Team of Two Decades - midfield

[Madbadteacher]

And pace is getting us where just now?

 

Grant and Rico WILL win the ball, Bett and Bobby's blouse will create the chances, and not get muscled out.

 

Jess was brilliant, but only in about 60 to 70% of games, Bett and Connor were not AS brilliant, but reliable in 100% of games.

 

[tsr]

Fair shout, I think Bett was brilliant too though, clearly not as under-rated as I thought and Connors left foot was outstanding at times.

[Madbadteacher]

Connor and Stark are, IMHO, our most underrated players

 

[Reekie_Red]

Bisconti, Hignett, Jess and Richardson for me.

 

I've never seen any Aberdeen player control the ball in the way Hignett did against Dundee and Celtic. I've absolutely no doubt that he would've been a truly amazing player for us if he hadn't fallen out with the management, team, club and whole city

[Sharpie]

Fit like Reekie? It's all about personal opinion and all that...but I am interested to know why you would pick Hignett who had a couple of good games for us over a player like Jim Bett who had seasons of producing top drawer performances? Likewise, Bisconti was a very good ball winner, enforcer etc. but he didn't have the talent to win a game like Bett could. Not having a go, just interested in your reasoning.

[Reekie_Red]

Ah right loon. I've still got that copy of Restless Natives ready to send to ye. Just cannae mind where I put it.

 

Anyway, I was a very fresh Aberdeen fan when Jazzer Bett was running the show for us. My knowledge of the Dons was pretty limited. As such, I didnae really have many memories of Bett (unfortunately). Although he only performed to his capabilities twice for the Dons, Hignett had such a devastating effect. Powerful, skillful, intelligent ... and scored from an absolutely unbelievable angle versus Ra Shellick. I've absolutely no doubt that he would've gone on to become a truly legendary player for the Dons if it hadn't been for the fallout between him and Alex Miller.

 

As for Bisconti, I've not seen an Aberdeen player in the past two decades who had ball-retention and possession-retrieval rate like Biscontis. My only grumble about Bisco was that he never seemed to want to play against the Old Firm. Oh yeah, and the fact that he sighted his kids' inability to settle in a non-French-speaking Aberdeen. There's a dedicated international school out at Bieldside, ffs.

 

But I lost count of the amount of times I turned to my pals in the stands and said "what a machine!", as Bisconti loses the ball, tracks back, smashes the opposition player with a crunching tackle, and strolls out the other side with the ball at his feet ... only for him to pass to a mesmerised Darren Young who is so amazed at what he's watching, he forgets he's in the field of play.

[Sharpie]

Ah right loon. I've still got that copy of Restless Natives ready to send to ye. Just cannae mind where I put it.

 

Anyway, I was a very fresh Aberdeen fan when Jazzer Bett was running the show for us. My knowledge of the Dons was pretty limited. As such, I didnae really have many memories of Bett (unfortunately). Although he only performed to his capabilities twice for the Dons, Hignett had such a devastating effect. Powerful, skillful, intelligent ... and scored from an absolutely unbelievable angle versus Ra Shellick. I've absolutely no doubt that he would've gone on to become a truly legendary player for the Dons if it hadn't been for the fallout between him and Alex Miller.

 

As for Bisconti, I've not seen an Aberdeen player in the past two decades who had ball-retention and possession-retrieval rate like Biscontis. My only grumble about Bisco was that he never seemed to want to play against the Old Firm. Oh yeah, and the fact that he sighted his kids' inability to settle in a non-French-speaking Aberdeen. There's a dedicated international school out at Bieldside, ffs.

 

But I lost count of the amount of times I turned to my pals in the stands and said "what a machine!", as Bisconti loses the ball, tracks back, smashes the opposition player with a crunching tackle, and strolls out the other side with the ball at his feet ... only for him to pass to a mesmerised Darren Young who is so amazed at what he's watching, he forgets he's in the field of play.

 

You may as well huddon before sending. I'm moving to Singapore at the end of month, you'll get to spend a wee bit less on postage!

 

Fair do's. You're making me feel old now. I was lucky enough to see Jim Bett throughout his Aberdeen career and he is, in my opinion, the best Aberdeen midfielder I have seen in the flesh. Without a doubt he was the best passer of the ball. Hignett is more of a disappointment. I remember the Dundee and Celtic games and whilst he did play well I wouldn't put his perfomances in the genius category. The fact that he bailed out so quickly leaves me with an overall feeling of disappointment.

