Staggies v AFC

[manc_don]

Positive news about McLean, shame the rest of the team didn't help him out.  In terms of who was playing, not sure I'd really disagree with that line up, although I'd like us to play both Stockley and Rooney together.  Not sure what Burns offers the team.  Are both storie and storey's attitude that bad that they can't get a game?!?

[Elgindon]

 

If Rooney and Stockley dont play together,i wouldnt play either of them alone.Pawlett and McGinn in instead and cut out the aimless crosses,get a pacey attack going instead

[BobbyBiscuit]

Positive news about McLean, shame the rest of the team didn't help him out.  In terms of who was playing, not sure I'd really disagree with that line up, although I'd like us to play both Stockley and Rooney together.  Not sure what Burns offers the team.  Are both storie and storey's attitude that bad that they can't get a game?!?

 

Storey chucked on with 5 mins to go. Boy hasn't kicked a ball in 7 weeks or so - asking a lot for him to turn that game for us.

 

word is that Storie is going on loan to St Mirren. 

[manc_don]

Storey chucked on with 5 mins to go. Boy hasn't kicked a ball in 7 weeks or so - asking a lot for him to turn that game for us.

 

word is that Storie is going on loan to St Mirren. 

 

Seriously?  His attitude really must stink if he's getting punted there.  That said, we need him getting game time so if that helps him catch McInnes' eye then so be it.

[TheDeeDon]

Went to see Rogue One this afternoon, then comes out in a great mood only to see the score.

 

Not good, we are on a bad run at the moment and seem to have run out of ideas. The good news is we are still clear at 3rd with a game in hand, but seeing a team in their first season in the top flight ahead at second is a bitter pill to swallow.

 

If they do end up finishing second this season, I honestly fear for the game in Scotland.

 

We really need to go on a winning run, which we are capable of and prove our previous second place finishes were merited and not just because that rancid lot weren't in the league.

 

Deek won't be going anywhere, so we have to keep backing them and hopefully we can get through this.

 

We have been through worse, a lot worse, but we need to keep the faith however hard that may be.

[irnbru1903]

 

Went to see Rogue One this afternoon, then comes out in a great mood only to see the score.

 

Deek won't be going anywhere, so we have to keep backing them and hopefully we can get through this.

 

 

Erm so how was Rogue One? Obviously better than the football.

[TheDeeDon]

 

Erm so how was Rogue One? Obviously better than the football.

 

Excellent, since you ask, really good.

 

Going by reports, we didn't play too badly, but the result was awful they scored when down to 10 men also, just to add insult to injury.

 

Oh well, bring on the next game.

 

 

[Jute]

That's second pretty much gone. Really need to start winning soon or this could become a fucking horrible season. McInnes needs to get a grip with the constant tinkering with line ups and formations.

[EdmontonDandy]

Second place gone?  How can you say that?  How many games left in the season with two more alone against the Tribute Act.  I understand we're not getting results at the moment and from what I heard today we didn't play that badly.  Thinking second place is out of reach is a real knee jerk reaction.

[irnbru1903]

We used to have a team that grinded out results and scored goals at crucial moments of games but since the latter part of last season we seem incapable of doing that. We still have the games where we play better and win but not the ones where we win regardless. That is down to habit and we have lost it where as the zombies and the vermin have it in spades at the moment. Unless something changes second is beyond our capabilities as sad as that is. Normality in the Scottish game has been resumed. Where is the vomit smiley?!

[manc_don]

We used to have a team that grinded out results and scored goals at crucial moments of games but since the latter part of last season we seem incapable of doing that. We still have the games where we play better and win but not the ones where we win regardless. That is down to habit and we have lost it where as the zombies and the vermin have it in spades at the moment. Unless something changes second is beyond our capabilities as sad as that is. Normality in the Scottish game has been resumed. Where is the vomit smiley?!

 

Certainly seems to have been something our manager has subscribed to.  We just need to get back to basics and play to our strengths.  Enough of of this over thinking over cautious approach, it is precisely this that has brought on this malaise in the first place.  Something has to drastically change in our mentality / luck for us to even think about challenging for second.

[rocket_scientist]

In my opinion, this discussion is void. Until the manager gets binned, it's all academic horseshit.

 

[Elgindon]

  Mcinnes certainly needs to wake to alternative ideas to progress,but its a bit defeatist to say normality has been resumed.Sevco are where they dont deserve to be,and we are playing under our capabilities,and the other teams are over respecting them like we did.

  Mowbrays Hibs didnt play with any fear or respect.That was a team to be envious of.It was a different attitude and approach that gave better OF teams regular spankings.We do have a squad there,if it was augmented with one or two imaginative signings,and a change in attitude we might get somewhere.Whether Mcinnes has it in him to pull something out the bag who knows. 

 

[DollyLongstaffe]

He needs to re-think the type of squad we need.  In the past couple of seasons our bench - on paper at least - has been occupied mainly by the kind of players who'd be automatic starters for about 3/4 of the league.  That was not the case under previous managers. My initial reactions was well-done Deek, but now I have serious doubts.

