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Posted

Calderwood honoured by Dons milestone

Dons manager set for 200th game

 

By Charlie Allan

 

Published: 26/11/2008

 

DECEMBER 20, 2007: Jamie Smith is all smiles after netting for the Dons in the 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the UEFA Cup.

More Pictures

 

JIMMY Calderwood is “honoured†he is about to take charge of his 200th game as Aberdeen boss.

 

That’s because he feared he had blown his chances of ever being boss at Pittodrie when he gave chairman Stewart Milne an ear bashing months before he came on board in 2004.

 

Milne forgave him and Calderwood has gone on to become the club’s longest serving manager since Alex Ferguson.

 

Calderwood said: “I’m grateful that the chairman doesn’t bear grudges.

 

“I was still the manager of Dunfermline when I ran into him at a function in Manchester.

 

“I gave Stewart a right earful, asking him when he was going to sort out Aberdeen, who I’ve always regarded as a massive club.

 

“When I walked away from him I remember thinking ‘what an idiot.’

 

“I had ambitions to manage one of Scotland’s bigger clubs but feared I had blown any chance of that being at Pittodrie.

 

“The chairman forgave me though, and I hope he is happy with my efforts so far.â€

 

Calderwood admitted his reign so far has contained a mixture of highs and lows.

 

“I’m proud that I’ve taken Aberdeen into Europe and we have finished in the top six of the SPL every season I have been here,†he said.

 

“But those highs have been countered by the two cup semi-final defeats and CIS Cup loss to Queen’s Park.

 

“I also look on the opening eight weeks or so of this season as a real low period.

 

“It was hard to keep my head up when people were doubting if I was still up to the job.

 

“We are coming out of that dark spell now though, and I’m convinced we will go on to enjoy a good season.â€

 

Ferguson was at Pittodrie for eight years and enjoyed the majority of his trophy successes during the second half of his reign.

 

Jimmy laughed when asked if he plans to be around Pittodrie as long.

 

“I reckon the section of Dons fans who have never taken to me would have heart attacks if I ever said that,†he said.

 

“It’s suffice to say I plan to be at Aberdeen as long as they want to keep me here.

 

“I work for good people and have gathered a lot of good people around me.

 

“I’ve signed a three-year contract, and if I see that through, that would take me up to the seven-year mark.

 

“It would be great if I was able to bring some real success back to Pittodrie during that period, although I know I’ve no hope of ever matching what Sir Alex achieved during his time here.â€

 

Calderwood has at least restored respectability to Pittodrie, despite having only a fraction of the cash all of his predecessors since Ferguson had to spend on players.

 

“It’s an honour to have lasted as long as 200 games at a club that has very high ambitions,†he said.

 

“The average job expectancy for football managers in England now is about 14 months.

 

“The pressures on managers to deliver in Scotland are just as intense, but I love my job and thrive on the pressure.

 

“I also know the best of my time at Aberdeen has yet to come.

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Posted

“I was still the manager of Dunfermline when I ran into him at a function in Manchester.

“I gave Stewart a right earful, asking him when he was going to sort out Aberdeen, who I’ve always regarded as a massive club.

“When I walked away from him I remember thinking ‘what an idiot.’

 

I laughed out loud at that ;D

Posted

So he's improving and playing more attacking fitba?  :o

 

If you look at % wins

 

Pars: win rate =38.1%

Dons: Win rate=41.7%

 

But at the end of the 06/07 season he had a far better win rate 44%. This season in the SPL we have a 33.3% win rate, factor in the cup games it raises to 35.3%. So Actually his win rate is decreasing at the moment............... :thumbsup:

Posted

I dinna think a  :thumbsup: was an appropriate smiley there - yet again you should be ashamed  >:D

 

Come the end of the season - we'll see who's been proved right  :wave:

 

Its good to question things, not just to go on faith.  :thumbsup:

 

Faith... Must be enforced by reason...When faith becomes blind it dies.

