Ajja

If we sign Marshall or O'Brien then you would have to say this has been a reasonably positive experience, all things considered. Manager identifies problem with service from midfield Manager identifies four potential solutions, Higgins, Marshall, O'Brien & Obiefule Manager tests out options through trials and contract negotiations Manager focuses in on best option and signs him (hopefully) Aside from all the flannel and conjecture from the media, agents, players and fans this looks like a pretty robust process to me. Now lets see the same process employed on a goalscorer and an uncompromising holding midfielder.

Not convinced Levein will be the next Scotland manager. Would not like to see JC at Tannadice, just better he fades off to Europe somewhere so we can get rid of the hang ups we have about him as soon as possible.

I think you may be right. Its traditional for them to blow this period is it not ? Post NY fuck ups left right and centre. I suspect Hamilton will beat them on Saturday and Sir Craig will be crest fallen....again. Its a pity really because, petty hatred aside, we should be looking for anyone who can to break the dominance of the OF to do so. Despite laughing at UTD I did not want to see the huns beat them last night.

Huns were always going to go to Tannadice and skelp UTD tonight. After all that fiasco with ticket money it was a given.

The Pretty Things - Baron Saturday

Its almost always the case. Beating the OF does so much bad for the players attitudes. When we beat the hun, McGhee himself came out and described a potential scenario where the players might believe they have done their work for a few weeks and switch off. Its worrying that having identified this likely outcome the manager and team have collectively been unable to stop it happening. Fully agree that we need patience but this situation really rips me.

In determining the possible future of Aberdeen within the context of Scottish football I would suggest that there are some painful axioms: 1. We cannot change the influx of glamour football into our TVs and PCs so we have to live with that global market force. 2. There will be bigger clubs with more money than us to plunder our resources. 3. The OF are not going to leave Scottish football. 4. It is unlikely that we will see root and branch change in Scottish football. With all this in play I think the best we can hope for is that the OF get weaker as they struggle to adapt to a dropping market. Remember, we have all had a number of years to adjust to the loss of quality signings and revenue that comes from success on the park. The OF will potentially continue to try to suck the teat of European football for as long as possible and will likely do this by trying to buy a squad capable of it. Increasingly this is more likely to weaken them as they bring in a lower quality player who is not accustomed to the scrapping environment of the SPL. If other teams can continue to build on youth programmes then there might be a chance we can at least live with the OF in the SPL and cups. It might not be possible but I suspect it is about as realistic as we can expect.

I'm not convinced that the second paragraph would necessarily pan out as we might expect. Undoubtedly the demise of Scottish football would come closer with a drop in the fortunes of the OF. However, we Scots are pretty perochial in our nature and we don't tend to look beyond our borders when engaging with sport at this level. The global context that the OF have found themsleves dreaming of in recent years in not a natural part of our culture, its more about a 'bolt-on' support that has attached itself to success which has come very easily at a domestic level. I wouldn't underestimate the core support among Scottish football fans for a level playing field. I'm not suggesting that thousands or extra fans would turn up for a good old scrap on a muddy field but on the whole I think most clubs in Scotland would see at least a sustaining of crowd levels with improved opportunity. I agree it does still leave us with the problem of being increasingly marginalised on the international stage, making no progress in Europe and younger generations being reared on the glamour and success of Man UTD, AC Milan and Barcelona. However, I think the domestic game would still survive in a form not much poorer than it is now....can it go much lower ? There is a fundemental excitement with Scottish football among Scottish people that I have faith in to keep us at some sort of acceptable level of quality. I may be too romantic in my thinking with that one though.

When you are drawing comparisons with the past you have to couch that analysis with the changing environment. In terms of Scottish football, I would suggest that change has been fairly catastrophic. Baggy alluded to the fact that if you are not part of the primary tier of world football then you are probably sinking pretty fast, at best treading water (as someone else described). We have one pretty significant dilemma as a football club in the modern game and that is that we strive for success but success will always bring instability. If McGhee does manage to turn on the engines they will not burn long before he is gone. Likewise with young players, the climate is such that preditors are too thick on the ground to ever hope to bring any quality youth product up for more than 2 years before they are gone. As has been said by many, our best route to any form of success is to continue the work done in finding good quality at youth level, investing in it and bringing players through but most importnatly taking the risk to sign them up long term. If we can get these component parts right then we have half a chance of building some financial strength under the club and then slowly crawling out of the mire. Only then will we be able to look at reasonable competition and challenging consistently. The only caveat I would add is that the OF are dropping like stones in our domestic set up. If they are the benchmark to 'success' on a domestic level then it might be more obtainable in the short term than people believe. European money is drying up and the loyal support base is dwindling. They have some way to go before they are in the mess that most other Scottish clubs ar ein but they are not used to the scrapping mentality and this could become crucial in seasons to come, who knows possibly even this one. They will be out of their comfort zones and so will their supporters right now. The opportunity is there to make some ground, even with a crippling debt and a disaffected support. COyR.

