Some Casual Observations.

[Superstar Tradesman]

It’s been well publicised that not all fans think JC is doing a good job.  Obviously they’re wrong but let’s not start another one of those threads.

 

A trend that I’ve noticed during his time here and one that alerts me to the fact he’s a good manager is that we don’t want any of our players leaving.  Those that have made the move like Hart, Anderson, Clark and McNaughton were all courted by other clubs, Barry Nicolson fancied a change and didn’t have long to wait until someone offered him a fresh start.  Lovell and Stevie Crawford more or less were shown the door but both found clubs straight away.  Now this week there’s Seve rumours flying around about whether he’ll leave and if those rumours are to be believed then a few clubs are also keen.

 

We had a revolving door for both players and managers for quite sometime and although we’ve had a fair few changes under JC, I certainly don’t remember loosing much sleep prior to JC’s arrival.

 

So is this because he has an eye for player and can identify ones that other lesser managers can’t?

 

Or is he just getting the best out of them when other clubs and managers failed?

 

Is it the training that’s improved these guys?

 

Could other managers not convince them to take the loooooong, arduous drive up the A90 and he’s been the difference in these negotiations?

 

All of the above, none of the above or something else completely?

 

Thoughts?

 

[Ajja]

If the question is why do we not want any of our players to leave then I would suggest that you have to consider the fear that most Aberdeen fans have that they will not be replaced by a better version or at all in some circumstances.

 

I am not suggesting that the other elements to the discussion you have put out are invalid but this for me is a very real part of it. When someone posts up 'Seve leaving...' my immediate thoughts are 'we can cope wth that' for the reasons that have been discussed already. However, it is immediately followed by thoughts of 'as long as we use his wage to get someone else in and do the job as well if not better'. All too often I am left fearing we won't, despite sometimes being proved wrong.

 

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

I don't want Seve to leave for a number of reasons, mainly though because he is a good player and I would like to keep players like him at the club.

 

As has been said we will "survive" the loss of good players as good players will always want to play for Aberdeen. I also think replacing players is definitely advantaged by having Calderwood and Miller to sell them the club as well as the other good players we have at the club (Seve, Miller, Kerr, Zander, Smith, Aluko etc).

 

I don't "fear" losing players, I'd just rather we didn't have to every season.

[Ajja]

I don't want Seve to leave for a number of reasons, mainly though because he is a good player and I would like to keep players like him at the club.

 

As has been said we will "survive" the loss of good players as good players will always want to play for Aberdeen. I also think replacing players is definitely advantaged by having Calderwood and Miller to sell them the club as well as the other good players we have at the club (Seve, Miller, Kerr, Zander, Smith, Aluko etc).

 

I don't "fear" losing players, I'd just rather we didn't have to every season.

 

Agreed. Its not replacing them I fear 

[manc_don]

I don't "fear" losing players, I'd just rather we didn't have to every season.

 

I agree with that. Just seems we seem to go in circles every season, take one step forward and two steps back when these key players leave and are not suitably replaced (immediately).

[ntbear]

2 problems - jimmy prob doesn't want most of the players to go - the players or the board do

2nd - there is no ambition by the board to replace losses

 

It's all well and good showing a profit, but that's for a season with a euro run and bumper player sales.

We saw little investment of that cash, and this year, no euro run and we will lose players for nowt at season end.

 

There is no point in hanging on to players, whoever, if they walk at the end of deals. If we get nothing for them we don't have the money to replace them, even if it could be prized out of "Aberdeen's number one fan" stewarty Milne.

[Jute]

If the question is why do we not want any of our players to leave then I would suggest that you have to consider the fear that most Aberdeen fans have that they will not be replaced by a better version or at all in some circumstances.

 

I am not suggesting that the other elements to the discussion you have put out are invalid but this for me is a very real part of it. When someone posts up 'Seve leaving...' my immediate thoughts are 'we can cope wth that' for the reasons that have been discussed already. However, it is immediately followed by thoughts of 'as long as we use his wage to get someone else in and do the job as well if not better'. All too often I am left fearing we won't, despite sometimes being proved wrong.