 

The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge.

 

:thumbsup:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:thumbsup:

 

Posted

Mizer - as Jager pointed out, I find it strange that you're give a thumbs up that the Dons aren't winning as many games this season.  What sick sort of pride do you get from that?  ???

 

Here's a quote from another genius that I think sums it up:

 

It gets started because certain people would do anything to say "I told you so, I was right from the start, nah-nah-nah-nah-nah, me, me, me, all me".

 

Of course that's 200 games they'll have been saying it for on Saturday and they're no closer to being 'proven' right.

 

They're willing to believe anything that shows the club in a bad light, somehow ironically to show they are 'real' fans.

 

Posted

Jimmy Calderwood

 

Aberdeen  28-05-2004  Present   199 83 67 49 just over 41%

 

Craig Levein

Dundee Utd  30-10-2006  Present   92 38 30 24  just over 41%

 

Mixu

 

Hibernian  10-01-2008  Present   38 13 17 8 just over 34%

Jim Jeffries

 

Kilmarnock  28-02-2002  Present   278 105 122 51  just over 37%

 

Craig Brewster

 

Inverness CT  27-08-2007  Present   56 21 28 7 just over 37%

 

Mark Mghee

 

Motherwell  18-06-2007  Present   62 26 27 9 just under 42%

 

John Hughes

 

Falkirk  31-01-2003  Present   254 108 92 54 just under 43%

 

Bit worrying that despite have a massibly higher budget then all these clubs that jimmy's record isnt that much better - infact its worse

 

if john hughes and mcghee were giving the same amount of money / same budget as calderwood i think it would be quite scary

 

Posted

Bit worrying that despite have a massibly higher budget then all these clubs that jimmy's record isnt that much better - infact its worse

 

But yet we keep finishing above them  ???

 

Those figures will also include cup games and European games presumably.

Posted

yes correct we only spend 250000 this summer - but the problem being that he has spent well over a million and apart from one season we have been pretty average

 

Thats not including our wage bill which is almost double that of which other managers are working with.

 

Not a complaint just an observation.

Posted

Depends on what you mean by rate?

 

Motherwell walked third last year, Dundee United Reached a Cup Final

 

and in jimmys reign at pittodrie the following teams have all reached cup finals

 

united x 2

Hearts (winners)

Gretna

Dunfermline

Queen of the South

Motherwell

Dunfermline x 2

Kille

Hibs (winners)

 

surely if those teams have the chance to win cups given our budget we should be doing the same if not better?

Posted

If thats the case how many times have we been knocked out of the cups by the old firm?

 

Our cup record under Jimmy:

 

04/05

League Cup Exit: Lost first game to rangers 2-0 at home.

 

Scottish cup Exit: Second game losing 4-1 to United.

 

 

05/06

League Cup Exit: Lost to Motherwell in the 2nd game.

 

Scottish cup Exit: Lost 3-0 in the second game v hearts

 

 

06/07

League Cup Exit: First game defeat to Queens park.

 

Scottish cup Exit: Knocked out by hibs in our first game (replay) 4-1.

 

 

07/08

League Cup exit: Horsed 4-1 at Tynecastle by United

Scottish cup exit: Humiliated by QotS losing 4 goals in a defensive nightmare, and threw away the chance to play in the UEFA cup.

 

 

08/09

League Cup exit: Another defensive nightmare as Killie beat us 4-2.

Posted

Depends on what you mean by rate?

 

Motherwell walked third last year, Dundee United Reached a Cup Final

 

and in jimmys reign at pittodrie the following teams have all reached cup finals

 

united x 2

Hearts (winners)

Gretna

Dunfermline

Queen of the South

Motherwell

Dunfermline x 2

Kille

Hibs (winners)

 

surely if those teams have the chance to win cups given our budget we should be doing the same if not better?

 

Selective use of stats.

 

One off games as a judge of a team? You know better than that.

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