Zander asks for fans support

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Aberdeen defender Zander Diamond has urged Dons supporters to channel their frustration positively following another night of disappointment at Pittodrie.

 

The Dons were held 1-1 by Motherwell last night despite Diamond's first-half goal and a penalty save from Derek Soutar but Darren Smith's late goal earned the Steelmen a valuable point to cement their challenge for a Uefa Cup place.

 

The frustration threatened to boil over among the home fans, with striker Darren Mackie singled out by a chorus of boos for his display. Diamond insists the jeers are doing little to help the players.

 

He said: "We are disappointed. We wanted all three points and we are not happy having to settle for one. We knew we had to put in a big performance as the fans would start getting on to the players. We had lost five on the trot before this game and it was a crucial one for us.

 

"I think we gave a good performance and we had great chances to get a second goal but the Motherwell keeper made two wonder saves. The fans will be disappointed again but I don't think they can fault our effort.

 

"As players we need to blank out those supporters who are having a go. The supporters have followed us everywhere this season and we had to give them a response. We have let them down but it still doesn't help when they have a go. "Tonight we had fans having a go at Darren Mackie, unfairly in my opinion, but themajority came through to cheer him when he went off.

 

"At this time we need them more than ever. The fans are frustrated as theywatched us finish third last season and, as a result, the expectation levels have become higher." The two points dropped at home leave the Dons scrambling for a top-six place and with a trip to Rangers next up, where Aberdeen have not won since 1991,Diamond has pledged he and his teammates will be attack-minded against the SPL leaders.

 

He said: "We know the league position is not good enough for this club but we have to be upbeat and take the positives from this game as we prepare for Ibrox on Saturday.

 

"We have to go out and have a go against Rangers as we will be picked off if we sit back. From one to 11 we have to be confident and get it in our minds that we can win. The fans will come down with us again in good numbers and they will sing their hearts out. If we can silence the Ibrox crowd then we have a chance.

 

"There are a lot of games to be played next month before the split and it is going to be close.We need a break and we need to go on a run, but we are capable of doing it."

[Kowalski]

*puts tin hat on*

 

Sick fed up of Mackie getting boo'd.  Doesn't matter what anybody thinks of his abilities, he's clearly low on confidence and booing him is hardly going to help.  Its not his fault he's getting a game.

 

What Zander doesn't realise is that folk were cheering because he was going off.  Cretins in my opinion.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

You're right Kowalski but try telling that to some cretins.

[BobbyBiscuit]

*puts tin hat on*

 

Sick fed up of Mackie getting boo'd.  Doesn't matter what anybody thinks of his abilities, he's clearly low on confidence and booing him is hardly going to help.  Its not his fault he's getting a game.

 

What Zander doesn't realise is that folk were cheering because he was going off.  Cretins in my opinion.

 

Agree with you there mate. Hate seeing/hearing that sort of stuff from our own supporters. I can understand their frustration but it's achieving the square root of fuck all.

[manc_don]

You'd have thought they'd have learnt this. They've boo'd him for years and its done nothing. Only ever produces form when a contract is up for renewal anyway. It achieves nothing and probably exacerbates the situation.

[Superstar Tradesman]

What I'm sick of is the players and staff coming out with shite about the fans whether good or bad.

 

How about a back page of "fans want Maguire to actually score once this season", "South Stand wishes JC would stop bleathering pish" or "Red Army promises to come back if team wins" for a change? 

 

Either put up or shut up you shower of cunts.  The fans are doing their job, how about you concentrate on doing yours?

 

Do your talking on the pitch because that's what really concerns us.

[ptkdon]

Was in the padded seats yesterday in the dick donald stand and it seems to me that there is a standard speech from everyone at afc. Sandy Clark mentioned it yesterday before reading the team out, the fans expectations are too high, well sorry for wanting the club to succeed!!!  What the fuck does sandy clark do anyway???

[Guest BTR]

What the fuck does sandy clark do anyway???

 

He's teaching our strikers how to score goals, and very well too. 

[Superstar Tradesman]

As a point of note Zander - the fans have been shouting their lungs off during the European games and saying zip in the domestic games.

 

Why do you think that is?

[ptkdon]

He's teaching our strikers how to score goals, and very well too. 

 

He's doing a cracking job then.  All I think he really does is read the teams out to the sponsers before the game, he didn't even do a good job of that.  He's a fud too.  Everyone is a fud.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

What I'm sick of is the players and staff coming out with shite about the fans whether good or bad.

