mizer Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1365377?UserKey= Leighton in tears after Aberdeen FC sacking Jim never thought it would end this way By Charlie Allan Published: 24/08/2009 GOTHENBURG Great Jim Leighton was distraught that his love affair with Aberdeen FC is over. Jim’s life was turned upside down when he was taken aside by Mark McGhee at Pittodrie yesterday and told he had been sacked after nine years as Aberdeen FC’s first full-time goalkeeping coach because the manager wants to “freshen things up†behind the scenes. It brought to an end an association with the Dons that stretched back more than 30 years – over two spells – to when Jim first came north as a teenager to sign for the club from Dalry Thistle in 1978. For more on this story and bumper coverage of Aberdeen FC, pick up a copy of today's Evening Express. Were Aberdeen FC right to sack Leighton? Email: ee.sport@ajl.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CtS Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Yeah what's the big deal? As far as I know McGhee gave Miller a "It's him or me" ultimatum, so Leighton was sacked. So what? It's not like anyone was caught with their pants down ffs sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CtS Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Although I'm not sure why the physio wifie is implicated in this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maverick sheep Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I supose after yesterdays result it would be too far fetched, to suggest, that there may have been attempt to "hide" this? definately seems to be a savvy bit of timing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minijc Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I'm guessing this quote can be attributed to a certain London based administrator on another message board?? Nope, i got banned from there yesterday and canna get on the site, heard it from a Motherwell fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizer Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Although I'm not sure why the physio wifie is implicated in this? I thought it was Willies wife? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrownyBrown Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Well I hope we remember hard learned lessons from the past about washing our dirty laundry in public. I agree with the point that there is no room for sentimentality, particularly at the expense of success or progress however its not really a desireable situation. Aberdeen legends like, Gordon Strachan, Joe Harper and Stewart McKimmie I have no time for, mostly due to their inane rantings in the media. However club stalwarts like Leighton, Irvine and Simpson should be shown the respect that their hard work and committment deserves. A club is more than a collection of people that are paid to 'do a job' and thrives on the passion of the people who support it - in any way they do so. They are the lifeblood behind the scenes and the club should be doing as much as possible to maintain that. I have no doubt that both JL and MM have the interests of the club at heart in all their actions, and so its disappointing to see that they can't manage their differences or relationship and move things forward (if that turns out to be the case). Its pretty hard to comment without knowing much more about what went on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajja Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I think McGhee is being pretty honest about what its all about. He is being asked to work with a very tight budget and cannot afford to make decisions based on emotion. He is to be applauded for his strength of decision making as far as I am concerned, this was clearly a very very difficult one to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerBomber Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 From the daily record: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/aberdeen/2009/08/24/aberdeen-boss-mark-mcghee-explains-decision-to-axe-dons-coach-jim-leighton-86908-21621354/ Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee explains decision to axe Dons coach Jim Leighton Aug 24 2009 ABERDEEN legend Jim Leighton lost his job at the Dons because new boss Mark McGhee felt he had no skills beyond being a goalkeeping coach. McGhee made the frank admission today after eyebrows had been raised over the club's decision to part company with the ex-Scotland keeper. Leighton left the Pittodrie club at the weekend after nine years in the role, having been told he was surplus to requirements by his former team-mate. McGhee, who starred with Leighton when Aberdeen won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983, now wants to bolster his backroom staff with a coach who can offer more to the team as a whole. He said: "Jim is a long-time friend and a former colleague and I could never stress enough how difficult a decision it was from a personal point of view. "But, from a professional point of view, I'm looking at maximising any resources I have at my disposal and what I need from those resources is flexibility. "Jim is a specialist goalkeeping coach and I, at this moment in time, can't afford that. "If I'm going to bring someone else in, it will have to be someone who can do more than just coach the goalkeepers on the training ground. "I've got to try to maximise those resources in order to get all the bits of my team together that I need. "I have a picture in my head of what I would like and it would be someone who can offer more than just being a goalkeeping coach, someone who brings other things, other qualifications, other abilities. "I think we are one short anyway with Scott Leitch and I. Any club I've been at, I've worked with three, with an assistant and a coach. Here, it's only Scott and I. "Even more so, we need someone who can do more for us than simply be the goalkeeping coach." Motherwell coach Colin Meldrum, who worked alongside McGhee at Fir Park, has been linked with the job. The Dons boss said: "If I draw up a list of people who I would like to have here, who can do these things that I'm talking about, Colin Meldrum would be on that list. "But there is nothing in it so far as I have made no approach to Colin Meldrum and I've made no approach to Motherwell. "I felt it was only fair to deal with Jim first and now I'll pick that up. Of course he would