anywhere near their capabilities for this club." Why? There is only so many times before the yelling and the shouting crap gets blocked out. Since I am appreciated for repeating myself by stating the "could do better" remark, all I say is even Jimmy agrees!!!! Yes we could do worse, not much in terms of performance, but we should be doing so much better. We have the players as they have shown occasionally this year, why aren't they performing? He's gone as far as he can with AFC, if only the board had the stones to do something about it. Just because we are not bottom two or three doesn't mean we should be happy. Reaching semi finals shouldn't be considered an achievement for AFC and we have been very fortunate to go as far as we have in Europe with one win in six games. I don't get why people don't open their eyes???

No sour grapes, I just want us to play well and have success. British football is rather primitive hence the introduction of the foreign coaches with new ideas and foreign players who are better (obbviously not all as there are also plenty of foreign diddies we have seen in Scotland.)We are having a decent season so far (we're still in everything but I won't call it a good season until we see how far we go) but I think we can do better. I didn't say we always played long ball, that was a response to another email. I don't think we play with any pattern of play but we do play quite a bit of long ball lumped up the park. When we keep the ball on the deck and pass we do well, I just want more of that. Wenger's teams can over pass and Mourinho's teams can be cynical and borderline boring at times. Man. Utd. have a great blend of strength, flair etc. They are all progressive coaches and JC appears a little dated. Agree, the future and another coach with a different style is speculation. As is keeping JC, only time will tell. Hiring Alex Ferguson after getting sacked from St Mirren was a ballsy and risky decision. As was firing Willie for being 2nd in all competitions. JC may win us the UEFA cup :-) but I still think a new approach with the playing staff we have could do better.

Maybe. I agree is it easy to criticize and judge from a distance and many coaches don't get the respect they deserve. However, having done the courses there are some complete numpties with licences who are clueless. The ex-pro tends to get preferential treatment in these courses and some very poor and uneducated 'coaches' get to coach pro teams. There is definitely the 'old school' coach and the newer progressive style of coaching like a Wenger, Mourinho etc... They are very forward thinking with advanced methodologies - there are plenty of these types around and I used to think JC with his background, his dutch coaching etc was one, but I really am surprised at the 'quality' he has us play. I used to think JC and JN were that way but now I fear they are just fun guys with a bit of personality who the players like to play for. However, we do have the players to play better and I think we have players with the technical ability suited to passing more. We see it sometimes, it would be nice to see it more often as I feel it would get us more positive results.