RicoS321

It's an obvious sign that we don't have the depth of squad to cope with such a long season, which was obvious last season and the season before. The players looked dead on their feet and devoid of ideas. The players that came in had been given so little game time that they couldn't get up to speed quick enough (thought Smith was okay when he came on). We had such a poor window last summer, which set us up for this end of season, it was inevitable. The fact that we didn't get one long term acquisition in January means that we'll need to go for about 6 additions in order to get 4 that are good enough (think that'd be a reasonable return). Not sure that's likely.

Cheers, you are indeed correct, I meant company (or bottom line) not shareholders, I'm not sure why I wrote that. Although strictly speaking, that's pish too. Must be going nuts in my young age! I won't let the shareholders of my company know I wrote that nonsense.

Aye, I didn't mention the goalie as I was still traumatised from watching the worst 'keeper I've ever seen play for the dons last night.

Would be no bad thing I don't think. If we could even offer Shankland as part of the deal that'd be great. I see Stewart as more competition for Hayes and McGinn, which would be perfect. He's this years Shinnie/McLean: the best from the rest. It's good to see us re-investing in proven SPL players. Last night showed how much we need a good centre half and a good central midfielder too, which I'd prefer us to spend money on before Stewart.

By law, his responsibility is to the shareholders, that's what I was getting at. I don't believe Milne looks much further than this, treating AFC like he would any other business. I don't think you should do that with a football club, but I'm happy to watch the game every week as I enjoy it and am aware of how our club works and how Scottish fitba is fixed. I get pissed off with it sometimes, but try not to let it bother me.

Yep I saw some good arguments. But they just presented a series of obstacles, problems to be worked around, rather than a feasibility study, which is the least I'd expect from the club (as opposed to forum posters). The club, as far as I'm aware haven't produced anything like that. As I say, I'm comfortable with it, Milne has a responsibility to the largest shareholders, not the fans.

I have looked at what posters have written, but I've seen nothing from the club to confirm what they say (basically, it's speculation) and nothing that appears to have been investigated in any detail. If there were issues, then the club would have published that by now to put an end to any questions. My point stands, we have a site and we have £25+M it seems to develop it. An honest - without agenda - stadium project would have presented these options to the fans years ago. Put another way, a fan-owned club would have presented all options. We're not a fan-owned club, and Milne's chairmanship is not a passive one. I'm not for one second suggesting that Westhill is not the best option (it's a damn site better than the foggy dump), but I think that a proper community club, with the fans at its heart would be treating its fans like adults and allowing them to see, and be involved in, the decision making process. AFC has never treated its fans like this, and never will. I know that though, and am comfortable enough with that. I'm happy just to point it out rather than start a picket outside Pittodrie or anything. In the end, if I'm honest, I probably just don't care enough to do anything more than make a point on here!

Strachan said that he didn't pick any dons or Tims (apart from Mulgrew - I assume for fitness) to allow them to rest so they're fit for Europe. Fair doos. Good that he's included two huns, a hertz and a hibs player on the assumption that they'll get papped out in the first round anyway (if they make it in hibs/huns case).

Nah, think I was spikkin shite, I think the current owner is not indeed Milne. Still not sure who it actually is, but you're right I think it's farm land so they'll get way over the £6K an acre you'd get for farm land for a stadium site. The AWPR will have fucked it for putting a nice hoose on too (not that that'd stop Milne). Transport links will undoubtedly be a massive factor, and putting on buses won't sort that out, ever. It simply isn't walkable from the city, which is a huge factor. It won't be from day one, but after 5-6 years - basically, the first time the team hits a poor run of form - the crowds will sink. Out of site, out of mind springs to mind, it's difficult to put a price on seeing fans walking through a city centre on the way to a game in terms of making a club belong to a city, but I'd say it's a significant form of advertising at least. It'll be like a large McDiarmid park. We don't need a city centre location to magically appear, we own one. As far as I'm concerned, we still haven't had an adequate explanation - or any explanation - as to why Pittodrie can't be done up. We're going to get about £12M for the sale of Pittodrie, £15M if we're generous. That leaves £25-28M of funding to find. The only question we should be asking is whether or not a new stadium not in Aberdeen is better than a Pittodrie with £25-28M upgrading funds spent on it. That is the only relevant question here. As far as I'm aware there is no special funding mechanism only available to new stadia. Naming rights can be as easily sold on a re-vamped Pittodrie as a new stadium, a mortgage can just as easily be obtained on the existing stadium as on a new build. If the club gave a shite about its fans they'd put a study side by side which showed an enhanced Pittodrie alongside the new stadium and let the fans decide. There is nothing special about a new stadium, and if the directors were being honest with the fans they'd undertake this study.

