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No-one suggested we do that. The suggestion was we find a system the r can include our best players. Just deciding Barron and Clarkson can't play together after less than a handful of games in the same line-up would be more ridiculous.

They're two of our best players, we can't just bench one every week, we have to find a way to accommodate them. I'd play Clarkson in the role that Duncan occupied v PAOK. It's going to be a bit of trial and error, but they both add something to the team, and as well as Polvara has dove this season when he's played, both of them are better players than him.

No, third usually means you drop down a competition. We've no other competition to drop into. Beat Helsinki to get third, then play the B team against Frankfurt and keep the first picks fresh for Hampden.

That's a banning offence surely? @DonsTalk Admin Aye, begrudgingly. MacLean asked him to sum up this result. Could have said it was a credible result for Aberdeen and Scottish football, a lot of positives, good individual performances. Craigan's answer? "Surprising". Even at the goal, he described it as weak from the goalkeeper.

Only issue I had with their coverage was Stephen Craigan on comms, he was unlistenable at times. Really struggled to say anything positive about Aberdeen. John Hartson was laughable on the Celtic game the other night.

Agree, thought he was immense, especially in the last 10 minutes. Duk also very good. Been out the side, but great goal and worked his socks off, couldn't ask for more. McGrath excellent again. PAOK are a right good side, really quick on the break and dangerous at set-pieces. They beat Frankfurt, scored four away from home to Olympiakos at the weekend, and thumped Hearts 4-0 there. That's a cracking result for us away from home. Obviously frustrating that we're out, could be sitting here on eight points, instead we've two. But whisper it, we're starting to look like a good side.

Miovski can't be 100% fit after hobbling off on Saturday. Wouldn't surprise me if Duk sits wide and it's actually McGrath who is the more advanced player.

Well now, couple of surprises there. Duk and Duncan start, Miovski and Clarkson dropped.

The odds on it being 0-0 at half-time are pretty good and that is where my money has gone this evening. After that, who knows? Much to Rico and possibly other's posters chagrin, I'd like to see the same line-up as the Hibs semi, but obviously a few tactical tweaks. Let's see if we can get Clarkson, Barron and Shinnie working together in the same midfield and the best way of doing that is through playing games.

The SPFL citing previous semi-final and final attendances as the reason for their lack of a 50-50 split. You're essentially comparing Aberdeen's away crowd with Rangers' home one. So easy for someone in Glasgow to judge attendances. If they all had to go up to Aberdeen for their semis we'd see a hell of a drop in crowds. Thought the club's suggestion of holding back the north stand to see if we sold the rest was a sensible one, but there you go. The ticket prices are actually the biggest disappointment. £44 and £39 when one team also faces a hike from from the north-east is disgraceful pricing. Even £22 for a concession is mad.

But maybe it works? Our run to Hampden can only be down to having the same thread in the group stages. Maybe this will take us to Athens for the Conference League final? Maybe worth just having one thread for all the Premiership games too?

You're missing the 2014/15 League Cup semi, lost 2-1 to Dundee United at Hampden.

Kick-off confirmed for 3pm. No ticket information yet.

In fairness, this is on the SPFL as it's their final. The SFA tend to give 50/50 splits for the Scottish Cup final unless it's a Caley Thistle that have made it.

For anyone under the age of 40, even those slightly older than that, 17 December could be the greatest final of their footballing lifetimes. It's getting its own thread.

Kinda glad Rangers beat Hearts to be honest. Aberdeen v Rangers in the League Cup is always a bit special. I think the first ever League Cup final was Aberdeen v Rangers 1946/47. Fergie's first cup final with us was Aberdeen/Rangers 1978/79, the first final to go to penalties was Aberdeen/Rangers 87, the first cup final I remember was the 88 Aberdeen/Rangers final, first one I remember us winning was the 89 Aberdeen/Rangers final, and the first final I went to was the 92 Aberdeen/Rangers final. Nothing to fear. We'll be underdogs, aye, but we've won two of the last three meetings with Rangers, and we've shown up well enough in big matches this season. And we've shown yesterday that even when we're second best we have match winners in our team. I fully expect Rangers to get the majority of the tickets but hopefully we'll at least push strongly for a 50/50 split. The whole average crowd/how many you sold for the semi, is irrelevant. Cup final, both teams are meant to have the same chance - same number of players, same numbers backing them.

