What's needed in 2016?

[BobbyBiscuit]

What would you like to see or what do you think is needed in 2016 for The Dons?

 

I would like to see a dominant, physical presence signed for the centre of midfield.

 

I would like to see DM at least entertain the thought of playing Considine and Reynolds as a CH pairing - Taylor and Quinn have had good moments but both have had disastrous moments too and I do not feel comfortable with either. I'm also concerned that opposition teams - and not very good ones at that - target Quinn and Taylor as our weak links.

 

Make a move for a new goalkeeper as we have to assume Ward will be back to Liverpool after this season. I'd like to see Bain back at the club.

 

We need another striker in, someone capable of scoring goals so that it isn't purely left to Rooney to do the business for us. Goodwillie is never going to be that guy.

 

The big one for me though in the short term... beating Hearts next weekend is an absolute must.  If we lose that, it could have a really damaging effect on the rest of the season, not to mention that it's another year without the Scottish Cup - it's been far too long and we have to get that back.

[rocket_scientist]

I would like to see Milne fuck off in 2016.

 

Given I've been wanting this for almost 20 years, I'm not expecting much.

 

Whilst this cancer remains, good health is not possible.

[Goldie03]

What would you like to see or what do you think is needed in 2016 for The Dons?

 

I would like to see a dominant, physical presence signed for the centre of midfield.

 

I would like to see DM at least entertain the thought of playing Considine and Reynolds as a CH pairing - Taylor and Quinn have had good moments but both have had disastrous moments too and I do not feel comfortable with either. I'm also concerned that opposition teams - and not very good ones at that - target Quinn and Taylor as our weak links.

 

Make a move for a new goalkeeper as we have to assume Ward will be back to Liverpool after this season. I'd like to see Bain back at the club.

 

We need another striker in, someone capable of scoring goals so that it isn't purely left to Rooney to do the business for us. Goodwillie is never going to be that guy.

 

The big one for me though in the short term... beating Hearts next weekend is an absolute must.  If we lose that, it could have a really damaging effect on the rest of the season, not to mention that it's another year without the Scottish Cup - it's been far too long and we have to get that back.

 

Completely agree with all of the above especially re our cuptie!!

[Jute]

In this window would like to see Mclauglin and Parker replaced with loan signings capable of contributing rather than just fill places on the bench. Goodwillie told to find another club and his wages used to find a striker to give an option other than Rooney. Robson should be moved on to coaching staff to free up wages for a player who could contribute on the pitch rather than just an influence off it.

 

Long term agree with Bobby that a new keeper is a must or we stick with Rogers. No more grooming someone else's young players in that position. Would also like Reynolds and Considine tried at Centre half. New right back will also be required as cannot see Logan staying. Not Foster though.

 

Progress into later rounds of the Scottish Cup is a must. Finishing 2nd with the budget we have compared to the rest should be a given for even a vaguely competent manager so a cup final is needed for this season to be a real success. Way we went out of the league cup still annoys me.

 

Lastly would like to see manager make better use of his squad and to see younger players given more of a chance. If they are not good enough then move them on.

[Goldie03]

Hear hear Jute, I love that you & BB spend time putting down your thoughts on paper and I can just read & agree with you 

[rocket_scientist]

Hear hear Jute, I love that you & BB spend time putting down your thoughts on paper and I can just read & agree with you 

 

If, as he correctly says, "finishing second with the budget we have compared to the rest should be a given for even a vaguely competent manager" and you agree with that, why did you and many on this webchatspeaksite defend Calderwood so vehemently?

 

Has your philosophy and expectations changed, were you all being contrary for the sake of being contrary or do you not have the courage to have an opinion of your own and like the majority of people, you follow the herd?

[Goldie03]

I dont remember defending Calderwood vehemently tbh

 

Of course I have my own opinions but given that I chat regularly with Jute & BB and know they think the same as me it is easy to agree with them

 

 

 

[rocket_scientist]

Don't take this the wrong way and miss the spirit intended although given human experience, it would be perfectly understandable if you did, for the precise reason that Einstein identified when the ego is involved, since expanded and articulated so brilliantly by Dr M Scott Peck in his multi million selling book. Even Scotland's Jim Kelman spoke of this point in his Booker-winning A Disaffection when he wrote "the I's are the worst".

