scotfree Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Fans Have Right To Boo But They Have To Aluk At The Facts Mar 24 2009 Jimmy Calderwood EVERYONE at Pittodrie had to suffer criticism after Dunfermline ended our ambitions to win the Homecoming Scottish Cup. I pick the team and as manager have to take responsibility for results and I'll never run away from that. Ihave been the prime target for disappointed fans but some of their complaints are wide of the mark. Take the substitution of Sone Aluko that brought such a chorus of disapproval from a section of our support. Do they think I took off a potential match-winner for no reason? The facts of the matter are I was considering a change up front but the decision was made for me when Sone told Mark Kerr he was knackered. His admission came after he didn't have the legs to get to a through ball from Mark so I had no option but to whip him off. It was frustrating to have to do that because one flash of magic from him might have been enough to clinch aplace in the semi-finals. But we must remember he's only 19 and has to be protected to develop his potential fully. In recent weeks he hasn't performed to the high standards he's set but most youngsters experience a dip at some stage and that brings additional pressure on his young shoulders. Our pitch is staminasapping and no help to a player blessed with pace to burn. Indeed a lot of the boys were running on empty in the closing stages at Easter Road because they had been drained in midweek against Dunfermline. I'm not trying to play down our poor cup record - the scars will never heal - but fair-minded people will consider the bigger picture and there have been a lot of positives. Aberdeen have always been in the top six since I came to the club and last season we reached two semi-finals and the last 32 in the UEFA Cup, generating a considerable profit. This has been achieved by playing attacking football, not boring defensive stuff as some have claimed. No matter the formation, every player is given the freedom to express himself. Thanks to Willie Miller we have a productive youth development programme once again and the benefits will be seen next season with several kids pushing for first-team places. We need to put the past behind us, move on and focus our efforts on qualifying for the new Europa League. Inconsistency has blighted every club in the SPL at some stage this season. I don't know the reason, it could be down to a drop in playing standards or more likely that we know each other so well and are capable of beating anyone on our day. Nevertheless,this has made for an exciting league with the championship, relegation and the race for Europe likely to go right to the wire. If the SPL was expanded to 16 or 18, I'm convinced there would not be the same excitement because there aren't enough clubs in the country with the support or structure to compete at this level. Meanwhile, I'll be in the Amsterdam ArenA on Saturday night hoping Scotland can take a point away from Holland because that would be a massive result in our qualifying campaign for the World Cup finals. However, I fear the worst because of the superior quality of the Dutch who I reckon will win 2-0. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Tradesman Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 What he's saying is true but...... The simple fact of the matter is, we'd went 100 or so minutes up until that point and I'm sure most of those booing were feeling pretty exasperated by then. Taking Sone off and replacing him with Duff was the reason I was tearing my hair off. Not because he was subbing Sone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboisared Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 What he's saying is true but...... The simple fact of the matter is, we'd went 100 or so minutes up until that point and I'm sure most of those booing were feeling pretty exasperated by then. Taking Sone off and replacing him with Duff was the reason I was tearing my hair off. Not because he was subbing Sone. yeah, because that happened Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotfree Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 I just find it disappointing that he lists getting to Semi finals as a high point when we should have done better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glasgow sheep Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I just find it disappointing that he lists getting to Semi finals as a high point when we should have done better. Same old crap. Equally Top 6 is not an achievement. Just because we had a jakey as manager previously doesn't mean that we should count it as success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KGB Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Well that article has convinced me. JIG again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetchuck Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I pick the team and as manager have to take responsibility for results and I'll never run away from that. I stopped taking the article seriously right here. What a load of utter, utter bullshit. Calderwood has never stepped up to the plate and accepted his share of responsibility for our club's tactical ineptitude, bizarre team selection, pointless signings and awful, awful style of play. Even in this article, he says that the buck stops with him, but then deflects blame onto (among others) Sone for being tired; the pitch for being stamina-sapping (our away performances after all have set the heather on fire); it's because the SPL is too small; it's because of inconsistency which is nothing to do with him. How many bullshit excuses is this clown going to exhaust before he finally accepts that he's to blame and changes his fecking approach, instead of just paying lip service to the fact that the fans have now seen through him? As for the "attacking football" guff: give it a fucking rest. You might have pulled the wool over the eyes of your chums in the media, who all spout about how much of an attacking tactical genius you are, but there are 3,000 Dons fans who have stopped coming to Pittodrie since you took over who know better. Watch that figure swell even more this summer. Accepting the blame? Attacking football? BOLLOCKS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboisared Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I stopped taking the article seriously right here. What a load of utter, utter bullshit. Calderwood has never stepped up to the plate and accepted his share of responsibility for our club's tactical ineptitude, bizarre team