 

How about a back page of "fans want Maguire to actually score once this season", "South Stand wishes JC would stop bleathering pish" or "Red Army promises to come back if team wins" for a change? 

 

Either put up or shut up you shower of cunts.  The fans are doing their job, how about you concentrate on doing yours?

 

Do your talking on the pitch because that's what really concerns us.

 

First off, I expect players to speak to the media. I also expect players to defend their team-mates.

 

But the last sentence in your post is spot on. Make all the comments you like in the papers but for fuck sake dae it on the fucking pitch first and foremost.

[vanderark14]

*puts tin hat on*

 

Sick fed up of Mackie getting boo'd.  Doesn't matter what anybody thinks of his abilities, he's clearly low on confidence and booing him is hardly going to help.  Its not his fault he's getting a game.

 

What Zander doesn't realise is that folk were cheering because he was going off.  Cretins in my opinion.

 

you are right. its not his fault he plays. so booing the fact he's on the park or cheering when he leaves would let the manager know they are not happy Jc has selected him.

 

fans pay there cash and are therefore entitled to voice there opinion.

[Superstar Tradesman]

This confidence thing is a pile of shite anyway.  Are they really that fucking put off by a couple hundred drunken idiots then they shouldn't be playing football for a living.

 

Stepping up to take a penalty at the World Cup Finals then aye ok.  Going one-on-one with the keeper, in front of 8 thousand at your home ground and bottling it because you don't have the confidence is........ is........ is.......... 

 

Fuck it's even more infuriating than I first thought!

 

Fucking bottling cunts!

 

BOOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

[Madbadteacher]

Aren't they called "Professional Footballers"?

 

Seems a hell-of-a-lot of them aren't awfy "professional" about whatever a player's equivalent of "continuing professional development" is. I have to ( aye, HAVE TO) do a minimum of 40 hours a year, recorded and approved, contractually. Just what exactly are they doing?

[Kowalski]

FOR GOD'S SAKE GIVE HIM A BREAK

 

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood today pleaded for fans to stop giving striker Darren Mackie stick.

 

Calderwood expressed disappointment that some supporters cheered when Mackie was substituted during the 1-1 draw with Motherwell at Pittodrie.

 

The fans vented their frustration on Mackie, who has failed to find his best form since suffering a hamstring injury earlier in the campaign, when he was replaced by Josh Walker late in the second half.

 

Calderwood leaped to the defence of the striker, who was the club's top scorer in the last three seasons. "The kid didn't deserve that sort of treatment," he said. "The fans were great on the whole. They gave the side encouragement for most of the game. "But it was wrong of some of them to pick on Darren because he has been a hero for us so many times. "His goal against Dnipro has probably earned this club £2million this season from our involvement in the UEFA Cup.

 

"Darren would be the first to admit he hasn't been at his best recently, but he's not alone on that front. "At least you know you will always get an honest shift from Darren. He knocks his pan in every time he pulls on an Aberdeen shirt. "I really felt for him when the fans reacted as he came off the pitch. "I only took Darren off because he was shattered. "He battled all over the place for the ball and won numerous headers."

 

Some Dons fans also jeered when Calderwood replaced Steve Lovell with Lee Miller soon afterwards. When asked for his thoughts on that, Calderwood replied: "Fans will always have their favourites.

 

"But the whole team is going to need their backing if we are to take anything from this season." Calderwood admitted the draw with Motherwell has virtually ended their chances of finishing third in the SPL to qualify for next season's UEFA Cup.

 

The Steelmen are 11 points ahead of the Dons and have two games in hand. Calderwood said: "It will be very difficult now.

 

"Motherwell are a good team and I can't see them dropping enough points to give us a chance, but we have to keep plugging away in the hope that they do."

 

Aberdeen now head for Ibrox on Saturday, where they haven't won a league game since 1991. But Calderwood refuses to rule out the chances of his men pulling off a shock.

 

He said: "Rangers will be looking to make it 11 league wins in a row, so most people will be expecting us to lose. "They said the same when we played Dnipro, Copenhagen and Bayern at Pittodrie. "We will be going there to give it our best shot."

[Madbadteacher]

FOR GOD'S SAKE GIVE HIM A BREAK

 

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood today pleaded for fans to stop giving striker Darren Mackie stick.