 

Actually, if you can't remember what opinion you had about a former manager "to be honest" and I can, then it is highly probable that your ego would be pricked by any genuine attempt to educate and help you so I won't bother.

[BobbyBiscuit]

If, as he correctly says, "finishing second with the budget we have compared to the rest should be a given for even a vaguely competent manager" and you agree with that, why did you and many on this webchatspeaksite defend Calderwood so vehemently?

 

Has your philosophy and expectations changed, were you all being contrary for the sake of being contrary or do you not have the courage to have an opinion of your own and like the majority of people, you follow the herd?

 

At what point did Calderwood have the second biggest budget in the league? He didn't, ever. These circumstances are in no way comparable and I don't understand why you choose to bring him up at all, let alone in a thread about our hopes for 2016.

 

Your stance that this website was altogether behind JC is also a nonsense. I, for one, wanted him gone and so did a few others. I can't remember who did and who didn't because it frankly doesn't matter - the club, and the vast majority of the support have moved on.

 

There are other managers of AFC who I believe are far worthy of the scorn you reserve for JC - his successor, for one.  Alex Miller and Steve Paterson are others. There would be a huge case for Ian Porterfield too and Roy Aitken. 

 

But they too, like JC, are not relevant here.

[rocket_scientist]

Ok already. The Huns and Celtic. My broader point was that when we were underachieving year after year after year, it was nothing to do with the size of our football budget. There was something else at play.

 

We will agree to disagree if you can't recall how Calderwood was defended on this site when most of us wanted rid of the cunt early doors, indeed some of us never wanted the fat bastard to begin with and his career post AFC proves how fucking shite he is and always was.

 

And for accuracy, I didn't say "altogether" as you did, implying EVERYONE on this site. I said "many". Only a fucking idiot attributes ONE same opinion to a whole site, particularly on something so contentious and concerning subjective realities like personality-assessments, even though his fiercest critics were proved right.

 

I agree that we have had equally shite managers and I assure you that my scorn for their incompetence is similarly reserved. But this backs up my principal point, that something else is the foundation reason for our club being shite for over 20 years. Who recruited all these shit managers in the last 20+ years?

 

I'll debate Milne's record all day every day. Where was the ambition to produce performances commensurate with our budget when we were bottom six? And where were the agitators for change when Blunderwood was leading us nowhere? Your mate - who says he knows two of you, how you think and agrees with everything you say - couldn't even remember his role as a JC apologist.

[BobbyBiscuit]

 

I'll debate Milne's record all day every day. Where was the ambition to produce performances commensurate with our budget when we were bottom six? And where were the agitators for change when Blunderwood was leading us nowhere? Your mate - who says he knows two of you, how you think and agrees with everything you say - couldn't even remember his role as a JC apologist.

 

As I said, I'm no fan and was no fan of JC, certainly in his latter days, but Calderwood, for all his faults, never had us in the bottom six. He may well have been leading us nowhere, but he wasn't leading us nowhere from the bottom half of the league. And while I'm sure you know that, I think it would be only fair of you to acknowledge that JC did a hell of a lot better than others who you choose not to chastise on such a regular basis.

 

I am no fan of Milne either. But why is it that the JC decision irks you so much and not the others, even though most of the others were poorer appointments?

 

And what does my mate not remembering their "role as a JC apologist" have to do with anything? As I also said, most people have moved on. Maybe you should too.

[rocket_scientist]

As I said, I'm no fan and was no fan of JC, certainly in his latter days, but Calderwood, for all his faults, never had us in the bottom six. He may well have been leading us nowhere, but he wasn't leading us nowhere from the bottom half of the league. And while I'm sure you know that, I think it would be only fair of you to acknowledge that JC did a hell of a lot better than others who you choose not to chastise on such a regular basis.

 

I never said that YOU were a fan of JC. I'm not stupid so don't imply that I am so stupid as to attribute properties to yourself that I never did.

 

I despised the fat cunt because he was a charlatan who was stealing a wage and he directly insulted us. The fact that he was protected by another charlatan meant he felt bulletproof, and all this went on for the exact same reason.