selection, pointless signings and awful, awful style of play. Even in this article, he says that the buck stops with him, but then deflects blame onto (among others) Sone for being tired; the pitch for being stamina-sapping (our away performances after all have set the heather on fire); it's because the SPL is too small; it's because of inconsistency which is nothing to do with him. How many bullshit excuses is this clown going to exhaust before he finally accepts that he's to blame and changes his fecking approach, instead of just paying lip service to the fact that the fans have now seen through him? As for the "attacking football" guff: give it a fucking rest. You might have pulled the wool over the eyes of your chums in the media, who all spout about how much of an attacking tactical genius you are, but there are 3,000 Dons fans who have stopped coming to Pittodrie since you took over who know better. Watch that figure swell even more this summer. Accepting the blame? Attacking football? BOLLOCKS. Agree with most of that. The same line he trotted out pissed me off too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowalski Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I stopped taking the article seriously right here. What a load of utter, utter bullshit. Calderwood has never stepped up to the plate and accepted his share of responsibility for our club's tactical ineptitude, bizarre team selection, pointless signings and awful, awful style of play. So why did he say... I pick the team and as manager have to take responsibility for results and I'll never run away from that. You can't have it both ways you know. He's criticised whether he does or doesn't take the blame by some fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBiscuit Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I'm not trying to play down our poor cup record - the scars will never heal - but fair-minded people will consider the bigger picture and there have been a lot of positives. Fair minded people do consider the bigger picture, unfortunately the bigger picture also takes into account our appalling cup record. Sweetchuck got it pretty much spot on for me. Anytime there is a smidgen of responsibility admitted by him, it is followed by a series of "buts". The pitch last Wednesday may well have been stamina sapping, but it's the same for both sides, is it not? If he's still there in the summer, I really do worry about the effect on our attendances next season and in particular the number of season tickets sold. It may be the only thing that makes Milne take action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggy89 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I just find it disappointing that he lists getting to Semi finals as a high point when we should have done better. What you talking about? Getting gubbed 4-1 by Scumdee and 4-3 by QoS rank up there as two of the high points in my time supporting Aberdeen. Those along with destroying the mighty Falkirk 2-1 to "win" a place in the top six last April. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetchuck Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 So why did he say... As I already said, it's lip service to placate the fans. If you look at the article, he takes no responsibility whatsoever for our situation. It's all the fault of Aluko, the pitch, the SPL, the other teams for knowing our game too well. What's important to me is not him writing some half-witted pish and wind in the Retard about how he will always take responsibility for results, despite never actually doing so. Saying that you do something is entirely different from actually doing it. Actions speak far louder than words, and Calderwood's inability to accept even moderate criticism and change his flawed approach shows exactly how much responsibility he really takes for the club's performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotfree Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 What you talking about? Getting gubbed 4-1 by Scumdee and 4-3 by QoS rank up there as two of the high points in my time supporting Aberdeen. Those along with destroying the mighty Falkirk 2-1 to "win" a place in the top six last April. Could not have put it better myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBiscuit Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Not sure if this has been posted anywhere else on here - apologies if it has - but rather than start another new thread on the subject, thought it would fit in well here. It's from the P&J and is presumably Chris Chrighton's weekly article: “WITH every season that passes,†Jimmy Calderwood mused as he soaked up the attention of defeating champions Celtic in January, “I think my shelf life here is getting shorter and shorter. You start thinking there is only so much you can do at one club.†Words which have been haunting Aberdeen’s manager ever since. It is now patently clear there is indeed only so much Calderwood is capable of doing at Pittodrie, and he did it several seasons ago, leaving him nothing else but to go back to square one and repeat all the mistakes of the past. A sizeable section – in every sense – of the visiting support on Wednesday evening watched the inevitable unfolding while stripped to the waist. In the even colder light of day, it was poignantly clear it was, in fact, Emperor Calderwood who was wearing no clothes. He has constantly sought to defend his Pittodrie record with the same old excuses, and they no longer wash. “Look at the position the club was in before I arrived,†he says. There can be no argument Aberdeen FC is now stronger than it was in the dark days of Steve Paterson and for that Jimmy is thanked. But it acts as evidence for his removal rather than retention. Calderwood arrived tasked with taking a hopeless team away from the bottom of the league, to which his CV was suited, he now finds himself trying to make a solid if mediocre side challenge for honours, about which it is obvious he has no clues. Five years ago a drowning club clutched at Jimmy’s straws, but now it is plain the castle he is trying to build is woefully inadequate to survive the huff and puff of the sharp end of Scottish football. “Aberdeen have reached the top six every year since I joined,†Jimmy argues. Worth a goldfish perhaps but then so have Hibs, also somehow managing to play attractive football, win a cup and blood a plethora of young saleable talent, all things conspicuously absent in the last five seasons in the north-east. Only one trip to Europe another this time looks a far more distant prospect now. The European adventure. That