 

Calderwood expressed disappointment that some supporters cheered when Mackie was substituted during the 1-1 draw with Motherwell at Pittodrie.

 

The fans vented their frustration on Mackie, who has failed to find his best form since suffering a hamstring injury earlier in the campaign, when he was replaced by Josh Walker late in the second half.

 

Calderwood leaped to the defence of the striker, who was the club's top scorer in the last three seasons. "The kid didn't deserve that sort of treatment," he said. "The fans were great on the whole. They gave the side encouragement for most of the game. "But it was wrong of some of them to pick on Darren because he has been a hero for us so many times. ]"His goal against Dnipro has probably earned this club £2million this season from our involvement in the UEFA Cup.[/b]

 

"Darren would be the first to admit he hasn't been at his best recently, but he's not alone on that front. "At least you know you will always get an honest shift from Darren. He knocks his pan in every time he pulls on an Aberdeen shirt. "I really felt for him when the fans reacted as he came off the pitch. "I only took Darren off because he was shattered. "He battled all over the place for the ball and won numerous headers."

 

Some Dons fans also jeered when Calderwood replaced Steve Lovell with Lee Miller soon afterwards. When asked for his thoughts on that, Calderwood replied: "Fans will always have their favourites.

 

"But the whole team is going to need their backing if we are to take anything from this season." Calderwood admitted the draw with Motherwell has virtually ended their chances of finishing third in the SPL to qualify for next season's UEFA Cup.

 

The Steelmen are 11 points ahead of the Dons and have two games in hand. Calderwood said: "It will be very difficult now.

 

"Motherwell are a good team and I can't see them dropping enough points to give us a chance, but we have to keep plugging away in the hope that they do."

 

Aberdeen now head for Ibrox on Saturday, where they haven't won a league game since 1991. But Calderwood refuses to rule out the chances of his men pulling off a shock.

 

He said: "Rangers will be looking to make it 11 league wins in a row, so most people will be expecting us to lose. "They said the same when we played Dnipro, Copenhagen and Bayern at Pittodrie. "We will be going there to give it our best shot."

 

So where's our £2M Jimmy? Willie? Stewartie?

 

Eh?

 

EH?

 

EH?

[BobbyBiscuit]

Fans will always have their favourites

 

As will managers, apparently.

 

Amazing how the fans are cunts when we jeer players and that it effects their confidence, but it's somehow ok for him to criticise them publicly.

[kaj]

He knocks his pan in every time he pulls on an Aberdeen shirt.

 

Eh? Strange turn of phrase, never come across that one before - from the context I'd guess he's saying "tries his best"?

 

Well woop de doo. He tries hard at his job and doesn't succeed. If that happened in any of our professions we'd end up doing something else.

 

Fans will always have their favourites

 

Aye. The team's best players, usually. Take the hint.

 

[OrlandoDon]

What kills me is that I don't think Lovell is a fans favourite. I just think most fans feel he's not been given an extended run when fully fit. I still feel Lovell and Miller would be a good partnership but they never play together for an extended run of games. Lovell has shown promise and can score but from what we see JC 'has his favourites' too!

[Wazzamatazz]

Aye. The team's best players, usually. Take the hint.

 

Fair point, yet people still persist in the hero worship of Lovell.  If he's one of the team's best players I'll eat my own head.

[Guest Robo]

Its coming from fans who used to work at Pittodrie aswell. Main Stand....please stand up!

 

Ian Donald perhaps you'd like to explain your anger towards poor old wee Darren Mackie yesterday . Oh and he wasn't the only one.........

 

[Jute]

Fair point, yet people still persist in the hero worship of Lovell.  If he's one of the team's best players I'll eat my own head.

 

Do not think he is the best player but he is probably the best we have got. Mackie has scored one goal this season to Lovells 4 so its not to hard to see that Lovell should be starting.

[Mackie's ace!]

Maybe they were cheering for Walker coming on?!

[caledonia]

Simple fact is if the players are mince they will get bood if they are good they will be cheared..

This will never stop no matter how annoying it may be for some..

maybe if they (mackie etc) did not come out in the papers every week saying things like "I will score if you play me"

which just makes them look silly

I mean why would he do it now when he has not done it for the last 2 years..

 

 

[capitalsharpie]

We are displeased because clearly mistakingly, we are expecting from an out and out strikerto have  a better scoring rate than

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIFTY GOALS IN TEN YEARS!!