 

Rating him against other useless bastards is an exercise in futility, others who produced even worse records than he did because his stewardship of our club was so shite it was never going to work.

 

I chastise anyone and everyone who fucks up my club. We have never had a good manager since the Jocky Scott and Smiffy combo, and the latter fucked us over when it really mattered in May 91. Your IMPRESSION that I reserve my ire exclusively for Calderwood alone is unfair. I don't actually blame him for being useless. I blame AFC plc for employing him for so long. I actually blame our club more for keeping Langfield for as long as we did, Leighton's part in this being minor and also perfectly understandable, him and JC being cunts who we didn't see through early enough.

 

 

I am no fan of Milne either. But why is it that the JC decision irks you so much and not the others, even though most of the others were poorer appointments?

 

And what does my mate not remembering their "role as a JC apologist" have to do with anything? As I also said, most people have moved on. Maybe you should too.

 

That's insulting. I have moved on. Of course it's history. But when the boy said second is a bare minimum this season, your mate agreed with this and yet he did not have the same common sense expectations in the late 00's. I was pointing out a contradiction between his posting then and now, not that he can even remember what he thought back then.

[BobbyBiscuit]

Fair enough, maybe that is unfair, but it is only an impression i have because of what you post on here and the JC thing certainly seems to be a recurring theme more than others.

 

Why should anyone have expected us to finish second under Calderwood when Celtic were in their O'Neil/Strachan days  and the huns were cheating beyond everyone's ken?  As much as I wished the Dons to aim for the sky, to expect us to finish in the top two would have been a stretch of all our faiths.

[rocket_scientist]

Fuck off. I'm watching the telly.

 

And stop being pedantic. THIRD ok? We should have been going for the title of course but 3rd was the worst we should have expected.

[Goldie03]

I think we should start this thread again cause Rocket has just ruined what could have been a perfectly decent discussion

 

I may even have posted some comments of my own - nothing to do with Calderwood obviously cause this thread is fuck all to do with him!!

 

I do have a few opinions on Rocket but seeing as how I'm a lady I will keep them to myself 

 

 

[Edinburghdon]

I think we should start this thread again cause Rocket has just ruined what could have been a perfectly decent discussion

 

I may even have posted some comments of my own - nothing to do with Calderwood obviously cause this thread is fuck all to do with him!!

 

I do have a few opinions on Rocket but seeing as how I'm a lady I will keep them to myself 

 

Oh come on all we needed was a rant about langfield and We would have had a full house in rocket rant bingo 

 

Back on topic I'd like to see a solid midfielder and an alternative to Rooney brought in, plus cover on the left provided none of the under 20's are ready to step up.

 

A right back and a keeper in the long term looks to be a must too.  So basically what BB and Jute said.

[Goldie03]

Oh come on all we needed was a rant about langfield and We would have had a full house in rocket rant bingo 

 

Back on topic I'd like to see a solid midfielder and an alternative to Rooney brought in, plus cover on the left provided none of the under 20's are ready to step up.

 

A right back and a keeper in the long term looks to be a must too.  So basically what BB and Jute said.

 

Ha 

[Madbadteacher]

I can't help myself, sorry, but...............

 

Calderwood was appointed because of Willie Miller, not "chosen" by Milne IIRC

 

Goodnight

 

 

[RicoS321]

Fuck off. I'm watching the telly.

 

And stop being pedantic. THIRD ok? We should have been going for the title of course but 3rd was the worst we should have expected.

 

Fourth? Didn't Hearts have a significantly higher budget than us in the JC era? Kingston and such like.

 

I think, on the basis of this thread, we should re-appoint Jimmy Calderwood in 2016.

 

 

[rocket_scientist]

I can't help myself, sorry, but...............

 

Calderwood was appointed because of Willie Miller, not "chosen" by Milne IIRC

 

Goodnight

 

Which is why I posted that he was a charlatan being protected by a charlatan.

 

Milne is many things but charlatan he isn't.

 

[ally s]

I'd like us to sign a solid motherfucker of a forward. Someone in the mould of Duncan Shearer. I think we're seriously lacking some physicality up top.