beautiful holiday which papered over the cracks of an already dissolving marriage and which the desperate partner clings on. Without doubt it provided moments which will live in Pittodrie legend, but in stark terms it represented a mere eight games out of more than 200. The sweet song of Copenhagen is no longer sufficient to drown out the piercing white noise of domestic failure. So apparent is it the club can go no further under its current management team that the talk around the city is no longer about whether Calderwood should stay or go, but who his successor should be. This latest catastrophe makes it inconceivable any of the Championship jobs he craves will ever come his way, so there is nothing more to lose from finally showing a little gumption and pride. Jimmy, please, do the decent thing. Resign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowalski Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Not sure if this has been posted anywhere else on here - apologies if it has - but rather than start another new thread on the subject, thought it would fit in well here. It's from the P&J and is presumably Chris Chrighton's weekly article: The problem I have with Chris Chrighton is that he changes his tune far too often, he does not stick to a consistent message. One minute he is full of praise for Calderwood, next he is calling for his head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBiscuit Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 The problem I have with Chris Chrighton is that he changes his tune far too often, he does not stick to a consistent message. One minute he is full of praise for Calderwood, next he is calling for his head. I don't think I've read him praising him at all this season, but then I don't read it every week so, ye know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_min Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Meanwhile, I'll be in the Amsterdam ArenA on Saturday night hoping Scotland can take a point away from Holland because that would be a massive result in our qualifying campaign for the World Cup finals. Thoughts? Cunt? How come he gets a ticket? He's not in the travel club is he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlg1903 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Blah blah blah. It really is just the same shit different day with calderwood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jute Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Cunt? How come he gets a ticket? He's not in the travel club is he? Hope hes not sitting in front of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberdeen_Ladette Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Sweetchuck got it pretty much spot on for me. Anytime there is a smidgen of responsibility admitted by him, it is followed by a series of "buts". The pitch last Wednesday may well have been stamina sapping, but it's the same for both sides, is it not? If he's still there in the summer, I really do worry about the effect on our attendances next season and in particular the number of season tickets sold. It may be the only thing that makes Milne take action. Sweetchunk summed up how I feel about it too. I suspect that if JC is still here in the summer that the credit crunch will be blamed for the drop in ST sales and attendances. JC doesn't even know the age of his players as Aluko is 20, not 19. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetchuck Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I suspect that if JC is still here in the summer that the credit crunch will be blamed for the drop in ST sales and attendances. Indeed; I think I may also have mentioned this previously. Willie Miller will no doubt enter head up arse in sand mode again and claim that attendances and ST sales have dropped because of the recession. This is patently bollocks, however: if it were really that bad, average SPL attendances would not have risen over the past 12 months. AFC's attendances, on the other hand, have fallen at an average of around 1,000 per season since JC took over, and we'll be lucky if we only see a drop of 1,000 between now and this time next year (assuming JC stays in charge). The recession is a nice handy excuse though, which is why I'll be e-mailing Willie Miller directly to let him know that whilst the recession may well be affecting me, I would always manage to find space in my hipper for a season ticket, if I thought it was worthwhile. As things stand, it's not even remotely worthwhile as far as I'm concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frewdon Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 but there are 3,000 Dons fans who have stopped coming to Pittodrie since you took over who know better. Watch that figure swell even more this summer. Already happening! Since the start of the season the empty spaces around us are becoming larger every game. These are seats which were occupied by ST holders who now can't be bothered turning up. I suspect other areas of the ground are the same. This is the result of the dire football served up by the management and the team week in week out. The warning signs are there! Will the Board take heed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Already happening! Since the start of the season the empty spaces around us are becoming larger every game. These are seats which were occupied by ST holders who now can't be bothered turning up. I suspect other areas of the ground are the same. This is the result of the dire football served up by the management and the team week in week out. The warning signs are there! Will the Board take heed? I made the decision to not to go back after the QOS semi final. My problem at the time was Seve as captain and said I would not go back to an AFC game whilst he was still captain. To a certain extent Seve still is my main gripe, however JC is the man who keeps him as club captain when he offers nothing to the role. I used to laugh at kkk chat and the JMG brigade but the cup defeat to Dunfermline was pathetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowalski Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I'm pretty sure, attendances are up on last year, for some weird reason. That may change now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizer Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I'm pretty sure, attendances are up on last year, for some weird reason. That may change now though. Last year it was 11994, this year its sitting at 12472 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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