 

 

 

Agreed Ajja. It is not so much the players leaving that bothers me (fact of life for a club of our size) its the worry of if they will be replaced by a player of equal or better quality.

[KGB]

It would be nice if some of our players would do the right thing by the club as witnessed in the Emile Heskey to Liverpool transfer of a few years ago where he signed a new contract so that the club got money for him rather than letting the contract run down and then walking. That's modern football I guess.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Agreed Ajja. It is not so much the players leaving that bothers me (fact of life for a club of our size) its the worry of if they will be replaced by a player of equal or better quality.

 

To be fair, for the vast majority this has been the case.

 

The only exception I would offer is Anderson who is not directly replaceable for a club of our means.

[Superstar Tradesman]

I'm surprised that so many are worried about getting in suitable replacements.  The team now looks more balanced now than it ever did.

 

Folk lament that we still haven't replaced Anderson but we had a great run in Europe, two semi finals *cough* and now we're back in the mix this year without him.

 

Nicolson who took a while to get going but was chipping in with a fair few goals and regularly playing well before he left, seems to have been forgotten already.

 

Smith who has been injured forever, will I'm sure be welcomed back by all of us but there's not really been a huge gap left in the space where he should be every Saturday.

 

Maybe we have more strength in depth than we give the team credit for?

[manc_don]

To be fair, for the vast majority this has been the case.

 

The only exception I would offer is Anderson who is not directly replaceable for a club of our means.

 

I would also add Heikkenen to that list.

 

Nicholson was a completely different player to him but we have replaced him with a younger and potentially better player. I think we have had adequate replacements for most of the team that has been lost.

[Jute]

I would also add Heikkenen to that list.

 

Nicholson was a completely different player to him but we have replaced him with a younger and potentially better player. I think we have had adequate replacements for most of the team that has been lost.

 

Not replaced Hart at right back either and would argue that as poor as Clark was he is still a better player than Duff.

[dave_min]

Not replaced Hart at right back either and would argue that as poor as Clark was he is still a better player than Duff.

 

To be honest, I wasn't exactly over the moon when we signed D.U.F.F. but to be fair to the boy, he's been pretty good for his first season, a perfectly adequate replacement for Clark, however I'd hardly complain if we got in a played of a much higher standard.

[BobbyBiscuit]

Not replaced Hart at right back either and would argue that as poor as Clark was he is still a better player than Duff.

 

I wouldn't say Duff was necessarily a replacement for Clark because I don't think he's the type of "all-action" player Clark was for us. I don't think anyone in the team has taken Clark's place, maybe that's because their roles are more defined than Clark's was.

[manc_don]

Not replaced Hart at right back either and would argue that as poor as Clark was he is still a better player than Duff.

 

Was going to mention him too but I thought because we hadn't seen Vidal play in his natural position yet that I couldn't comment. But Foster is NOT the answer, and that is for sure! I quite like Duff as a player, but he is most certainly a squad player and does his job fine.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Not replaced Hart at right back either and would argue that as poor as Clark was he is still a better player than Duff.

 

Duff wasn't/isn't a replacement for Clark, at least I don't think he is, I don't know what Clark's position is/was.

 

Hart hasn't had a direct replacement no. Maybury would have been ideal but he decided otherwise.

[Superstar Tradesman]

Fashion police?

[Ajja]

I'm surprised that so many are worried about getting in suitable replacements.  The team now looks more balanced now than it ever did.

 

Folk lament that we still haven't replaced Anderson but we had a great run in Europe, two semi finals *cough* and now we're back in the mix this year without him.

 

Nicolson who took a while to get going but was chipping in with a fair few goals and regularly playing well before he left, seems to have been forgotten already.

 

Smith who has been injured forever, will I'm sure be welcomed back by all of us but there's not really been a huge gap left in the space where he should be every Saturday.

 

Maybe we have more strength in depth than we give the team credit for?

