Panda

Thank fuck he hasn't lost the dressing room, otherwise this could get embarrassing....

According to Goodwin was just no room for them in the squad. However, we have a 16 year old on the bench (unless of course there's still a rule you need a certain quota of young players on the bench).

Or Goodwin has had a brain wave and decided to try three at the back. Tactical masterclass coming up. I have this weird feeling we'll score first but lose today.

Which like I said, means he hasn't been given a "lose to Hibs and you're gone" ultimatum. By all means, lose to Hibs and he might be gone, because the circus (or Football Monitoring Board as they wish to be known) are likely making it up as they go along. I seriously wonder if the club have given him any targets. Or if they've just told him to sleep with one eye open and at some point today we may just hear a single gun shot, and that'll be us looking for a new manager. Yeh, was Glass not offered an experienced coach and turned it down? Maybe Goodwin has been offered the same. Thanks to the crap statement and Cormack nae spikkin, we've no idea.

Goodwin adamant today that defeat to Hibs doesn't mean the sack. Which makes sense really as why on earth would you give a stay of execution for just one game? But is 1-0 survivable but 3-0 isn't? Is it two games? What if we win at Hibs but lose at home to St Mirren? This is why Aberdeen's statement is such a nonsense. It doesn't matter what Goodwin has been told privately, by not coming out publicly there's going to be speculation over his future after every defeat. And a manager surviving game by game is not healthy - it leads to panicked decision making, as well as playing havoc with his mental health (as much as we may not like his management, spare a thought for Jim Goodwin the human being). Cormack going into hiding this week and refusing interviews is a disgrace. No doubt Rob McLean or Graham Hunter are about to be wheeled out for a "no holds barred" question and answer, which we all know is laughable. A proper club chairman would have either sacked Goodwin, or said "We've sat him down, we've told him at an absolute minimum we expect top four, an improvement in performances especially on the road, no more embarrassing defeats and evidence the team is improving. And we're willing to give him until summer to prove this to end all speculation over his future." Instead, what player would sign for us not knowing if the manager will last until the end of the transfer window? As much as I wanted Goodwin out on Wednesday night, fair play to him for having the cajones to stay in the firing line (don't give me the money crap, he would have been handsomely compensated had he accepted the sack). And for that I hope the players do the business for him tomorrow. But long term this is a mess.

So who do we want to win it (on account Hearts will probably finish third and it wouldn't be good for us if they get guaranteed group stage European football again). I guess Livingston or Queen's Park. In fact Livi might shock a few teams in Europe due to their plastic pitch so maybe the coefficient wouldn't lose out too badly. Or Hearts implode, we somehow grab third, and it's an Old Firm final. Yuk, but for the greater good.

You get a six-figure salary, £1.5m - £2m to spend, and can lose to a sixth tier side and not get sacked. What exactly do you think would put off every manager?

The whole "the team needs a leader". It needs leaders, plural. Scott Brown got criticised last season for somehow not being able to motivate everyone around him. But one man can't motivate a whole team. See Willie Miller the captain v Willie Miller the manager. We have a young team, but that's no excuse, they're not all teenagers. McCrorie I think showed why he isn't captain material yet - he was motivated, but he also goes into a bit of a sulk when it's not going well, his body language is wrong. Being fired up and being able to motivate those around you are two different things. Stewart didn't want the ball, was scared in possession. I was stood next to where he essentially was positioned in the second half. The Darvel fans were shouting "you're shite Stewart" every time he got the ball and you could see it was getting to him. The confidence in the team is not there.

I've calmed down since last night, and I'm now very much in awe of Jim Goodwin's decision to bravely prove the world wrong. 3-0 Aberdeen. Lewis McCrorie Stewart Scales Mackenzie Ramadani Barron Shinnie Duncan Miovski Duk

Aye I'm a big fan of JJ, (I said JJ you cheeky bastards). What he says there show we should have stuck with Glass. I'm convinced it would have improved had he been given the summer transfer window. The board appear to have realised a year later that they made a mistake, and are now thinking if they stick with Goodwin they won't be repeating that mistake. I do think we're a defender or two away from having a good team. But we'll still fall short against well coached teams because Goodwin isn't good enough.

It's because I can't stop thinking about poor Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, locked away in Kristiansund, reading that statement from Cormack tonight and realising he needs to unpack his bags.l because there'll be no phone call. The real winner on Saturday will be the team that loses, sacks their manager, and gets a new one in, while the "winner" merely kicks the can down the road.