 

Last year we had an 8 match winning streak, but guys like Quinn, Pawlett and Flood were not getting picked and getting more and more agitated about it.  Under pressure the manager started finding places for them.  Disaffected, not match fit and having had their confidence dented, they were predictably not on it and we had a horrible run, ejected from the League cup at the first hurdle and dropping a stack of points in the league.

 

Unfortunately the days when players would rather warm the bench at Aberdeen than get a game for a "lesser" SPL side are long gone.  Quinn forced Deek to let him go back to County to get a regular game.  Flood dropped a division rather than sit on the bench.

 

This season the same problems are surfacing.  Guys like Brown and Stockley will have been sold a move to the club, no doubt on the assumption they would be playing.  Pawlett, who outside a half-decent 45mins against Killie has been sub-standard for about 3 seasons is getting picked.  When Stockley, for example is picked we not only lose Rooney's goal threat for a poorer player, we dent Rooney's confidence and commitment.  I don't think it's coincidence than an in-and-out-of-the-side Rooney has been a lot less effective than the automatic-pick Rooney of old.  Driven by a need to be fair to the individual players, Deek is regularly weakening his first 11.

 

I think we need to go back to a smaller squad.  That should free up some wages to improve the quality of it.  The bench should include 2 or 3 promising youngsters who are ambitious but accept that they are at the early stages of their career and won't throw their toys out of the pram if they don't get picked.  Yes that goes against conventional wisdom that you need an in-depth squad but what's right for Chelsea or even Celtic isn't necessarily right for Aberdeen.  Yes it means relying on youngsters if their are injuries and suspensions, but surely that's no worse than relying on more experienced players who can't get into the first 11 on merit and have been sitting on the bench getting out of match practice and feeling bitter about their lot.

[Elgindon]

 

Like it DL.Good post

[manc_don]

Excellent post DL, interesting take on things 

[InversneckieDob]

Thing is, the last couple of years when we've relied on the tried and tested, the arse has fallen out of us in the latter part of the season.

 

For me, in an attacking sense, one of our major issues has been McGinn's non-summer.

 

Del has, rightly, tried to nurse him along but that has led to imbalance.

 

If we treat yesterday as a stand alone game we could write it off as "one of those games".

We dominate from start to finish, but lack cut in the last third and defend like fannys on selected occasions.

 

But we can't write yesterday off thus because penalty box ineptitude at both ends has been one of the features of our season.

 

I'd say the back four yesterday would've been the one most of us would've picked, I would've.

 

But that second goal..........that was Inverdee-esque in it's dreadful-ness.

Generally, Kenny McLean's performance yesterday was the main shining light, he played well.

 

I recall saying last season when we had that mad spell October-ish, that it smelled like something wasn't right at the club.

 

I'm getting that vibe again here and now, and we don't get this sorted soon things could get ropey for loads at the club.

 

Massive January coming up for Del, massive.

 

We need to ship the peripherals and get key areas strengthened.

[rocket_scientist]

Last year we had an 8 match winning streak, but guys like Quinn, Pawlett and Flood were not getting picked and getting more and more agitated about it.

 

I agree that it's an interesting angle and that one of the manager's failings may well be "appeasementism" but the facts don't support these particular examples. Quinn and Flood appeared in the majority of the first 8 games of the season (remember Quinn's winner v. Celtic) where we got 24/24 points. Only Pawlett never appeared.

[rocket_scientist]

And anyway, it's a results business.

 

Something went seriously awry starting at Easter Road last September and something went seriously awry 30 minutes before kick off at the final last month when the team's got announced.

 

Whatever the specific failings of McInnes, he's not good enough as the results and performances prove consistently.

[RicoS321]

Aye, it's difficult like, with January once again being vital. I think the signings of Stockley and Burns show the market we're in and how difficult it is to get right. They're close to being good players that show occasional flashes of something better, but they're not quite there. Stockley was exactly the right signing (type of player), but he's just nae quite good enough. Pathetically, in that role, we haven't even managed to better Magennis since he left. We've set a high benchmark with Hayes, McGinn, Rooney, Shinnie and MacLean - the signings that were staring us in the face as proven top class SPL players. Unfortunately, the best of the rest just now (Storey, Tansey etc) isn't quite where we need to be in order to improve. There's not a real stand out in the key positions that we can pick up in January. Then when you look down South it's hit or miss, and we generally miss. January is also a difficult time to pick up good players, as most are in contract. Poor summer signings and lack of youth have set us up for a typical January under McInnes.

[Nips_and_Tatties]

Get a hard arsed manager in.

 

Make a possible list of maybe 10 candidates from abroad.

 

Tell the players that they need to try harder and that you,won't have complacency or you're out.

 

We want results so if you don't wanna move forward with the club then fuck off.you can be replaced!

