RicoS321

Interesting game, we played well and we're unlucky. Shinnie was probably motm today, and whilst I get the suggestion of moving him left, that'd mean some very good signings to replace that energy and ball winning. Polvara was good again today and is exactly the type of squad player we'll need. Morris did really well, so it'll give us lots of options when MacDonald is back and Rubezic is moved right one. McKenzie had another solid performance too. Devlin just had a brain fart, the type of mistake that you can't legislate for, nor read too much into. He wasn't under any notable pressure. The Tims were very divey today, with Ralston a joke. Not convinced it was remotely a foul for their first, with the ball there to be won, but would like to see it back. When Duk got going he was good, then faded quickly and should have been off sooner. Would probably have taken Morris off for the last ten too. I liked the change to a 4-4-2, it was a bit different. Thought Duncan handled the game well also.

Hayes out, Duncan in. Hayes must be injured. I saw him yesterday and he looked fine, maybe Robson feels he's compromised because of his prior allegiances, with Duncan being a trueblood.

Can you get them to put back the original?

It's not a new thing for Aberdeen fans, we were doing it in the nineties (and eighties to an extent). The point stands, and it's not particular to Aberdeen, money since the advent of the champions league has had a hugely deleterious effect on football, where before its effects were pronounced, but not saturating. Does the open top bus ride chance increase with more millions? I don't think the evidence backs that. I suspect you'll find that the greatest chance of success still comes with avoiding either two of the scum on the way to lifting a trophy. In other words, relying on the combined luck of all other teams in the tournament, where one team gets the chance event of beating one or other of them. We could be that fortuitous team, of course.

Aye, this is going to be pish. Really need to work out what we're doing in midfield. MacDonald being back would be good, but to come in against the tims without a preseason is a lot to ask. Need to get Devlin into wing back either way and Morris onto that virgin galactic flight. I'd have Shinnie and Polvara or Barron sitting in front of the defence with Clarkson in front of them. Be prepared to take Duk off if he's not pulling his weight.

Jambos disrespecting the coefficient already

I don't think you have to accept, but be aware of it. The first problem with the route that you describe is that it doesn't lead to the outcome you suggest - it's pie in the sky nonsense. The second problem is that once you've reached the pie in the sky goal, you inevitably realise that you had to become a Hun/Tim to get there. All the "Aberdeen has a spirit" becomes verifiable bullshit. Instead of having the other teams in Scotland backing you, they all (correctly) hope you fail because they don't want another airse cheek. The pathetic, happy clapping, hollow victory is recognised for what it is. The far more logical, and likely to be successful, route is to fight back as a group. First, get supporters and clubs to recognise that there is another way, and the way that you describe is shallow and repugnant. Get them to really understand the existing setup and that it's just a man made system that can be changed (this, of course, is a mirror of our wider economic system), and that existing setup is anti meritocratic. Really challenge the clubs and harass the media - especially public - to present that fact, and have it run through all discourse: "so Brendan, you were able to beat a team with one tenth of your budget today....". Once you've unveiled the sham and you openly discuss it as a sham, then you get to work solving it. In my opinion, that can only occur by promoting equality (thus sporting merit) as the number one goal in every design decision. That means equal split of all prize funds, perhaps salary caps, centralised (not geographically, but organisational) youth setups with drafting, split gates etc etc. Of course, there will have to be a cut-off at some point, via the divisional split, but I guess that'd have to be via some part time Vs full time delineation. Either way, all clubs bar two in the country would benefit, as would the game itself. The problem with the way you suggest as "the only way" is that it gives us this false hope. A perennial target that will never actually be met, but it gives people just enough glimpse of possible success that they don't change anything, or worse think that it would be unfair to change anything. It's been forty years of failure and anti-sport in Scottish fitba, that's more than enough evidence. Your "only way" is not actually a way at all.

Dead?

The purpose of plastic pitches should be to have as close to homogeneity as possible. They should be predictable, and training at Cormack park should be as near to the same as playing at Livingston. Instead, we're now at a point where grass pitches are becoming more and more predictable to a point where plastic is redundant other than for the fact that the local council can play their fives game on it on a Friday night.

Nice work. Would making the players get their own way and using Airbnb help maximise the profit? I think it's fairly obscene to be honest. We're basically getting more money than the first prize spfl. It's such a fucked up way to run fitba and totally destructive. We're now basically the scum, fighting to ensure nobody else can get the unearned riches. Imagine how much better it'd be if all that money was pooled and added to the prize fund? We'd have a proper league.

That's a brand new piece of plastic. One of the best bits of the whole pitch. Plastic pitches in general are absolutely fine. However, it's possible to make them absolutely shite by not adding moisture and doubling up the rubber pellets, which is clearly what happened. It was gamed to be extra shite. On numerous occasions the ball held up in the rubber pellets and you could see the pellets flying in the air when the ball bounced on them. Both teams played several passes that didn't run true and held up short (our best chance, that Polvara fucked up came from such a pass). Whilst we made little attempt to pass anyway, if we had we'd have seen just how poor the surface was. Quick passing football would have been extremely difficult. Obviously, this isn't particular to plastic pitches, the equivalent on grass is to let it grow long and narrow the pitch dimensions. I suppose it's no less unsporting than us having three times Livingston's budget.

