Foster: Play that badly against Celtic and we'll lose 9-0 again

[mizer]

RICHARD FOSTER fears Aberdeen will find themselves on the wrong end of another 9-0 hiding from Celtic this weekend if they don't get their act together.

 

The dismal Dons suffered the worst defeat in the club's proud history at Parkhead last November as Neil Lennon's side ran riot.

 

And after being comprehensively outplayed by St Mirren on Saturday, Foster fears the worst ahead of Celtic's trip to Pittodrie on Sunday.

 

The skipper was furious with the shambolic display in Paisley as a goal from Nigel Hasselbaink handed the Buddies a deserved victory.

 

Boss Craig Brown also read the riot act in the dressing room afterwards and Foster - who spent last term on loan at Rangers - hopes it will act as a wake-up call.

 

Foster said: "We certainly can't go on like this. It is still early in the season, it's only the second game, so we're not panicking. But we have Celtic next week and we can't play like that or it will be another 9-0.

 

"The manager and his assistant Archie Knox were very disappointed - as we all were - but what's said in the dressing room stays there."

 

Aberdeen have just one point from their first two SPL games after Saturday's horror show followed up their 0-0 draw with St Johnstone.

 

And Foster knows a big improvement is necessary against the Hoops - who hit 21 goals in just five games against the Dons last season.

 

He said: "A number of things went wrong against St Mirren. We didn't keep the ball. We let them pass it round us and didn't get close to the opposition.

 

"We posed no threat whatsoever and I don't think their back four will have an easier game. We were poor in every aspect."

 

St Mirren cruised to a victory which was a lot more comfortable than the scoreline suggested.

 

Brown is still in the process of building a new young team after taking over midway through last season from the axed Mark McGhee.

 

But Foster refused to use that as an excuse for the pitiful performance.

 

The 25-year-old said: "Every club in Scotland could do with a few extra bodies but, with the way the finances are, it might not be possible.

 

"Just because you're young it doesn't mean you can't play.

 

"The manager will look to strengthen the squad as much as possible before the end of the window so we will just need to wait and see what happens."

 

Foster would like to see some new faces arrive at the club before the summer window closes.

 

However, he insists there is enough talent at Pittodrie to get back on track after a troubled start to the season.

 

He said: "You can compete with a small squad if you have the right blend of senior players and young boys - and we do have that at Aberdeen.

 

"We need to gather ourselves, work hard and try to play better against Celtic."

[Superstar Tradesman]

Two games into the season and we've already been called the "dismal Dons" by the press.

 

Although Brown is still looking to get players in before the window closes.

 

So we are in fact we're being called 'dismal' before our season has started.

 

Great.

[BigAl]

Two games into the season and we've already been called the "dismal Dons" by the press.

 

Although Brown is still looking to get players in before the window closes.

 

So we are in fact we're being called 'dismal' before our season has started.

 

Great.

 

In fairness ST "dismal" is one of the kinder adjectives you would have used if you'd had the misfortune to witness Saturday's performance.

[Well Red]

So we are in fact we're being called 'dismal' before our season has started.

 

Great.

 

Before what, now? 

 

St Johnstone and St fkn Mirren.  1 fkn point against two of the smaller, weaker clubs in the division. 

 

If our season "hasn't started" yet that's our own fault.  And if it's not started after those two games then we ARE fkn dismal.

 

2 new strikers please, Santa.  And a Jim Bett.  And a couple of proper centre backs wouldn't go amiss, if yon tooth fairy can lay it's hands on a couple of mil.

 

 

 

 

 

[maverick sheep]

Before what, now? 

 

St Johnstone and St fkn Mirren.  1 fkn point against two of the smaller, weaker clubs in the division. 

 

If our season "hasn't started" yet that's our own fault.  And if it's not started after those two games then we ARE fkn dismal.

 

2 new strikers please, Santa.  And a Jim Bett.  And a couple of proper centre backs wouldn't go amiss, if yon tooth fairy can lay it's hands on a couple of mil.

 

Agreed. I kind of get the impression that people are trying to make excuses now because we've had several years of fans being divided into SACK THE CUNT vs I LOVE THE CUNT factions and (apart from the fishers) everyone got rightly sick of that.

 

As far as I see it though, we made the most short-sighted managerial appointment in our history and as a result we're still no less fucked.

