OrlandoDon

Fair points Tradesman. I agree it is certainly pleasing to see us in the top half of the league, competing in all competitions and, having been a die hard dons fan for almsot 30 yrs, I've certainly seen the highs and lows. I've also been involved in professional coaching for the last 12 yrs and simply feel we have the skill and talent to do better at present. Yes, you can argue we're 4th in the league but we're not far of 8th. A little more consistency and quality and we could solidify 3rd against a very average league at present. I also think there is no reason we cannot compete with the old firm as they are average teams. We also should do well in the cups given the opposition is not as strong as the past due to financial limitations. I trully feel we are two or three signings away (and some decent tactical coaching) from being a good side. A new right or left back (Foster can play RB and I agree he has been good over the last year - I remember the dogs abuse he got and he has certainly come along), a commanding centre half to partner Zander or Considine, and a natural central midfielder to take hold of the middle or the park. Re-sign Barry and get the most out of Miller and Lovell (providing they re-sign) and we have a decent team. Surely we can spend some cash given the cup runs, the Anderson money, 200k for Clark etc. - we can still use some to reduce debt but investing in the squad in the current situation is neccessary. Maybe it's too forward thinking to replace a manager when we are doing ok. He's done good things but pass it on to someone to do better. Certainly the new guy could do better or could do worse, that's the risk you take. I still think we could do better, play better, be more consistent, and win. I do think we've gone as far as we can with JC but I will certainly be deligfhted if he proved me wrong!

So what does 200k get us these days? Ian Murray? Burton O'Brien? Stevie Hammell? Would the huns sell Alan Gow if we pressed them since they got him on a freebie?

No need for the abuse, debate is healthy and we are all entitled to our opinion. I get the thumbs down for debating versus sending insults and abuse? Quality! As I said before, Calderwood has done a good job at stabilizing the team/club. However, I think he's taken us as far as he can. Nothing to do with hating the guy, he's simply a coach that motivates and get players fired up. However, I think he cannot do any more with us. I'm not asking us to play like Brazil, I just want us to play football rather than kick and run scraps. We have the talent to do better and I think we could get someone to improve our play. I feel we have a much better squad than most of the league yet we've struggled to get 9 wins out of 22 in the league? That has taken us to 4th which sums up the standard of the competition; I think it's fair to say we haven't played well many games this season, what if we played better? The league is not a great standard and we are very capable of being top 3 and competing with the old firm in my opinion. I used the Gretna game as an example as it was the last game I attended. I also referenced the Copenhagen game as what we are capable of doing. We have the talent to pass the ball and play better, and still win. Our players are capable of more from what we have seen of them in certain games - how many games have we trully played well this year versus the comments of 'we were dire today?' We don't have to play kick and run to get results and we can play well and win well, and win more often. I think we are simply missing an opportunity here to do better?

Got to say, I love the intelligent responses and debate. It gives people so much credibility. If you are going to abuse at least be funny!! My job is in coaching so I pay attention to what coaches say/do during Games. I also scout and watch training sessions to see what coaches do. Last game I watched was the Gretna game over Christmas and while it certainly wasn't a great performance it's just embarrassing watching Calderwood. He shouts, screams, doesn't really coach, and the way he rips into Michael Hart when he gets injured is just primative. When you go 1-0 up with less than 5 mins remaining you make tactical adjustments to hold a lead as you know the other team will press. You practice these kind of things in training. You also practice how to hold the ball, play possession, and keep the ball in the corners - you see that regularly when teams hold a lead. Jimmy does nothing and from what we see there are no team adjustment, we don't keep the ball, and lose a last minute goal. Even the penalty which was a dubious penalty, you don't sit so high when defending a 1 goal lead with 2 mins left. You play deep and get men behind the ball so there is no space to exploit and the team plays infront of you. I simply feel we have the talent in our squad to do better. We have many average teams in our league and I expect more - if we were playing good football I wouldn't have an issue but it's painful to watch most games. Jimmy stablised our team/club now it's maybe time for someone else to take us forward.

Of course we are underachieveing. With the squad we have we should easily be 3rd (at worse??) yet the league form has been average at best. The Copenhagen game gave us a glimpse of what we are capable of - no reason why we don't reach the league cup final as we haven't faced any good teams (we should beat anyone and give Celtic/Rangers a challenge) and we should beat Falkirk in the replay. Calderwood is a motivator and not a tactician but there are only so many times you can use the same speeches, yell at the players etc. and he struggles to inspire, motivate and coach the current group. We are inconsistent/poor because he's a very average coach. A fresh approach could take us further in a time when we could easily be the third force in Scottish football and be competing with the old firm. Most games are a struggle and a slog when we do have the players to be doing much better and playing much better quality football.

From the last few games we've played dire stuff - not much to jump about. Even with the injuries we can play better. I think you'll find if we pass the ball a little better and are coached a little better you get to jump around a little more. We do have the talent in the squad and we are underachieving. While we are still involved in all competitions we could do better. Just because we are not the doom and gloom of the past under Alex Miller, Ebbe etc doesn't mean we settle, and I think people are happy just because we are not involved in the relegation battle - play better and we could easily solidify 3rd but we're also not far of 8th. Compare our squad to the rest of the league and we could/should be doing better - some quality coaching and that could easily be achieved.

