Queen of the South v Dons

[OrlandoDon]

Hmm. In true Aberdeen fashion of late, do we lose the next goal and really struggle in the second half, losing all the positivity from the first half. Would love to get a quick 4th and freshen things up.

[Jute]

Definite promising signs. Sokler looks good. Nilsen looks like he will be fine when he gets used to speed of the game. Will caveat all of this with Queens look shite.

[Panda]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

That list is dated July 2023. Very odd. Shinnie was definitely booked in semi final and final so that used to be a suspension for next seasons cup.

Aye deleted it when I noticed but you were obviously too sharp for me.

Rules were changed at the start of last season - yellow cards in cup competitions no longer carry over.

[Jute]

6 minutes ago, Panda said:

Aye deleted it when I noticed but you were obviously too sharp for me.

Rules were changed at the start of last season - yellow cards in cup competitions no longer carry over.

Aye apparently only confirmed to clubs this week. 
 

Second half not as good as first but overall happy enough with that. 

[OxfordDon]

7 minutes ago, Panda said:

Rules were changed at the start of last season - yellow cards in cup competitions no longer carry over.

Just as well, as Shinnie was the best player on the park today.

[BigAl]

Would have taken that pre kick off.

[BigAl]

Oh and Shayden is going to be a huge player for us this season 

[Elgindon]

Agree,Shinnie MoM,McGrath/McKenzie not far behind,....enjoy those surging runs McKenzie does.Clarkson showed his class at times. Nilsen a wee bit slack a few times,hopefully just needs adjustment period

[RicoS321]

What a win. Name's on the trophy. 

Reasonable performance. Shinnie, Clarkson, McGrath, McKenzie all decent. Difficult to tell regarding the new signings, I wasn't really sold on any of them if I'm honest. Nilsen looked like he might be good, but would need to see him tested against real pace and pressing as he didn't look particularly quick in pace or quickness of feet (with obvious caveats given preseason fitness and new player and country). Molloy I thought similar, we need to see him under pressure against pace, but his distribution was decent and looked quite calm. Ambrose looks like he might take a good bit of work. Decision making might be a problem. Morris did what he's done before against limited opposition, Duncan wasn't great but improved when Milne came on. Milne needs to be getting more minutes to challenge Devlin, who was average. Sokler took his goals well and was okay generally. He doesn't seem to have bulked up at all in the summer and isn't going to provide the hold up play we need I don't think. 

Energy and pressing was good, but I think we've got a worse team than that which finished the season (because Miovski). We need more players.

[OrlandoDon]

Purposeful preseason game, competitive and we showed quality at times. Good to give 18 players a run, a shutout, and repeating what I said at half time, lots of mistakes but QOS were very weak. We did miss chances, could have had a penalty, score could have been more.

with each game we’ll get sharper. Nielson off the pace at times and sloppy but hopefully he gets up to speed, Ambrose didn’t go to Portugal, hopefully he just needs sharpness. Not sure of Molloy. I will say the pitch is a factor, good to see them a week sharper and on grass.

enough positives but 2-3 players still need to be added to the squad. A little surprised Vinny didn’t get a run, something to read into there?

[RicoS321]

38 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

I will say the pitch is a factor, good to see them a week sharper and on grass.

enough positives but 2-3 players still need to be added to the squad. A little surprised Vinny didn’t get a run, something to read into there?

He isn't good enough, and never has been? He's got nice feet and can finish, but he's not quick enough and lacks the physical side. He reminds me of Cammie Smith, a good technical footballer who's just a level below. Unless he's improved in ways that are difficult to improve since he's been away, I don't think he'll get many minutes this season.

As for the pitch, I agree it was definitely a factor. Having the ball hold up like that is ridiculous and does the plastic pitch a disservice. Twenty minutes of sprinklers and it'd have been playing perfectly. 

[redordead]

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

What a win. Name's on the trophy. 

Reasonable performance. Shinnie, Clarkson, McGrath, McKenzie all decent. Difficult to tell regarding the new signings, I wasn't really sold on any of them if I'm honest. Nilsen looked like he might be good, but would need to see him tested against real pace and pressing as he didn't look particularly quick in pace or quickness of feet (with obvious caveats given preseason fitness and new player and country). Molloy I thought similar, we need to see him under pressure against pace, but his distribution was decent and looked quite calm. Ambrose looks like he might take a good bit of work. Decision making might be a problem. Morris did what he's done before against limited opposition, Duncan wasn't great but improved when Milne came on. Milne needs to be getting more minutes to challenge Devlin, who was average. Sokler took his goals well and was okay generally. He doesn't seem to have bulked up at all in the summer and isn't going to provide the hold up play we need I don't think. 

Energy and pressing was good, but I think we've got a worse team than that which finished the season (because Miovski). We need more players.

