RicoS321

I think it's very relevant. He's designed for a team that has plenty of possession and plenty of movement in and around him (via Hedges and Watkins for example). He's had very little of that this season. For most of our games, I think we'd have faired better with like of Van Veen (who has a better goals per 90 minute average) or even a Callum Hendry type player, who is a lot more of a nuisance. Ramirez is one of these players that is ideal for what we could be (and are in some games) rather than what we are - he's almost aspirational in that regard. I don't think there are many strikers within our budget that could have returned 20 goals this season, and that's really the sort of return you need from a guy like Ramirez in order to make up for the obvious deficiencies you mention (Rooney was similar). You can see with Anderson at Livi, that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a guy that can score goals if given the minutes on the pitch, but that will likely always have a ceiling. I don't think swapping Anderson for Ramirez would have got us any more goals as he wouldn't add anything we don't have with Ramirez, but we'd likely have got a similar return for significantly less money. I think Ramirez with Hedges, Wright and Watkins would have been phenomenal as he would have been on that wavelength, whereas somebody like Van Veen (or Anderson) would have been a step behind. The question is whether we think we can get the signings in the summer that would allow us to play to the level where we get the most out of Ramirez or not. I'm of the opinion that we might struggle. I think Watkins and Besuijen provide a good base, but we'll need at least another two players. More importantly, we also need to get the backup in place to allow us to hack our way through matches when we need to. I completely understood the thinking behined the Jet signing (although it should have been obvious that fitness would be an issue), but we simply can't afford to make the mistake of a guy like that again. If Ramirez was to leave then we should look at two good SPFL strikers instead, that may not quite be at Ramirez' level. Maybe one physical, and one quick like the good old days. I just have my doubts that we can perform the level of recruitment required in the summer to improve in every area of the pitch.

His work rate seems to have slipped in the last few games and he looks tired. Maybe a few days off will help him. He's played a lot of minutes and he's been expected to do a lot of chasing. When he has got on the end of things recently, he's been slow to react. Reminded me of when we had Rooney up there for his last season, when things weren't being regularly put on a plate for him and we had nothing on the bench to replace him with. Lots of tired effort but no great return. It was noticeable against Hibs that our fullbacks had the ball on numerous occasions where Ramirez didn't make the run across to give them an out ball. As for Ferguson, he's earned is move this season. We'll struggle to replace him, he's head and shoulders above any other midfielder outside the scum at this moment. When you look at guys like Newell that Hibs are signing and even Ojo with us, you can see how easy it is to sign guys who aren't quite up to it. Barron being there will dampen the loss, but we really need a good replacement. Maybe take Scott Brown back on severely reduced wages.

I actually thought he was unlucky yesterday (although he is a cretin, I agree). He'd had a decent game up until the sending off and it was a case of either taking out McRorie or lose the goal. There was no really good option for him, so taking out the player in the hope you can con the ref into believing you were going for the ball wasn't a terrible choice. Just go off when you've been sent off though and don't argue it like a bellend. The fact that Hibs are appealing is delusional.

We don't want a Dundee team feeling aggrieved when they play us, so hopefully either they win or they get a tanking. Assume that McGhee will get a six match ban for fighting with a steward or something.

I don't think so to be honest. Motherwell have as good a chance of taking something against Livingston too. If we get two wins, given our goal difference (and unless there is a big swing in a single match), then any of the teams bar utd not getting maximum points will leave them behind us. If you assume utd get at least two points (and that isn't a given, but they do play Dundee!) then you'd need two more teams in that list to get 6 points for us to be pushed out. It's only possible for three teams to do that, and it'd require Hibs to beat Dundee United and Hearts (which I think is unlikely), plus both Livi or Motherwell (if Livi win both, then Motherwell can't and vice versa) plus St Mirren (who play the Huns) to win their matches. It would take a lot of bad luck for us to win both games and not finish in the top six, to the extent that I'd say it's in our own hands. Best results for us in the next game would be any two of: Utd and Hibs to draw; Motherwell and St Mirren to draw; Livi to drop points. That would ensure that if we beat county we're top six.