 

In general I agree that we have managed to bring decent replacements in recently which is why I said 'despite being proved wrong'. However, it doesn't mean I feel confident that we will always aim to do so or be successful. You can still worry about something regardless if there is evidence to the contrary. When the club and the fans invest in a player and he then leaves, its difficult not to ask this question and current economic conditions dictate that its increasingly likely not to happen. You only have to read Strachans comments on the BBC just now to see how hard it is to attract any kind of quality to the SPL at present.

[glasgow sheep]

2 problems - jimmy prob doesn't want most of the players to go - the players or the board do

2nd - there is no ambition by the board to replace losses

 

It's all well and good showing a profit, but that's for a season with a euro run and bumper player sales.

We saw little investment of that cash, and this year, no euro run and we will lose players for nowt at season end.

 

There is no point in hanging on to players, whoever, if they walk at the end of deals. If we get nothing for them we don't have the money to replace them, even if it could be prized out of "Aberdeen's number one fan" stewarty Milne.

All very well saying that but as you said we only made a profit last year thanks to europe, our first real profit in.....well maybe ever.  We can't afford to pay over the odds.  Seve and the rest will be getting offered perfectly reasonable wages (that's why Seve came here after all).  If they don't like it they can lump it.  Although I would suggest a call to Maybury before doing anything too rash

[boboisared]

If anything the main reason I don't want to see Seve go is his reputation. If players see someone as 'big' as he is here they could be tempted too.

[Ajja]

If anything the main reason I don't want to see Seve go is his reputation. If players see someone as 'big' as he is here they could be tempted too.

 

Did I just log onto a gay porn forum by accident 

[Tyrant]

Did I just log onto a gay porn forum by accident 

 

 

Yes.... by "accident". 

[Kowalski]

I thought this thread was going to be about Jay Allen's book. 

[One Bobby Clark]

I think it is results like today's that cause some fans to fail to be completely be won over by JC.

 

I'm on the fence, he has done reasonably well, but we all bemoan the team selection tombola, the mystifying tactics etc.

The last 4 weeks have seen defeats against teams we should be beating, beating Celtic and drawing with the Huns - and during those games, the team ends up sitting deeper and deeper, inviting pressure.

 

As an old fart, I accept I have a pair of rose tinted glasses and a selective memory bank to chose from when comparing players and managers.  I do remember Ferguson losing the nut on the sidelines when he thought the team weren't doing what he wanted them to - and things would change.

 

 

 

[BobbyBiscuit]

I think it is results like today's that cause some fans to fail to be completely be won over by JC.

 

I'm on the fence, he has done reasonably well, but we all bemoan the team selection tombola, the mystifying tactics etc.

The last 4 weeks have seen defeats against teams we should be beating, beating Celtic and drawing with the Huns - and during those games, the team ends up sitting deeper and deeper, inviting pressure.

 

As an old fart, I accept I have a pair of rose tinted glasses and a selective memory bank to chose from when comparing players and managers.  I do remember Ferguson losing the nut on the sidelines when he thought the team weren't doing what he wanted them to - and things would change.

 

 

 

 

I don't understand folk who want JC out.  I can understand folk being underwhelmed by him, I can understand folk being frustrated by him, but wanting him out....? I don't get that. (I'm not saying you do, just continuing your theme, so to speak)

 

The best thing JC has done recently was keeping a settled side. Seve has settled into the centre half role now that he basically knows he is a centre half for us these days, for example. But reports today of us going three at the back? That staggers me, completely leaves me astounded at his lack of faith in his own players to prove they are better than Falkirk's. The guys who were at the game will be able to say much more on it of course, but we really shouldn't be changing our shape to match up with Falkirk.  To me, that's over-thinking the situation.

 

I've also read that Stuart Duff was one of the better performers today but was still sacrificed. Added to the continual starting of Foster and Mackie, it is quite clear that JC has his favourites and not-so favourites but that has been the case throughout his time at Pittodrie and that frustrates me hugely.  But, in typical fashion, who would bet against us getting a result at Tynecastle in a couple of weeks? It's the nature of things under JC it seems.  Foster and Mackie with the goals, I'd imagine, too.