RicoS321

We've got another attacking threat though, don't we? Ah, no, oh well.

He's a sixteen year old centre half, there's nothing we're missing. The Dons would love him to sign a five year deal and get him in the first team in a few years time.

There has not been a left wing government in the US since FDR, there has never, ever been a far left government. I'd have thought that as a Scot you would have access to what those things actually mean. You know, healthcare free at the point of use, unionism, state railways and buses, council houses, state owned energy, free nursery, cooperatives, state education, free higher education, disability allowance, and a focus on ever decreasing income inequality through taxation on wealth. Not just a couple of those, all of them, and that would get you to a basic social democracy, still a long way from socialism. Distributive policies that have been proven worldwide to reduce crime and homelessness (not socialism). I suspect that this is in large part why folk from across Europe and the wider world are looking on in horror. The overton window, as it's called, is so far right in the US that the arguments aren't even on the same planet. Biden is about as far left as David Cameron, which is to say, not remotely. I guess that thirty years in the US has somewhat clouded your view. Again, I'm not disagreeing with your political position, I'm saying that you are demonstrably/factually incorrect when you use the term left wing to describe US government at federal or state level. It's important because it leaves a gaping hole in the purview of the US citizen. There's this weird dichotomy where folks pine for the "better times" of the fifties and sixties (Trump voters in the US, reform voters here). They are pointing to a time that is so far left (huge taxation for example) that it's no longer in their frame, because of the eclipse of neoliberal politics, which is the only offering in the UK and US in the last fifty years.

Two Cole Burke's

Clarkson was a joy to watch yesterday, he's the type of player you go to see and hope that he's on form. It requires a level of patience though, as he tries things that have a low percentage chance of coming off, and can often be risky, or wasteful. His form has meant that many had lost patience, but hopefully his recents displays have shone through. He tried a first time cross yesterday, on a moving ball, that was just magnificent technique. The Utd defender put in a superb diving header to prevent Nisbet connecting, but it was such a difficult ball to play, and there wasn't a player on the park capable of doing it other than Clarkson. That said, Clarkson benefitted massively from Jim Goodwin's tactics of throwing away leads (I can only assume by now that it's deliberate). Clarkson was collecting deep and quickly releasing, reminiscent of the time under Robson where he flourished. That requires a team sitting in, and lots of space for Clarkson to work in, which means either two high pressing midfielders (Shinnie and Ramadani previously), or some derivative of that (high fullbacks and a front two like we had in the second half). It's quite high risk too, and needs a directness that maybe doesn't suit Thelin. All in, I'm not sure Thelin will go for Clarkson from the start of games because of that, in a similar way that Morris doesn't start. I think he'd be happier playing out from the back, trying to draw players in, and hope that something comes off up front to give us a lead rather than trying the risky approach from the start and then maybe not having the bench to change it. It seems to me that after 6 months, Thelin is still no closer to knowing his best eleven, or even his best formation. Perhaps that's a good thing, as it suggest we have options.

I wasn't joking, not really. I found the European group stages too much. The fact that we were parachuted into them probably didn't help, but towards the end it was just a saturation of football that ruined it for me. I didn't even go to the Frankfurt game at home (I had a ticket) because it was just too much football. Might have been the only game at Pittodrie I've missed since COVID, certainly hasn't been more than three. The effect lasted the entire season too, I was jaded and bored by that point, and it wasn't just because we had a crap season, I was very pleased when it finished. The extra games in a knockout format don't have the same effect, as they're spread out, and you know that you won't last long. It's an abomination of a format, that's ruining leagues across Europe, and is nothing when compared to the cup winners cup, European and uefa cups of old. It feels dirty just being in it, it's a format for Huns and Tims.

European group stages were a bore, fuck them. Unearned pish. Today's game was hard going at times, thought the first half would never end. Nisbet excellent today, Clarkson very good when he came on, as were Morris and Shinnie. Okkels must have something on Thelin, he's done absolutely nothing to deserve to start in any of the games he's played so far. He's just a nothing player, I'd rather have Matty Kennedy back. Gueye was pish too. I'm assuming MacKenzie was injured, because there were at least five players requiring subbed before him. It was a strange sub that left us playing Keskinen through cramp for the last half hour. The only other reason I can think for it was the big argument he had with Nilsen in the first half. Nilsen did his trademark: shite pass, followed by shouting at the player who had no chance of getting it, and MacKenzie correctly shouted back at him. Anyway, Shinnie was good when he came on. Palaversa poor for the second start in a row, and started the second half like he'd never seen a football before. Clarkson has to be ahead of him now, he ran the show when he came on. The back two were fine. Knoester looks good. Losing goals to crosses and set pieces is a tactical thing, we're clearly setting up wrong. Although Mitov should have saved the first quite easily. He was otherwise good, building quickly from the back.

One of the first chants my daughter learned, and when to shout it, was "dig a hole". A classic. Although I did have to stop her shouting it at a Dons Womens' match, which was a nice lesson on the boundaries of acceptability.

Have you even said thanks once to the moderators for letting you post on this forum today?

Aye, but that has to be weighed against the fact that Okkels. Yes, you can bench him, especially if it's down to fitness. I also agree though that Nilsen and Shinnie were better than Nilsen and Palaversa in the previous game (Clarkson was also better than Palaversa when he came on in the same role). If I were dropping either of the two, though, it'd be Nilsen. Despite having the better game on the ball, he was largely responsible for the gaping holes in behind as he doesn't get back and doesn't sit when Shinnie goes. Of course, that was against a good team, and not hugely relevant against utd, where we'd probably want his ability on the ball. The biggest thing for me though was that he was down to walking pace when he came off. Ten minutes prior, MacKenzie was 2 on 1 at left back, and was pointing for Nilsen to track his man, but he just stood in the worst possible position, because he knew he wasn't going to be able to match the run, leaving MacKenzie to pick up both players.

You could see why when Gueye came on. He just sort of wondered about, not taking up particularly good space, and not shutting down the angles in defence, he just looked lazy. Not a player for a game against the Tims. The midfield was a slight surprise, although Palaversa wasn't particularly good at the weekend. The biggest surprise was Doohan, as I think even if Mitov had a leg missing I'd have played him.

Shady Mo with the moral victory.

Mental that Nisbet is off rather than Dabbagh.

I think we can forgive the giving the ball away by Shinnie and Nielsen (Shinnie started poorly but improved), as they close quickly, and we're trying to play tight balls rather than just aimless punts. I agree about the poor play for the goals. I would add the Knoester was poor for one of them. Maeda was very obviously making space for the wide player, and Knoester allowed himself to be dragged right across his other centre half. He can see Tobers, all he has to do his stop his run,playing Maeda offside, and being in place to cut out the wide player. It was poor from a centre half.

Yep, Doohan been poor. Okkels been gash. Otherwise, we've been not too bad, and the scoreline flatters them. Dabbagh struggling a little up front too.