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We've a 28.4% chance of making the Europa League group stages, apparently. I didn't actually realise until now that every team we could face has a better coefficient than us - except Lugano, who we probably don't want to face anyway. Olympiakos have a high coefficient, but got hammered by Maccabi Haifa (another possible opponent) in the Champions League qualifiers last year, scraped through against Slovan Bratislava and Apollon Limassol on penalties to make the Europa groups, then finished bottom of a group that involved Freiburg ,Qarabag and Nantes , which I suspect is why they're being written off. Think I'd still prefer to get Flora Tallinn, who are currently 1-0 down to Rakòw Częstochowa after the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.

I play golf with a Leeds fan. He wasn't that excited about the signing of Pirie. What have you done Lewis?

Off topic: But the forum admin may wish to know that I was disgracefully denied the ability to post until I uploaded a profile picture. Wouldn't let me go anywhere on the forum until it was done. Eventually I have relented, but if Miovski or Duk or a potential new signing is trying to access the forum they may not have a profile photo to hand and then what?

I really want him to be a success. Seems a really decent bloke. Was just never captain material - the more you think about it the more it becomes such a bizarre decision by Goodwin. Get him in against the Broch.

Aye was training by himself when pre-season started. Don't think it was anything serious though so might make an appearance against the Broch.

Can be offered 2,000, don't need to take 2,000. 5% wouldn't do much. Taking away segregation etc, 5% of the sellable capacity of Tynecastle is about 700-800.

The thing is, Hearts don't actually fill every seat, there are loads of empty seats at every home game. But they've sold their season tickets for cheap, have created a demand for them through that - rightly or wrongly - and so people buy season tickets to ensure they're "in" rather than on a waiting list, but are essentially just hogging a seat because they don't plan to go to every game. Season ticket holders can sell these tickets through a ticket exchange but it doesn't appear to be very popular, likely because folk want to buy as a group or with pals and not random tickets dotted around. So you have small away allocations while there are empty seats throughout the stadium. And I include Aberdeen in that criticism as we appear to have gone over the top with segregation which has significantly cut the away support. I prefer seeing big noisy away supports. The Old Firm have ruined their derby atmosphere by what they've done (Rangers at fault there) and at least Hearts and Hibs haven't done the same. For me, I think 2,000 is a fair number to offer away fans in the Premiership.

The Puma home & away tops we had in 97-98 were among my favourite strips. Just a shame they evoke memories of Roy Aitken and Alex Miller and us being gash (except Eoin Jess of course). This new home strip looks a lot like the Nike strip of 2010/11.

PSV are with Puma. Send these Adidas strips back, put a Dons badge on all three of these, and we're ready for 2023-24. Rudi > Adi.

We'll probably just use last season's away. We'll probably need to wear that anyway when we play Hearts at Tynecastle.

Can I be the nominated miserable Aberdonian this year? I don't like either strip. The home or away. I also think Adidas are massively overrated and they've made a total arse of a few strips this year, namely Celtic's home one and the abomination of Juventus' home strip. For context, Juventus' home top. I mean, fuck Juventus for getting themselves kicked out of the Conference League and potentially denying us a belter of an away trip, but that strip wouldn't be welcome at Pittodrie anyway.

Wee tease ahead of the home strip reveal tomorrow.

Duk, spotted by a Dons fan on holiday in Mexico, casually walking about with his Dons top on.

Ignore this post. Was me talking about potentially going to the Charlton game from Paris. Just realised it's actually Preston we play that day.

Look forward to 2025 when this thread is resurrected because Lewis has convinced his clients Leighton Clarkson, Duk and Kelle Roos to all hand in transfer requests.

£150k initially, potentially £200k, with a sell on clause attached. Probably the best we could hope for considering his age.

Been some whispers that he might go to Dundee United, who are desperate for a goalkeeper. On paper it would make sense. Would give United an experienced goalkeeper, and Lewis - if he finds his form again - is potentially a very good goalkeeper in that division. However I would be surprised considering Goodwin didn't rate him enough to play him last season - replacing him with Roos then Gorter - while if the rumours are true about his wife wanting home then Dundee isn't a that much closer. But aye, I hope he plays on, deserves to end his career on a high. My favourite memory of him was him running towards the fans at Burnley going as mad as we were after Ferguson's equaliser.

Did he mention Ramadani? And is Burrows playing LB?

I actually bought that blue strip and I hardly ever buy a replica shirt. Thought it was a bit different. I guess this current one also falls into the "different" category. I can see why people like it but I think it'll look odd when we're actually playing in it at the Stadio Olympico against Roma.

I've cancelled it. I'm sure the international one is worth it for the games, but £80 for a few interviews and a commentary team unaware that people are listening to audio only is £80 I could be putting towards the Donstalk Europa League charter train.

Well it appears one foreign journalist said deal was close, Aberdeen say no contact, so looks like there's nothing in it. I'd like Ramadani to stay on the basis of keeping some sort of settled squad, ie we don't want too many changes in one summer. But if we got offered a seven figure sum for him then I'd take it, 100%.

Just from reading the thread.

Wait a minute, are we getting £2m for Ramadani? What a summer we're having.

Bit early to be getting carried away. Need to win the semi-final first.

A few months ago they were talking on there about how Hearts had never been in better shape. Everything was amazing. They had a thread dedicated to discussing how to extend the stadium to 25,000, or even 30,000, due to the growth of the club since consecutive third place finishes would earn them so much coin that they would develop a gap that Aberdeen and Hibs would never be able to bridge. This is a club that have won three cups in 60 years. Every season they find the notion that Aberdeen could finish above them as laughable, despite the fact I think we've done it 10 times in the last 11 years. You'd think they'd have learned by now.