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Harsh on Jensen, especially since he's only played one full game. Thought he looked good last night.

Don't worry about it @RicoS321, we've only got another year of group stage football to worry about before our coefficient goes crashing through the trapdoor.

You can simulate the draw here if that sort of thing turns you on. https://draw.inker.one/#/ecl/gs/2023

The tie was a month too early really. I think Robson will sort the defence the same way he did last season, and our strikers - especially the quality of Miovski and Duk - won't miss those chances all season. l'm not worried though. The first eleven is okay, few players can and will improve, and we'll be alright this season.

Btw, if you want to have some fun, there's a draw simulator here. https://draw.inker.one/#/el/gs/2023 Aye I would take that

I've been desperate to land Roma all summer. But suddenly, at the 11th hour, I really want Ajax. I'll take either of them though. Europa League: Ajax/Roma, Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Aberdeen. - Glamour tie, but third place and therefore the Conference knockout stage wouldn't be impossible. Also some good stadiums for Cormack to visit to pick up tips for the Duk Dome at the Beach. Conference League: AZ Alkmaar, Fiorentina, Spartak Trnava, Aberdeen - I've been to Trnava and not in hurry to return but reckon we could beat them, Florence is a place I'd love to see, and Alkmaar have a cracking stadium for Dave to visit.

Sorry to be the purveyor of bad news, but we can't get four of the teams you've listed there as they'll be in pot 4 with us. Only Olympiakos and Maccabi Tel Aviv are doable. Here's the current projected pots (based on the highest seed winning, which is why Aberdeen are projected to be in the Europa League). Teams in bold already qualified.

Heading up to Aberdeen for this one. Not seen us lose at Pittodrie under Barry Robson so Häcken are done for. I suspect McGarry and McGrath were were deliberately on the bench on Sunday with this game in mind. We'll press them high right from the start. Wouldn't be surprised to see Sokler start too, some fresh legs. Be interesting to see if him and Miovski can play together. On recent form, Hacken are beatable. But if the version that won the Swedish league turns up then it'll be a test alright.

Send Bavidge to Celtic with the provision he must play at least 75% of games. They owe us one.

He made two changes. Any more and he'd be accused of making too many changes, and of not taking St Mirren seriously. Hearts made five changes, had to make three subs at half-time, and still lost.

But he isn't though. He gave MacDonald his first start of the season. Had he played Devlin in the back three everyone would have questioned it, he played Rubezic. Maybe Mackenzie shouldn't have started but maybe Jensen isn't fit enough for 90 minutes. He eventually did change Mackenzie and gave Jensen his debut. That's not picking the same back three. But it's a new defence. Are we worse than last season - well, he's lost Pollock and Scales, he's having to work with new guys. Individually all four who played in defence today were poor, but too early to write off Jensen and Rubezic, while we know MacDonald is better than what he showed today. Yellow card.

Very little of that today to be honest. Got a penalty off a rare second half chance, that's all.

Miovski's celebration after the penalty summed up Aberdeen today. After VAR checked it, rather than get the game restarted and go for a third, he runs over to the St Mirren fans and starts showing off the name on the back of his shirt like he's done something special. He had a shocking 90 minutes and scored a penalty. Infuriating. We've got another striker coming in which might give him and Duk a kick up the arse.

Nah I don't agree there. We couldn't pass the ball, that was the main issue. Shinnie seems to be praised as a great leader when we win and as not being good enough when we lose. Robson isn't under pressure no matter what happens on Thursday. He'll be given time. You're saying the team is worse, but eight players started today who were there last season and only Roos played well today. Clarkson in particular had really poor distribution. Robson just an easy target - basic things like passing, tackling, concentration all let us down today.

Angus MacDonald's worst game for Aberdeen. Gifted the penalty, slow off the mark for the second goal, mistake led to a chance that should have been a goal, poor pass back putting Roos under pressure. Fair to say his performance isn't helping Jensen have a fruitful debut either.

Like I said...zzzz Jensen, McGarry and McGrath on Mackenzie, Hayes and Polvara off.

Looks like Robson expecting a physical battle which is why he's gone for Hayes, MacDonald and Polvara ahead of McGarry, McGrath and Morris. Prediction: An awful first half, some subs around the hour mark, Dons to start playing and win it late on.

Shame he's been sacked before getting his well deserved standing ovation at Pittodrie for getting Jim Goodwin emptied.

It's arguable whether it's better for the coefficient for Rangers to make the Champions League or drop to Europa. They and Celtic get four bonus points each for the coefficient if they're in the CL group stage. You don't get any bonus points for being in the Europa League. So Rangers would need to win two games (or one win and two draws say) in the Europa League just to equal those bonus points. They'd be in pot one, but they could still end up with a group of Real Betis, Brighton and Toulouse which they could easily finish bottom of with no wins. In truth, because there's no bonus points on offer in the Europa or Conference groups, you could argue it's better for the coefficient if Aberdeen lose to Hacken because we're more likely to win more points in the Conference. That all said, we should want Rangers to beat PSV. Not for the coefficient, but because if we're both in the Europa League then - as I explained earlier in the thread - it'll cost Aberdeen €1.5m in having to share the TV money with them.

This week's results mean Turkey are closing in on us in the coefficient and will likely push us down to 10th. Won't affect us much except in the unlikely event we finish second we'd have an extra Champions League qualifying round to get through. However, for the following season, we've now dropped to 15th. At the moment that means we'll lose the automatic group stage spot for third place. Serbia, Denmark and Poland are all close behind. If just one of them overtakes us, then we'd only have four teams in Europe. A cup win (which would then rank higher than second place) would have four rounds to get through to make the Europa League. Third place means Conference League QR2. Pretty grim. Thankfully Barry Robson is putting together a squad that'll get that coefficient up. The Old Firm need to pull their finger out though.

Nowhere hear the head/neck. Miovski went down holding his face and the ref bought it. Harsh booking, we'd be raging if it happened to us. Had it been a straight red rather than a second yellow, VAR would have overturned it.

Devlin, Miovski, Shinnie, Duk and Clarkson all giving it big licks to the home support. You can watch a different player each time https://x.com/aberdeenfc/status/1694998057782534277?s=46&t=qWaGzv2lOo4L5idOotq-Sg

Really this trip should be no harder than facing the Swedish champions away. I'd start McGarry, MacDonald and McGrath and get the game won by half-time.

That Hacken red card might be slightly harsh. Makes up for the penalty I guess. ed195724-a8c2-40a5-a0e8-40feac389132.mp4

Went on to buy my tickets for Hacken at home and the traditional away end was the only section with tickets left, and even then there wasn't many left, so expecting the sold out signs up soon.