Dons vs Utd 02/03/25

[RicoS321]

European group stages were a bore, fuck them. Unearned pish. 

Today's game was hard going at times, thought the first half would never end. Nisbet excellent today, Clarkson very good when he came on, as were Morris and Shinnie. Okkels must have something on Thelin, he's done absolutely nothing to deserve to start in any of the games he's played so far. He's just a nothing player, I'd rather have Matty Kennedy back. Gueye was pish too. I'm assuming MacKenzie was injured, because there were at least five players requiring subbed before him. It was a strange sub that left us playing Keskinen through cramp for the last half hour. The only other reason I can think for it was the big argument he had with Nilsen in the first half. Nilsen did his trademark: shite pass, followed by shouting at the player who had no chance of getting it, and MacKenzie correctly shouted back at him. Anyway, Shinnie was good when he came on. Palaversa poor for the second start in a row, and started the second half like he'd never seen a football before. Clarkson has to be ahead of him now, he ran the show when he came on. The back two were fine. Knoester looks good. Losing goals to crosses and set pieces is a tactical thing, we're clearly setting up wrong. Although Mitov should have saved the first quite easily. He was otherwise good, building quickly from the back. 

[JessianK]

noticed Mckenzie raging at Nilsen when a perfect pass was on for him which he dingyed and he ranted at him. Was the first player sprinting off at halftime and straight up the tunnel.

So either he needed the loo (was running) or was going home lol

First half could have easily have been 3 nil to utd. 

 

Thelin needs to get that game re-watched during the week to see how these goals were conceded. fecking pish 1st half. 

One lad queried why Morris was not on first half, but think he has not got 90mins of running in him. 

[Panda]

4 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

It’s not just some league performances. It wrecked our entire season last time and we’re in the middle of a squad overhaul. Like I said, it’s ’part Of me,’ don’t know which is better but having the time to work on things and implement players rather than playing 3 games a week for the first 3-4 months isn’t bad, tough call.

I don't think it did wreck our season, I think we just had a manager out of his depth who has admitted he didn't freshen up the team enough. 

European games might lose you a few points, but not enough to ruin your chances of third on account that no-one else outwith the Old Firm has the consistency to march into an unassailable lead.

Hearts might be a bad example to use considering they're in the bottom six, but they were struggling before Europe started so don't think that affected them. However, since then, they've actually kicked on and it's worth noting that even after today's defeat they're still only six points behind us, and if they beat Dundee they're in a Scottish Cup semi-final. That's not a ruined season.

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

European group stages were a bore, fuck them. Unearned pish. 

I know you're joking, but I'll reply with a serious answer anyway.

The new league format would actually do two things.

1. Potentially make it more interesting as it'll be six different opponents rather than three.

2. Gives us a very realistic chance (presuming it's the Conference League which would suit us far more than the Europa) of reaching the knockout stages and earning even more money.

Hearts, even being as poor as they were, really should have made the knockouts.

Here's some possible opponents  (obviously, when this is updated Hibs will take Aberdeen's place, and that likely is the same with the many others too):-

 

 

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

 

Clarkson very good when he came on, as were Morris and Shinnie.
 

Clarkson has to be ahead of him now, he ran the show when he came on. 

I didn't actually have a reply to this, just glad to see someone else appreciates Clarkson's recent improvement. I can see him and Nilsen switching places, and Palaversa and Shinnie doing the same. Where that leaves Polvara I don't know.

[RicoS321]

8 hours ago, Panda said:

I know you're joking, but I'll reply with a serious answer anyway.

The new league format would actually do two things.

1. Potentially make it more interesting as it'll be six different opponents rather than three.

2. Gives us a very realistic chance (presuming it's the Conference League which would suit us far more than the Europa) of reaching the knockout stages and earning even more money.

Hearts, even being as poor as they were, really should have made the knockouts.

Here's some possible opponents  (obviously, when this is updated Hibs will take Aberdeen's place, and that likely is the same with the many others too):-

 

 

I wasn't joking, not really. I found the European group stages too much. The fact that we were parachuted into them probably didn't help, but towards the end it was just a saturation of football that ruined it for me. I didn't even go to the Frankfurt game at home (I had a ticket) because it was just too much football. Might have been the only game at Pittodrie I've missed since COVID, certainly hasn't been more than three. The effect lasted the entire season too, I was jaded and bored by that point, and it wasn't just because we had a crap season, I was very pleased when it finished. The extra games in a knockout format don't have the same effect, as they're spread out, and you know that you won't last long. It's an abomination of a format, that's ruining leagues across Europe, and is nothing when compared to the cup winners cup, European and uefa cups of old. It feels dirty just being in it, it's a format for Huns and Tims.

Edited March 3 by RicoS321

[RicoS321]

9 hours ago, Panda said:

I didn't actually have a reply to this, just glad to see someone else appreciates Clarkson's recent improvement. I can see him and Nilsen switching places, and Palaversa and Shinnie doing the same. Where that leaves Polvara I don't know.

Clarkson was a joy to watch yesterday, he's the type of player you go to see and hope that he's on form. It requires a level of patience though, as he tries things that have a low percentage chance of coming off, and can often be risky, or wasteful. His form has meant that many had lost patience, but hopefully his recents displays have shone through. He tried a first time cross yesterday, on a moving ball, that was just magnificent technique. The Utd defender put in a superb diving header to prevent Nisbet connecting, but it was such a difficult ball to play, and there wasn't a player on the park capable of doing it other than Clarkson.

That said, Clarkson benefitted massively from Jim Goodwin's tactics of throwing away leads (I can only assume by now that it's deliberate). Clarkson was collecting deep and quickly releasing, reminiscent of the time under Robson where he flourished. That requires a team sitting in, and lots of space for Clarkson to work in, which means either two high pressing midfielders (Shinnie and Ramadani previously), or some derivative of that (high fullbacks and a front two like we had in the second half). It's quite high risk too, and needs a directness that maybe doesn't suit Thelin. All in, I'm not sure Thelin will go for Clarkson from the start of games because of that, in a similar way that Morris doesn't start. I think he'd be happier playing out from the back, trying to draw players in, and hope that something comes off up front to give us a lead rather than trying the risky approach from the start and then maybe not having the bench to change it. It seems to me that after 6 months, Thelin is still no closer to knowing his best eleven, or even his best formation. Perhaps that's a good thing, as it suggest we have options.

[tlg1903]

I would add that's the second game in a row that Clarkson has come on and provided some necessary guile.  

Negatives.  We really need to start dealing with crosses better but Mitov defo needs to be doing better with that first one, he went pure jazz hands.  On his day he's a great goalie but he's dropped a few clangers this season.  
The general lack of penetration was incredibly frustrating but I will give utd credit where it's due, they were very hard to break down and out goals were about moments of quality rather than defensive failure.  

Positives.  Attitude was excellent.  It would have been easy for heads to go down as the second half progressed given the lack of opportunities but they kept plugging away and got their rewards.  Nisbets first is underrated imo and I think Jensen deserves a mention for both assists, the second being a peach of a cross.  Dorrington looked pretty tidy when he came on also, is there any update on Tobers yet btw? 

I do try to be patient with new signings and let them settle etc but I agree Okkels doesn't seem to be offering much. As I said prior I think Pape should be put back there as he was really effective wide left at the start of the season.  

Re Mackenzie, he's looking like a player that doesn't want to get injured just as he goes OOC

Edited Tuesday at 12:03 by tlg1903