Dons v Helen

[Penfold]

I'm not usually a fan of the 4-3-3/4-5-1 system because the wide attackers can too easily be dragged back into midfield but we seem to be avoiding this too much. Having one of the 3 midfielders push far up too has been good. I thought Rae played well in that role but Hughes' movement wasn't good enough to play there. Pawlet played there against Arbroath and linked up with the striker really well. Hope to see him in there when he returns.

[RDU_64]

I'm not usually a fan of the 4-3-3/4-5-1 system because the wide attackers can too easily be dragged back into midfield but we seem to be avoiding this too much. Having one of the 3 midfielders push far up too has been good. I thought Rae played well in that role but Hughes' movement wasn't good enough to play there. Pawlet played there against Arbroath and linked up with the striker really well. Hope to see him in there when he returns.

 

I agree with you in regards to the 3 midfielders. Rae and Osbourne gives you a solid base and allows the other midfielder to push up and support the attack. We should be encouraging the 3 midfielders to be more like a triangle with Rae and Ozzie at the base and Hughes/Jack/whoever attacking. Would encourage a bit more creativity behind Vernon whilst not leaving us too short at the back.

[El Padre™]

I can accept that taken in isolation, it appears to be a small over-reaction, I alluded as much to it in my response to Padre to be fair.

 

Padre, you know that I think you're a top bloke but on this occasion you've made this personal and divisive so I wont let it go by.

 

Have you ever been somewhere and thought, "this is fucking shite, I've paid £x for the privelige, I'd much rather be somewhere else?"  If you haven't, you're either a liar or have lived a very sheltered life.  So this is where I'm coming from, I'm choosing to pay £23 to go to a game, see no goals, see no victory, see no satisfaction (and it is for me to decide what satisfies me, not anyone else) at the expense of spending time with my daughter, or doing something more productive than "please" myself at a football match.  This is the "attitude" of so many guys who have decided to do other things with their Saturday afternoons over the past 15 years of underachievement at AFC.  Not ridiculous and not pathetic.  Not even close. Not even on the same planet.  When you (and that is the collective "you" before anyone turns into a whiny bitch) grow up, you see football, especially shite football, isn't that important in the grand scale of life.

 

Look at the crowd on Saturday.  Is every fan who decided not to attend in the wrong in your opinion?  Or is it just me who's wrong, because I've chosen to post it here?  You've used the sentiment of luck when referring to AFC's profligacy in front of goal.  I'll tell you what's lucky, or maybe more accurate, miraculous, is that 9,200 fans are still loyal enough to turn up at a club that has let them down time and time again over a prolonged period of time.  I have always said that I do not criticise anyone who chooses not to go to a game for whatever reason, why waste the energy?  So, what makes you the authority to suggest that the club wont miss my money?  By that logic, if the club doesn't miss my money, then they wont miss the money of the other 11,000 empty seats every week.  In which case, the irony is, you are "riled", or maybe more pertinently given your posts on the subject over the past few years, you've a chip on your shoulder about something that, in your opinion, the club isn't bothered about.  So why get your knickers in a twist about it?  Why waste your breath?  What is it that riles you so much?  Completely contradictory I'd say, or is there something else?

 

Being apathetic about results in a performance related industry definitely isn't helpful either.  Which is it to be?

 

In which case the mantra "be careful what you wish for" has never been so relevant.  It's up to us all as individuals what constitutes entertainment or maybe more accurately, satisfaction and for me this is results. Results come first, performances second.

 

As I've said, I am pleased that we've played well, and there are things to be positive about, but I'd rather we were scoring goals and getting results. I have no problem whatsoever with anyone disagreeing with me if they want to debate it fairly and respectfully rather than judgementally and divisively.  We can't all be the same otherwise it'd be pretty boring, but we all want the same for AFC and that is for us to be successful.  If they can be successful without my £23 for a few weeks, nobody will be happier about it than me.

 

Stand Free.

 

I'm loving the fact that you've managed to equate ejaculating into a woman and maturity as being things that go hand in hand. I go to games to get away from grown up life not because I'm not a grown up. Seriously, if your life has changed and you can't afford to go then don't, but to complain about the team right now is bollocks. They're playing out their skins at the moment and the goals are on their way. If you want entertainment watch the EPL, you'll only get that once in a blue moon in the SPL. It's about having a passion for the game and not some desire to be entertained as if you're watching the latest cinema blockbuster.

