RicoS321

Yep, it's fucking awful. Ruined the game the other night, and ruining it today. For what? Lots of shitey penalties for a ball hitting someone's elbow with their back to the play. Offside given for a toe beyond the defender. Context removed from every single decision. All massive negatives. For the one decision every three months that actually required a video replay for a genuine error. Absolute fuckers that brought this shite into our game. Absolute fuckers who are still saying shite like "it's not VAR, it's the way it's being used". Anyway, a very good first half from the Dons. First to every ball and pressing well. The midfield all playing well, with Clarkson doing the business with his passing. Shinnie been outstanding today so far too. Setting the tone. As is so often the case, when he plays well, the others respond. Miovski's finish was just top class too, he's ace. Edit: to add, once again the ref and other officials saw exactly what happened in real time. An accidental coming together. The player saw our goal go in and walked away without complaint as he knew he wasn't fouled. The ref saw it in context, he knew what happened.

Amazing finish from Miovski. Another nonsense VAR intervention. Contact fucking sport.

Jesus fucking Christ. That's all we need. Another game of fucking football. It is the logical conclusion of a sport trying to get every single decision "correct". Right lads, try it again from the top, nobody goes home until we get this right.

Back four then, looks like the widthless 4-2-3-1 again.

It basically means hearts to beat us by more than one. Put on £10 and you'll get £30 back. Obviously no Dons fan would ever bet against Aberdeen, as that would be Hunnish behaviour.

I don't think Clarke will be leaving before the Euros.

Hopefully we've learned the lesson of McInnes' final window here. You simply can't afford to miss one out, it sets you back two at least. We should have the structure in place where trusting Robson or not is irrelevant. We've got an independent recruitment team who can target players and the manager is just a small part of that (or that certainly seems to be our strategy - a good one). You don't need to do a great deal in a January window, just keep things ticking over with getting rid of deadwood and adding players in key positions where it's clear to everyone we're lacking. Also, identify pre-contracts and try and have them in place (preferably before the window closes, which might provoke the parent club to sell on the cheap). We're not building a squad. Not doing this in McInnes' last window killed Glass' tenure completely. It'd be a disaster if the board hadn't learned that lesson.

I don't think Barron and Clarkson work together in many of the options (that Robson uses) in a three/five. Clarkson further forward works when he's in the middle (although it needs width), but when we do Robson's preferred European style, that involves two higher up, who drop wide when defending - not really something Clarkson does well. Barron doesn't play well further forward full stop, so that's out. We could play a 3-4-1-2, which would suit Barron and Clarkson, but that would involve dropping McGrath, which I don't think Robson will do. It's the same problem we've had all season. If Barron starts, it has to be at the expense of Clarkson or McGrath, not ramming every midfielder onto the pitch at once because three players who play similar roles are also very good.

Really, really looking forward to another game of football. More games, thick and fast, that's what we need. I agree @manc_don, think we'll go back three. I actually don't think that'll be a bad thing though, because we're away in a difficult fixture. I think he'll play the 3-4-2-1 setup that worked a couple of times in Europe, which is vastly different to the single sitting midfielder he played in every other fucking game. It's a stuffy setup at times, but does allow two (Polvara and McGrath would be my guess) to get close to Miovski, whilst allowing the fullbacks to get higher. In theory. It would mean dropping Barron (because he won't drop Clarkson for contractual reasons), which he'll be fine with. Obviously, the injury to Rubi might mean he sticks with the back four.

Pollock off to Derby for a few years. We'll pick him off if he turns out to be a player.

Super fans like me need to top up our status somehow, otherwise it would be unfair.

Aye, that's the thing though, it kind of has to be Rubezic that leaves for Pollock to come in. Can anyone's heart really survive a defence of Rubezic and Pollock? Mine couldn't, it'd be frightening. We'd win a lot of headers. They're both right footed and not really good enough at football to play on their wrong side. They're both young (for defenders) prospects that we'd look to sell on and so must start. We'd have to play a back three to accommodate that. Every week. If/when we miss out on European group stages next season, we don't have the additional games for which to carry additional squad players and offer rotation. Defence isn't generally an area that lenda itself to regular rotation and we don't have a manager who can navigate that anyway. I think we can really only afford one project in defence at a time and, for all his faults, we've chosen Rubi at this time. Pollock would be a great signing, but we'd be doing it just because he's available and for fear of missing out. The timing is wrong sadly. Also, Milne might have something about him and we need to fully investigate that.

I don't think we should, unless we're getting rid of Rubezic or Gartenmann isn't signing. He benefited massively from MacDonald being in the centre last season as he was very slow on the turn and to get back into position. I think he was a little overrated. Not completely averse to it, but only with space freed up, and maybe not with Robson in charge as he'd likely try and shoehorn four centre backs into the team. I think he's struggling as it is to deal with a squad of multiple players who play in the same position. If it was the summer window, I'd be much keener.

He's probably on a healthy enough contract here and wants to milk it. As is his prerogative. I don't think he'll ever be good enough to be honest and would like to have seen us cut ties altogether. We don't need another player returning to prove himself to fill up the squad.

Barron is basically first sub for his lack of contract signing. He wasn't playing well, but Clarkson was offering nothing in midfield, with Shinnie having to do all the work again. Hayes taken on to provide width in a four, only for Jensen to come on and change to a five so that Hayes has to play wing back again and stops getting forward.

Honking fae Roos. Terrible with crosses. Rubi off, surely should be more attacking with the sub.

Neither decision "clear and obvious". The ref saw both. Re-refereeing. Embarrassing.

And again. Fucking nonsense.

Jesus Christ. That's not fitba. Never a foul.

He's switched McGrath and Polvara. Cunning....

It's the best option for our midfield and covers the defence well. It really needs some wing players. Maybe Duk on for Polvara would be good. Don't think McGrath has been that good either. We started well, they worked us out and tightened up and pressed and we've struggled since. Both fullbacks getting up the park for us though, just need people to hit the box a bit quicker and more intelligently.

Good to see us sticking with the line up for a few games anyway. Still think the lack of width is an issue, but needs must to avoid Morris starting.

Yep, we should take him on in the second half when we play towards the RDS and play him further forward. By around 700 metres.

With no rain today, the pitch will be drying out nicely making it a playable surface, so I suspect Levein has been out with the garden hose.