 

The idea we appointed Brown to avoid relegation last season is laughable too. What mattered was getting Mcghee (who the players gave up on) out. Hamilton were so bad that ANYONE we appointed would have kept us up given the short-term 'new manager bounce'.

 

We should have had at least one eye on the future (even in terms of bringing an assistant manager who could have been our next manager), but no, because we were so dire, the board could manipulate the fears of the fanbase that we were staring into the abyss and make a managerial change that did nothing in terms of laying foundations for a better future.

 

Good luck to Craig Brown. He is our manager, and I hope he stayes for years if he can win us trophies and leaves us with a strong squad for the next manager to inherit.

 

Sadly though, I think he's a stop-gap manager of an age that no player who could improve us will imagine him being in charge of the club for long enough that they will be convinced to sign on for a substantial period. Meaning this term creates nothing for the next manager to work with.

 

Of the players signed Chris Clark and Jason Brown are the only ones on the books beyond the end of this season (when Brown's contract is up). Hopefully the rest of the squad re-sign.

 

My point is, this manager is not going to define our next 5-10 years, but our next manager will (if it's not stop-gap). If we'd appointed a manager in December who has a future in the game, instead of a manager who basically only has a past, there would have been a chance we could build towards something better than what we currently have.

 

As is, depressingly, the best we can hope for is that we won't get too much worse.

 

And I know it's the beginning of the season. We could suddenly become...not shit. But for all the flak it will bring me, this is what I genuinely believe.

 

I said all these things to people in the pub after Brown was appointed and as I said in December, I hope I will be proved wrong.

[BobbyBiscuit]

We should have had at least one eye on the future (even in terms of bringing an assistant manager who could have been our next manager), but no, because we were so dire, the board could manipulate the fears of the fanbase that we were staring into the abyss and make a managerial change that did nothing in terms of laying foundations for a better future.

 

Good luck to Craig Brown. He is our manager, and I hope he stayes for years if he can win us trophies and leaves us with a strong squad for the next manager to inherit.

 

Sadly though, I think he's a stop-gap manager of an age that no player who could improve us will imagine him being in charge of the club for long enough that they will be convinced to sign on for a substantial period. Meaning this term creates nothing for the next manager to work with.

 

Of the players signed Chris Clark and Jason Brown are the only ones on the books beyond the end of this season (when Brown's contract is up). Hopefully the rest of the squad re-sign.

 

My point is, this manager is not going to define our next 5-10 years, but our next manager will (if it's not stop-gap). If we'd appointed a manager in December who has a future in the game, instead of a manager who basically only has a past, there would have been a chance we could build towards something better than what we currently have.

 

 

Brown has said he plans to be there for 5 years or so, so I would imagine that will define our next 5 years, and possibly the next 10 depending on the youth players coming through and how Brown uses them etc.  Of course, he could be out the door by this time next year, but that could be the case if it was a 45 year old manager as well.

 

Calderwood was here for 5 years or so, the squad he left us with was in desperate need of repair and yet he is young for a manager and had been there the required time according to your theory, so it's not always going to work out like that.  The same could be said for Skovdahl.

 

If Brown gets a good team on the park, it will make it easier to sign players. More success = more money and that's what players are interested in these days, not whether the manager who signed them will still be there in three years time.  Brown has said he wants 5 (?) transfer windows before he can call that team his own, so I'd imagine these short term contracts are part of the bigger plan.

 

While I'm not one of these people who says "In Brown we Trust" etc we do have to give him time. The players he has signed so far look to be a better standard than we had, that's already a positive. But none of this will make a difference if he doesn't get them playing.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

And as I said in the pub, stop talking shite.

[mizer]

Dons a tougher prospect for Celts

 

By Michael Gannon

 

Aberdeen defender Andrew Considine is convinced there will be no repeat of last season’s nightmares against Celtic when the sides meet at Pittodrie on Sunday.

 

The Dons suffered severe damage at the hands of the Hoops last term, shipping 21 goals in five games including the record 9-0 slaying at Parkhead.

 

For the full story, pick up a copy of today’s Press and Journal or read our digital edition now

 

Fingers crossed 

[Kowalski]

Interview in today's Scotland on Sunday:

 

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/Granite-Richard-Foster39s-Ibrox-education.6814360.jp

[BobbyBiscuit]

Cuntyatouch.