Miovski has no hold up play. Harsh to criticise sokler who works his socks off and challenges for every ball.  We haven't had a striker that can hold up the ball since Cosgrove left. 

I think ester will do just fine.

[OrlandoDon]

27 minutes ago, redordead said:

Miovski has no hold up play. Harsh to criticise sokler who works his socks off and challenges for every ball.  We haven't had a striker that can hold up the ball since Cosgrove left. 

I think ester will do just fine.

I’m quietly confident sokler is a good miovski replacement and will be a 20 goals per season striker. I think Ambrose, like duk did, is coming in during the summer unfit, didn’t get the benefit of Portugal, and once he gets fit and match sharp I think he’s the alternative look up top we badly have missed. 

[OrlandoDon]

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

He isn't good enough, and never has been? He's got nice feet and can finish, but he's not quick enough and lacks the physical side. He reminds me of Cammie Smith, a good technical footballer who's just a level below. Unless he's improved in ways that are difficult to improve since he's been away, I don't think he'll get many minutes this season.

As for the pitch, I agree it was definitely a factor. Having the ball hold up like that is ridiculous and does the plastic pitch a disservice. Twenty minutes of sprinklers and it'd have been playing perfectly. 

I’d agree with you re Vinny and the cammy smith comparison, but he had a successful loan last year, first game I thought he’d at least get a run at some point. I think it’s an attitude issue too, I don’t think he’s a high work rate/high press type of guy. Wonder if JT already sees that. I think McGrath is a proven quality for us, second half would have given him a good look at Vinny, if JT needed it.

[RicoS321]

59 minutes ago, redordead said:

Miovski has no hold up play. Harsh to criticise sokler who works his socks off and challenges for every ball.  We haven't had a striker that can hold up the ball since Cosgrove left. 

I think ester will do just fine.

Miovski was excellent at taking the ball in last season (hold up play doesn't mean trapping balls punted over your head). You're not a reliable judge of his abilities however, given your strange attitude towards him. Sokler might be fine, his movement in the box is excellent, but he'll be not even in the same league as Miovski unless he develops physically.

[OrlandoDon]

Anyone actually commented on shinnie’s goal? Thought we’d signed Messi!

[Jute]

9 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

Anyone actually commented on shinnie’s goal? Thought we’d signed Messi!

Messi is not fit to lace Shinnie’s boots. 

[Slim]

First impression of Molloy is that he seemed a little lightweight and had a bit of tunnel vision in that he dealt ok with what was in front of him but a few times wasn’t aware of what was happening around him. Confident that he can make the step up from LoI in time but a bit worried if both our central defenders are “projects”.

Didn’t get good vibes from Ambrose, although he was clearly far from match fit. That half hour run out would have been perfect for Bavidge I feel, instead he was playing for the kids against Huntly.

[OrlandoDon]

1 hour ago, Slim said:

First impression of Molloy is that he seemed a little lightweight and had a bit of tunnel vision in that he dealt ok with what was in front of him but a few times wasn’t aware of what was happening around him. Confident that he can make the step up from LoI in time but a bit worried if both our central defenders are “projects”.

Didn’t get good vibes from Ambrose, although he was clearly far from match fit. That half hour run out would have been perfect for Bavidge I feel, instead he was playing for the kids against Huntly.

I think we’ll see a difference in central defense with a consistent sivert and shinnie infront of them. Bit tougher, experienced, and defensive minded, which will certainly protect them a bit more.

[OxfordDon]

4 hours ago, Slim said:

First impression of Molloy is that he seemed a little lightweight and had a bit of tunnel vision in that he dealt ok with what was in front of him but a few times wasn’t aware of what was happening around him.

More than a few times, unless there's significant improvement before we play the bigger teams a defence of Ruby and Molloy might need to banned as a health risk, not sure my heart would take it. 

Nilsen didn't look the most mobile at times so not sure we can just rely on a defensive midfield either.  Could see Macdonald back in as the older head mentoring an alternating Ruby and Molloy as they each get suspended in turn.

[OrlandoDon]

1 hour ago, OxfordDon said:

More than a few times, unless there's significant improvement before we play the bigger teams a defence of Ruby and Molloy might need to banned as a health risk, not sure my heart would take it. 

Nilsen didn't look the most mobile at times so not sure we can just rely on a defensive midfield either.  Could see Macdonald back in as the older head mentoring an alternating Ruby and Molloy as they each get suspended in turn.

At the back it’s two young boys learning their trade, good to have the experience of McDonald (and Jensen) to help. Hope we give them time to develop, individually and together. It’s the opposite in midfield, two seasoned campaigners, would be good to have a third younger option, maybe jack milne if we can’t sign allan Campbell! But decent depth and if the young boys are given time and patience they could turn out well.