[bloo_toon_red]

I'm loving the fact that you've managed to equate ejaculating into a woman and maturity as being things that go hand in hand. I go to games to get away from grown up life not because I'm not a grown up. Seriously, if your life has changed and you can't afford to go then don't, but to complain about the team right now is bollocks. They're playing out their skins at the moment and the goals are on their way. If you want entertainment watch the EPL, you'll only get that once in a blue moon in the SPL. It's about having a passion for the game and not some desire to be entertained as if you're watching the latest cinema blockbuster.

 

This is getting really old now Padre, get over it.

 

The bit in bold there doesn't actually equate to anything I've said. It doesn't seem that any of my last two posts here has registered with you so I'm wasting my time in trying to make it any more clear and you're now just spamming the board by turning this into Godwin's Law.  I even sent a PM to you to alleviate the tension but that's gone over your head as well.  Pity.  Let's move on.

[El Padre™]

I'm very tense

 

You don't want to go because either (a) you can't afford it or (b) you aren't being entertained. Not sure what else I'm missing?

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

If you cannae afford it, you don't go, whether you have a "grown up" life or not, likewise with the entertainment value.

 

It would seem that the team are playing much better football than for some time so the entertainment value, aside from scoring goals, is better. Or are we going to revisit the horrendous "we had more entertainment when we were getting humped wi Ebbe" shite?

 

It does seem strange to decide not to go when we're playing more attractive football, unless a conga is necessary. I'm tentatively confident we'll not be shite this season, that's a better feeling than I've had for some time.

[bloo_toon_red]

Or are we going to revisit the horrendous "we had more entertainment when we were getting humped wi Ebbe" shite?

 

This is precisely what I fear.  The season when we didn't score in the first 6 games is still very very fresh in my mind.  We finished in a pretty lowly position that season.

 

I'm very tense

 

You don't want to go because either (a) you can't afford it I never once said this or (b) you aren't being entertained. Results>entertainment Not sure what else I'm missing?

 

Neither.  It's all been communicated in my posts but sadly they're being misunderstood despite me taking a bit of time to try and make sure that they wouldn't be.  I asked you a bunch of questions in one of my posts and you never made any effort to acknowledge them, instead seizing upon a particular part rather than engaging in the bigger issue of why my own situation is symptomatic of a huge swathe of the Aberdeen support that you appear hell-bent on criticising at every turn.  As I say, I don't want to waste any more time on this, it's not too important for me to be able to convince people of my point of view, we should agree that we don't understand each other and move on.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

This is significantly different though BTR, isn't it?

 

We were pretty disgraceful and getting handed our arse on a weekly basis which definitely isn't happening, we also have a few decent, experienced players and are playing good football, not getting beat but with disappointing results.

 

As I said, I am pretty confident we are better than we've been for some time, my concern is very much similar to yours  with respect to our ability to score and that seems to lie solely with Vernon, who isn't. What happens when he gets injured when McGinn already is?

 

I was a bit worried that Brown's a naturally defensive/negative tactician but that is much less of a concern given how we've lined up, it's simply a matter of not being good enough in front of goal as we seem to be making enough chances to win games.

 

 

[bloo_toon_red]

This is significantly different though BTR, isn't it?

 

We were pretty disgraceful and getting handed our arse on a weekly basis which definitely isn't happening, we also have a few decent, experienced players and are playing good football, not getting beat but with disappointing results.

 

As I said, I am pretty confident we are better than we've been for some time, my concern is very much similar to yours  with respect to our ability to score and that seems to lie solely with Vernon, who isn't. What happens when he gets injured when McGinn already is?

 

I was a bit worried that Brown's a naturally defensive/negative tactician but that is much less of a concern given how we've lined up, it's simply a matter of not being good enough in front of goal as we seem to be making enough chances to win games.

 

Different in that we are hard to beat, yes.  But take the Hearts game where we battered them for the entire second half, and then Andy Driver goes and smacks the post in the last seconds of injury time.  Despite our superiority, we make life hard for ourselves by being on the brink - we could just as easily have lost that game as won it.  If we had lost that game, it could arguably have been harder to take than if Hearts had dominated, for the simple fact that it's no point dominating a game if you can't do the business.  AFC just now are like the John Holmes of the SPL.  We've got a massive raging hard-on but we've got AIDS and can't use it, so instead we'll fantasise about what might be and have a good big wank about it.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

The ifs and buts are no more than that.

 

But if you think that it's just as good/bad to dominate a game as it is to have been beaten all over the park then perhaps the title as a "thinking man's 5-a-sider" is undeserved.

 

But we may be headed to the equally unhelpful type of argument where folk become stupidly polarised with no ability to see the reality in between.  We're definitely a better team playing better football everywhere but directly in front of goal.

