RicoS321

I can't believe I'm still having to say this every season in the 21st century. How does the SFA (and SPFL, as it happens in the league cup too) allow this to happen? You submit your provisional squad a day before via an online app, and it puts a wee red cross next to any player that is ineligible. Everything held on the SFA database. Why on earth are clubs with part time admin staff being blamed for making simple errors that could be overcome by a rudimentary centralised database? One that holds suspension and registration data and a basic algorithm for the relatively simple rules. With a phone and PC app for submitting teams. Why are our national competitions being ruined because the cunts at head office can't provide a simple service? More importantly, why is nobody talking about this when it happens every season? Why is the blame aimed at small teams and the overriding systemic issue never talked about or addressed?

But why loans? Morrison is younger than Milne and less experienced. Do we seriously expect him to be better than, say, Dorrington? We're offering development minutes for six months. An experienced defender on loan, I'd be comfortable with. This just seems weird. Cameron is less of an issue in terms of the actual loan (although it's still weird given where he plays), but who it's from makes it ridiculous. Overall, though, it's a disaster in the long term, as we've seen twice before. You simply can't afford to miss the churn of a single window. We should have learned this by now, and we should have the structure in place to see that it doesn't happen. We're going to be looking at around six players leaving in the summer that need to be replaced: Karlsson, Aouchiche, probably Clarkson, the two loanees and likely one from Milanovic, Jensen, Gyamfi, Armstrong etc. that mill around the squad. In order to replace that, you're looking at least ten signings. Again. Two good signings now and you've potentially reduced that to 8. At the very least you've crossed two options of your list. Things need to keep moving. The new manager will once again be doing a complete rebuild in the summer. The chances of getting that right are extremely slim as we've seen every time it has happened. Sign now, even on precontract, to ease the pressure.

Not sure why McGinn's arse needs knees anyway. He'll be fine.

Aye, a good point. However, given that Knoester was just an illness, I'd have hoped that we'd just be seeing out the one game per week schedule with Polvara and Devlin as backup. Keeping the squad lean and getting as many minutes as possible into the existing squad. A loanee that's here to get first team football doesn't really fit with that. If he's not left footed, too, then it's simply a replacement for Milne. Milne is making mistakes still, but game time is massively important at his age, when the biggest component missing from his game is aggression (particularly in the air in the box). I'd be willing to overlook the mistakes for a young Aberdeen fan developing. Not so, an inexperienced loanee going back in the summer.

Doesn't excuse no pre-contracts, or loans with agreement to purchase. We managed to sign players in January every other year, it's not beyond us. Loans are a choice, and one we've seen before.

I don't think it's quite that. It's supposed to be a team effort involving the manager. Or certainly that what was hinted at in the past. But, aye, we've certainly got enough in-house to be making signings without requiring the first team coach in the door.

He was useful at running in the direction he was facing. I think he'll be decent from the bench, making space for Nisbet. Don't think he's good enough at football for the wing unfortunately. A 4-4-2 and some direct fitba when we're trailing should suit him. Like most of our players, he's limited to a few setups.

That's certainly what happened when it was decided when McInnes was leaving, and when Robson was caretaker. On both counts, it was a catastrophic decision. You need to keep a club ticking over in terms of ins and outs. We apparently have a recruitment team with a lot more sway than previously, they should be trusted to make signings. Loanees are fine late in the window, with an option to buy preferably. Two loanees in January means two more signings required in the summer, which generally means four more in order to get two. A new manager is getting a bunch of guys he won't know anyway, adding another two to that using our ability to scout good players alongside a general knowledge of what we're missing is far less risky than not signing anyone.

Are we doing the whole not signing players while there's not a long term manager in place again? Horrendous approach. Are we seriously going to displace another first team player for a loanee?

We're more of a "jobby in the post" nation.

We're not in control of anywhere, hence climate change and the sixth mass extinction. We definitely will not be colonising other worlds, it's not remotely possible and we'd run out of resources trying. Indeed, once we reach the point where the resources we need require more energy to extract than they return then there is no further modernity. That will be it, forever. Our fossil fuels were a one-time bonanza. The 1% are no more in charge of the technological system than you are I.

Only if it involves the Huns paying money. They've not paid for Barron or Cameron I don't think.