Agree with Elgin, a decent win. Watkins good, Ferguson outstanding (and has to be player of the season at this rate), Barron close behind for me. Thought Besuijen was pish up until his ace finish, and was very lucky not to be on a yellow for diving around like a fud. Ramirez was poor again (I'd have had Ruth on much sooner), but hopefully Watkins will offer him the support he needs up there and takes the pressure off. Gallagher another decent shift at the back. Good to see Goodwin encouraging Ramsay, who was utterly honking for the own goal, but recovered to not be totally shite overall. The ref was awful. The first pen looked as if the player played it off his own arm, thus shouldn't be a pen. Even if it wasn't, it's a clear example of the shite new handball rule. Giving pens for shite like that isn't sport. The second was a good decision and think he got the red card spot on.

Interesting. If we win both of our final games then we're guaranteed at least eighth because Livingston, Motherwell and St Mirren all play each other. More than likely that series of fixtures will see a draw in one of the three that would guarantee us seventh. I could see Hibs losing two, or getting a couple of draws too. I would think it would be difficult for us to win both and not get top six at this stage, given that we have the best goal difference of all six teams (indeed goal difference is usually a reliable indicator of overall standings, within reason).

He's decent like. Got an obvious ceiling in that he's not lightening quick (similar to his brother), but has a wee bit of room for improvement. Not the sort of player that would make us money, but solid enough. In other transfer news, I'm hearing that the returning Considine and Watkins are like having new signings, so we should be set to go without much activity in the summer.

Good luck with that. Fair play if you can get him to last the half!

We've received a complaint from a Mr C Brown, who objects to you describing a greater number of draws as somehow worse. On an unrelated matter, do you have corner stats for the 2012/13 Vs this season and five years ago?

They'd already made up the stationary, the website would have had to have been updated and, furthermore, the blazers had already arranged their coke and strippers party in Vienna with Cardiff backup. It's not the sort of thing you can just cancel.

Jesus, not even reached the split yet. This must be the earliest transfer window thread on the forum? Shows how bad the season has been. With three failed windows in a row, we're going to have to pull several rabbits out of the hat in this one. With hearts going through that phase of improving every window, slowly casting off the crap and getting one or two good ones in each time, we're now way behind them in terms of overall squad. The volume of deadwood we need to burn is significant and can't be done in a single window. Our recruitment strategy will not work (and I don't think it's meant to) with the size of turnover we'll need. With that in mind, I expect to see Goodwin make several safe signings from within the league. Guys that will get us slowly back up the table and be very low risk. Guys like Tanser at St Mirren (that sort of player, rather than him perhaps), maybe someone from Motherwell. They might try and get someone with previous spfl experience that's failed down South to replace Ferguson. I can't think who would fit the bill. It's between hearts and Hibs for the group stages now, with hearts overwhelming favourites. I'm guessing that sort of thing will be a big selling point for guys like Ronan. I think next season will, unfortunately, be just a steady rebuild trying to get us comfortably top six and into Europe again. We're at least a season behind where we need to be thanks to Cormack's poor implementation of strategy.

Great start for Motherwell against Hibs. The Zimbabwean dictator tanking into a challenge in the first minute for a red. Straight from the Nigel Pepper school of tackling.

He's a fantastic professional. I had no real issue with McGinn getting another season last year and I'd say the same with Hayes. With massive overhaul required in the summer, it's good to have reliable known quantities in the squad.

Come on guys, you can do it, you just have to believe and - with the grace of the lord - you can be anything you want. Aye, fuck off Christian.

Meh. It seems that they're going to bend over backwards to ensure as little disruption to the beautiful English game as possible. I think it'll be too much to expect the UK population to wake up and realise that this is what the game is. Lickspittling your way to success, bowing to money. Hopefully the Huns in Newcastle and Manchester are enjoying their Arab coin laughing at Chelsea because they're billionaire has been caught and ours hasn't. Nobody is exempt in that league, Abramovich is just a useful illustration. The EPL is a money laundering, image-purchasing, anti-sport, corrupt cesspit of obsequious scum. It doesn't start and end with Abramovich, it's the entire setup.

