RicoS321

I think it'd be useful to have some clarity from the club over what this means. He certainly should have autonomy over which players to ditch, but I really hope we're not giving complete transfer autonomy to the man who signed Curtis Main.

I could imagine St Johnstone beating Dundee and us. We're very lucky that the St Johnstone game wasn't first or second fixture. If it came down to a final couple of fixtures with at Johnstone needing a win and a draw and us just needing a win, I know which team I'd put my money on bottling it.

Yes, we should expect better, just not immediately. Just as we wouldn't have expected better from Glass when he took over. There were several ominous signs with Glass when he first started, but it would have been ridiculous to expect anything from him before the summer, and Goodwin is the same (including the ominous signs). At the very least we shouldn't expect consistency, which we haven't got.

I don't think it really matters who's first. I didn't hear him say it either, but someone said that Goodwin had stated that we were going to sign some very good players in the summer. This seems a little naive unless we've got watertight guarantees that players are coming. The players have all got the upper hand (if they're any good), and they'll take as long as they need to weigh up potential offers from other clubs, resulting in several of our good signings actually going elsewhere. It's very unlikely that we won't be scrambling around at the end of August like always as that's the way the window is designed.

Shocking decision. He guaranteed us 20 goals this season, so we should be playing him in every game left. That's nineteen goals between now and the end of the season, seems silly to throw that away.

I don't think you have every right to expect better performances at this stage. Whilst you often get a new manager bounce, it isn't always the case and usually it has no bearing on managerial ability (if anything, it can hide the reality of a poor manager). That we didn't get a new manager bounce isn't really indicative of anything other than a poor quality squad that lacks balance. When you saw the catastrophe on the bench at the weekend, it illustrates the dilemma for Goodwin. I agree entirely with the rest though, the club is a shambles right now and it's not going to be a quick fix. We're going to have to be extremely patient next season. We might manage to put a good run of games together, but we're never going to have the quality of squad to get to third unless we get very lucky with injuries, or get 6-7 successful signings.

The stats are interesting. I'm not sure what they actually show though in terms of being a good goalkeeper. I genuinely believe that we've had the worst centre back pairings in the league all season, along with a kamakazi set of tactics for the majority. There's definitely been a decrease in game changing saves from Joe over the past year though, that's for certain. For years, he was the best at one on ones in the league.

He wasn't chucking them in. He made a few blunders as is the norm for pretty much every goalie. Otherwise, we were still getting plenty of clean sheets. His age is definitely not an issue as McGregor and Gordon and many others show, so we can remove that from the equation. The difference for me is that Lewis has been a keeper at a very high level for us who is going through a loss of form (as happened to Craig Gordon). Keepers like alnwick, Clarke etc are Langfield level goalkeepers undergoing their season or two of peak form before reverting to the mean. Lewis still has all the attributes to be a great goalkeeper, he just needs to find them again. The others that we're being linked with looked to me to be in the category of limited goalies who are on form. Given the massive turnover of players this summer, I'd be looking to keep Lewis and concentrate on the rest of the squad. However, I'd also have done the same with Considine! I think we'll likely make quite a few errors in the goalie recruitment process before getting a replacement as good as Lewis and I'm not sure next season is the time to do it.

Lewis has had a poor season, but that doesn't mean he's not a good keeper. He's just experiencing a drop in form, there is no reason to suggest he won't overcome that. His poor form stems entirely from bad defending though, which was instigated under Glass and I'd imagine would level out under Goodwin. Our defence has been all over the shop for the best part of a season. It has really affected Lewis' decision making. Many of the goals that folk are blaming Lewis for are usually along the lines of: "well the defender has made a complete cunt of it, but Joe should be doing better". He's being made to look bad by substandard defending, which is catching him out of position. The second goal against Dundee a prime example. All the defence have to do is remain on the 18 yard line, but Ramirez inexplicably plays everyone on and the ball is then in no man's land. It's a really simple defensive error leading to a keeper looking shite. That's happened a lot, especially as Glass insisted on defenders walking out with the ball directly into trouble. Bates especially, on his wrong foot (McRorie even worse when he played left centre back). Anyway, I hope Lewis leaves. Can't be arsed with another decent servant being held up as scapegoat for another year, it'll be easier for him to move on. The next Langfield awaits.

Sky showing only the scum games for the remainder of the season. What's the fucking point in selling out to those cunts. I'd rather have a tenth of the budget. Could you imagine them just completely ignoring relegation in their coverage of the EPL?

Pretty favourable draw of fixtures that. Two home games first that would be enough to avoid relegation if we win them. Imagine that St Johnstone away game was first up? We'd be shitting it if we lost.

You do realise it wasn't actually shut down because of the defeat?