I don't think fergie would have deemed Brighton a glamour tie either though. Ideally we get Europa League, with two ace teams and one shite one.

Shite, we'll tank all of those. We're Aberdeen.

We were honking that night, it was awful. Good result in the end though! Jess, Windass and Dodds started I think. To balance it out Jamie Buchan and Peter Hetherston were in the lineup from memory, could be wrong.

Whilst I don't think we'll get O'Hara for the reasons you state, with the draw for the playoff now made, Cormack must be looking at that and questioning whether or not to go all in. It's worth at least £1.5M as a single tie, against either of two teams we're very capable of beating. I'm thinking that two good signings, especially a midfielder, could give us a good chance. After the weekend's poor performance, I think a number ten might be of use. We're limited with our formations because of the insistence of sticking with Duk and Miovski, so I'd probably prioritise midfield over wide players. I'd be inclined to just meet the Tims' valuation for Scales if there's not much difference in our positions too, we need a centre half that can come forward with the ball, and overlap if we want to get anything out of our wide players. Devlin only got beyond Morris once on Saturday, and McKenzie didn't get beyond Hayes. If we're expecting our wide players to take folk on then this is vital when they're coming from deep as wing backs (think Tierney and Robertson for Scotland, but shitter).

That's not how you spell Rosenborg

Any chance of us getting O'Hara from St Mirren? Would be a good signing, better than thon Baccus lad in my opinion. Offer them £100K plus a chance to play a lucrative pre-season friendly against us next summer.

Hibs do what Hibs do.

We're not crying out for one, but no way McKenzie is playing every week for us. He played well against Livingston, defensively, but does nothing coming forward with the ball and is slow to get it under control. Scales is a far better all round footballer and I think he could go on to be very good. If we get the option to sign then we should go for it, a loan would be a terrible decision as this is definitely the season that'll make or break him as a player. Ideally we'd get him in time for Europe, and it certainly shouldn't prohibit us from being on the lookout for a midfielder and a winger and number ten.

A honking opener against a brutal side. Positives were that the defence played well, Rubezic looks good and so does Devlin. Negatives are that we're probably a worse side than last season. Morris isn't good enough, but it was clear that there's nobody to replace him at wing back. Hopefully Devlin moves forward as Macdonald returns, moving Rubezic right. I'm guessing Dadia is pish before he wasn't trusted today (moving Devlin forward). Polvara was decent but doesn't balance the midfield in the way that Ramadani does. I'd definitely push Clarkson forward if we're continuing with him. Moving Polvara to right midfield was a very poor decision. To only make one sub in that game is ridiculous. Sokler needs to be coming on for Miovski or Duk, just throwing on all the strikers is idiotic. It's almost like he's afraid to take either of those two off, again very reminiscent of McInnes (Rooney and McGinn). Duk was poor. Anyway, honking pitch and a spoiled game.

Robson been to the McInnes school of substitutes. How on earth is he watching this without making a change?

Agreed, but in his defence, their back three is sitting deep and if he gets beyond the wing back the defender is always there. He's not received a pass in front of him yet (until Polvara just now!).

Yep, the unwatered plastic pitch is a fucking scam. They seem to have loaded it with double the volume of rubber pellets too, making sure the ball can't move along the ground. The number of passes that have held up from both teams on what should be a true running pitch is a joke. We're not getting battered about though, a Robson side definitely harder than a Goodwin one. Rubezic looks good, and Devlin and Shinnie also playing well. Miovski is putting in a shift too. Polvara good on the ball, but he's not mobile enough for the role and Clarkson appears to be struggling with the pitch. Morris getting the ball too deep to have any impact.

Polvara has a great touch and can spread the ball well, I'm definitely not criticising him. I'm just pointing out that if Robson tries to play him the way he utilised Ramadani then he's hanging the lad out to dry. I don't think he will, Polvara will either be part of a two with Shinnie or in front of them. I'd hope the former. Edit: I guess it's a similar situation that Ramadani was in at the beginning of last season. Goodwin kept playing him on his own in front of the defence, and he clearly wasn't good enough to play there, before Robson recognised that Clarkson could easily manage that role.

Back three of Devlin, Rubezic and McKenzie I would think. Morris and Hayes in the wings. Be interesting to see where Polvara plays. If Clarkson is deep then Polvara better have improved significantly from last season, as there's no way he does a high press - he doesn't have the engine of Ramadani (is nothing like him as a player). I'd hope it's Shinnie and Polvara with Clarkson pressing high. It's not a great side, maybe even worse than the one that finished last season, but if Duk and Miovski are on their game then we should have enough.