I don't care how we line up, and I don't care what the score is. Win - lovely. Nice way for Goodwin to sign off. Lose - I expect Goodwin gone by 8pm. Draw - He can have an extra hour to pack his bags. Gone by 9pm. He can win every week from now on. But I won't forget being told that Goodwin doesn't care what the fans think. I won't forget Goodwin storming down the tunnel after defeats to Hearts and Darvel without so much as looking at the fans. And I won't forget the slap to the face of the fans that the statement tonight was.

The players back him? Of course they do, he signed all but three of them and has no doubt put them all on handsome wages. Anthony Stewart isn't going to be calling for a new manager any time soon is he? This is knee-jerk reaction stuff no doubt, but I don't care if he beats a shite Hibs team or not, Goodwin is taking us nowhere. I won't be back and I hope Wednesday's game with St Mirren is an opportunity for everyone to boycott and show their displeasure. As for Cormack. I've been on the fence about him. Not anymore. Take your 16,000 capacity stadium idea and this latest woeful decision and go ruin some other club.

I dunno, I was saying earlier I'd love Shaun Maloney to be part of the new management team (especially if it's a foreign coach). Lots of experience, knows the club and city, knows the expectations, a good tactical thinker. However, I wouldn't want him as manager as, like with Hibs, I think he would struggle to command the dressing room. Paulo Sousa* & Shaun Maloney double act, with Jonny Hayes as player-coach. That's the team to lead us into the Europa Conference League group stage. *I'm also on board with the Geir Bakke shout someone made, and of course Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.

Aye, neither can.... Sorry.

I like it, I'm sold. See if he knows any more Duks too.

*intrigued *stock Unlike Goodwin, happy to own up to my mistakes.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. Get him in before Saturday. Danny Cowley though intrigues me, and I tend to think he's probably still on Cormack's radar. All the other names mentioned so far are a nonsense. But it's more than just the manager. The coaching structure needs overhauled. Glass tried to do it but lasted less than a season. Goodwin, Sharp & Samson is such a depressing team.

They were 33/1, because quite a few people had it on. Goodwin stood for most of the match with his arms folded, shouting very little, with no idea how to change things. Miovski & Besuijen subs was a "go on and see what you can do" as opposed to any sort of tactic change or plan. Once again, with it going against him, he didn't know how to turn the tide. I expect he'll be sacked on Tuesday once he speaks with Cormack (Cormack was at the game but the two never spoke at full-time). For me the next appointment has to be outwith Scotland, on account no-one in it inspires me. Lambert, Lennon, Tam Courts - no chance. Martindale & Davidson just another Goodwin. Steve Clarke surely not interested until after Euro 2024. Agne Postecoglou probably not interested (although may as well see what Celtic's price is...). Interested in maybe Danny Cowley. Stick has fallen since Portsmouth but still an interesting pick. I was at the Edinburgh derby on Sunday as a neutral. Watching Hearts, I still say they're a bang average side but they're effective, have bundles of confidence and belief, and their support was rocking for 90 minutes. They're tearing away in third again and will probably have guaranteed European football until Christmas again unless there's an almighty upset in the Cup. It's a sad day when you're jealous of Hearts. Hibs and Aberdeen though. Sacked somewhat stable managers who were underachieving in McInnes & Ross, tried something different with Glass & Maloney that didn't work out, and their current managers will be lucky to last to the fixture between the two teams at the weekend.

Nah, centre-back wouldn't suit Barron.

We did comfortably see off Stirling and Peterhead in "tricky" League Cup away ties, and even Goodwin's lack of tactical awareness shouldn't hinder us too much in this one. That said, I have put a wee bet on Aberdeen to win in extra-time. I just have a feeling. I also think 3-0 by half-time, so..

I think sometimes you just don't know how good a manager is until he's your manager and you're assessing him every week. McInnes I thought was a very good motivator and his training appeared to be pretty good. Those were two factors which put him above Goodwin and at least help mask those areas he wasn't great in. Goodwin is struggling to show any real positives about him.

Did he though? He got them promoted from the Championship (to be expected), lost a few semi-finals, and by the time he quit they were eighth.

Whatever happens we will be in the draw - it takes place on Sunday at 6pm.