It's the strategy etc. identity or some pish. The inverted wingers is a function of the signings though. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, Keskinen hits the byline far more often on his wrong foot, and he's the closest we've got to a winger. Milanovic and Bilalovic are fast, but not over ten yards. Karlsson doss exactly the same thing every time, and has zero pace whatsoever, and it's quite unbelievable that he's ever been able to play on the wing (or as part of a team). Playing out from the back is absolutely fine. It just needs the correct blend of when to do so and when not to. It makes sense from the point of view of drawing the opponent out and retaining possession. It makes no sense when the opposition are in shape and pressing. We seem to have instituted it as a fundamental at a high level, and associated it with "entertainment". It ignores player ability. It also ignores the far bigger problem of pitch quality for large parts of the season. Our goalies always start off being able to kick accurately, which mysteriously tails off after November. It's very hard to pick a forty yard pass on a bobbly pitch in rainy conditions. That never gets acknowledged in our playing out from the back utopia.

It is. Clarkson, as it stands, will be here next season. If he's playing every week, the dynamic changes significantly, and the change of management might see to it that he is. Although I suspect we might not find out, because we'll quickly discover that him and Cameron in the same side will struggle and he'll make way for the Hun loanee. If Cameron does very well for us between now and summer then he's good enough for the Hun squad, just as Barron was. If he's anything less than very good then the price that it'll cost to get him won't be worth it. If they think for a second that he might be an advantage to us, then they'll accept a bid from some championship fodder from down south instead, without the slightest regard for the player. The chances of us wanting, and getting, Cameron next season are exceedingly slim.

Nonsense, Clarkson is under contract, Cameron isn't. The only way we get Cameron is if he's average in his time with us. If he's good or very good, the Huns keep him. There is no upside beyond his performances in the short time he's here. It's not a direct competition between Clarkson, Armstrong and Cameron. But, if we want to get the best out of Clarkson, then he plays behind Shinnie and Aouchiche. If we want the best out of Armstrong, then he plays ahead of two sitting where Cameron is. Due to Thelin's setup, Armstrong has barely played any minutes in the role he'd suit best, and now Cameron comes in and prevents that further. Playing him further back is a big mistake. I'm not convinced that both Clarkson and Cameron will cope on the pitch at once in the SPFL, and I think we'll see one dropping out in due course. I think we should have brought in a midfielder to get the best out of the ones already there, rather than another one very similar in style.

I'd have thought that as a Scot, you'd be a bit reticent to equate North America to the US! It's like being called English. The Canada part being fairly significant when discussing Greenland. Trump will almost certainly view Canada as the next logical acquisition (because it is) if Greenland is not fought for. With their capturing of Venezuelan heavy oil, it would certainly make the acquisition easier.

Clarkson began to struggle in the number 10 role as teams put a man on him and he didn't have the physical attributes to cope in a difficult role. I think we'll see exactly the same in Cameron in the coming weeks, where teams will press him and turn it over. That happened on numerous occasions today, but Doc in commentary clearly was a little biased and didn't pick it up. Your point stands though, there's absolutely nothing Cameron did today that Clarkson couldn't in that role. Similarly Armstrong. We've essentially brought a guy in and are giving him an opportunity that we're not affording our own. It's frustrating.

That was terrible. Is wouldn't trust Leven to take us forward on that showing. Some very average players on show, and we lined up badly. There is no room for Cameron and Armstrong in that side, it has to be one of the other. We've brought in a six month loanee to take the place of a guy with 2.5 years remaining. The onus should be on playing Armstrong in the correct position in my opinion, with Cameron as backup, or just get rid of Armstrong altogether. He's not here to be a sub at his age. Karlsson dogshite when he came on and needs to go back ASAP. Cameron did well, but he'll struggle in that role against better opposition I think. He didn't look totally fit. His corners were good, but as others have said are no better than Clarkson's, who's only had two games and put in some decent balls. That goal today doesn't get scored against a premier team, so I don't think it's a good barometer. Good to get through, and hopefully we have a manager and some players in shortly

We signed him permanently in the summer

That midfield three has been completely overrun. Cameron been okay, but I don't see why we've signed him. Armstrong clearly wants to be in that position, so he's been shunted back to a role where he's a fucking liability. Clarkson already needs one mobile and strong midfielder alongside him, the three lightweights together is just - very obviously - fucking ridiculous. It has to be Aouchiche and Shinnie plus one other in the SPFL. You need legs through that centre. Or aggression. Cameron or Armstrong or Clarkson, not two and definitely not three.

Aye. That and a daughter in hospital. But mainly the Hun.

Are you thinking McCowan? Cameron plays number 10. As Tony Docherty just said, 30 yards from goal is his area.

Having to watch this on the telly today. @Panda, what's the purpose of having McFadden in the studio? He'll have seen plenty of Raith with his championship coverage, but they've also got Murray for that. When asked "What's going wrong at Aberdeen?", he doesn't have the slightest clue. Just the tired pish about us "heavily investing in the team" and other shite.

He doesn't play in Shinnie's position

No it isn't. Well, not according to the maps our governments let us see. Perhaps you have different ones.