Judging by the fact that studies and such like already having been done, and in quiet, I'd be willing to bet it's Milne-owned land. Took a glance at the PandJ at work, and obviously no mention of who currently owns the land. Journalism at its most basic, the first question any person interested in the story would ask. The article is a propaganda piece bigging up the new shiny thing. I'm all for a positive piece, as a lot of people will see the stadium as a great development, however that has to be tempered with some basic fact-giving and question-asking. I said from day one that I thought the Donald investment was a down payment on future returns via a large building contract. I'm sticking with that theory. Again, the question was never asked.

F'n Westhill? utter shite. Bypass etc. Anyway, it'll never happen. Although no coincidence that a move is back on the cards now Labour are out of government.

I'd have thought they'd have had to offer him a new contract if they were expecting a fee? Would seem a little cheeky to offer him a new deal if he's nowhere near their first team squad.

Really? I've heard it hunners of times, and I don't really follow the EPL. Admittedly, I did have a stint as a West Ham fan in my school days when it was popular to choose an English team. It's certainly not a new thing, I've heard it heaps on MOTD (usually thon Motson fuck) when I've been arsed watching it over the years. To be honest, how often do you hear Upton Park mentioned at all? It's probably just because they're moving that you're hearing it so often. I expect there's an element of journalists not wanting to use the same name over and over, instead they're varying it a little to be a bit more interesting - or perhaps an attempt to give the ground more gravitas. Interesting, sort of.

Didn't read it, was from a third party. I'll stab him if he was lying.

I don't like collars. They freak me out. Apart from that, it's nice.

Been offered a contract it seems? 6Ft2. Good stuff McInnes. Addressing the winter issue, and will hopefully bring something different to Rooney and perhaps even compliment him when required. Considine hoof, Stockley flick on, Rooney hammers it home. From December to March, then back to playing fitba.

Fucking grief-whores. They can fuck off.

I thought Church was pish yesterday and hope we don't see him again. He's done a job and wouldn't begrudge him a small cameo to give the fans the opportunity to thank him, but we need to give others some game time for the remaining meaningless fixtures. I wouldn't like to see him here next season though, I think that would be accepting defeat somewhat. As for McGinn, I still think he doesn't get enough credit for the amount of work he does tracking back, he does work hard in games even if he is anonymous in some. I'm pretty certain that's why McInnes keeps him in the team - I think if we were party to the stats (distance covered etc) that Deek is then we'd probably see that his effort is vastly understated by the fans. The inconsistency is really only in his ability to win games for us every week. There is an expectation that he should, but I think it's unrealistic. It's harder in Scotland too, as we face the same teams 4 times a season meaning that players know who they're up against and how to play against them. From McGinn's (or any player's) perspective there will be players he doesn't like playing against too, although I doubt that would be admitted. It is down to McInnes to recognise during games where McGinn isn't adding anything to our attacking threat, or games where his attributes aren't suited to the style of game, and sacrifice him for someone more applicable. I think it's fairly obvious by 50-60 minute mark if McGinn is likely to produce and it's no slight on him to try something or someone different. Similarly in the winter months when Hayes and McGinn's games are largely nullified by the standard of pitches we should be looking to either play them closer to a larger striker or replace one of them with a more physical player. Like it or not, our game isn't suited to winter in Scotland and its something McInnes needs to address in the summer. We need a good version of Calvin Zola that will allow us to be more direct in games. I think a lot of McGinn's failings are through our squad's lack of alternatives, and also a lack of appreciation of his all round effort for which he isn't credited.

I only just discovered this thread. However, I refuse to bow to pessimism by selecting anything less than 77 points and so I won't be entering. However, I'll fuck yis all next season with a well thought-out, and correct, prediction on day one.

Ah well, made a game of it in the end. Was very much an end of season game with little pressure on them and slackness for all the goals really. Shinnie didn't have a great game for us today. Not entirely his fault for the first - Flood just needed to take a step to his left to prevent the path for the shot - but he was rash for the second, leaving Roberts totally unmarked, and I thought we actually (strangely) looked better when Considine moved across. The good McGinn turned up today, worked hard, took his goal well and a lovely free kick (he had some very good deliveries today) for Considine's header. Anyway, we weren't embarrassed in the end, and hopefully we'll go on to win our last two and beat last season's total.

Promising young striker scores for County today. Worth a look?

Mason sums it up pretty well here. Whilst I think the possibility of future independence could go either way (it needs to happen soon or the SNP will begin to lose support), he's spot on in regard to Labour. https://medium.com/mosquito-ridge/elections-2016-the-scottish-earthquake-continues-f829864192b5#.scr6qbp63

Doubt SNP will be that concerned. 5 more years in government with 2 short of a majority just now is not exactly a failure. I think if Labour Scotland had fully embraced Corbyn they'd have stood a better chance. The Tories have always fared well with the rural landowners and such like, they were always going to pick up more votes in this election, especially with a competent leader in Scotland.

Yep, it'll be up to the French to bail us out by not signing it though. Out of the EU with a Tory government in charge, we can guarantee that any trade deals we sign will be similarly devastating for the British people.

These guys were playing live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSedE5sU3uc