Victims v Dons

[BigAl]

Well almost time for our first game of the season against them already.

No great hopes this time around, although do believe they as seriously suspect at the back and we willscore against them. Would appear likely that O'Connor will be moved out of central defence into midfield which means Taylor and Reynolds as defensive pairing. Going to predict our usual reduction to ten men against them and Shay Logan to be subjected to constant barracking from the minky mob followers.

 

Out

Golf

Golf

Finishing round of golf

3-1 to them (McGinn, followed by an apology)

[manc_don]

Beat me to it Al, I think you'll be right about O'Connor which is annoying but we have zero bite in midfield:

 

On the back of their successful qualification for the group stages, I expect them to be absolutely pumped for it, especially since it's at home.  Hopefully they'll suffer their usual Euro hangover but I somehow doubt it.  Really not sure how we'll line up although possibly something like this:

 

                                  Lewis

              Logan - Taylor - Reynolds - Considine

  McGinn - McLean - O'Connor - Shinnie - (peepaw if not out)

                      Burns (if peepaw isn't out)

                                  Rooney

 

Really hope we're not on the end of a pumping. Our experience coming off the bench in midfield is woefully weak.  Who knows though, maybe they'll surprise the cunts like we did 12 years ago when Budgie and Pasquinelli scored 

 

In/out: Out

Pre match: flat

match: lunch

post match: recovery

Porediction: 3-0 tims, no dons scorer.

[manc_don]

Dons skipper Ryan Jack is set to have knee surgery on Tuesday.

 

However, manager Derek McInnes has not ruled out the possibility of Jack playing against Celtic tomorrow.

 

Jack faces a lengthy spell out after he has had the operation to repair damaged cartilage in one of his knees.

 

But with Peter Pawlett already ruled out of the trip to Celtic Park because of a groin strain, the Aberdeen captain may be asked to play through the pain barrier one last time.

 

eh?!?!? Surely this is suicide?

[rocket_scientist]

eh?!?!? Surely this is suicide?

 

If true, absolute undeniable proof that McInnes is a fucking incompetent arse.

 

He's the best manager we've had under Milne but as we're seeing every day, he's still not very good. Like Calderwood, another one who will never go to a bigger club after AFC.

 

Not even McInnes can be that thick though. No chance Ryan plays.

 

Even thinking about it to paper over the cracks of his recruitment inadequacies is insane.

[manc_don]

Also, Al, you might want to check the thread title

[BigAl]

Also, Al, you might want to check the thread title

 

Lol, took you long enough to notice 

[RicoS321]

I'm assuming the Jack thing is just McInnes doing his usual bluff of the opponent, trying to make them second guess. Having just had a cartilage op myself, I know his pain!

[Madbadteacher]

I fully expect an early red card for the Dons, no booking for Brown despite his continual kung-fu attacks on our players, a "gritty" performance to keep it to 1-0 after losing an early penalty then to completely come apart in the last 15 mins and lose by 4!

[tlg1903]

I'm actually feeling quietly confident about tom. They are worse at defending against crosses than hammer horror vampires.

[Jute]

In a moment of weakness I stupidly bought a ticket for this. Have a horrible feeling I will be regretting it come half 4 tomorrow. McInness would be off his head to play an injured Jack tomorrow and can only hope this is mind games as Rico says. With Taylor likely to start I cannot see the unwashed not scoring at least a couple. Would rather we stuck with O'Connor and Reynolds at the back and gave Storie a run along side McLean in midfield. Would stick with Storey and Rooney up top as well as their back 4 does look weak so maybe we could get at them with 2 up. At worst it would give Rooney and Storey more game time together.

 

In

Bar in centre then late dash by taxi to the Tattie bowl.

Away end

Train back to Edinburgh

3-1 The green orcs with McGinn scoring for us

[manc_don]

In a moment of weakness I stupidly bought a ticket for this. Have a horrible feeling I will be regretting it come half 4 tomorrow. McInness would be off his head to play an injured Jack tomorrow and can only hope this is mind games as Rico says. With Taylor likely to start I cannot see the unwashed not scoring at least a couple. Would rather we stuck with O'Connor and Reynolds at the back and gave Storie a run along side McLean in midfield. Would stick with Storey and Rooney up top as well as their back 4 does look weak so maybe we could get at them with 2 up. At worst it would give Rooney and Storey more game time together.

 

I'd agree with that, we need to start playing Storey more. Hope it's a decent watch for you Jute! Lord knows we're due a result down at tattie dome.

[RicoS321]

Not a bad half, the Tims were all over us for most of it and an unstoppable goal from Griffiths. Good play by McGinn and great finish from Rooney. Reynolds should have been through that pass to Forest, but a good finish fae no-neck. McLean been average, and Burns has been poor at tracking, but with some good runs. Difficult to know what to do to change it to be honest, but they look ropey at the back if we can run at them.

