LA-Don

Assuming he’s going as their number one I think it’s a really good thing. Gets top league experience but won’t play against us, and can get recalled. I’m still baffled as to why, if we regard him so highly, that he didn’t take over as #1 when Lewis was injured.

. DM on one leg, Milne on the other, but who in between? I’ll say Sam Cosgrove, our forward who looks allergic to scoring.

God I hope this is the calm before the storm and we have a bunch of new guys coming in and we live happily ever after. Hibs have two boys I’d have happily signed and they scored 5 of their 6 yesterday. Notice Jason Cumming just signed a loan deal with Peterborough, another I’d have considered. Anything positive or optimistic on the transfer front right now??

I’d expect a cheap as cheese seasoned vet along the lines of Neil Alexander. A woodman type would expect to play.

And Danny Rogers goes to St Mirren for a year....

Trying to figure out what we have so far, feel free to add the youngsters that appear to be first team squad now - GK - Lewis, Rogers Right back - Logan Right central defender - Devlin Left Central defender - McKenna, Reynolds, (Considine) Left back - Considine, (Shinnie) Right mid - McGinn, Frank Ross Central mid - Gleeson, Shinnie, Campbell, Ferguson Attacking mid - Forrester Left mid - GMS, Wright Forward - May, Rooney, Cosgrove That's a squad of 19. Paper thin, good if we have no injuries and players are on form. Asking a lot from McGinn and GMS this year, two of our most inconsistent players. We complain about youngsters not being given a chance but this definitely means we're relying on youth. At the very least we need 3 - right/central defender, an attacking mid like Christie who can play right/left/center, and a forward who actually worries an opponent. I wouldn't be surprised to see another loan deal from Celtic once they get one or two more signings in, maybe Morgan or Allan. I'd take Ball back as cover. Stewart too if we're stuck. Shitty situation here, hopefully DM pulls out some surprises but this is a really thin squad and the Burnley games aren't far away.

May not mean much to most of you, but I live in LA and watched an interview with Magic Johnston and Rob Pelinka last night, the two guys who run the LA Lakers basketball team and just signed Lebron James. They talked about their recruiting plan for when free agency (transfer window) opened July 1. They talked about plan A and the dominos that would fall if they signed the players they wanted and who else they signed from there, but also plan B, C, D etc. They explained this took months of planning and research to get the players they wanted, but that they'd numerous charts/lists on their walls depending on every direction free agency/transfers went. It sounded like they had planned for EVERYTHING. It got me thinking as I watched, what does Aberdeen do? I always get the feeling we've got two or three guys we want and if we don't get them we tend to be fucked. Last summer we pretty much got who we wanted but this summer, what the fuck is going on? First team regulars out - 7 - OConnor, Arneson, McLean, Ball, Stewart, Christie (Maynard) - That's 6 or 7 guys if you include Maynard that need replaced. That's experience. We've replaced McLean and Christie with Gleeson and Forrester. We're gambling on Devlin fully recovering, and the only other signing, while looking good so far, is 18. I guess you include Cosgrove in there but so far that's a forward who looks incapable of scoring. Surely we have detailed strategy and planning for summer signings?

Don't think Tansey has been involved in preseason but with Gleeson injured perhaps he could help? Haven't heard anything about the Nowak guy, and I would take Crawford as a squad player. He's proven he's capable at this level, helps with squad depth which we badly lack.

Since we are short of players, picking up injuries, and struggling in the transfer market, shouldn’t we be considering Tansey? Regardless of what people think, we need bodies and we’re paying for him after all.

Haha, failure to proof read makes things more fun!

Scott Wright on Lian or permanent? We don’t have an abundance of wise guys...

I’d be surprised if the kid Ferguson from Hamilton is a regular starter. I’m assuming Forrester replaces Christie and Gleason holds alongside Shinnie. Hoping we sign a left back and Higuain up top.

Game on! But 3-2 to who??

I’d say Cadden would cost the same as Christie! Next!!

Saw that, the kind of player I’d like us to get.

Interesting one that we have apparently upped it to a 600k offer if you believe the media, and it includes a player (assume Tansey.) Such an important needed position for us and a lot of money for a player I’d never heard of.

When’s our next game???

Crazy to think - one of England Columbia Russia Sweden Croatia and Switzerland - will be in the final!

Can you give me an example of a ‘name’ you think we can afford?

If that’s your argument, do you see Shalk as our number one striker? I don’t. Would have no issue with us targeting Moult for example, or the boy hibs just signed, but is this guy any better or much different than Adam Rooney? He’s a waste and I’d rather develop youth than Schalk, unless Schalk is a replacement for Rooney.

Honestly, why do we need 4 forwards? I’d go with May Rooney and Cosgrove, and back up after that should be our youngsters. Priorities financially should be defenders and wide and central mids, the only exception if we are buying/signing a main #1 forward.

I’d flat out say that we’ll accept nothing less than 15 mill for McKenna. English clubs have that type of money and we don’t need to sell him. In regards to contract, no way was Maddison on a weekly wage to justify a 24 million transfer. It comes down to us, what we are willing to accept.

So if Maddison sells for 22 mill plus 2 mill in add ons as I read somewhere, I’d say that places McKenna around 15 mill. Or more.

How will they be fitter than us? If anything I’d assume the slight opposite given our league season starts a week before them. I also think we’ll be better prepared, DM has been through early euro games the last few years, Burnley have not and don’t have that experience which I think is relevant (much like rangers losing to a shit team last year.) Your last paragraph is how I see it, we’ve beaten teams ranked higher than us and weren’t expected to, I don’t see why we can’t give Burnley a shock. They were the 4th lowest scoring team in the EPL and are no attacking powerhouses, and were 4th bottom the year before last. One season wonders? Dyche seems to get credit but he’s coaching the English St Johnstone and is he the English Tommy Wright? Oh, and they were knocked out of the league cup last year by Leeds (13th in the championship.) I’m going to be optimistic.

Thought this too, but also the case for some of our players to an extent e.g. McKenna and Shinnie to prove their class and the new signings to prove a point.