be a candidate but it's by no means certain that Colin Meldrum is the guy who would be coming here." Seems nothing more in it than Mcghee seeking value for money and, in my eyes at least, he has done the right thing. With our club running on a strict budget then doing everything to maximise the money available should be applauded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glasgowdon Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Bit of a shame but if money is as tight as it is then not much choice really. Probably sign for Hibs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madbadteacher Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Or Plymouth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reekie_Red Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Seems nothing more in it than Mcghee seeking value for money and, in my eyes at least, he has done the right thing. With our club running on a strict budget then doing everything to maximise the money available should be applauded. Agreed. Looks like someone's out to grind an axe in the face of McGhee. If Leighton was only good for coaching the goalies and nobody else, that's a lot of money for the club to spend on the development of only two or three players in the squad. As superb a player and a coach as he is (responsible for making decent goalies out of Langfield and Preece) he is a luxury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowalski Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Dons manager: my hardest decision Leighton’s expertise as a goalkeeper coach not enough for McGHEE AS HE SEEKS COACH TO MULTI-TASK By Paul Third Published: 25/08/2009 Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee has admitted Jim Leighton’s expertise as a goalkeeper coach was not enough to keep him in a job at Pittodrie. Leighton was sacked by McGhee on Sunday, ending his nine-year spell in the role since retiring in 2000. McGhee said: “Jim is a specialist goalkeeping coach and I can't afford that as I need someone who can do more. “We are one short in terms of coaches as there's only me and Scott Leitch here which is less than the previous regime. I think there are a lot of elements required for your backroom staff. We believe a lot in the gymnasium, the weights and secondary support regimes and you need people who can multi-task. “Sam Allardyce used to have 21 of a staff going to games on a bus when he was in charge at Bolton but we cannot afford that. “In order to deliver the programme we want I have to multi-task as does Scott Leitch. If we can find someone who can also multi-task then we have somebody else who is greater than the sum of the parts. “The whole regime requires expertise and Scott and I do not have enough of that. I have to balance my budget on that area and if I can bring in someone who can help in addition to being a goalkeeping coach then I will do it.†Employees at the Dons were in shock yesterday at news of Gothenburg Great Leighton’s dismissal by his former team-mate and McGhee admitted the decision was the hardest he has made in management. The Dons manager has also assured the rest of his staff further changes are not planned He said: “No matter how long we sit and talk about it, Jim Leighton will never believe, and probably doesn’t care, how hard a decision it was. As professional decisions go at a football club it is the most difficult I have had to make. “Jim took it like the man he is. He was very matter of fact and I think he has gone off to consider what’s happened. “When something like this happens I know everybody at the club panics and thinks who’s next? But the first thing I did was talk to the backroom staff – the kit man, the physios and Neil Cooper – and told them to relax as this was not the beginning of a cull. It was fine tuning, that’s all.†Motherwell goalkeeper coach Colin Meldrum, who is also a qualified fitness coach, will be considered to replace Leighton but McGhee insists no decision has been made. He said: “If I am drawing up a list of people I want to have here then Colin Meldrum would be on the list. “There's nothing in it. I have not talked to Colin and I haven't made an approach to Motherwell. It was only fair to deal with Jim Leighton's situation first and, of course, Colin would be a candidate, but it's by no means certain he will come here.†The Dons manager admitted changing his coaching staff is not a tactic he usually employs but highlighted the first player he released as a manager as proof leaving a club does not mean the end of a career. He said: “I enjoy the challenge of working with people who are already in place, so to do this is extraordinary for me, but I felt strongly that I would not be doing my job properly if I did not take this decision. It doesn’t get any easier to do. I remember when I joined Reading on a Thursday night and the club was playing Stoke on the Saturday on the last day of the season. I took no part in the build-up other than being announced to the players on the Friday. The physio took the team and they beat Stoke 1-0. On the Monday I started in the job and the first thing I had to do was release players who were not being kept on. “The first player I saw was Brendan Rodgers and I told him the best thing he could do was go back to Ireland. He didn’t take my advice and now he is manager of Reading.†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mini59dons Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Was it beyond all possibility to re-train Jim to be a fitness coach too? Its almost like to Oil Industry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbobaggins Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Was it beyond all possibility to re-train Jim to be a fitness coach too? Its almost like to Oil Industry... Exactly. If McGhee wanted him around he would have helped develop his career and train him to do what he wanted/needed. I don't mind McGhee wanting his own people, he should have the final say, but his explanation looks like an excuse to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amp Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Was it beyond all possibility to re-train Jim to be a fitness coach too? Its almost like to Oil Industry... Don't think I would want Jim to be a fitness coach to be honest. If all the players copy his bandy-legged style then i think we would be saying goodbye to any pace in the side. So it's probably only right