RicoS321

I was at that game. It was McAllister at left back. I think you're right though, that Solberg did play the last few minutes at left back when Anderson came on for McAllister. I don't think it continued into future fixtures.

Welcome aboard Sandy. If we keep trying Jensens, we're bound to get a good one soon.

I'll put you down for a Vujadinovic McArdle

I think he's worth persevering with. He's got talent, just not there with the application. Don't think he suits playing with Nilsen, but after the red card the other night I thought he generally progressed the ball well with pace.

Yep, exactly this.

Even Kristers sounds like a wacky nickname - made up by cunts - for someone called Christian or Christopher.

It's not possible for them to have operated on the same pitch, without football as we know it ending.

Could probably change the title of this one, but couldn't find another Deano thread. Been diagnosed with dementia. Nae good like. Still a legend, despite the actions of his offspring.

I don't think Solberg was in our worst 20 defenders. Guys like Ifil were worse. Solberg was slow and got caught out a lot, but he could actually trap a fitba. Bus only started three times for the Dons. He started alongside Diamond once, and I think Considine twice, but it might have been Severin for one. None of those would fit in a worst ever partnership, despite Bus dragging them down. Jimmy C gracefully gave everyone a shot with him too, so partnership couldn't be accused. I'm starting to think Gallagher and Bates are in with a shout, even though I think they were unfairly played in the wrong side continuously, like some sick joke. Edit: speaking of sick jokes, when Bus played for the Dons, the fullbacks were McNamara and Maybury.

I don't at all know what your point was, as it's now changed again. Back to something like I thought it was in the first place (that we should have a team of majority Scottish players). Something which I agree with as I've said.

Probably. We've had some fairly honking defenders over the years. That said, there's nearly always been one of the two that would have some redeeming features. It's an interesting one, I wonder what the worst partnership we've had over the years was? Obviously we had Brown and Campbell, Duff and Young (think one of them might have played right back), but I mean a partnership that lasted a few games at least.

I don't actually know what point you're making, that's the issue here. Originally you said that you'd like to see us sign more Scottish players as they tended to stay longer, and you mentioned the national team. I assumed that you meant actual Scottish players and I suggested that there was no evidence that players signed that were Scottish stayed longer than those that weren't. You then moved to include British or English speaking foreign players, and I suggested that there still probably wasn't any evidence of them staying longer, given we've had a million English players who've come and gone this century. You're now talking about "true" foreign players, and I've no idea what that means. If it helps, I'll clarify what I'm saying. I would like us to sign more Scottish players as we are a Scottish team playing in Scotland and I believe that should carry some identity (for no real reason if I was being honest with myself). I believe that a portion of our signings should come from teams in the SPFL (Premier), whether Scottish or otherwise, as I believe that they have the best chance of success as they are the lowest risk of signing (we know they can perform in our league). I think that the manager should be able to identify those particular targets. I also believe that you are significantly more likely to make a mark up on a player out with the SPFL, but the risk that they cannot perform in this league, is greater. A proportion of our signings should go down this route with a view to it being the quickest way to increase player budget via player trading. The proportion of the above should vary from season to season depending on availability of good players in our league, but I'd like to see us picking up at least 2 low risk signings from other teams each season. I'm not concerned by Thelin not having that knowledge for a season, and would count guys like Nilsen as equivalent to Devlin, but with slightly more risk attached. In response to your last three years point, foreign players were in the minority until Robson really. You mentioned Glass, which is why I brought up Gallagher etc. Goodwin was majority British (Stewart, Richardson, Morris, Clarkson etc), Robson signed Pollock, MacDonald, McGrath etc, before the move to foreign based the following window. We didn't sign anyone in the January (Hoillet) and this summer we've gone foreign again. Basically two windows of majority foreign imports, with a similar success rate to previous. I don't think any of what I've said has any bearing on length of time a player stays at the club. As I said previously, I think that has everything to do with family arrangements and if they've found a level that suits both us and the player.

Welcome Kristers. This is Peter, he's our best available striker.

Gallagher and Bates, and thon other lad, Brown or something? If we're expanding to British, then McGrath, Stewart, Jet, Gurr and many others. I don't think there's any evidence of not coping with humour because of nationality in football or any other line of work. Most players we've signed, probably in our history, have had a good grasp of English. Apart from Johnny Hayes, who still requires an interpreter after over a decade in this country. Guys like Ramadani, Miovski, Sokler, Rubi all appear to enjoy playing here too. To be honest though, your initial suggestion was that you wanted to see more Scottish players playing, which I'd agree with because I think Scottish teams should provide a route to the national side, and if international football is to have any meaning, it should retain and promote that Scottish football connection. I also think that signing players like Hayes and McGrath is beneficial because they have proven SPFL record, but that would also be applicable if we signed a foreign player from another club. Mitov for example. Beyond that, I don't think there's any evidence from our signings that foreign players stay less time than British players or can integrate more successfully. Proportionally, we've signed as many dogshite players from down south as we gave foreigners from foreign land I expect.

