ICT - Dons - 28/12/14

[manc_don]

Game live on BT sport, so happy days for me! 

 

In/out: Out

Prematcher: House

Match: House

Postmatcher: Pub with the folks

Prediction: 2-2, Hayes and Goodwillie

 

Last 5 game form guide:

ICT - DWWLL

AFC - WLWWW

 

Would love to see a victory here, but they seem to be pretty tough to beat at home, Thistle game was their first defeat of the season.  Hopefully the form guide is an illustration of how the squad feel at the moment, especially with the new deals being signed. Would love to end the year on a high, a lot of important games coming up.

[tlg1903]

In (this is a home game for me)

Flat then pub

Behind the goal

Pub

3-0 dons, goodwillie, Rooney, mcginn

Hard not to fancy us, overall we have a good record against ict and whilst I think they will give us a game they will attack us at home and we are lethal on the counter

[Jute]

Oot

Pub in Aberdeen for lunch

Pub in Aberdeen

In laws for tea

2-1 Dons McGinn and Rooney.

[manc_don]

Any team news for this yet? Wonder how many reds will end up in the home end today with the away section a sell out?

[BigAl]

Out

House

Hopefully catching a stream

House

1-2 Hayes & Rooney

[manc_don]

Craig Murray starts in place of Logan.

 

Same team otherwise from last week. COYR!

[BigAl]

1-0

 

Pee Paw 

[manc_don]

Need a much better second half, started well but faded badly from half through. Last 10 were a bit hairy!

[manc_don]

Definitely take that! Not the best performance by any stretch of the imagination but A for effort and 3 massive points. Second in the league and a chance to go top against a St Johnstone side in equally good form.  Hopefully get a big crowd to roar them on!

 

 

 

COYR

 

:ultras:

[Madbadteacher]

OK!

 

We are now the only team outside of the arsecheek that has the title totally within our own hands. win all our remaining games and we win the league!

 

COYR!

 

[Jute]

Poor performance but a win is win. Need to pick it up on Thursday against St Johnstone if we are to keep pressure on plastics.

[tlg1903]

I've been to pretty much every league game we have played at ICT. It's a tough venue and I can only recall one easy game there. We did well to get the points today, it wasn't pretty but any win at the dump is a good win. They were unlucky to hit the bar and you could argue they were with a point. I would argue though, Inverness made the game scrappy just like the cup final. Pawlett showed class and we won because of it. Some finish

[rocket_scientist]

The one thing that flummoxes me is talk of title contention this year. We watched the game in Murdos yesterday, it was heaving and the air of hope and optimism was palpable.

 

Factually, being two points behind a Celtic team who absolutely stole the points last game when a draw would have flattered them, a team who have dropped points the last couple of games, a wholly unconvincing unit managed by a wholly unconvincing uninspiring insipid bore of a man then yes, AFC are genuine title contenders.

 

Looking at the emergence of Jack, the work rate of Goodwillie, the consistency of Hayes, the reliability of Rooney, the pace of Pawlett, the lazy quality of McGinn, there is certainly enough quality going forward to do damage at SPL level.

 

The revelation that we can actually defend and keep clean sheets now that the Clangfool Clown has been eliminated isn't surprising but a huge contributor to this is the lack of quality in the opposition.

 

Perhaps because it's been so long, it's alien to us to be thinking in title terms. Perhaps the mismanagement of the club over many years previously, maybe there's a sense that we don't deserve to be contending, like the karma won't allow it and that we are a long way from being able to dream.

 

But the simple fact is that ICT, one of the better teams in the SPL were really shite yesterday and yet they still pulled us apart and created numerous chances, more realistic scoring opportunities than we did. Celtic are shite too, and will probably continue to be under the bore that is the Norwegian wood.

 

There's now a chance to win the league. I just can't see it converting. I was told I was giving my Celtic mate reverse psychology yesterday but I can't believe that this is our time, that this is the team that breaks a drought of 30 years. Then again, the facts, particularly the lack of quality in the SPL suggests that it could be. Rather than having the unrealistic expectations that the weegie cunts Calderwood and Miller told us we had, I'm scared to employ reasonable expectations the now in case it all goes tits up and by the end of next month, we slip too far behind again.

[tom_widdows]

Compared to this time last season

 

Celtic - 9 point worse off, Scored 6 less goals, conceded the same (1st)

Dons - 5 points better off, Scored 1 less goal, conceded 1 less goal (5th)

Arabs - 2 points better off, Scored 4 less goals, conceded 6 more goals(4th)

Hamilton

Caley - 1 point worse off, Scored 2 less goals, conceded 3 more (3rd)

St Johnstone - 4 points better off, Scored 8 less goals, conceded the same (6th)

Kilmarnock - 6 points better off, Scored 5 less goals, conceded 7 less(9th)

Dundee

Partick - 5 points better off, scored 8 goals more, conceded 11 goals less(10th)

Motherwell - 17 points worse off, Scored 9 goals less, conceded 3 more(2nd)

St Mirren - 9 points worse off, Scored 5 goals less, conceded 4 more(8th)

Ross County - 1 point worse off, Scored Same, conceded 2 more.(11th)

[manc_don]

I think that toms table pretty much summarises it, its all over the place but Celtic are definitely there for the taking. Whether its us that manages to take them is another thing. I'm trying to hold back on the excitement, but it is hard to avoid. I think its brilliant that we're able to grind out results like yesterday, whether we maintain that over the season I'm not sure. A couple more injuries and things might change, but currently I am enjoying the position we're in!