BobbyBiscuit

Ball's quality on the ball is sorely lacking and as a result the team suffers. If you're playing in that position the use of the ball has to be better when you do get it. I also think that it's no coincidence that the defenders use Ferguson more in that role than they do Ball (not just today, but in general). So at times, the logic of playing a player like Ball there may well be the correct one, but Ball just isn't the guy for it. In the past couple of seasons we've seen the likes of Jack and McLean in that role; it is a fair drop off in quality from those two to Ball, you have to say.

If his fitness was so much of an issue, why play him wide? Rather than playing him in a position where he wouldn't have to do that defensive work? Or why play him at all? Either way, you seem to suggest that playing him in his favoured position several times from the bench (it had increased from a few from your first post, but that's being pedantic) was enough of a reason not to play him there? I think the guy deserved a decent chance in his favoured postion from the start, at least once or twice.

The vast majority of his time he was stuck wide. That's what I was saying.

Nah. Being stuck out on the wing isn't playing to his strengths. I'm not disputing that he was overweight and could/should have worked harder, but to suggest that we played him in a role that suited him is just wrong.

He didn't fit into our system. He's playing through the middle with Killie, and there was no way he was ever going to play there with us. I'd take him in a heartbeat, but only if the aim was to use him properly.

Bernard would have achieved more if it wasn't for his horrendous injury issues. He was a very good player, but we just didn't see it often enough. The two Bulgarians were underachievers, given pedigree and expectation. There are countless others from that period, although there's a lot who didn't underachieve, simply because they weren't good enough in the first place. Always felt Gary Smith underachieved after a really promising start to his Aberdeen career. I'm not sure if he lost his way when McLeish left or what, but his performances dropped off a cliff for us.

I actually think this was McInnes's biggest result. And it was an attacking lineup which was pleasing to see. We maybe didn't hold on to the ball well enough for that to come into full effect but that's not McInnes's fault on the day. It's also hopefully the performance and result the team needs. Gives a good amount of confidence and hopefully, with everyone playing for a cup final place, the team kicks on a bit now.

his dad was in the Dons end, as he has been for a lot of this season when he's not been working on Sportsound. Lewis loved scoring that goal today, his family ties certainly didn't interfere with his enjoyment of it. Thought McGinn's defensive work today was excellent, got Considine out of jail a couple of times in the first half. And of course his ball on to Ferguson's head won it for us

Yaaaaasssss!!!!! Get fucking in!!!!

Nope. Mcginn miles better. GMS miles better. So he's struggling for a place already. Good luck to him though.

Will be up again in two weeks then.

Ipswich Town job up for grabs just now, possibly the sort of job he'd be looking for.

People wanting different formations again? Nearly every time McInnes has deviated from his standard it has been an absolute disaster, why on earth would we want to put us in that position in such a big game? Scott Wright still living off his one good performance in 18 months I see, as well. Here's hoping....

That's Madden. And probably several others, but definitely Madden.

I watched most of the huns game today - they're pretty average, we have nothing to fear. But, we're pretty average, and they have nothing to fear. We average just over one goal a game scored and exactly one conceded, in the league. The huns are the same for conceding but just under 2.5 goals scored per game. Therefore, our manager will put us out to defend, in all likelihood, because that is generally what he does against the "big" teams. I would like to see : Lewis Logan Devlin McKenna Lowe GMS Shinnie Ferguson McLellan McGinn Wilson Shinnie and Ferguson can anchor the midfield and get us going forward between them, two attacking full backs with two wingers ahead of them who want to take players on. McGinn getting space behind Wilson gives us another avenue of creativity. Look at the ball McGinn played Wilson for his goal against Motherwell; that's the sort of football we need to see more of; gives us another dimension because at the moment we are far too easy to play against. But, I'd imagine Cosgrove and Ball will play on Sunday.

Shinnie and Ball being our current first choice centre midfield pairing is a huge part of our problems. Shinnie plays centre midfield like a left back. As a left back, everything is in front of you and that's exactly how Shinnie plays centre mid, but in the centre of the park you have to know when to put your foot on the ball and hold the play, which he pretty much never does. That wouldn't be too much of an issue if there was a better footballer beside him, but Ball, for all that he's ok, is just ok and that's all he's ever going to be. The quality in the centre of the pitch is hugely lacking. Ferguson is going to be a great player I think, but he's young and he needs time and will need a rest from time to time. When you look at the centre forward being Cosgrove, added to that centre midfield pairing, does anyone really think that is remotely good enough? McInnes, after the Scottish Cup Semi Final last season admitted his transfer dealings for that season hadn't been good enough. A brave thing for a manager to publicly admit. But he was correct. I would have hoped that would have spurred him on to better this summer; Gleeson and Forester have been pretty awful, Hobban injured - not much the manager can do about that, but the player's injury history should tell us it wasn't a surprise - Ball, a player who wasn't even getting off the bench (or on it) for a huge part of last season was brought back in and is now a starter. Ferguson and Devlin have proven to be good signings and I'm sure they will continue to do so. But on the whole, the recruitment has been tipping on the poor side too much in the past two years and when you're bringing in poorer players there's only one way the side is going. I don't trust McInnes with a transfer budget now, particularly given that he's signed players for cash who have been utterly root.

I do agree with you. But what I'm saying is that this isn't a new thing, Hampden hasn't all of a sudden become a crap stadium, it has been for 20+ years. Why has it all of a sudden become an issue and an excuse/reason not to go to a semi final? We all know that if it was a final all the tickets would have gone by now.

Who mentioned being a great supporter?

Exactly. Hampden (seated) has always been shite. Why people are now citing it as an excuse to not support their team is fucking baffling. But that's our support these days.

McGinn is doubtful for the game, I would hope he's not risked. I really hope the clamour for Scott Wright is well placed. He's been desperately disappointing in a lot of the matches he's played for us, hopefully the faith you and others are placing in him is rewarded but I can't see him starting in either match.

Because someone nominated him - that's all it takes, apparently. Laudrup wasn't in the same class as Miller. Laudrup wasn't even the best player in his mum's house.... Don't actually remember Larsson as being a diver either. Larsson was a superb player, took Celtic to a European final. Laudrup and Gascoigne did fuck all for the huns in European competition.

Yip. We are at an obvious disadvantage anyway due to distance etc, but if we were flying and the huns were struggling, we would get a substantially bigger crowd than we're going to. Most of the people who post on here will be going, all things being equal etc, but for the people who dip in and out of football supporting - a lot of the folk at ParkRed, for example - it just won't do for them. There'll also be those who have the view; "late kick off time, everyone's going to be steaming, it'll be carnage" (and we all pray that is indeed the case), and it'll put them off. It's been 18 years since we last played a team called R*ng*rs at Hampden. And we certainly owe them one from that day. Bring it on.

95 LC semi final

Did he? Christ, I must have blocked that out

Stockley had already left us last season, chief. Great result, good performance. Good that Cosgrove finally got off the mark. Lewis Ferguson's influence shouldn't be underestimated... we look so much better with him in there. McLennan did well too. Gleeson however... it's painful watching him. We lost that goal today because Saints players knew that he was going to pass the ball back the way, as he does every fucking time he gets the ball. He's a horrible excuse of a player and Forrester looks worse, which is quite something. But the Dons did well today, it was so important to win and we got it, played well in big chunks of the game, was very pleasing. Just a shame it's the international break, always want to keep going after a good win, but hey ho.