RicoS321

Yep, I agree, I'm just giving some possible reasoning. Tavernier is very quick, quicker than Christie. I'd have taken Wright on for Christie and Stewart on for Ball and played Stewart as you suggest. I think McInnes like the idea of Christie and Stewart being able to switch from wing to centre throughout the game (or half), much as he does with McGinn and Christie. I think it has a detrimental effect on all 3!

I think that he didn't trust Christie to track Tavernier. He's very dangerous on the break and - other than a couple of lapses - he didn't do that for most of the night as GMS kept him reasonably deep. We should be able to reasonably expect Christie to take Halliday to the cleaners on each attack though, but he looked scared and way off the pace. I'd have taken on Wright after 50 minutes to really go at Halliday, but he's biffed McInnes' sister or something I assume. Stewart plays into their hands a little as - despite reasonable trickery - Halliday is comfortable at that level of pace. Anyway, an entertaining game all said, and worth the entrance money. Not said that too often this season.

Aye, it was fucking weird. Were they singing it at us? I felt a bit of pity for them at that point. A bunch of people who clearly don't understand what or why they are singing something, in protest against nothing. It didn't even seem to rile our fans, just a weird sort of: Eh? Simpletons.

It's what every single manager in world football does. It's about taking pressure off your own side and putting it on the other. I don't believe it has any affect on anything at all, but managers will never say that they expect to win a game or that they are favourites or whatever. It's a modern thing, and it's all very boring. No point in listening to anything any manager or player says in an interview these days, their so rehearsed and scripted it's boring. Unless it was thon Billy Brown cunt - he was amazing. Probably deid now.

Nah, I think it does. I think the capacity won't be 20K anyway - I've said as much from the start - but if it's reduced to accommodate safe standing then I've nae issue. There seems to be a "red line" for some supporters that anything below 20K is a slight on our collective manhood. Attendance-bonerism is a common problem it seems. I think it'll come in around 19K when finished.

Dunty, was it not contingent on reducing the headline capacity slightly too, which they didn't want to do? Something like 1.5 seats per standing space? That rings a bell, but it could have been based on Bayern's ground, I canna mine

I would think that GG's 55/45 would be reasonably accurate - the club will have those details given tickets are only available via the database these days. Although it wouldn't surprise me if they tinkered with that figure slightly to fit their agenda. More interesting would be the number of those on their database in Aberdeenshire who don't attend games regularly. That will be their new target market. To add: Dunty, have you seen the statements regarding safe standing at Westhill? Very non-committal for something that could easily have been defined in the planning phase (although perhaps they were vague as that might have given the WANKS more ammunition - because standers = criminals or some such). I'll be sitting doon in the poshest seats, so it winna bother me.

That's not irony.

Yes, you've only quoted the first sentence, the next one or two addressed what you wrote in full. My part about you, was in response to the "won't bother their arse part". Perhaps it wasn't clear, apologies. I think we're in agreement that people who don't go because Pittodrie is difficult to get to will replace those who won't go when in Westhill. The difference being that I don't believe those numbers are anywhere close to even. I think you're in the minority. I think most teuchters do the miles (as I did from the North and do from the South) that are going to do the miles. I don't believe that there are a swathe of teuchters that are just waiting on the dons moving before piling in. I think regular teuchter dons fans go already - they're already in their car. They'll just experience a slightly shorter journey, depending on from where they travel (I travel from the South and take fuck all time to get to Pittodrie). I do, however, believe that a large number of city based fans won't make the trip, in the same way that they wouldn't go to Homebase in Portlethen. It defeats the purpose of living in the city. When I bade in Ferryhill, I walked, it was easy. I wouldn't have gone to Westhill on a tinky bus.

What I'm saying is that we don't generally struggle to get decent crowds for big games. I don't believe the atmosphere will help significantly in that regard as it's not really an issue (i.e. tonight's game would have sold out if it was on Saturday, and will probably be close anyway). The atmosphere will undoubtedly be better, but that would only really be useful in selling more for smaller games.

Nobody is, but it's the wrong measure. The number of fans that don't travel from all over Aberdeenshire is the relevant statistic.

You could be correct, I have serious doubts though. I have no doubt that all those games will sell out in the first few seasons but in 10 years time, once the new thing has been wiped away, we'll not sell out Hibs and Hertz. There are numerous examples of us selling out games against the hun in the last 2 decades at a Pittodrie that - as pointed out - hasn't changed, so it's a pretty invalid argument. It's a Tuesday night, and performances were poor this season. Had it been a Saturday at 3pm and we'd between them twice already this season there would have been a sell out. The atmosphere when Madison scored his free kick was pretty decent in recent times. It's a direct correlation between crowd size and excitement. The enclosed stands will definitely amplify it, I've certainly nae issue with the proposed design.

Thought I'd bump this up a little. O'Connor announced yesterday that he would be leaving at the end of the season. Unsurprising that nobody seemed to gie a fuck! At fault for the goal against Hibns, hopefully he'll give us a good performance tonight in his last home game. Good luck to him. His one-footedness and lack of pace mean he'll not get a better team than the dons in his career. Hopefully Devlin is a significant step up and we get a good squad player to replace him.

Exactly. It's why I'm pleased with the way the fixtures have worked out. It gives us a true test of our second place credentials. I don't believe we're the second best squad on paper (nor in budget), so it'll be a very decent achievement to finish second in the league.

