Panda

Team as expected. MacKenzie/Hayes and Clarkson/Barron were the two midweek subs around the hour mark, and Robson has now started with that side. You don't want to make too many changes when you're on a decent run and you've got an international break to rest a few players anyway.

We were falling to the deck way too much. I think they were hoping a foreign ref would fall for it, but so many moves broke down because of it. Was a meh performance, draw probably a fair result. Helsinki knocked it around well and could have had a few as well.

The thing with the Ibrox formation is it's a counter attacking one. It's also slower, which Robson has maybe learned we need to be away from home and that his plan to overwhelm teams with quick passing football doesn't work against the better teams. I don't know how good Helsinki are, but I expect being at home we'll revert back to the 3-4-1-2 that we used v Ross County. Robson now has a welcome problem with who does he pick. Does Clarkson get dropped, does Barron start, do they both start and McGrath gets dropped? And all three are playing well at the moment. Been a while since I felt we had competition for places. Harsh on Duk @OrlandoDon - he was excellent v Ross County (home). Dunno if you get to see it over there (it's geoblocked) but Sportscene isolated his performance in that game.

Of those four, Hearts was abject, but since then we've fairly come on like and today was just smashing. Best Helsinki, surely beat St Johnstone, and that's a very good run indeed. Maybe that Hearts performance, and the subsequent criticism, was what we needed to give us a kick up the arse.

Thought it was going to be a terrible day with how we started the game. For 30 minutes we couldn't kick our own arse. But after we took the lead we played some excellent stuff. Three goals at Ibrox for the first time in 26 years. And Scott Wright being sent off was the icing on the cake. Jack McKenzie's best performance in an Aberdeen shirt? Was inviting fouls down the left, had Scott Wright in his pocket up until the red card, technically gets an assist for the second goal and scores the third. Beaten to the man of the match award only by Graeme Shinnie who was just perfect. My fucking captain.

Useless prick.

Were terrible until we scored. Since then we've looked really good, half-time probably came at the wrong time for us because I fancied us for a second. Just don't start the second half the way we started the first. Constantly giving the ball away and I think we may have lost every header today.

Got a funny feeling Devlin will score today. No idea why. Devlin winner at Ibrox just sounds great. 33/1 for him to score anytime. Also 28/1 on a Rubezic red card seems like smart money considering the venue. Please remember to gamble responsibly.

Red TV. I paid £9 to sign up for a month just to listen to the commentary last night. MacDonald will get his chance at some point on account Rubezic is surely not far away from a red card.

Outrageous suggestion. Someone get the Hibs v Aberdeen thread started so we can begin discussing the late kick-off, how many tickets we'll sell, and if we should demand the east stand out of principle.

Well, the last time Aberdeen & Hearts did actually get drawn against each other (1996), the other semi was... Rangers v Celtic.

Aye that 00 semi was good. Sunday night kick-off so think we only sold 6500 tickets but everyone was up for it. Everyone wanted us to lose because Hibs for the cup and all that. 93 we played them at Tynecastle when it was still terracing, Scott Booth winner. Hearts took the lead against Rangers at Celtic Park at the same time as we scored so for a brief time we thought we were getting an Aberdeen/Hearts final. 2012 is one of those games you're glad we lost, as we were gash and probably would have been on the end of the 5-1 drubbing Hibs got in the final off Hearts. I also think that defeat was the catalyst for the Aberdeen board beginning to realise we needed to invest more in the squad. 2017 was one of my favourite away days. First time we'd put on a supporters bus, everyone pished, five-goal thriller, lovely.

We've avoided Hearts again. Which is a peculiar thing. Both clubs make it to Hampden regularly, more regularly than most in Scottish football. Yet, in the two cup competitions, throughout all the years, we've only ever played two semi-finals against each other and one final. In the last 16 years, there has been seven occasions where Aberdeen and Hearts have both been in the semi-final draw together and have avoided each other each time; four in the League Cup and three times in the Scottish Cup. And of course, they've not met in a final in any of those years - the closest being 2014 when Aberdeen made the LC final, but Hearts - despite playing in Edinburgh against nine-man Inverness - lost on penalties. On the contrary, this will be the fifth Aberdeen-Hibs semi-final I'll have been at. The others being 93, 00, 12 and 17. Won three and lost one. Two of those years, Hearts were also in the semis. The chances of an Aberdeen v Hearts final this year? Well, incredibly, in their near 150 year history, Hearts have never beaten Rangers at Hampden.

We didn't qualify for Europe just to roll over and finish bottom like we're Hearts. Win and it's worth €500,000 and helps improve our coefficient for future draws. Beating Rangers would be lovely, but Thursday bigger imo.

If we're going to rest players then do it at Ibrox. Sacrilege I know, but County in the cup and Helsinki in Europe are more important.

Being 4-0 up on aggregate from the first leg we can send the kids up to this one... In all seriousness I have the fear for Wednesday. As well as we played on Sunday, 4-0 flattered us and County had plenty of chances of their own. But a repeat performance should hopefully see us through to another Hampden semi. I imagine it'll be the same side but someone (Hayes most likely) replacing McGarry. He might freshen it up a little with Clarkson in for McGrath, and Polvara back in for someone. I'm gonna say 1-2 Aberdeen after extra-time. A nervy night.

I used to go to some Banks of Dee games as a kid (from memory they played in the morning and Aberdeen played in the afternoon) so hold a candle for them. Can't see them beating Dumbarton though. My mate's loon plays for Deveronvale so would like them to do well. No idea if Broxburn are any use.

I was lucky enough to be at Feyenoord v Celtic on Tuesday before going to Frankfurt. Genuinely one of the best atmospheres I've ever heard. Some place De Kuip. We got there two and a half hours before kick-off and already there were big queues at all the turnstiles. Then 90 minutes before kick-off the stadium was full, the DJ playing all these dance tunes on the tannoy with everyone in the stadium bouncing along to them. During the game, any time the Celtic fans started chanting, the whole stadium just drowned them out. Even during half-time it didn't stop. Will definitely be back for another game.

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/38478635/ajax-feyenoord-abandoned-fans-throw-flares-field?platform=amp Ajax-Feyenoord abandoned after the home support take umbrage to being 3-0 down. I actually considered missing my flight home on Friday from Frankfurt, and instead getting a train to Amsterdam and going to this. In the end the price of last minute trains & hotels was extortionate. Gutted I missed it, love a good meltdown.

Amazing what we can do when we play the ball on the deck. Shinnie was fantastic. Miovski such a clever player. Can see what it meant to Duk to score. Seems very Aberdonian to have a criticism after a 4-0 win but last 20 minutes Ross County really should have scored one or two. I know we were in cruise control by then, but gives them some encouragement for Wednesday. I think the performance in Frankfurt - even though we lost - was maybe just the wee kickstart to the season we needed. Get ourselves into the semis in midweek then have a crack against a fragile Rangers at Ibrox, who by all accounts were lucky to win today, and we're set up nicely for October when we have four of the five games at home.

Clarkson benched, Barron starts. Big call that but probably merited based on Thursday.

Hope all is well @BigAl, glad to hear you made it back at least.

Bavidge joins Kelty Hearts on loan until January.