Panda

Not sure if Bates signing has ruled it out. Also think if we had made the group stages we would have had a need for a bigger squad. So wouldn't be surprised if the interest has now cooled.

No sure what's worse. That you picked 12 players, or that even when picking too many you still missed out Mackenzie.

Playing two games a week and adding new players every few days (it feels like it), there's not many training sessions really and therefore it's difficult to get any sort of tactical identity or cohesion. The international break will be good for us. Recharge the batteries, some proper training sessions now for Glass to work on things, and a chance for the new guys to properly settle. Tough run of fixtures now (Motherwell A, St Johnstone H, St Mirren A) - 7-9 points is doable though. Would like to see one more in before the window shuts (have heard whispers we might beat Hibs to Jamie McCart) but I'm pretty easy with the squad we have until January.

Aberdeen started with a team with an average age of 26.8. Qarabag had an average of 26.6. I'm not really getting your point here - you asked about Glass' transfer policy when he is signing, and playing, young players - far more so than the last manager did. Not sure there's a massive difference between being 28 and 30 either. The only real senior players in the team are Brown & Hayes, one of which probably won't be first choice this season when everyone is fit.

Lewis Ramsay McCrorie Bates Mackenzie Brown Ferguson Longstaff Jet Watkins Ramirez 4-4-2 diamond. One last hurrah for Fergie. Dons to pump them & go top of the league.

We started five players 23 and younger last night, and brought on a sixth. And among the descriptions of the performance was "naive" and "inexperienced at that level". We've also just signed a 20 year old and 21 year old on loan, and David Bates is only 24. The first eight words you've written there is the answer you're looking for.

We chucked it defensively. It's easy to knock the ball about and look like a good team when you're 3-0 up on aggregate after 20 minutes. We didn't test them over the two legs to see if they are a good team or not. What they are good at is defending though. Eight games played and they've conceded just three goals - all penalties. For us I think we've played 10 and conceded 14, and have just one clean sheet - that's not good enough, especially since I don't think we've come up against a right good side yet. First half we did actually play some decent stuff at times, were getting the ball in the box, but they just cut through us at the other end all too easily. Second half we've tightened up a little but at the expense of offering very little going forward. McCrorie I think is actually growing into his role but Declan Gallagher is no improvement on Ash Taylor - a lucky boy to be in the Scotland squad. A new centre half is an absolute must. At least Hedges, Watkins and this Samuels fella have all to go into that team to give us a few new attacking options.

Have the council taken over designing the stadium now? Does anyone seriously believe this will happen? I think Kingsford will be plan A again 12 months from now.

I must be the only fan who was quite impressed with our first half tactics. Hearts were buzzing round at 100 miles an hour. They are just hit and hope - get it wide, lump it in and hope something falls for them. They don't actually play any football. We sat backed, knocked it around the back, let them chase after the ball, and created the best chance and Ramirez really should score. For all Hearts "pressure" I don't remember Joe Lewis having to do much. Second half, Hearts were blowing out of their arse by the hour mark, but got an almighty slice of luck with the penalty. It's a dive, but also idiotic from Gallagher who, while he can head the ball, not sure he's any better than Ash Taylor. We controlled the second half, were winning every 50/50, put some fine deliveries into the box but disappointing we didn't test Gordon more. Jet does some good things but also frustrates the hell out of it you. But what a difference it is having Brown in that midfield - that's when you need him, 1-0 down at Tynecastle and he's winning every ball and goading their lot into giving away free-kicks. And he inspires those around him to do the same - Ojo certainly wasn't getting wired in like that before.

Hearts fans are planning a "scarf twirly" in the 26th minute for Marius Zaliukas, since this is their first full house since he died. I fear it will probably be awkwardly booed by our own support since hardly anyone will know what it's for.

I'll take penalties right now, as I can't see us beating them by two clear goals. I think it's clear one major strength Qarabag have is they are solid in defence - that's now six games they've played this season and they've only conceded to spot kicks. I do actually think we should play the team we plan to play on Thursday at Tynecastle. Get the forward players at least gelling. We've four days to recover afterwards & it'll be Qarabag doing the travelling so they're not exactly going to be fresh either. Like I said on the Hearts thread - the next game is Ross County at home and no disrespect to them that's when to give players a rest. I can't remember last time I was so nervous for a game - I don't even think the last cup final we made I was this nervous. It would be massive for us to be in the group stages. I really wanted us to come back with a draw as with no away goals rule they would need to come here and try and beat us. But now they've something to defend, and as above they seem pretty good at that. Hopefully we can do what Apollon Limassol did to us and wipe out the first leg advantage within the first 20 minutes and build momentum from there.

Lewis Ramsay McCrorie Gallagher Mackenzie Brown McGeouch McLennan Ferguson Hayes Ramirez Fucking intae them. Pump them and build up momentum ahead of Qarabag. They can all rest next Sunday when we play Ross County at home. Europa Conference League is nice and that, but three league wins out of three and the title race is on.

Glass saying in his interview that two Qarabag players (their captain & whoever was number 6) are both suspended next week after picking up their third bookings. Think we're okay on that score are we?