I don't think he's crap, but I don't think he's good enough either, and nor do I think there's much room for improvement in his game at his age. McKenzie got a lot of undue credit after McInnes left because Glass was blooding young players that would never have got a game previously. In reality, we had a fantastic young player in Ramsay who wasn't (and perhaps isn't) ready for 90 minutes who would no way have been overlooked by McInnes and McKenzie who just wasn't good enough (and would likely have been let go). We formed this imaginary scenario where we were playing entertaining fitba and throwing in youngsters too - it just wasn't true. It led to McKenzie getting a contract with the jury firmly still out. If RST's suggested departures are accurate though, it leaves us thin on the ground. It's bizarre that with all those leaving Considine wasn't kept. I'm guessing we add Duncan to that as I assume he'll be looking for minutes, and maybe Ngwenya too (although I'm not sure if he'll be good enough either). I have a feeling that Polvara isn't of the required standard either, so he'll likely only be a squad player too. We'll be very lucky to keep Ramsay. It's an insane level of recruitment required, very difficult to understate just how hard this will be to get even close to right. I'd count 7 new first team players required (assuming Ramsay leaves): goalie, right back, left centre back, left back, left winger, centre midfielder, striker. There is no way on earth that we're getting 7 succesful signings in one window, so that means that likes of Hayes, Bates and McKenzie (I'd probably include Watkins and McRorie too) are going to continue to be our best options in their respective positions with zero options from the bench when needed. Cormack has massive questions to answer in regard to the last three windows and how it has managed to get to this stage. It'd take an absolute miracle to sort this to any degree next season. I'd say you're at best looking at another 3 windows to get close, but more likely this is going to take us 2 seasons to fix. What a disaster.

Shutting down the site was definitely the best reaction to Saturday. Absolutely terrible performance. Relegation material. Impossible to pick the worst performer there, with Barron and maybe Gallagher and Besuijen getting pass marks. Bates nonchalantly strolling forward before losing it, Ramirez finding whatever he could on the pitch to hide behind and Ferguson being the anti-captain screaming at everyone else while being fucking awful himself. When that spine is surrounded with players like Ojo, McLennan, McKenzie and honking performances by McRorie, Watkins and Hayes you've got no hope. I think I'd pick Ramirez for the charlatan award and it's ridiculous that it's impossible to sub him, he was a disgrace. Ferguson a close second, because he's a nippy cunt (like Jack was in that regard) who's screaming at players does the opposite of motivate them. How the fuck guys with that attitude don't have it drummed out of them every single day at training I don't know. McLennan came off the bench and immediately Ferguson telegraphed a pass to him which the defender intercepted easily and Ferguson started shouting at McLennan who was then jittery for the rest of the game. A player low in confidence in a team low in confidence, it's a fairly obvious response. Special mention to McRorie too, who has played out my worst fears about him since his new contract. He's a more athletic version of Willow Flood. Chasing stuff down and can only kick it the way he's facing. I'd have hooked Ojo and put him into right back. Anyway, it was a reasonably predictable day after a week of statements and firing players. An absolute shambles at the club. That unprofessionalism comes from the top and Cormack needs to get a hold of it/himself quickly. Nobody could convince me that Considine isn't head and shoulders above Bates at left centre half. We're definitely getting rid of the wrong guy. Goodwin needs a fast turnaround to avoid relegation. Having told half the squad that they're shite, he's going to struggle.

Good decision. In fairness, I don't think we'd have actually got money for Anderson given the trajectory he was on, and he wasn't likely to get many minutes for us, so I think he'd have been free to look for another club this season anyway. Jet signing for us is no worse than St Mirren signing Main. It's the type of signing that you'd like to think a head of recruitment could have a power of veto over because of actual stats and shit. Jet is a signing McInnes would have made too, and from everything we've seen so far of Goodwin, I think he would too. He's already stated several times that he likes Matty Kennedy as a player and is someone he wanted to sign previously. There's obviously an element of him trying to build confidence in the player, but there also seems to be an element of tunnel vision too, as the stats will likely show that Kennedy has been pap since joining the Dons (bar maybe a run of 3-4 games at wing back once). I'm really hoping that the club are identifying the targets and the recruitment team have the authority to challenge the manager on his suggested players. We can't have pish like Jet, Main and Kennedy being signed on the basis of a couple of good games the manager has happened to see.

Well this comment has dated.

I'd be staggered if Ferguson isn't away in the summer. He's had a good season and started for Scotland. The only thing I'm not sure about is his valuation. He is a really good SPFL player with some great attributes, but he is also missing some of the fundamentals to his game. For instance, I think he's only had one assist this season and whilst he seems to be spotting more runs these days his execution of the final pass is lacking, and he almost never releases the pass quick enough either. Those same things could be levelled at Ryan Jack too I suppose, it's just that Jack was never expected to do those things for Aberdeen. I think Ferguson is probably only beginning to realise his potential though and I expect him to raise himself to the challenges that will face him at a bigger team if he takes the risk of moving (the alternative being the easy signing for the Huns). I just don't know if enough teams will register an interest to raise his value. If we were offered £3M, I'd take it. Not sure we will be though.

