LA-Don

Logan isn't a strength at present and May has potential, hardly a dominating forward at present. Arneson is 35, GMS is way too inconsistent, and Christie will be back at Celtic soon. Build a team around Lewis, McKenna, and Shinnie but we have no other players who are consistently starting 11. A big part of the blame is DM and his continued fucking around with the starting 11. Impossible to get consistency when the 11 changes every week, as well as positions and formations.

What I don’t understand is that when we are playing rangers or Celtic we are not man united playing in Barcelona.we don’t have the players or ability to sit and absorb pressure and counter attack with speed and quality. We cannot play that way. The bigger issue is that rangers are shite. They should get no respect and we should be looking to smash them, attack from the off. Celtic are obviously better opponents but fuck me DM, what are you thinking? This is blatantly obvious to pretty much everyone....

Didn’t watch the game or listen to it but saw from the line up we shat it yet again. Play our formation and attack against a shit rangers team. What a disappointment but wtf - against both rangers and Celtic DMs tactics are usually complete shit and the performances and results usually prove it. Booooooo!!!

I really haven't had a strong dislike for anyone. As much as McGhee was a knob I have fond memories of him being our player and contributing to our success. A little different but Strachan was my childhood hero so it was really tough for me seeing his arrogance as Scotland manager, but I never disliked the guy for it. I never rated Jack as a player so didn't care that he went to Rangers, much like I won't care if McLean goes there. Robertson and Wright were two of the best fullbacks I ever saw play for us so was more sad to see them go. Didn't care that Dougie Bell or Neale Cooper went there either, and both of them were miles better than Jack or McLean. Funnily, I never really liked Jim Bett because he played for rangers but obviously he was a super player.

It's not about replacing Jack, we've been weaker in midfield since Robson retired and Flood left. Jack never improved after gaining a contract and captaincy, McLean never found consistency, and Storie never kicked on. We peaked about 3 years ago but the goals and assists of Hayes and McGinn have kept us above the rest. We don't pass the ball well at all, no combinations going forward, no link play through our forward. No drive from the center of the park unless it's Shinnie. I think Tansey could be decent but we're an average team, just in a shit league as someone, maybe rocket, posted. Christie was by far the best player on the park but he'll be back at Celtic within a year. I think GMS could be good wide, and Stewart good in the #10 role but we need two consistently strong center mids driving on the team. Shinnie and Tansey maybe but Shinnie should be left back.

Can't hear anything in LA, what rumors??

Horrible performance. I've not been happy with center mid since we lost Robson and Flood. Spineless performance, we have no muscle/strength for which the flair play off. Without our best midfielder (Shinnie) we have no leadership in midfield. O'Connor offers nothing and McLean can fuck off in the winter window. DM did this last year too, didn't settle on a team until December and that's when form picked up. He needs to stick with May because May and Rooney together doesn't work and Rooney alone offers so little. It will mean an unhappy Rooney but May on the bnench or widfe doesn't work and we paid money for him.

I think maybe a little bit of humble pie here, maybe McGinn comes back realizing how good he had it here. Both he and his buddy Jonny have done little since they left us. Don't grudge them for trying, and seeing the other side of things may motivate McGinn. I believe his contract was terminated, does this mean he's free to sign now??

Eric Black hat trick at park head, feb 1983. Pasting Rangers at pittodrie 5-1, then Frank smashing four past Celtic. Many good childhood memories!

I fully agree both made the right move to go, but did they pick the right destination? I rate both highly, sad they're not playing for club and country.

See Northern Ireland failed, next up the republic. Interesting to note that both Hayes and McGinn didn't make squads. Neither doing well at their new clubs, financial gain but career going backwards?

Who would you take as keeper? Too lazy to look up the ages of Marshall and McGregor but I think we're at an end of an era with those three. Lewis got a Scottish granny?

Didn’t see the game but based on what I’m hearing Jack played well. With him and Paterson do we leave Tierney in the middle? Maybe in a year or two McKenna makes the step up? Pick a right back from those two and there’s your back 4 when you add Robertson. I’m a big fan of McGregor and McGinn, add Armstrong and Griffis. Play Christie wide with Ryan Fraser on the other side. With Gordon in goal I’d take that 11 and have more interest than watching much of the shit that’s been in the team the last few years.

I feel for Shinnie. Of the three he's the one in my eyes deserved a cap, especially at pittodrie.

Shocking starting 11, no way Jack or McLean should be there. No right back and one central defender?? I assume Jack is right back and Tierney in the middle?

I don't really disagree as none of our players this year have been high performers week in week out. McLean isn't good enough although Shinnie and Christie deserve it. Shinnie has been nothing special this year and is back to being bounced between defense and midfield which hurts his form but selection is long overdue. Last year I thought he was excellent in midfield and should have been given a chance. Christie is also inconsistent but he brings much needed flair that I'd like to see him given a chance. The national team badly needs that. I think it's key to the interest of the national team that we have players from Aberdeen, Hibs, Rangers etc in the squad. Interest in the national team is definitely declining and while mainly due to performance and results, the endless selection of average championship players has hurt interest. I don't think it drastically hurts Scotland performancewise to select John McGinn over Barry Bannan, Armstrong over Morrison, McGregor over McArthur. I'd even say Shinnie over Anya, but I think it definitely increases interest.