Good article here, not really about Western lies per say, but a very good analysis of the system with respect to the food chain. Worth a read like, it's something that should concern, and raise questions in, everyone. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/08/how-the-chicken-nugget-became-the-true-symbol-of-our-era

^^^This.

Do I have to look back through the thread to find the quote where you stated that you don't attend Pittodrie because of the hassle involved in the commute from Garlogie? I'm not quite sure what makes you think that the opposite won't be true? But you're really just backing up my point, I'm suggesting that the displacement of existing loyal fans must be replaced with a similar number of new fans. You clearly think that will be no problem, I don't. Basic foot-fall figures would suggest that out-of-sight-out-of-mind is more likely to occur in Westhill than in a city centre. Westhill as an attraction in itself holds absolutely zero. My wife isn't going to spend three hours in Costco or the magnificent Greggs and surrounding shops while I head to the fitba. It's basic logic really. My opinion is that in ten years time we will have a lower core support than we do now. The point about McGhee, Paterson etc is about understanding the dynamics of Scottish fitba. Our crowds were significantly down in those years because the fitba was pish. Building a new stadium, with our level of support, is not suddenly going to turn us into league challengers. As long as the hun continue their slow but steadyish rise, then the dons will become more of a bit-part in the game and crowds will dwindle again. Indeed, if the scouse tink manages a return to the helicopter Sundays then the interest gained over the last few years will quickly diminish. We can afford that at Pittodrie, it's proven over a century that crowds can wain without permanent decline because it's still there and still visible. I don't believe that same robustness will exist at Westhill, unless something drastically changes on the way the city is designed and the stadium becomes enveloped in new building, developed in a completely new way (i.e. nae another Kingswells). I think that the opposite will occur in that the core support will be closer to that of Kilmarnock than Hearts or Hibs in ten years time (again, ignoring the undoubted initial large crowds, they will be a blip).

A touch patronising. I'd suggest that DD is more likely to be able to think for himself than those attracted to the shiny new thing for the first few years of its existence. Take me for instance: I've said I'll go to the Westhill arena when it's built. However, I'm also know that I wouldn't have travelled to Westhill during the Paterson, late Calderwood and McGhee eras. Whilst we may be replaced by others, you're very reliant on those "others" being as "hardcore" as the likes of me and donsdaft. That generational thing for us, that may or may not be acquired by those that come after. What I, and others, are saying is that we'll find it a lot easier to give up as there just isn't the same pull toward Westhill that makes the trip worthwhile. Hopefully Westhill will breed the next generation of super-fan, as folk like me and DD will need replaced when the time comes. It's clear that there is a very small window in which to do this, and anyone who understands the dynamics of Scottish fitba would probably realise that the odds of this aren't great. There is a good chance that the core support (let's say season ticket holders for sake of argument) will be less than current after ten years at the new stadium, and that is the measure it should be held to. Out of town developments are not the future.

Nah, the really shite, mass-produced pish will continue to sell as they're the only ones that make money. It's progress, ken?

It's a good point LA Don. We were always pap under McGhee and Brown, so playing youngsters was easy as it couldn't get any worse. We've not quite got the balance right though and there is a lot of time afforded to cunts like Maynard, Nwakali, Tansey and so on how simply aren't better than our youngsters but given time because they're "experienced". That type of dross just needs to be filtered out. Wright should be in for GMS tomorrow night, but definitely won't be, and so shouldn't appear on our bench. It's an evidenced mistake not sending Wright out on loan in January, and McInnes should be held to account by someone at the club for that decision. We should have targets in place for minutes played/experience gained which can be fulfilled by loan if necessary, so that McInnes is answerable to someone/something for his judgement on what should be a sellable asset.

Fucking hope not. Useless little cunt. Not sure why he's still here, nor Maynard. GMS will be a miss. That assault fae the little Hibee Scott Brown probably didn't help.

Fair play to Gerrard, he's obviously signed on those terms. Expecting to raise £6M fae the duped masses (again) from a share issue next month. That'll turn into about £3M. I'm guessing nobody at the press conference asked King where his £11M takeover money was?

I don't think that's a true statement. Anyway, looking forward to it. A fantastic end to the season in terms of the meaningful games, and hopefully see a full house for it. I'm struggling to think of our best line up for this one. They'll play a back three, with Tavernier - who's been their biggest threat against us this season - pushing very high up as wing back. I think we should try to match that formation, as I think that gives us our best chance of winning. We seem to really struggle when playing 4-2-3-1 against a five in midfield and I think that most decent teams will know that (the huns aren't pish by any stretch). I'd go: ---------------Lewis-------------- ----O'Connor----Consi----McKenna-- Logan--Ball-McLean--Shinnie-McGinn ----------May----Cosgrove----------- With McLean pushing right through from midfield like he did against Hertz, as they'll try and take it short from the 'keeper. Swap Ball for Christie as and when required. Get McGinn pushing Tavernier back as much as possible. May in for his pace (i.e. faster than Rooney) only, which will be required against a better passing back 3.

I reckon the Bread Maker in Rosemount's were hard to beat in recent times. Although it's actually been a while since I've had one from there due to not being in the area that often these days. They were massive too. My in-laws give me rowies to dip in broth. It's actually really fine.

Good luck. Think you might need to whisky-up that tea in order to make sense of it.