Dons - St. Johnstone (again) - Sat

[manc_don]

So a reverse of the fixtures a couple of weekends back when we could potentially seal second spot (bigot fest dependent).  Love to see us do it on our own patch but I suspect St. Johnstone won't make it easy at all.  Play as daft as we did after the first 30 mins on Saturday and they'll ask plenty of us. I'm guessing Taylor will keep his place regardless...The only other change I'd like to see is McGinn back for Christie.

 

Out

Seven Sister walk

As above

Hopefully the pub!

2-1 Dons, McLean and Consi.

[RicoS321]

Aye, should be a decent game. No dicking about from McInnes hopefully. McGinn back in (if fit) and take the game to them. Then give Hayes a couple of weeks off, he looks tired.

[Garlogie_Granite]

In

Driving

Mainer

Jaffs maybe

4-0 Dons; McLean (4)

[Jute]

All the games against St Johnstone have been tight affairs so far and I cannot see this one being any different. McGinn should start if fit as we look a better team with him playing than we do without him.

 

In

Lift up from Edinburgh

Y

Few beers in town then late train.

1-0 Rooney

 

[TheDeeDon]

In

Hame

Merkie

Hame

3-1 - I think it will be a tight game with a couple of late goals getting us the points.

 

Should see a decent enough crowd with a cup final looming, the fairweathers should be out in force.

[Elgindon]

 

In or oot - Working up at Crathie,depends what time I finish

 

Pre/post - Driving if in

 

Furryboots -  SS X

 

Prediction -  A nice 3 - 0 build up to the final, Rooney,McGinn x2

[A llad insane]

Usually struggle against this lot, can see a narrow win 2 1 .

In/out - In

furryboots - mainer (D)

pre match - driving

post match - driving

prediction - 2 1 (Rooney,McGinn)

Last Saturday 3.00 k.o in league.

[scotfree]

Hopefully, the semi win will give us a boost. I just hope it doesn't go the other way and it has tired us out. Games against this mob are always tough ones. I can see this being a 0-0 or just the one goal.

[Nips_and_Tatties]

I'm just glad we don't have to play Hibs again this season

 

You know...with them being the 2nd best team in the country and aw that (according to fuckwit Lennon)

 

 

:rofl:

[rocket_scientist]

I'm just glad we don't have to play Hibs again this season

 

You know...with them being the 2nd best team in the country and aw that (according to fuckwit Lennon)

 

 

:rofl:

 

By implication, I'm guessing you reckon AFC are the second best team in Scotland.

 

Pretty difficult to argue. The table doesn't lie. We are clearly the closest to the clear best.

 

But I'm not really interested in looking over our shoulder at who's behind. I'm more interested in looking at us, where and how we can improve and looking up to see how far we need to go.

 

If Lennon is saying Hibs are no. 2 in the country, he clearly has no respect for AFC. That's ok. Neither do I. It could be good motivational management as they prepare for life in the SPFL but he's not a million miles away. The only thing that separated the teams on Saturday was a fluke deflection. I reckon if popcorn teeth was Aberdeen manager next year, we would be clear second again and much closer to Celtic. McInnes has a big recruitment summer coming up and I'm losing faith in his management skills. Utterly absurd subs on Saturday, again, and he still doesn't know his best team and formation with the limited squad that he's got.

[RicoS321]

I want to know where to park at Hampden and which end is the most sectarian.

[manc_don]

I want to know where to park at Hampden and which end is the most sectarian.

 

[BobbyBiscuit]

 

 

I reckon if popcorn teeth was Aberdeen manager next year, we would be clear second again and much closer to Celtic. McInnes has a big recruitment summer coming up and I'm losing faith in his management skills. Utterly absurd subs on Saturday, again, and he still doesn't know his best team and formation with the limited squad that he's got.

 

On that issue, I made the point on Saturday that the substitution Lennon made in the first half was one that DM would never make - it was a bold move, realised he really had to shake things up otherwise the game was over.

McInnes's subs this season have been better than his previous seasons but he hugely got away with it on Saturday.

[Nips_and_Tatties]

Cmon guys.

 

It was a one off cup game.

 

We are miles better than Hibs.

 

The first half showed that but we lost focus 2nd half naturally havin been 2-0 up.

[Elgindon]

I want to know where to park at Hampden and which end is the most sectarian.

 

I was in the Buddhist end at Pittodrie recently.

 

  Vishuddhananda Paramahansa GTF

 

 

 

 

 

[Nips_and_Tatties]

I was in the Buddhist end at Pittodrie recently.Vishuddhana Paramahansa GTF

 

 

 

[rocket_scientist]

Cmon guys.