I think there is a difference between playing the ball to a target man who holds the ball up for midfield support, knocks it into the channels for wide runners, on flicks it on for the other forward to run onto, and simply lumping it up the park head height or higher. I don't see all the games but from what I have seen and heard we regularly simply punt it up the park and posession is lost. We can rarely keep possession and play more than 3 passes in a row. Miller loses a lot more than he wins, not solely his fault as the 'punt' isn't exactly a quality pass. It would be nice to have a team that plays through midfield rather than kick and run stuff. I think we all agree we don't play quality stuff much at all and we simply want to see a few passes and be entertained. The players are paid professionals who do have technique - it takes coaching to play possession as a team, it doesn't take much intelligence at all to play kick and run.

I get why we are looking to replace Hart with Bus or some other numptie, but why are we looking at strikers?? (if you can call Dobie that.) We have Miller, Lovell, Mackie, Mcguire, and Smith who have all shown they are capable. I assume Miller is leaving and Dobie is the replacement but why not use the cash to get Dobie to keep Miller? Having watched the dons this season we don't play with any real style or system of play.... apart from lump it up the park. Do we actually coach in training? What does Sandy Clark do again exactly? I'd much rather we signed a central midfielder who'll take responsibility in games. We have no leader on the park and no central player willing to take charge of a game. Seve used to but rarely now. We don't play through midfield very often and any good play is a lump forward to the forwards to hold the ball up for midfielders - very basic play. I watch/listen to games every week and we always seem to play poorly. We're not fun to watch and it appears more teams play more attractive football than us (Hibs, Motherwell this season for example, never mind the old firm.) What do we do in training as you cannot tell from watching games? I do a lot of coaching in the U.S. and we appear to be a very poorly coached team. We can sign whoever we want but what do our coaching staff do with them? The boy got slated in another topic for criticizing Calderwood but my feelings are is that all prem clubs are struggling financially. We were crap for a few years because other teams were still spending money and we were tightening the belt. Now it seems to be even hence we are more competitive again - I don't really hold Calderwood responsible for success but more the other teams are crap now. If we were playing good attractive football then maybe but we aren't particularly good. I personally feel Pittodrie is stale again and Calderwood has taken us as far as he could - a new contract to me means more of the same which is not really inspiring. Dare I say we missed an opportunity to sign a John Collins for example with English/European experience and a reputation of playing good attractive football.

Sorry if it's already been asked, but when is the draw? I'd take Bayern, Spurs, Athl. Madrid, and Copenhagan - that would be fun, low expectation, and mega money!!

Talking of crap signings, how many of JC's have been good signings? Not many - Seve and Jamie injury prone, Baz Nic has been good in the last season or so, Lovell and Miller have potential but not done much - he supposidly wants the board to state ambition (with finance) but do you trust the guy spending the money???

If the boy is any good this one will certainly piss me off. We're recommended him by Bobby Clark months ago, he then gets capped by ROI, then Jimmy says he's only looking at him as a favor to Bobby and that it's highly unlikely that he'll get a deal. No wonder the boy goes elsewhere, we don't exactly seem at all interested. Given our severe lack of money should we not trust a Bobbby Clark and at least look at him before commenting?

I'm certainly not saying Onstad is a great keeper, but I don't rate Langfield or Soutar at all and the SPL isn't full of quality keepers, and you weren't pointing out better players if you look into who you commented upon (maybe the exception is Robinson who has a number of Welsh caps and could probably play in the dons starting eleven). You pointed out average players in MLS as did I, guys who play most games. Would you take a 32 yr old Dichio or a 40 yr old Brewster in your squad? They are comparible if you ask me. Paul Dalglish won the MLS = Bob Malcolm winning the premier league. There are plenty of mediocre Scottish players would get overly recognized too - look at the Rangers and Celtic diddies who have been selected for Scotland before quality and more deserving players (i.e. the clowns that play instead of Russell Anderson.) I'm not arguing MLS is better but I think they are comparible leagues. I've seen terrible dons games in the past and great MLS games and vice versa. Freddy Adu is a decent player with plenty of talent but remember he's only 18. He's been overly hyped up by MLS to get attention to the league but that is American sports - the world series, world champion San Antonio Spurs etc. It's not the world but that's America. Johnson isn't the best player in MLS and I'd say Angel, Donovan, Albright, Johnson, Mapp, Ching, Mastroeni for example could all start for an SPL team plus there are loads of good up and coming players. I heard Danny Szetela is being linked with Rangers being one. It's a very new league and will only get stronger as players develop and gain experience. MLS will just get stronger (as will American 'soccer' in general) - It pains me to say but I'm not as confident about Scottish football.