It depends on your tactics because quite often the player covering for the attacking fullback is the holding mid and not the winger. Players like Willo Flood and Ryan Jack were probably more inclined to do it than McGinn, as does Shinnie, but I agree over the last year or so McGinn and Hayes did track back a lot. GMS does it from what I've seen but Stewart doesn't have the pace to do it and get forward too. Don't think Christie does it too much either so we do tend to get exposed as McLean is no defensive presence. Defending is not about the back four but a collective defensive unit and I think, while Kari and McKenna have strengthened the center of defense, we're much weaker defensively in midfield - Stewart, Christie, OConnor, McLean, and GMS all have limited defensive capabilities ranging from slow to simply being a pussy. We're a stronger defensive group in midfield with Shinnie in there but punting him back to left back hurts the midfield's defensive capabilities.

I'm well travelled, sadly they are. If I ever wanted to watch a game prior to red tv I simply looked for rangers or Celtic bars, particularly in the US. Much like a virus spreading, there are Huns everywhere.

I don't think you can compare the Sunderland situation to Rangers. As much as they are the scum of the earth, Rangers are a world wide brand and one hell of a big job. It's not long ago that Rangers were dominant in Scotland and doing well in Europe and still are a huge attraction. I don't think any manager takes that job thinking that if they finish second they'll get the sack, confident managers go into it assuming success and support and the job has huge appeal. Sunderland does not. While I said yesterday Barry Ferguson asked for a guy who knows Rangers, my thinking is maybe Rangers ego gets in the way here. Is taking DM from a smaller club like Aberdeen good enough for them? Is he a big enough name? I think he'd do well there but is he too small for them? I'm one to criticize DMs tactics, team selections, and substitutions etc but I'm pretty sure that would be the same for me with every manager. The grass is always greener. I don't think he could have done much better and has done really well for us. I don't see anyone doing better than him with similar resources so while I'm not always a DM fan I think it would be a big loss, especially when nobody stands out as a replacement. God no to Wright or Yogi for example. Many of our players are here because of DM too, losing him would be huge to us.

DM could easily say that he hasn't been spoken to but is not interested and is fully committed to Aberdeen. End of, no issues. Why hasn't he don't that? Settles the club and fans.

I'll always start with the disclaimer, I despise Rangers. But so many here are blinded by the love for Aberdeen. DM has brought stability and respect back to the club and I'm very happy for that but what other incentives can we give him to stay and grow, and further develop the club and team? Think we threw everything at him this past summer, and now the stadium and training facilities have stuttered again. How do you know about the huns finances and available cash? This is getting thrown around but they've spent a lot on players and just sacked a manager. Funds must be somewhere, loans or whatever, but money appears to be there. Do they think they need someone bigger than DM? They tried that and failed, Barry Ferguson was saying they need someone that knows Rangers. I suspect that is more correct. Are you correct that they are no bigger than us right now? Many would argue they are a sleeping giant and we've max'd out. Which direction are we going in? Rangers will get better, plus have facilities that are clearly superior. I don't see us getting much better with our resources, and facilities are getting worse by the day. We've started well in the league but have been lucky, performances aren't great and a poor few results and the huns are above us. We've lost arguably our two best players and have struggled to replace them. Christie leaves at the seasons end. DM has said and done all the right things for AFC until now. Why hasn't he come out saying he has no interest in this job to settle all of this?

I would love to share your optimism. Your Ferguson comment means little though, we were one of the best teams in Europe at the time, winning trophies yearly, and competing with Real Madrid, Bayern, and the likes. Different footballing world today sadly.

Hate to say it but..... The Rangers job is a huge appeal. Bigger salary, more budget, better stadium, huge upgrade for training facilities, world wide reputation etc. Whether they are sevco or not they are a huge worldwide club, one of the top two in this country. They have money and can afford DM, where that comes from I've no clue but they are paying off the last two managers and just spend a shit load in the summer on players, finances aren't an issue. Will they go bust again, maybe, but that wouldn't stop anyone going to Rangers now. The ibrox job has a huge upside and any ambitious manager sees that. DM has done everything he can at Aberdeen. We missed our chance on a league win a couple of years ago and second place will be more and more of a challenge. On our day we can beat anyone but we can still lose to anyone and this will not change. Our playing budget is extremely limited and that will not change. We have no training facilities and are struggling big time with a new stadium, and progress there is proving very difficult. Like it or not Rangers are a huge appeal, plus add that he's an ex player and I think was a Rangers fan growing up. Big decision if they come sniffing, he goes if offered the job i think.

While I understand what you are saying and an over reaction isn't necessary, if we want to reach the next level......more finals, cup wins, group stage of Europe etc.......then we need to fix centre mid big time. Flood, Robson, and Jack were replaced by OConnor and Shinnie which isn't good enough. I like Shinnie in midfield but that's because we're weak in the middle, but ideally he stays at left back. We really lack the bite and engine in the middle of the park. We need two good central midfielders, probably 3 with McLean leaving. We have the squad capable of finishing second, probably, but that's it.

Shinnie in midfield and Andy at left back I assume. Good for midfield, but andy's lack of pace leaves us more vulnerable.