 

It was a one off cup game.

 

We are miles better than Hibs.

 

The first half showed that but we lost focus 2nd half naturally havin been 2-0 up.

 

Winners don't lose focus when the target is in sight.

 

Lennon made a great tactical change. McInnes made an awful one, yet again, but got lucky this time.

 

Too many of our players never showed up in a big game, yet again.

 

There was nothing between the teams. Neither deserved to win nor lose. Extra Time would've showed who wanted it more.

[RicoS321]

On that issue, I made the point on Saturday that the substitution Lennon made in the first half was one that DM would never make - it was a bold move, realised he really had to shake things up otherwise the game was over.

McInnes's subs this season have been better than his previous seasons but he hugely got away with it on Saturday.

 

It wasn't that bold a move considering they were 2 down in a cup game. In fairness to McInnes, the difference is that we generally have our best 11 on the park. The obvious example would be the last cup final where we didn't make a sub until 65th minute, but we could only bring on Stockley anyway. If we'd been 2-0 down early doors at the weekend, I suspect we'd have seen McGinn on pretty sharpish for example (at worst half time). McInnes is actually quite quick to make a change if one of his favourites isn't on the pitch. How often have we seen McGinn playing poorly for 80 minutes before being subbed, but Pawlett have an okay game being subbed before 65th minute for example. McInnes' biggest problem is his predictability. That said, I'm not convinced anyone would have predicted that atrocious sub he made at the weekend in bringing on O'Connor. There was simply no need, and it was obvious to anyone who's ever seen us play football that it was a bad sub. It wasn't even in hindsight after the goal either, everyone round me was shocked when O'Connor came on for Christie. I've always known McInnes was cautious, but that was taking it to extreme. If he felt he needed a back 3, then he should have just moved Considine over a bit and played Hayes wing back. I'd love to hear why he thought O'Connor was required at that stage in the game. Was it a loyalty (to O'Connor, who he may have felt deserved to be involved) thing? Extreme caution? McGinn's fitness meant he couldn't come on? Christie's fitness meant he absolutely had to come off? Formation struggling with the width of pitch? Practice for the final? It's annoying we don't have proper fitba journalists/interveiwers in the game, as that question should have been top of their list. To say he got away with it is an understatement. I hope we never see 4 centre halves on the pitch again, it was embarrassing.

[Nips_and_Tatties]

Winners don't lose focus when the target is in sight.

 

Lennon made a great tactical change. McInnes made an awful one, yet again, but got lucky this time.

 

Too many of our players never showed up in a big game, yet again.

 

There was nothing between the teams. Neither deserved to win nor lose. Extra Time would've showed who wanted it more.

 

So are you agreeong with me then?

 

Are you saying that if a lot of our players DID show up, we would therefore be a far better team than Hibs?

 

[rocket_scientist]

So are you agreeong with me then?

 

Are you saying that if a lot of our players DID show up, we would therefore be a far better team than Hibs?

 

 

I agree that Aberdeen are probably a better team than Hibs this season but we didn't show it on Saturday. I agree that if our manager had the ability to get our footballers to perform in the bigger games, we should be far better than them.

 

What I didn't agree with was your assessment that we were miles better. I also don't agree with your use of the word "naturally", as if being 2-0 up is an acceptable excuse for losing focus. There is NO excuse for not having a game plan in place and sticking to it and there is no excuse for failing to perform when it matters.

 

[Nips_and_Tatties]

Fair enough but I don't believe for a second that Taylor didn't lose concentration and focus as a result we were 2-0 up..and it kinda showed too.

[RicoS321]

Fair enough but I don't believe for a second that Taylor didn't lose concentration and focus as a result we were 2-0 up..and it kinda showed too.

 

That would ignore the overwhelming evidence of where Taylor loses concentration when we aren't 2-0 up. He just loses concentration regardless of scoreline. In fairness to him though, I think the first goal was poor decision making rather than concentration (as well as a very good run and cross). In other words, it was pishness rather than focus. 

[manc_don]

Fair enough but I don't believe for a second that Taylor didn't lose concentration and focus as a result we were 2-0 up..and it kinda showed too.

 

It's got nothing to do with the score IMO.  It's just that he's shite. 

[manc_don]

Sounds like there were a few doubts regarding McGinn and Shinnie, but according to the gaffer yesterday they're both good to play for this weekends game 

 

Let's get the job done guys! No fucking about!

[BigAl]

Out

Golf

Post golf, either live chat or clubhouse

Wife's 50th birthday party

3-1 Rooney, McGinn & McLean