I'm not saying MLS is a high standard but neither is watching the majority of SPL teams. Go and watch Caley Falkirk and tell me the quality on display. I'd say Eddie Johnson is as good if not better than Darren Mackie, Justin Mapp on par or better than Chris Clark, I'd take Chris Albright in a heartbeat, and as for Freddy Adu, while he has been so overly hyped up, I'd take him any day as we seriously lack creativity and flair. Ricardo Clark is a good player too and would probably take a starting spot. Agreed the league has its duffers but for every Terry Cooke, Carl Robinson, Danny Dichio and Gavin Glinton I think you've got an equally good Richie Byrne, Densill Theobald, Markus Paatelainen and Steven McGarry. And as for Pat Onstad, how good are Langfield and Soutar?

I'd say MLS is probably very similar to the SPL with the exception of Rangers and Celtic. There are plenty of players in MLS who I think would make it in the Dons first team squad, and a number who would be starting players. I also think there are plenty of diddies who play(ed) in the SPL. last season i.e Richie Byrne, Dan Smith, Jamie Langfield, Gary Dempsey, Jamie Winter etc., and I'd say Chris Clark and Darren Mackie are easily MLS standard and we are the 3rd best team in Scotland right now. Having lived in the USA for 12 years now, being heavily involved in coaching, and watching the growth of US football and MLS there is plenty of talent here. The perception of US fotball is not great but the talent is certainly here, but the SPL isn't that great either (unfortunately).

I think it would be very difficult to knock back any bid of a million plus. We are a club with major debt and can we really afford to lose Anderson for nothing in less than a year? You can argue the fees for players like Brown but I think these guys were all on longer contracts. While people moan about ambition by not keeping Anderson the fact that we were 3rd and in Europe may just encourage a decent defender to come our way. I think most of the fee would be used to service debt but we'd sign an experienced central defender to complement our younger central defenders (dare I say someone like a Craig Moore or Bobo Balde.) I don't really know what central defenders are available and as much as I want to keep Anderson I just don't see how we can afford to keep Russ if bids come in.

Do we consider a back three with McNamara sweeping behind Diamond and Considine with a 5 man midfield with Hart and Foster (dare I say Byrne) as wing backs? Had we not signed the Dutch winger I'd have thought that. However, I think if Russ goes we will buy an experienced and dominant centre half to combine with Diamond or Considine. Just don't know who??

Any idea where we are entered and how many rounds until the group stages? What would the groups stages mean in terms of finances - anyone any idea how much money reaching the group stages will bring us?

So, how much will the win today and 3rd place help us? Certainly there is the financial bonus of Europe but surely the appeal of european football will aid in the addition of new signings. While our keepers aren't great we're set there, although I think transfer listed Neil Alexander would be a good pick up (but unrealistic) Defence now has plenty of depth - we lose Donald but the signings help us there Midfield - lose Dempsey, Winter, McAuley and sign 3 here hopefully - at 33 I don't think we want McNamara running his arse off in midfield every week Up front we lose Daal but I think Lovell, Miller, Mackie, Maguire and Brewster and is depth enough, although I do see Brewster getting a managers job in the next 6 months. We've signed two players so far in Mair and McNamara (has Kurrant signed?) but in my opinion we still need two wide players and a central midfielder - are we still being linked with Michael Stewart as he'd give us the depth and bite in midfield. Again, unrealistic, but Tommy Miller from Sunderland would be an attacking goalscoring midfielder who is being released. Any idea who we are looking at in wide positions?

If we lose 0-2 and Hearts draw we are tied on points and goal difference - what happens? I notice in Spain that it is not goal difference that decides but head to head - we are 2-1-1 with Hearts if it means anything.

Sorry mate, think you are clutching at straws here. Nicholason couldn't get a game for Rangers and he's a winner because he played for Dunfermline (what did they win?) Smith couldn't get games for Celtic and left and I don't think Den Haag were winners/champions. Would you say Michael Hart has a winning mentality coming from Livi having previously been punted by us?I understand what you mean by a winning mentality but you don't have to leave a successful team to be a winner.

"Experienced in leading his team to relegation?! No thanks. We've had stacks of players who were more than qualified in that department. I'm happier that we're looking at winners rather than losers." How many of our current team are winners? We should dump Anderson then since he's been with us for years when we were bottom six and crap. Don't get your logic at all - there are plenty of players on relegated teams who would be great additions to our team.

Am I the only one not overly excited about one of our main transfer targets being a 33 yr old whose best position is right back. What will we get, one or two seasons max?

This is a tough one - we stick it out, lose the player, and end up with a no use umpteenth choice player who does nothing (we've signed a few of them.) However, we stuck it out over the Lee Miller deal and got him for free - who would have ever thought we'd get him on a freebie. Saying that though, I'd rather Milne forked out some dough - the boy is a high earning club captain and from what I gather a respected player - 70k doesn't seem much for an experienced leader, and we certainly lack ballsy hardcnuts tough tackling leaders on the park.

Since we are skint and have to be realistic, think any of these players are worth a look? All from relegated clubs who may look to offload to possibly an affordable wage- Richie Partridge – wide mid - rotherham utd Stephen Crainey – left back - leeds urd Eddie Lewis – wide mid - leeds utd Steve Hammell – left back - southend utd Steven Schumacher – attack mid - bradford All seem to be have been decent at some point I think......

I seem to recall Strachan and McLeish having shameful attempts at a tash.