Our signings are now predominantly data led, with a focus on value for money, supplemented by 2-3 that the manager has seen that he believes will fit our system. As we have a foreign manager, that supplement will be foreign rather than Scottish (Devlin, Shinnie etc) for the next window or two. That should revert to Scotland again as Thelin becomes more intimate with the players here, and his knowledge of home becomes less up to date. The exception was Nisbet, but that was clearly pragmatism based on Miovski leaving and the realisation that Ambrose wasn't actually a professional footballer at all. I agree, I would like to see more Scots. I don't think that's necessarily the case at all. I would say that the majority of the signings we make of any nationality rarely stick around. Obviously we can really only take this century as relevant, because of changes in transfers that probably didn't properly unfold completely until the late nineties. Of the Scottish players (Several, Nicholson) we've signed, there are just as many that play 100+ games as there are foreigners such as Logan, McGinn and Hayes*. Guys like Kenny MacLean had no more affinity with Aberdeen than Arnason for example. The main criteria for a player staying any length of time at AFC is if they fit in at our level, rather than nationality. MacLean was our level when he joined, but moved beyond that eventually and so joined Norwich. Miovski stayed another year just like Ferguson. I can't think of a single player who has joined us and stayed beyond the point they were deemed too good. If a player finds his level here then we'll likely immediately want him replaced with someone better as we're fickle that way! Devlin last season regularly identified as a weak link, Shinnie too, after a handful of poor performances. In terms of Scottish players in the squad, the most disappointing area is youth players coming through. Ramsay and Barron probably don't help the numbers, but I'd have hoped we'd be targeting one to two players per season making the squad and get regular minutes before the age of 21 (a bit arbitrary, I know). Milne squeezes in (defenders take longer!), and Duncan should be aiming for next season or moving on. I think youth products are really the only ones that are likely to develop significant affinity and loyalty, and the most likely to see a good number of appearances. Mainly because they might have family in and from the city, and may even raise family here. Again, though, that's only if they find their level here. *I've assumed you class Brits and Irish as foreigners (I do) based on your comments about the national side.

Correct. The whole family went.

I'm wondering if it's an either/or with the defenders. If not, that's a fair outlay.

Yep, but it's about style of play and personnel. Devlin and Mackenzie were constantly in the opponents box, the midfield were bursting a gut to get there too, we played high intensity and pressing and regularly ran ourselves into the ground during games. That's what won us the games, basically. It's not that we're completely spent, just that we're not playing with the same intensity, the fullbacks aren't getting forward and we're not getting players in the box as often. The lack of good options in the key areas and the picking up of niggling injuries just compounds it. It won't be then done for the season, with a couple of additions, I wouldn't be surprised if we went on another good run in a bit when they get a second wind. It's fairly fine margins in this league, and if we're not prepared to sacrifice our style to grind out wins then we'll need more players in to do that. We're a good couple of seasons, at least, from having a team that can compete in both league and Europe, I suspect it'll be one or the other for the foreseeable.

McGrath doesn't appear to lack focus, it's fitness. He's played nearly every game this season and rarely gets taken off. He's taken a few belters to the heid in that time too. If we limit ourselves to players that are going in any given season, we're going to have a lot of difficulty fulfilling fixtures. What about the guy who's coming in on a six month loan? Is McGrath any different to Nisbet in that he's playing for his future elsewhere? Or Miovski last season? In my opinion, McGrath is just suffering from the same drop of form that Shinnie, Nilsen, Devlin and numerous others are experiencing after an intense start to the season and a light squad. Difficult to tell with MacKenzie, but looks like he isn't fully fit after his injury

They're done for the season. As in injured. According to the rumours. Big Pape is also dead, according to stories.

Motherwell didn't push on, but they were lucky not to lose a goal and we pressed them and they couldn't hold onto the ball, regularly punting it straight back to us.

Not a bad half. We're much better playing midfielders at the back. We can play out reasonably safely. I'd consider Polvara and Molloy for the next game. I'm assuming the subs were all down to fresh legs rather than tactical. You can see why Morris isn't preferred to Keskinen, he does nothing going back the way, and never pressures his man. Palaversa did okay in the second half, and we don't need Clarkson that deep, he was very effective up the park a bit. Shinnie looked knackered at 60 minutes, and that showed in his abysmal passing. Devlin similar. Hopefully Thelin has learned a bit today, he should now know the guys that can't be relied on.

Aye, MacDonald - our only centre half available - subbed for a midfielder, says it all.

Aye. That wasn't a red, and should have been overturned. Rubi stood up when Watt was bent over him. Nobody headbutts with the top of their head on the underside of someone's chin, it's just poor technique. Anyway, I turned it on at 30 minutes and we've only been gash from that point. Not even sure where Nisbet is playing, Nielsen given the ball away several times and MacDonald and MacKenzie beaten by simple balls over the top.

Palaversa alongside Shinnie and Nielsen in midfield. Probably something that should have been tried weeks ago. After failing miserably on his favoured foot, MacDonald is once again being tried on his weak side.