 

 

[tsr]

Have to agree with Sharpie, if the point is who offered the most over these two decades then Hignett had some good games but was mostly disinterested. He cost us a fortune in wages and whether or not we made it back in a transfer fee is deabatable. For me the fact he clearly did not want to play for Aberdeen means I did not consider him for a second.

 

I loved watching Bisconti, I always had the feeling however that 10 years earlier he wouldn't have got a sniff of a game for Aberdeen so couldn't consider him for the reason that he was a decent player but only because we were so dreadful.

[Reekie_Red]

Fair enough. But in the same light, would you shun Alex Di Rocco based on the fact that he only played seven games for us?

[Sharpie]

Fair enough. But in the same light, would you shun Alex Di Rocco based on the fact that he only played seven games for us?

 

I personally didn't think Alex Di Rocco was anything special.

[Ptayles]

On another point.Should Fyvie really be in there considering he has played a handful of games?

[tsr]

Fair enough. But in the same light, would you shun Alex Di Rocco based on the fact that he only played seven games for us?

 

Probably, but if we're talking about strikers in any case Di Rocco would not get near the players I am going to pick

 

Great subject in general this though.

[BobbyBiscuit]

Hignett had obvious talent, just a shame he couldn't be fucked in most of the games he played for us and couldn't be fucked hanging around for longer. 

 

It looks like most people will pick Bett, but to echo something Reekie said about him, at the time there were a lot of fans who gave Bett a great amount of stick at games.  Often had the term "lazy" thrown at him and he seemed to frustrate a lot of Dandies a lot of the time.

I would say that he was "economical" with his energy, to be polite about it. And in all honesty, in his time at Aberdeen he had Simpson/Peter Nicholas/Grant beside him doing the donkey work so he didn't need to be running about like the Tazmanian Devil.  Probably the last truly two footed player we had at Pittodrie. 

[Guest ally s]

 

I've gone for Hignett, Jess, Bett, and Mason.

 

For some reason (probably due to tiredness) I totally forgot about Brian Grant before I voted.

 

 

[Kowalski]

The poll is currently shaping up to be one hell of a midfield!

[dave_min]

For some reason (probably due to tiredness) I totally forgot about Brian Grant before I voted.

 

No worries, I somehow managed to overlook Jess. 

[BobbyBiscuit]

The poll is currently shaping up to be one hell of a midfield!

 

No Grant though 

 

Ray McKinnon or Peter Heatherston, anyone?

[Kowalski]

No Grant though 

 

Ray McKinnon or Peter Heatherston, anyone?

 

Should be in before Fyvie, Dow (more a left back), and Deloumeaux IMHO.

[BobbyBiscuit]

My tongue was firmly in cheek when mentioning those two imposters, Kow.

[scotfree]

Eoin Jess-Markus Heikkinen-Jim Bett-Scott Severin

[maverick sheep]

Bett, Jess, Mason, Glass

 

1st 3 can't be left out imo and Glass was one of my favorite dons. Shame Newcastle ruined him.

[Guest ally s]

 

I heard an interesting story about Paul Mason a few months back (no idea if it's true). He was signed up by Groningen after being spotted playing for a pub team in Holland, he was working as a labourer at the time.

[CtS]

Jess, Bett, Severin, Mason

 

 

The thought of a midfield that good makes me want to cry. In a good way.

[Jute]

I heard an interesting story about Paul Mason a few months back (no idea if it's true). He was signed up by Groningen after being spotted playing for a pub team in Holland, he was working as a labourer at the time.

 

Remember it being something like that although I think it was one of the lower league amatuer sides rather than a pub team he was playing for but could be wrong.

[tsr]

I heard an interesting story about Paul Mason a few months back (no idea if it's true). He was signed up by Groningen after being spotted playing for a pub team in Holland, he was working as a labourer at the time.

 

You can imagine that Dutch Pub teams were probably the equivilant of our SPL sides at that time though. Its on his profile on Wiki, also says he was asked to play for Scotland and said no.

 

I thought he was a great player for Aberdeen, I always felt like he was going to score or create something when he was on the ball.