The Brown Ultimatum

[mizer]

CLARK ROBERTSON says keeping Craig Brown and Archie Knox at Aberdeen is a no-brainer for the Dons board.

Manager Brown is out of contract at the end of the season and is still waiting to be offered a new deal while talk of him moving upstairs has led to uncertainty.

But for Robertson the issue is clear – get the pair signed up.

Aberdeen were bottom of the SPL when Brown and Knox arrived in December 2010 and, while it has not been plain sailing since, they are in far better shape going into the business end of the season.

Aberdeen are in the thick of the race for second place in the SPL ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Hibs. And they face the Easter Road men again next Sunday in the Scottish Cup.

Robertson is convinced the management team have the club moving in the right direction and he hopes they hang around to finish the job.

The Scotland Under-21 international said: “The manager and Archie have done a great job.

“I see them as the team to take us forward. It would be a no-brainer to keep them on.

“They have brought in some good players and given the young players a chance to show what they can do.”

Brown has put faith in Robertson who has battled back after four months out following knee surgery. He said: “I have played 50 games for Aberdeen and I’m only 19 so I’m getting there.

“I still have a long way to go but I am learning a lot from the manager and Archie.”

Robertson is also hoping defensive partner Mark Reynolds stays beyond the summer. The ex-Motherwell defender has a year left on his contract with Sheffield Wednesday but the Dons are hoping to do a deal.

Robertson said: “Having Mark beside me is fantastic. He helps me through games and gives me confidence.”

“He is a player the manager is definitely trying to keep on a permanent deal.”

Boss Brown knows where the Hibs danger will come ºfrom – Leigh Griffiths. He said: “Leigh is a key player for them and not just with his goals he scores as he creates them as well.

“They will feel they have more chance of winning with him in the team. Even without him they are a well-balanced side – but so are we.

“It’s a vital spell for us but the good thing is we have some of our experienced players back which should help.”

[Madbadteacher]

I think Broon must be given at least 1 more season, give him a full summer transfer window, let's see who'll stay if they KNOW it's still Craig and Archie, and see where we are in 2014.

My bet? 2/3 in the league and in at least 1 cup final!

[bloo_toon_red]

Last two Aberdeen managers' home league records:

 

Mark McGhee Pld 30 Won 10; 1 in 3 win ratio/0.33

Craig Brown Pld 40 Won 12; 3 in 10 win ratio/0.30

 

In other words, if those were bookies' odds, Mark McGhee would be the favourite.

 

Home form is rotten.  Poor home form = less fans turning up to the game = less £s through the turnstiles.  In which case it's no wonder Milne & Yule are keeping their cards close to their chests.

 

[CtS]

We were utterly horse shit under McGhee though, at least we're playing better under Brown.  In fact we have some really good players in Browns team, just need someone who can hit the fucking target with a shot.

 

 

If we'd scored just once yesterday the fans would have left very happy, dominant performance and 3 points - can't ask for more than that.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

We were utterly horse shit under McGhee though, at least we're playing better under Brown.  In fact we have some really good players in Browns team, just need someone who can hit the fucking target with a shot.

 

 

If we'd scored just once yesterday the fans would have left very happy, dominant performance and 3 points - can't ask for more than that.

 

There is that too, we are a different proposition from said horse shit but with that comes different expectations. We're nearer where we should be and we are a much improved side, playing decent fitba. The proposition is now one of whether the guy who has got is to this point is the same guy who will get the best out of what we have and continue the improvement.

 

I don't know, possibly he is but I'm as fickle as fuck.

[Jute]

We were utterly horse shit under McGhee though, at least we're playing better under Brown.  In fact we have some really good players in Browns team, just need someone who can hit the fucking target with a shot.

 

 

If we'd scored just once yesterday the fans would have left very happy, dominant performance and 3 points - can't ask for more than that.

 

Is improving the football from the level played under McGhee that much of an achievement though. It could not have got much worse. For all this improved football we still create very little as the number of goals scored shows.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

The number of points gained and goals lost is a bit different too.

[CtS]

I can't understand it either, I felt only Hughes and McGinn were a bit off form yesterday, but with 8 out of 10 outfield players performing well we should be more than capable of beating a piss poor hibs outfit.

 

 

Not sure it's Browns fault though.  He's certainly attracted a better calibre of player to the club than we've seen in the previous couple of years.

[bloo_toon_red]

Total League Record:

Mark McGhee Pld 56, Pts 60/1.07pts per game

Craig Brown Pld 82, Pts 92/1.12pts per game

 

In Mark McGhee's 30 home league games in charge, AFC failed to score in 10, or 1 in every 3 games/0.33

In Craig Brown's 40 home league games in charge, AFC have failed to score in 18, or 9 in every 20 games/0.45

[maverick sheep]

Brown does spend less time showing complete disdain for the supporters however

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

There is however a miniskirt issue in that there is continual improvement in Brown's stats which has co-incided with his assembling of "his" squad.

[Jute]

There is however a miniskirt issue in that there is continual improvement in Brown's stats which has co-incided with his assembling of "his" squad.