I think, since Fergie, it's:- League Cup: won 10 lost 7 Scottish Cup: won 4 lost 8

Aye agreed on the whole offside thing. VAR is supposed to be for clear and obvious stuff. ie if a penalty has been awarded and a replay shows it wasn't a foul, or someone punches the ball in the net. Boyle's fingernail being offside isn't really gaining an advantage. My sympathies with Hibs and all we can do to make up for this is beat Hearts in the final. We'll do it for you Hibs

As an aside, like I said before the game, I didn't actually go as a 'fan', was working, although was pleasantly surprised my ticket was in the Aberdeen half of Hampden. Anyway, to interview the players you have to go downstairs to a mixed zone area which is right next to the dressing rooms. You could hear the singing from the Dons dressing room, place was bouncing. Needless to say, I've asked for the final off. As fun as it was getting to interview Shinnie and Roos and tell them how magnificent they both are, my nerves couldn't take working a final, will be right in the middle of the Dons end for that one. Dunno if this video will work, but full-time celebrations (not the dressing room!):- IMG_3203.mov

I mean, technically you're right as it was IN Scotland, but are we forgetting the foreign ref and VAR who didn't give us a penalty v PAOK? I'd be more nervous about a final v Hearts as they'll rub it in our face for years if they win, Rangers won't. And like TLG says, they have a free week while we'll have Frankfurt to contend with. However, the flip side is Hearts at their best aren't Rangers at their best. We'd also get a 50/50 split v Hearts, we won't against Rangers. I'm pretty easy about it all. The only finals I've seen us win in person was v Dundee and Inverness, and if we win it this year it'll trump both those finals easily, no matter who we beat to win it. That was my fault, I pushed for Barron to play. But, I disagree. I just think Clarkson didn't need to keep coming so deep. He was picking the ball up in the wrong areas. I also thought McGrath and Miovski were too deep. We were just too congested. You do that to make yourself hard to break down, but actually Hibs got in behind us pretty easily. I don't think Polvara coming on - which meant we had the same line-up v Motherwell - changed the game or made us play any better.

That's the team we wanted (well me anyway). Fucking intae them.

Parking - if there's events at Hampden then there's parking restrictions all over the gaff. I park in Millbrae Road, which is just outside of the parking restrictions, and is close to the Church on the Hill which is a decent pre-match boozer, then a 20 minute walk to stadium. Hibs have sold around 15,000. We announced on Monday we had sold 12,500 and presume we've sold a wee bit more since then.

Not expecting many surprises, but would like to see Barron and Clarkson both start. This formation isn't quite correct, but you ken fit like.

Agreed. I think the board, like the fans, will be disappointed with some (a lot of) the performances and results. However, he's had enough good performances to show that maybe there is something there and they should hang fire. You can't argue he's useless when he's won at Ibrox, stuck four past Ross County and Motherwell, was close to results against Frankfurt and PAOK, and this time tomorrow night could be in a cup final. And add to that leading the club to third after the Goodwin shambles last season. And the board don't want to be accused of being trigger happy anyway, and as poor as it's been under Robson at times, it hasn't reached the critical levels it did under Glass and Goodwin yet. I think we're all just bemused at this long ball football when we've actually managed decent results when we've passed the ball. The Hat and Twitter? Aye. The Dons support can be a cesspit at times. There's a large percentage of Aberdeen fans who never wanted Robson and will refuse to accept he'll ever be the right man. Winning the league cup won't change that, because it didn't for McInnes who suffered the same (not from the majority, but a very vocal minority) and even at his peak was still receiving ridiculous criticism. Yes and no. To be fair, everyone in the Championship is playing the same number of games, and they all have similar sized squads, so therefore there's no real advantage. That's not the case with us - we're playing more games than everyone bar the two clubs with massive resources and bigger squads. However, don't complain the players are tired when you're essentially picking the same team every week bar two changes. And stop launching long balls that gift the ball to the opposition meaning we're always chasing and having to press to get it back, then claim the players look leggy.

Great thread. Saturday will actually be a bit surreal for me because it'll be the first Aberdeen game at Hampden where I'm not in the Dons end. Even the 'neutral' ticket I've got I think is more towards the Hibs end, and the fella I'm sitting next to is a Hibee. Going to be awkward when I go mental at Miovski's winner. All the betting sites have Aberdeen as the underdogs, understandable I guess since the last three Hibs-Aberdeen games are an 8-0 aggregate in favour of Hibs, and two of those were at Pittodrie. Interesting to note is how the team have just stayed down in Glasgow following the Motherwell game rather than heading back up. Think they're training at Lesser Hampden today.