[dave_min]

What happens when he gets injured when McGinn already is?

 

It said on the radio today that he's back training and should be fully fit after the international break

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

It said on the radio today that he's back training and should be fully fit after the international break

 

Excellent.

[Edinburghdon]

EE reporting that Milsom is ready to return to training soon too. Good news!

[Jute]

EE reporting that Milsom is ready to return to training soon too. Good news!

 

Good news. Think him being out is major reason behind the lack of goals.

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Good news. Think him being out is major reason behind the lack of goals.

 

 

I agree he would help and he's missed but I think the main reason is simply not being good/sharp enough in front of goals, we're making chances, just not taking them.

[manc_don]

I agree he would help and he's missed but I think the main reason is simply not being good/sharp enough in front of goals, we're making chances, just not taking them.

 

From what I have seen, that certainly seems to be the case. It's not like we're creating nothing.

[bloo_toon_red]

But if you think that it's just as good/bad to dominate a game as it is to have been beaten all over the park then perhaps the title as a "thinking man's 5-a-sider" is undeserved.

 

If you can quote me on when I've said anything like that, I'm genuinely happy to clarify any misunderstanding, but because I don't recall ever having said that, then I don't imagine I'll need to.

 

I've made reference within this thread to the fact that AFC are playing in a positive manner, and you yourself have alluded to the fact that:

We didn't score enough last season, we look like having the same problem this term the difference being our play merits more goals, which, if anything, is more annoying.

Which is much and such where I'm coming from and is pretty much the same thinking as:

If we had lost that game, it could arguably have been harder to take than if Hearts had dominated

So to my mind, you appear to be on the same page as to where my own frustrations are coming from and yet you seem happy to take the above cheap-shot.

 

If McGinn has been signed to play as a striker, can we expect to see a return to something resembling 4-4-2, or will he simply be a straight swap for Fraser in a 4-3-3?

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

It's no really a cheap shot though maybe a little disingenuous with what you had stated, you did say there's no point dominating without scoring, I disagreed.

 

Whereas I have already said I agree with the frustration, just not the reaction.

 

I have no idea what McGinn was signed to do, I've tried really hard not to have an opinion on where AFC managers will play players but I hope he can get a little further forward to give Vernon support and provide a bit of pace up front. Quite where he does that or even if, fuck knows.

 

 

 

[bloo_toon_red]

It's no really a cheap shot though maybe a little disingenuous with what you had stated, you did say there's no point dominating without scoring, I disagreed.

 

Whereas I have already said I agree with the frustration, just not the reaction.

 

Fair enough.

 

I have no idea what McGinn was signed to do, I've tried really hard not to have an opinion on where AFC managers will play players but I hope he can get a little further forward to give Vernon support and provide a bit of pace up front. Quite where he does that or even if, fuck knows.

 

Well in light of some of the tombola tactics we've had in recent years I've thought the same.  But McGinn does appear the most likely candidate for the second striker role.  The proof of the pudding for Broon (and for me) will be whether he is satisfied the 4-5-1 cum 4-3-3 is working, or if he changes it in pursuit of goals, which will be a fairly obvious admission that the present system isn't working.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

I should also have said in relation to you 2 tarts . . . . .

 

"BUT YE'S UR MAAAAAAAAAAAAATES!"

[stoney]

4-3-3? Really? Suppose thats the formation scotland adopted on saturday as well then?

 

Never a 4-3-3 in a million years.

[RDU_64]

4-3-3? Really? Suppose thats the formation scotland adopted on saturday as well then?

 

Never a 4-3-3 in a million years.

 

I don't give a rats arse what Scotland lined up as. All I know is that from the games I have seen this season, it has clearly been a 4-3-3.

[stoney]

Fa the fuck are you like, stone cold steve austin 

 

Clearly you are a fucking zoomer then 

 

At best its a 4-3-2-1 but would be more inclined to agree with those saying 4-5-1 due to how far back our wingers are having to sit, the way we are using them is pretty fucking pointless because by the time they get up the park not only are they getting double marked, so is vernon!

 

4-3-3............indeed 

[RDU_64]

I've already said in this thread that I would agree that its a 4-3-2-1 with Ozzie, Rae and Hughes or Jack in the middle and Hayes, Fraser and Vernon up top. When we don't have the ball, of course Hayes and Fraser are going to chase back. But to suggest that because of this, we are playing a 4-5-1 is something I just don't agree with.

[stoney]

At times during 2 out of the three homes hughes has been playing further forward than our wingers......regardless of the formation, its nae working and needs changed, we realized quite some time ago vernon up top on his own doesnt work, he needs someone to feed off.