that he should go. I'll be so pissed off at AFC if he turns up playing for Plymouth this weekend, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDU_64 Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Probably sign for Hibs. I wouldn't be stunned by that at all. After Hibs much documented problems with goalkeepers along with this http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/8138130.stm, add to that Leighton's stock is high after visible improvement in Preece and Langfield and furthermore, I doubt Hibs will have any problems in finding a wage for Jim. Yves Ma-Kalamity may be no more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENEMENTFUNSTER Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I'm with DerBomber on this one. Sentimentality can fuck right out the door if there is opportunity to be better. Any new manager is going to have to be given the freedom to build his own team around what he wants to achieve. I am happy to see a sense of purpose from our manager. The voice of reason Ajja. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizer Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Former Jim Leighton protégé David Preece has blasted the sacking of the Aberdeen legend by Mark McGhee. Preece, now at Barnsley, paid tribute to Leighton’s talents and questioned the Dons for letting him go. “It's baffling Aberdeen feel they can do without Jim when he is by far the best in Scotland at his job,†said the former Dons no 1. "He's still good enough to coach Scotland's young keepers at Under-21 level, but no longer of use to Aberdeen. "Jim's training made me a better keeper and you just need to see what's happened with Jamie Langfield in the last couple of years to see how good he is. “At one stage it looked like Jamie's career at the Dons was faltering. But he's turned it around and is back involved with Scotland. Jim played a big part in that." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee toon red Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I didn't realise that Preece had trained with any other goalkeeping coaches in the SPL to be qualified enough to make that judgement. Sad to see a legend leave the club but like others have said, if McGhee thinks it's for the good of the club then that's how it has to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reekie_Red Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 And Preece should read up on the reasons for Jim's departure before making comment. He didn't get the boot because of his goalkeeping coaching skills. He got the boot because he doesn't offer anything else to the rest of the team. Bit pointless paying a wage to someone who is coaching Bossu, Langfield and Nelson and nobody else. Ultimately, I think McGhee is right in ditching a goalkeeping coach in favour of someone who can coach goalkeepers and ALSO get involved with the other squad members' training. It's just unfortunate that the person being ditched is the mighty Jim Leighton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Tradesman Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 For all the love I hAve for one of my heroes, I can't say I'mn that bothered he's been ditched. If he was that good a goalkeeping coach then he'd have ditched his job when the likes of Preece, Langfield and Bossu failed to make the grade. In fact, if you mashed them all up into a goalkeeper, would all three of them manage to convince you they were a good keeper? Even Jim and Kjaer did a better job in the3ir 40s that the aforementioned new bucks. Preece never got any better at comming for crosses, Langfeild still can'#t kick a ball past the halfway line and Bossu....... well Bossu-schmossu. So much for Jimbo's coaching. Just about every other team in the legue has had a 'keeper playing for them that we'd jump at the chance to have. Like Gordon, boric, Zaluska, Speroni......... fuck, we#d even have taken Combe. None of which have needeed an international class player to 'coach' them. Goalkeepers either have it or they don't. Of course i agree with the age old saying that goalkeepers get better with age. But I'd say that's what's whats happende with Langfield. His kicking is still shite but other that keeping him fit by punting a few dozen balls at him every minute, what else can a "goalkeeping coach" expect to t3each him? Put it this way: who wouldn't want to add langfield's wage to Leightons' wage to buy a better keeper? Show of hands? Nae you Langifeld, you'll jist drap it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajja Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDU_64 Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 For all the love I hAve for one of my heroes, I can't say I'mn that bothered he's been ditched. If he was that good a goalkeeping coach then he'd have ditched his job when the likes of Preece, Langfield and Bossu failed to make the grade. In fact, if you mashed them all up into a goalkeeper, would all three of them manage to convince you they were a good keeper? Even Jim and Kjaer did a better job in the3ir 40s that the aforementioned new bucks. Preece never got any better at comming for crosses, Langfeild still can'#t kick a ball past the halfway line and Bossu....... well Bossu-schmossu. So much for Jimbo's coaching. Just about every other team in the legue has had a 'keeper playing for them that we'd jump at the chance to have. Like Gordon, boric, Zaluska, Speroni......... fuck, we#d even have taken Combe. None of which have needeed an international class player to 'coach' them. Goalkeepers either have it or they don't. Of course i agree with the age old saying that goalkeepers get better with age. But I'd say that's what's whats happende with Langfield. His kicking is still shite but other that keeping him fit by punting a few dozen balls at him every minute, what else can a "goalkeeping coach" expect to t3each him? Put it this way: who wouldn't want to add langfield's wage to Leightons' wage to buy a better keeper? Show of hands? Nae you Langifeld, you'll jist drap it. I fail to see the correlation between being a good goalkeeping coach and quitting your job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbobaggins Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Didn't see ST posting! Hope the travels are going well min. Are the red coats fit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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