 

Compared to this point last season we have won 2 more league matches (6 last season after 24 and 8 now) and lost two less (10 last year 8 now) with same number of  draws 8. We had scored 4 more goals this year after 24 games (30 compared to 26) and conceded one more 31 compared to 30.

 

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

So, an improvement though one that's not completely reflected in points.

 

I suspect there will be an improvement over the next few weeks with the return to the team and match fitness of a lot of badly missed players.

[tlg1903]

Yeah from what I saw of the game on sunday actually having 3 central midfielders playing in central midfield made a huge difference.  Delighted to have Pawlett back but as is said in other threads the lack of cb cover is alarming.  Why was ozzy playing cb on sunday and shaughnessy at rb, surely they would be better switched? 

[Jute]

So, an improvement though one that's not completely reflected in points.

 

I suspect there will be an improvement over the next few weeks with the return to the team and match fitness of a lot of badly missed players.

 

Could be argued that improvement on last year is purely down to not playing Rangers (deceased) and instead playing a shite Dundee side that only had two weeks to prepare for SPL.

[maverick sheep]

Results and general performance are not the same thing. We've absolutely played better football this season in the majority of games than during most of the past decade or so.

 

 

 

 

 

[mizer]

Results and general performance are not the same thing. We've absolutely played better football this season in the majority of games than during most of the past decade or so.

 

Not in the majority of games I have been to.

[maverick sheep]

Before or after our injuries were into double figures?

 

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Could be argued that improvement on last year is purely down to not playing Rangers (deceased) and instead playing a shite Dundee side that only had two weeks to prepare for SPL.

 

Is your opinion then that there has been no improvement?

 

 

[Tyrant]

There's been a massive improvement. Aberdeen are playing better football than I've seen for a long time. My boredom level at games is a fraction of what it was last season and they 10 seasons before that. The results have been marginally better at best but there's definitely improvement and movement in the right direction. Whether Brown can make us continue further in this direction is the question.

[bloo_toon_red]

In terms of entertainment value and on how pleasing the team is on the eye, yes, there is an improvement.  But the level of the improvement is subjective to the individual - nobody can say there has been a "massive improvement" or that there is a "big difference" when there is nothing tangible to compare it to in terms of results.  A change of approach or working method is only worth what you get out at the other end, and in this case, other than a couple of cup semis, it is an indisputable fact, that up to this point, results have not actually improved much under Craig Brown other than we're a little bit more hard to beat.

 

 

What you can grant him, is that over the first 12 games of this season we acquired 18 points, and over the past 12 games we have only acquired 14 points and that can be put down to an unfortunate series of injuries to our entire midfield, and you wonder what impact that has had, but nobody can know for sure.  The next four games are crucial in my opinion. A win over St Johnstone ought to consolidate our position in the top 6 for us to kick on, but a defeat would make things a bit precarious with Dundee Utd & Killie then breathing down our necks.  Hibs on Saturday is a must-win, as are the two home league games with St Mirren & Dundee.  The complexion of things can change very quickly for sure, but I am personally minded that Brown should be replaced when his contract runs out at the end of this season.

 

[McMaster]

Can't see any point in letting him go just yet. The football has definitely improved. Actually having exciting players like Hayes, McGinn and Fraser afore he left. The last time we let a decent manager go in Calderwood (just in my opinion) it took us ages to recover.

 

There is no guarantee a new manager coming in will make a difference. Trying to get someone in with the financial state of Scottish football seems pointless. We would probably have to pay compensation to get the manager in, then offer him some sort of half decent transfer budget to make the job worthwhile. That money should be saved for the current manager to acquire new players and keep current ones on good contracts.

 

Obviously if we have a shocker in the second half o the season then we would have to address the situation.

[mizer]

Brown said himself at the end of last March at the fans forum that he had to improve results as they were not good enough and described most of the other SPL teams budgets including 2nd & 3rd place ICT & Motherwells as a pittance as to what he had to spend.

 

After 24 games 2011 v 2012

 

Wins - 6 v 8

Draws - 8 v 8

loss - 10 v 8

Goals scored - 26 v 30

Goals conceded - 30 v 31

 

So yes looking at the figures you could argue that we have improved slightly but remember that Rangers have been replaced by cash strapped Dundee. In the first 24 games in 2010/11 we lost twice to rangers whilst this season we have beaten Dundee twice.

[Jute]

Is your opinion then that there has been no improvement?

 

 

 

We have better individual players at the club and they have better to watch at times but there have been other games that have been just as bad as anything in the previous seasons. Any improvement has been slight and definately does not reflect the investment made in the playing staff. On paper we should be doing a lot better than we are with the players we have. I know we have had injuries but we only picked up 4 points more in the first quarter than than we did in the 2nd so they do not seem to have a massive effect.

 

We are still only winning just over a third of our games and look no nearer to winning anything so what  improvement there has been in the style of play is being wiped out (for me anyway) by the fact results are not really improving. 

 

[mizer]

We've absolutely played better football this season in the majority of games than during most of the past decade or so.

 

 

Couldnt agree more with this after tonight.........