[BobbyBiscuit]

DM set us up as if it was one of Uncle Ebbe's teams - damage limitation.  If the boss doesn't think we can win it, what chance have we got?

 

Wonderful finish by Rooney.  If McLean had a right foot we'd have been 2-1 up, instead we're 2-1 down.

[BobbyBiscuit]

Set piece delivery abysmal as ever.

[tom_widdows]

Is it not about time for the traditional celtic penalty?

[tom_widdows]

There it is along with the customary Red Card

[tom_widdows]

I fully expect an early red card for the Dons, no booking for Brown despite his continual kung-fu attacks on our players, a "gritty" performance to keep it to 1-0 after losing an early penalty then to completely come apart in the last 15 mins and lose by 4!

 

Close but not quite

[RicoS321]

To be fair, Scott Brown barely kicked anyone. Bitton should have been booked, as should Toure, but the ref was quite lenient. Never a penalty, but it's easy to give those at Celtic park. Had to be a sending off once he'd given it. Once we only ten men, we sacrificed a man in the wall - couldn't have had an easier free-kick, I could have scored it. Poor subs again from McInnes. McLean should have been off early on in the second half (like Pawlett would have been, around 65-70th minute). He wasn't terrible, but didn't offer much. I'd have had Stockley on for McGinn around 75th, and played two up front, Rooney for Storey if he was tiring. The predictability of our subs is galling. Anyway, not the worst performance, and certainly didn't deserve a 4-1 despite our atrocious start to the game.

[ayrshire_don74]

A shitebag of a performance from a shitebag of a manager , fucking back 3 , reynolds horrendous , i would have put a better shift in than mclean , manager hasnt strengthened adequately

[LA-Don]

Didn't watch the game but did we play with our left back and primarily a central defender as our midfield pairing? While they may have played well (did they?), surely this isn't the plan/solution???

 

If we don't sign a couple of central midfielders before the window closes this will have been our worst window in a long time. Yes, we got Stockley, Lewis, Storey, and Burns, but the gaping hole in the middle of the field being filled is huge to the success of our season. 5 points from the first 4 games is concerning regardless of the bullshit being said about fatigue and the euro run (same schedule as last year) - we certainly aren't a top 3 team and I'd say we'll struggle for top 6 with the current squad. Games are won or lost in midfield unless we plan on being a long ball team and we are both weak and thin in there.

[Jute]

Woeful first half with McInnes clearly shitting the bed. Scored completely against the run of play and were lucky to only be 2-1 down at half time. Bit better in second half but not sure if that was because they were cruising by then. Looked a penalty to me but others suggesting it was not. Sad thing is I fully expected us to get beat so I have to question my sanity for actually turning up to watch this pish.

[rocket_scientist]

I left after the "penalty" that never was. Fucking disgrace.

 

Was surprised how competitive we were until then.

 

Celtic were shit but we were worse. Horrible experience.

 

But totally predictable.

[manc_don]

By the sounds of it, McInnes needs to have a look at himself, his tactics and team selection.

 

I don't care who weve played at the moment, we shouldn't be calling ourselves title contenders.

[tlg1903]

We showed to much respect until we scored. The second half we were the better side but still looked a bit nervy. Shinnie was outstanding, as was logan. Maclean looked far more like himself and played some nice balls in the second half. I also thought taylor played well fwiw.

It's a galling result when we were easily worth a point, never a pen in a million years

[BobbyBiscuit]

We showed to much respect until we scored. The second half we were the better side but still looked a bit nervy. Shinnie was outstanding, as was logan. Maclean looked far more like himself and played some nice balls in the second half. I also thought taylor played well fwiw.

It's a galling result when we were easily worth a point, never a pen in a million years

 

Come on man. Worth a point? In what universe? We had fucking surrendered before a ball had been kicked. McInnes didn't think we could win that game and it showed. That was a hideous first half and frankly, embarrassing. He went there expecting to get his arse felt and it happened, but it took much longer for it to happen because guess what...? Celtic aren't as good as our boss clearly thinks they are.

 

Rooney's finish was superb, his movement and anticipation equally so. No matter how poor we are, he can do something for us in the box, we all know it. He then gets bumped out to the right. Then he gets hooked at 2-1 with 7 minutes left. When we need a goal, we take off the one guy who gets us goals. It's bewildering and tiresome.

 

Know who would have been handy today? Willo Flood. Shame we let him leave and then never replaced him. What about Craig Storie to help shore things up? Gets on at 90 mins when the jig was well and truly up but we have Kenny McLean mincing about the midfield for us trying not to break a fingernail.

 

We were fucking garbage today, let's not pretend otherwise. Aye, the ref made a pig's ear of the penalty decision but we had already shot ourselves in the foot with the first half submission.  That wasn't the performance or attitude of a title contending side.

 

The writing has been on the wall. We are struggling, and DM now has a fortnight to knit his squad together because at the moment we are utterly disjointed and devoid of ideas.