 

Forget loan players...buy some fuckers and go into a bit of debt.

 

Not SPL players who read the press about the cheeks and worry about them or yearn to play for them.

 

Bring through youngsters...there's a few in the under 21s worth a shout surely.( wright being the main one I would think).

 

We need to move forward.we have the fan base to survive and the financial backing by going into a bit of debt.

 

Get the fans excited by gifted players..proven..who are not gambles.

 

It's not really rocket science is it???

 

if individuals can get thousands of pounds through sponsored sporting achievements then why can't a fucking football club set something up.

 

I'd happily give £20 to get a player that the manager can sign.

 

We had 40,000 at a cup final.

 

Half of that willing to give £20 = £400,000

 

sounds ridiculous but people influence ...and their power can change situations even just with intent.

 

 

 

 

[LA-Don]

Don't agree with DL and a smaller squad at all. We 'failed' in the last couple of seasons because we were gassed by March. We finished the season with our stronger players having nothing left to give.

 

From what I see DM doesn't know how to use a squad. Last couple of season he's played maybe 15-16 players and run them into the ground. He'd have done the same again this year except with players off form/not performing he's had to change things. Then it gets worse because it changes weekly, if players don't immediately perform they're dropped again e.g. the constant switching of Rooney and Stockley. But then again if you do perform you can still get dropped - Pawlett for example who has come in and played quite well still gets binned for Jack. Then we have players who rarely play well - it was Jack and McLean until McLean finally found a bit of form - play week in week out regardless. There is no consistency in team selection, plus no consistency in why a team is selected, hence no consistency in team performance.

 

It's impossible for a player to play consistently well when you don't know if you're going to play regardless of performance. Man management is definitely being questioned. It's the first time in the DM reign where multiple players are off form and questions have been asked about DM's man management and team selections. He appears to be failing miserably.

 

Lastly, we had driven leaders in Anderson, Quinn, Flood, and Robson - you can't maintain performance when failing to replace multiple leaders and strong characters. There guys had a major influence on the field and that's a huge loss.

[DollyLongstaffe]

I agree that it's an interesting angle and that one of the manager's failings may well be "appeasementism" but the facts don't support these particular examples. Quinn and Flood appeared in the majority of the first 8 games of the season (remember Quinn's winner v. Celtic) where we got 24/24 points. Only Pawlett never appeared.

 

My memory for detail may have let me down a bit, but this is exactly what I thought at the time (that he was tinkering with the team and playing disenchanted players to appease them) and at that time the facts would have been fresh in my mind.  I'm sure if I went through the history of team selection in detail I could reconstruct exactly why I thought so.

 

Flood played some games but was clearly very unhappy that he was no longer an automatic pick.  There was absolutely no logic in playing Pawlett in as crucial and tricky tie as Hibs away, and both players had the body language of malcontents.  Quinn had gone by January, clear that he was in effect emergency cover.

 

LA Don, you may be right that a different manager could keep a bigger squad pulling in the same direction, and no doubt a leader or two would help.  But on balance I think the problem is more likely to do with the limitations of the club as a draw for players rather than the manager.  Deek doesn't get enough credit for getting players to come here and stay here.  Some people seem to have forgotten the difficulty we had in holding onto players who showed even a smidgen more talent than the workmanlike SPL average under Calderwood, McGhee and Brown.  We couldn't even persuade shite like McDonald and Kerr to renew their contracts here and the likes of Nicolson and Clark were off as soon as an English club showed an interest.  Against that backdrop bringing the likes of Hayes, Rooney, Logan, Lewis and Shinnie to the club, and getting the first 3 to sign renewed contracts is impressive.  Hayes explicitly said he was happy to stay here as long as McInnes was the manager.

 

McInnes has improved the club's ability to attract and retain players, but not to the point where above average SPL players are happy to be fringe players here.  Frankly I doubt anyone could pull that off.

 

 

 

 

[rocket_scientist]

My memory for detail may have let me down a bit,...

 

Flood played some games but was clearly very unhappy that he was no longer an automatic pick.  There was absolutely no logic in playing Pawlett in as crucial and tricky tie as Hibs away, and both players had the body language of malcontents.

 

Your memory is definitely playing tricks with you.

 

Flood appeared in 6 of the first 8 games when we had a 100% record.

 

At Easter Road, PeePaw came on for Flood after 18 minutes.

[Reidzer 1314]

When we are not tucking 10 man Ross County in to bed and telling them goodnight then that is simply not good enough. 

 

Squad size is an issue for McInnes but purely because it is becoming very clear that he has no idea of who to play or where to play them. Add the fact that under performing players are being played every week regardless, then you have a recipe for disaster.

 

We can roll in to the window and sign 5 new players, it wont make one bit of difference unless they are utilized properly on the pitch by the manager. The 4-2-3-1 shape that we deploy every match has become so predictable that I wouldn't be surprised if rival teams dont scout us before they play us anymore.

 

At this moment in time we are very stale and very predictable.