Fucking ridiculous. Another club legend ruthlessly thrown onto the scrapheap.

I'm not even sure the agent has done much wrong looking at the evidence presented by the club. The leak is such a minor part of the incident, and I'm not convinced that the agent will be acting without instruction from Considine in terms of the negotiation. Considine is an intelligent guy, I'm guessing if an agent was acting without his best intentions he'd have sorted it.

I think a lot of it is Goodwin, who's still young (well, younger than me) in both age and management years. I can imagine it's exactly what he's thinking. The "thrown under the bus" comment is absolutely pathetic, a complete exaggeration. It's almost comedic. It's almost needy (or maybe just as Panda says about being the new Fergie). It's like complaining about your weekend trip to Kyiv being cancelled because it was going to be your first real chance to get away for a few days. The question is how and why a statement like this was allowed to come out. That does indeed come from the top. Where was the sensible head to take a step back and understand the situation from both sides. To make your feelings known internally, with a statement of understanding and good will for the public viewing. The whole "you're either with us or against us" partisan mentality does seem to be apparent in Cormack. It's very Hunnish. Not an attitude I can really be arsed with. This one sits really badly with me, I don't like it at all. The handling of it, I mean, rather than the decision to let the player go.

Aye, that's it in a nutshell. Considine has done little wrong here it seems. The club aren't walking away from the deal because of a leak, they're simply refusing to negotiate (which they're entitled to of course). This entire statement is just toys out of the pram because they didn't get to break the story on their own terms. It's weak as fuck, and I'd expect better from Goodwin. Just a "the club can confirm that Andy will be leaving the club in the summer..... thanks for your amazing service.... Etc". When you read the supposed leak to the Express, there's pretty much no information in it other than that he's not getting a deal, zero criticism, zero quotes. The club's statement makes it sound like Considine has given an interview with Martin Bashir. It's totally uncalled for. The club must realise that the player isn't leaving the job he's been in for twenty years in the way he'd want to and is probably a bit upset about it. To expect him to come in for a meeting to design the perfect joint statement to the public (on AFC's terms, I would expect) is a little demeaning. The club could have let it go and show some understanding, taking the high ground. It's Hun levels of outrage from the club. Classless as fuck.

I completely disagree with this. Brown was very average at the back for us. He played like a midfielder playing at centre half, he was nowhere near aggressive enough, poor in the air and slightly suspect positionally. That's not a criticism, it's why he's never been a defender. In fact, for someone who loves Considine so much, you're quite forward with the insult here! Absolutely, the argument I was making was that for the sake of an additional year, we shouldn't have been quibbling and offering him some way towards coaching within that second year. It seems that, according to the club, they were indeed offering that, so I think he's been a little quick to turn it down.

Apologies, I've missed the bit in the statement where it states six figure sum. That seems like a decent offer. Either the agent has done a number on his client here, or the club's general salaries are higher than I think they are. It's a shite way for his time here to end.

Yep, it's poor from the club. They are the ones that should be showing understanding and dignity in this given the player's history. Public statements are not cool and it isn't the same thing as the player leaking something. It's crass. We don't know, but the club may have said that they were halving his wages and his agent has said we'll meet you in the middle. It reeks.

Well, aye, that changes things! Although, it is important to note that Considine isn't asking for a 50% increase in wages, just that 50% more than what the dons are offering. In reality what he's likely to be asking for here is less of a pay cut, and I hope he in turn makes this very clear. It's a well worded statement by Goodwin, but I feel it is just as underhanded as the leak by Considine's agent, and neither come out looking particularly good. Of course previous performances aren't irrelevant, that's ridiculous, that's what every single player is signed on (apart from Mikey Devlin who has yet to play actual football). All his previous performances suggest he is good enough to challenge for a place in the Dons first team next season - that is the evidence, which I'd say is pretty much irrefutable. You could speculate that he might not be as good as he was prior to injury, but that isn't based on evidence that's just speculation (and given that you believe we should have held onto Brown to play in defence, I'd question your judgement there!). The only question left is whether offering two years is too much, which is what I based my previous argument on (and that still stands). I could, and would. We already have younger and worse in our squad in the form of Bates (playing on the left) and McKenzie. As I said previously, 90% of the replacements over the years have ended up being worse than Considine and unless something has significantly changed, I'd expect that to continue. I'd say Charles Dunne would fall into the worse than Considine category for example. We replaced Logan with the infinitely worse Jack Gurr last season, and I see no evidence that we'll manage to do better than Considine based on our recruitment over the last decade. Our defence has been honking since he got injured this season and unless we're going to replace either Bates or Gallagher the new centre back is coming an as squad filler, and I'd say that's definitely where you'd want "better the devil you know".