I think McRorie. Ferguson probably deserves it on performances this season and I think he'd actually benefit from it the most too. However, he's handed in a transfer request which should really make him ineligible. The only way I could see it being Ferguson is if the club we're cynically trying to increase his value. I don't think captain is as relevant as it might have been in the Fergie years anyway. I think likes of Hayes and Considine would be happy enough to not have the hassle of it, they'll see it as a meaningless bandage.

Your prayers were answered. Agent McGhee doing the business on his end.

I think rewriting history is probably unfair (although maybe not on Twitter!). This scenario, in my view, was obvious. I suggested it at the time. It was Hartley all over again. A good player for a few months, until he isn't. We pandered to a Tim legend and made it out to be signing of the century. We overlooked the fact that he was massively involved in the racial abuse of one of our own, making us look utterly pathetic. It was a weak as fuck move which didn't pay off, and was never likely to have. There is zero evidence we gained anything from his coaching, and on the park, despite some good early performances, we got a guy thriving on playing the panto villain rather than developing a partnership between Ferguson, McRorie and another. We didn't have a single player in that area of the pitch that was ever going to benefit from any experience that Brown had to offer, all it did was give a guaranteed slot to a guy on the wane. It was a fucking awful move from a poor manager, and I'm guessing that it'll have unsettled the dressing room, setting us back even further too. It was an utterly naive appointment that shouldn't have happened. Hopefully Cormack will learn from it, and hopefully the fallout won't spill over into the Goodwin era. The problems were all stated up front, so hindsight isn't relevant here either.

I think you're right. However, if I'd said to you at the end of last year that there was a Russian billionaire looking to invest serious cash in the Dons, what would you have said? I suspect you, and plenty of other Dons fans would be loving it. Just as there are many in the North of England happy to suck from the teat of middle Eastern dictators. People who are directly responsible for deaths occurring right now. Morals go out the windae when money is promised. The morons shouting about Ibrox disaster (I'd possibly have been one 25 years ago) aren't the club directors who watched on as the stadium was allowed to get in a state of disrepair, ignored warnings and then took virtually zero blame, they're just thick people who think what they're saying is banter. They're not the poison in our game, they're utterly meaningless. Just as the Huns that sing their sectarian bile aren't the real problem, the club that has spent the last decade since its inception stirring the pot, winding them up, encouraging and showing an utter lack of humility is. I think Aberdeen could do more though, and perhaps you should contact them about it. I'd love to see them get their media team on it and make a video in direct response to those fans singing their pish. Interview the victim's families and try to really imagine what that mean if AFC were in that position with interviews with our own fans. I don't believe that those singing about the Ibrox disaster have ever really thought about the disaster itself. I suspect many would show considerable empathy if challenged. The singing is merely their ego. It's like competitive edginess. Trying to push the boundaries of acceptability - stupid rather than poisonous. I suppose it's the original form of trolling.

With the diplomatic situation in Ukraine, I'm guessing they'll be wanting him out there, what with his Nobel peace prize. Apparently he's going to be addressing parliament via video link later to talk about his decision.

The beasts are oot at the moment, but more behind the village rather than in front, so the cliff tops should be free. Haven't followed it right to Findon, I've generally just cycled the back roads in that direction. Will have to give it a try sometime.

Have to watch the locals there though. There's a nice beach at old portlethen too, all on the same route.

Agree with this. MacKenzie did okay when he came on, although possibly at fault for the goal? Gallagher played well today, the level we should be expecting. Bates did okay but then played three atrocious passes in a row and shook the confidence of the whole team. He's trying to play passes with his right foot that should be left footed and his body shape is all wrong. It just doesn't work. Thought Polvara looked like a nothing player in the few minutes we saw him. Not particularly strong, behind the play and not very dynamic. The obvious caveats of it being a tiny contribution in a game that was already gone. I don't think we'll see much of him between now and the end of the season. First opinions can regularly be wrong of course, plenty of time for him.

I don't think that's fair. We've tried to play a bit when we have the ball, we just look like we're lacking in organisation. It doesn't seem like we've overloaded the defence.