Ace. Armchair supporting rocks.

Apologies if this has been posted already. No doubt I'll get the required link posetd quickly to save me looking! Was reading the story of that Standard Liege keeper who scored a late equalizer for them against AZ Alkmaar. Apparently, this puts Belgium above us and drops us into that 1 CL place in 2011-12 spot. Bit disasterous for the OF, especially if the i spot we get requires a two round qualification. Does the slippery slope really start in 2011 ?

Fuck the scum at all costs.

I disagree. I think this site is incredibly tight. I think there are a lot of posters who think a lot about what they believe or how they view most things and this makes us all feel that we are more considered. However, there are very strong opinions in play on most threads and contrary opinions tend to get shouted down very quickly.

That's the spirit, I had to go and have a shower after writing that last post! Back to the aching belly laughs. Read some chat from Romanov in the retard today. He was banging on about there being no football in Scotland and that we should be shamed by the way the league is corrupt to ensure the OF win everything. I could hear him back pedalling from my office in South Queensferry.

You are slightly off the track of my point though. The SPL needs teams who can beat the OF. Not just one team but many teams and Hearts are one of those most likely to do this consistently, ergo, we need them to be strong. Aberdeen are never going to go through a season losing 3 or 4 games. The OF are capable of doing this most seasons and so they walk the league. In order for Aberdeen to challenge this position we need the OF to lose 8 or 9 games at least. Thats 16-18 games a season they need to lose between them. We only play them a max of 8 so even if we are able to beat them home and away we still need them to lose at least 10 additional games. Who is going to do that if we want every team to be shit ? That is why we need Hearts, and others, to be strong and assist Aberdeen to challenge the OF.

But it speaks the truth of the closed off little club that we are. Lets be honest, we are a cynical pack of wolves and make light work of most newcomers who enter the site with any sort of statement. The only tolerance shown is for those who creep in the side door. Its a tough site to get into, hence the reason why traffic is low. Most of us possibly like it that way as quantity only ever reduces quality. Just look at the hat and Abmad for multiple zoomers galore.

Filled one out. Interesting work. Good luck with it.

Don't mock the poor guy for being so upset, instead lets try to help him get over his sphere.

Without wishing to write the guy off before he has a shot at it, do we really need to be looking at a player in a position we have decent coverage when Blackpool didn't play him much and he had 13 appearences for Port Vale in League 2 ?

Heard something on the radio (BBC Scotland) from Marshall saying he would rather sign for Aberdeen than sit on the sidelines at Man City.

OK, I'm going to indulge in the rational discussions for a little longer here on the premise that you let me get back to the irrational laughing post haste. As much as we hate the inflated ego's that have populated too much of Hearts public face for the last 5 years its surely naive to suggest that the teams listed above have the potential to be a top 6 side over the long term in the same capacity that Hearts do. They are arguably the best supported side in the capital city for starters and have a strong history in recent years (last 10 ?) of being one of the main challengers to the OF. You can hypothesise about the bleak future they will possibly endure but you cannot deny the facts of recent times. Outside of Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen there are very few if any sides who have consistently been top 6 in the last 5-10 years. Certainly none of those sides you have pointed to as potential strong clubs are more likely to assist Aberdeen in our challenge to the OF than Hearts.

My sensible, rational self agrees totally with ally s on this one. Scottish football needs as many strong teams as possible to bring competition back to the SPL. The positive aspect of this season is seeing UTD and Hibs hanging on to the OF and hoping that we can get in there as well. The more teams who are strong enough to take points from the OF in a season the closer we can get to them. The only problem with that is this is a LAUGH AT HEARTS thread so I feel compelled to carry on in that tone. I would fucking love to see those over inflated hun scum bastards drop down the tubes like a wet shite. Get in.

This crowd are far too cynical to help you out mate. I'd try Aberdeen Mad as there are a few writers there that would probably help.

Just watched the highlights. First time I have seen highlights where we have not been shown in a single attacking move. Terrible stuff. We just can't keep our feet on the ground when we beat one half of the OF. Its embarrassing. One step forwards two steps back.