The 23-page proposal which has three options (one of which doesn't include the stadium). https://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/documents/s123822/APPENDIX D - LEISURE STADIUM ver2.pdf So it's not going to be the site where the Hotel is which was previously mentioned, but instead the cricket pitches. When I was at school, I can't remember what the project was or why I did it but I invented a new football team from Aberdeen (can't remember the name), who had white home shirts & yellow away shirts, and their stadium was to be on the exact spot these plans are. Now, fair enough, I've taken my time getting started on making the dream a reality, but the council are kinda pissing on my childhood plans here.

According to Boyle the talks were well underway over a new contract long before the Dons interest broke. Aberdeen either unaware or were trying to unsettle him/an opponent.

Lost to a bang average side which is the most frustrating thing. Got at them more in the second half but goalkeeper has had an easy night. Jet offered nothing in the first half. Ojo was poor, I don't think I've ever seen an Aberdeen player in my life who gives the ball away as often as he does. We need to open contract talks with Calvin Ramsay on the plane home though. Cracking player. Qarabag definitely beatable at home, but problem is we need to beat them by two clear goals really (unless we're planning on going all the way to pens) and we're short in defence and attack. They'll frustrate us at Pittodrie I think unless we manage to get an early goal and have them rocking. At least the away goal rule been scrapped, otherwise they could have ended the tie in the first 10 minutes at Pittodrie.

Aberdeen letting the pitch beat them. Qarabag are still making passes and getting through Aberdeen, while as soon as we get it we convince ourselves we can't do anything cos it'll stick on the pitch. It's almost like they've got into our heads. Jet been poor but he has to stay on because with Considine off we're now short in height, so we need him defensively at set-pieces. I'd think about putting on McGeouch to tighten things up through the middle. But, I wonder if Glass has another treble substitution up his sleeve at the break.

JET been a waste of a shirt so far.

1-3 has a nice ring to it.

They've played five games - four European and one league. We've played seven. So there's not that much difference. Their results so far 0-0 Ashdod (home) 1-0 Ashdod (away) 1-1 Limassol (away) 1-0 Limassol (home) 1-1 Zira (away) Worth noting, the two goals they've conceded have both been penalties, so in five games they've yet to concede from open play. I also listened to the Here We Go podcast and the fella suggested if Qarabag have a lead to take to Pittodrie, they will frustrate the hell out of Aberdeen.

Aye but the point was you wrote the guy off before you had watched a single minute of him play. It's convenient to your argument to declare you were right because of his mistakes on Sunday & the emergence of Ramsay. To me he's looked a decent back-up player, which is what he is. I think he'll improve too once he plays more and settles in - maybe not better than Ramsay, but a better back-up. I don't really see it as the bad signing you're suggesting it to be. I'd say he's an improvement on last season's Shay Logan.

Atlanta fans could have written Hernandez off for the same reason, "couldn't get a game for Aberdeen". A lot of people questioned the signing of Ramirez too based on how many goals he'd scored. And Brown too was meant to be past it. But when you say is he going to be a good signing - depends what you expect. He's probably not going to be first choice due to Ramsay's emergence. He's a pretty decent back-up who has actually been alright this season, but has had one poor half of football. I'd say in relative terms he has been a good signing so far. He's getting the brunt of the criticism because his mistakes directly led to the goals. But Gallagher got done at 0-0 and Lewis bailed him out. McCrorie made a poor mistake at 1-0 that should have led to a goal. How many times has Lewis made horrific mistakes and lost us games? Who actually had a good second half for us yesterday? Our poorest player this season I would argue has been Hayes, followed by Gallagher, then McGinn. Gurr not even in the bottom three despite yesterday.

So basically you made up your mind about him before a ball was kicked? He's played okay this season, was decent enough in the first half and played a big part in Jet's goal. He's had a poor second half, it happens, but too early to completely write the guy off.

McGeouch has been excellent this season so not sure I agree with that. He was far from the worst. I don't agree either we made too many changes - that suggests we didn't pick a team that was good enough to win. We scored early, dominated the first half, and really we should have added to our lead. What let us down was the lack of a penalty box striker to finish off the moves. We've all identified we're still short up front - maybe Ramirez should have started but that's about the only pre-match change that stood out. You can't legislate for Jack Gurr making those mistakes (and you can't keep playing Calvin Ramsay twice a week and burn the guy out), everyone was raving about Funso Ojo in midweek, the injuries to Hayes and Hedges shows why its a risk playing your strongest XI days before a massive game. We got too lazy at 1-0, too slack in possession. We didn't up the tempo to match Raith. It was back to last season and the players needing a kick up the arse at times. That could have happened whoever we picked. We looked like a team that got a wee bit too cocky and have began to believe their own hype, overplaying things at times inside the box (we actually only had one shot on target the whole game) rather than showing the hunger to go and finish the tie off when on top.

I don't understand your point at all. Are we not trying to get to the group stages in order to get those glamour ties? I wish we were playing dross from a minor league in the playoff round. It was all well and good getting Burnley but after two games it was over. Someone worked out the likely pots in the group stage a few weeks ago based on all the favourites winning, which granted will be out of date now, but there was potential for a group of:- Roma, Feyenoord, Union Berlin, Aberdeen. Alternatively: Tottenham, Rennes, Ferencvaros, Aberdeen. I'd say either of those groups would provide a few decent European nights. Then again, easiest group if we want to make the knockout stage: Viktoria Plzen, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Alashkert, Aberdeen. Which aye, fair enough might not be quite as enticing on paper, but it's still six cracking European nights if you like that sort of thing.