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Thoughts with @OrlandoDonat this difficult time.

We have Miovski, Sokler, Ambrose and Gueye. Whether you rate all of them or not, Thelin is going to play them all before Boyd just now, so him sitting on the bench is a waste of time. He's better off getting a run of games at U18 level for now. If he shows enough to be in the first team, then he'll be there.

Enjoyed 75 minutes of that. We need to learn to manage the game better though - second time in a matter of weeks we've been hanging on against an inferior side. Two points ahead of Rangers and Hearts and I don't see them ever catching us to be honest.

Miovski starts. Presumably Sokler out wide. Great to see the black and gold. Just adds to the occasion. Edit: Alfie Stewart on the bench, 17-year-old. Left footed. Versatile in that he's played left-back, centre mid, as a right winger and as a No.10.

Aye. Also, there's probably wee kids that have got Duk 11 on their shirt. Now if he leaves the club can't do anything about it, but if they change his number now then wee Hayden fae Tilly has every right to demand a refund. I think Mackenzie is gonna be a very good player for us. I think he's going to have a very solid two years then earn a move to Wrexham for £1.5m plus add ons.

What?

Will be a lot of fans in England who don't normally bother with Scottish football who might watch a few games this weekend to get away from the Olympics, so that's why Sky are going big on it. All these games are warm ups to what will be an incredible spectacle on Monday night at McDiarmid Park.

I think someone like Allan Campbell would be expecting to be a starter. Going to be hard to convince him that's the case when Thelin has as his first choices his captain, and a guy he's worked with before and has just handed a three-year contract to. Plus, I know he's injured now, but at some point Polvara will be fit, potentially knocking Campbell further down the pecking order. The general consensus on Campbell from Luton and Millwall is he works hard but is too ponderous in possession. I get he's younger than Shinnie/Nilsen but is he better than either of them? For the (presumably) big wages he'd want does he improve us? I'd certainly take him on account we're light there at the moment and the squad as a whole looks thin, but would be very surprised if we did.

Aye, just been reading up on it. Apparently the suspension hadn't "kicked in yet" in time for the QOTS game, but it did for East Kilbride. Well, that settles that then. Nilsen alongside Shinnie and McGrath the No.10.

Aberdeen - the website admin at least - appears to believe Nilsen is available.

This won't be how we line-up because of course Morris will start, but that's how I would play. Milne I agree is better than Jensen, but St Johnstone under Levein are cloggers, so I'd rather they kicked Jensen early on before the yellow cards come out rather than Milne, and have him come on as a second half sub. Also, Milne has played a total of 10 minutes in pre-season so he's not gonna be match fit to last 90. (Mind you, Jensen has had less than 20 minutes). Unless of course we did in fact delay registering Nilsen so he could serve his suspension and Thelin is playing mind games with Levein. Vinnie and Duncan as inverted wingers. McGrath number 10. Sokler to end the weekend as the Premiership's top goal scorer hours after Barcelona have pipped their city rivals to the signature of Miovski.

Day of game confirmed for the Sunday

Not necessarily. Because Kilmarnock are also in the Conference League, one of them may have their game moved to Wednesday for TV purposes. It's a thing Uefa have been doing this season. Dates confirmed in the morning.

Someone is taking the piss

The team finishing last in La Liga get £45m in tv revenue alone. Add in sponsorship, expected gate receipts (40,000 capacity stadium), and that last season they had player sales that amounted to over €30m, then £3m is pocket change to them.

Hoilett - I'd have liked him to stay because he had something about him, but was probably a fringe player anyway. We really need to sign another Miovski level player who is a nailed on starter and game changer. Espanyol - Reports suggesting £3m. Aye for Duk maybe.

Well if we're doing it all in here, then... While we should temper expectations for Thelin in his first season, I still expect at least fourth. Hibs - bar the Kelty defeat - actually look okay, but our squad even at this stage still looks stronger than theirs, and the same goes for Killie, Dundee and St Mirren. We're two players away from being a tidy enough side, if not spectacular. Hearts - on paper they look to have strengthened, and have good squad depth which will help them cope with European games. Even if Shankland goes, they'll have that cash plus the European money to strengthen even more in January. But, despite comfortably finishing third last season, they were not great shakes, and although Naismith seems competent enough I don't think he'll ever have Hearts being fantastic. They are definitely there to be got at if Thelin can get any sort of consistency going. Reckon this could be the year Motherwell go down. St Johnstone and Ross County also to struggle. Goodwin to get sacked by Dundee United, but they'll have enough to be safe. Celtic to stroll the title. Mine and Philippe Clement's gym is currently getting an expensive upgrade which might be enough to convince him to see out the season (honestly, should see the number of different saunas they're building. Looking forward to discussing Connor Barron in there with him). Predicting the cups a waste of time as much depends on the luck of the draw. Player of the season: Have a feeling a maturing Jack Mackenzie could really impress this season.

Tannadice it is then. Hopefully we get the Shed.

Technically Rangers are at Hampden... Which poses the question - if Rangers' temporary stay there becomes long term, where does the semi & final get played if Rangers make it that far? In 1994, Celtic played their home games at Hampden. Both the semi (v Aberdeen) and final (v Raith) were played at Ibrox so that Celtic didn't get an advantage (the Scottish Cup final did get played at Hampden, which was criticised). Should Aberdeen draw a Rangers in the semi at the start of November, we would have every right to demand it's at Murrayfield.

The draw Seeded The Dons, Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Kilmarnock, St Mirren, Dundee, Ross County Unseeded Hibernian, Dundee United, St Johnstone, Airdrieonians, Falkirk, Spartans, Queen's Park, and either Motherwell or Partick Thistle. Takes place tomorrow after Motherwell v Partick.

What exactly were you expecting from them in their 20 minutes? They rarely wasted a pass, set up numerous chances, both got assists, and but for a good save Vinnie could have scored. Were they meant to stop the Titanic sinking during their cameos?

Things we did and didn't learn. Sokler is going to start v St Johnstone and Miovski is simply keeping fit before he leaves. Thanks for the memories Bojan - go get a move to a Champions League club and do us all proud. Be interesting to see Sokler when he makes the step up v Premiership teams. Vinnie and Duncan playing on their weaker side was interesting, but effective. We almost played in a counter-attacking style in that second half, with the two of them preferring to make their passes from deep and be overlapped. Morris wasn't bad, but he should be ripping a side like Dumbarton apart. He's ordinary on a good day and horrific on others. Should not start v St Johnstone. Has not done enough in his four starts. Would still like to think a new winger arriving is imminent though. We still don't know who will replace Nilsen v St Johnstone. Presumably one of Clarkson or McGrath. Defensively we still look like we can be got at easily, though Dumbarton rarely tested us. James McGarry coming off the bench and getting a goal and assist wasn't on the bingo card. He'll play second fiddle to Mackenzie, but maybe still hope he'll be a decent back-up.

Vinny and Duncan both getting assists That's £100 both BigAl and OrlandoDon owe me. Proving to be a very profitable season:

Think we've made all five subs now.

I've not wanted two players to put in a good 20 minutes as much in my life. I'm not even supporting Aberdeen at this point - just Duncan & Vinny. You can't say things like that around here. Talking of Fergie, I was staying in the same hotel as him in Stuttgart last month. Wanted to ask for a photo but he was sat on the phone so I left him alone. Also walked past Wenger at the Switzerland game. These stories offer you nothing but I needed to share them.