Dons - Tims - Sun

[manc_don]

After the positive result this week, it'll really be interesting to see how DM sets the team out.  Highly unlikely to see the back 3 of this week so presume either Logan (most likely) or Hernandez will get the nod.  Hope to see McGinn in behind whoever plays up front as it seemed to work really well.  Funny that.

 

Out

Bed

Bed

Bed

3-1 Tims, Ferguson - not sure why i'm picking us to score a goal, but there we are

[LA-Don]

Couldn't be worse timing playing Celtic. A bit of positive beating a bottom/second bottom side while taking risks and experimenting, just don't see DM taking any risks against Celtic. I totally expect a 4-5-1

 

Lewis

Logan-Devlin-McKenna-Considine

Kennedy-McGeouch-Ojo-Ferguson-McGinn

Main

 

It's not a risk playing Main, I don't see why he would play an off form Cosgrove who likes a good booking/red v Celtic too.

 

0-2, no scorer.

 

[rocket_scientist]

It wouldn't shock me if Aberdeen got something on Sunday and saved the bookies a lot of money. That's the thing about McInnes v. Sevco. Just when the form book suggests we should get humped, he has pulled five rabbits out of the hat v. them in the last two seasons but unfortunately never against Celtic. It's like when his back is right against the wall, his players produce. But it's not getting to the wall and producing a greater consistency in performance that separates the best from the rest. AFC are too dreadful too often over the piece.

[RicoS321]

Expect a back 3 on Sunday, as I expect that's why we were experimenting with it against Hamilton and the Killie game. The main reason I think we're seeing it is because the Tims are currently deploying a 3-5-2 and McInnes likes to match up. I think Logan was given a run out last night because McInnes intends to take him in instead of McLennan, making it more like a 5-3-2. I think he might go Main and Cosgrove and drop Kennedy, with McGinn out wide. I'd rather see a more mobile player alongside Main/Cosgrove, but I can imagine McInnes thinking it might work. Will be interesting. 

[LA-Don]

Expect a back 3 on Sunday, as I expect that's why we were experimenting with it against Hamilton and the Killie game. The main reason I think we're seeing it is because the Tims are currently deploying a 3-5-2 and McInnes likes to match up. I think Logan was given a run out last night because McInnes intends to take him in instead of McLennan, making it more like a 5-3-2. I think he might go Main and Cosgrove and drop Kennedy, with McGinn out wide. I'd rather see a more mobile player alongside Main/Cosgrove, but I can imagine McInnes thinking it might work. Will be interesting.

 

Unfortunately I don't see it that way. We have been struggling to create and score (obviously) so we saw more risks taken against two weaker teams, and DM was, for sure, under a bit of pressure. Playing Celtic is very different and I saw Logan getting a run last night because I expect us back to the traditional back 4 with Logan at RB. I just don't see him being creative and taking risks against Celtic. I expect a dour, absorb pressure, 4-5-isolated 1 we have seen many times before.

[Panda]

Couldn't be worse timing playing Celtic. A bit of positive beating a bottom/second bottom side while taking risks and experimenting, just don't see DM taking any risks against Celtic. I totally expect a 4-5-1

 

Lewis

Logan-Devlin-McKenna-Considine

Kennedy-McGeouch-Ojo-Ferguson-McGinn

Main

 

It's not a risk playing Main, I don't see why he would play an off form Cosgrove who likes a good booking/red v Celtic too.

 

0-2, no scorer.

 

Cosgrove has scored just as many times against Celtic as he's been sent off to be fair.

 

Think we're all getting carried away a bit with Main. He had a good 45 minutes against a poor Hamilton side. I'm yet to be convinced he's worth a regular starting place.

[LA-Don]

Certainly not getting carried away with Main. However, I think he’s motivated and playing with a point to prove, Cosgrove hasn’t looked interested of late. To be honest, not got a lot of confidence in either.

[tlg1903]

I think we have a 30-35% chance of taking something on Sunday.  No idea what defence we will go with but regardless we suit playing against teams that attack us.

[Ten Caat]

I think we have a 30-35% chance of taking something on Sunday.  No idea what defence we will go with but regardless we suit playing against teams that attack us.

 

Yep seems a reasonable expectation. As regards Panda's post.....I really don't think anybody is getting carried away with Main. But Cosgrove has been stinking the place out since late December and probably got 2 games more than he really deserved before getting dropped. Main came in, played very well and got a goal. On that basis he doesn't deserve to be dropped. A couple of games more on the bench should concentrate Cosgrove's mind and hopefully by the time he gets back in he will have bucked up his ideas.

[TheDeeDon]

I have a feeling we will get something on Sunday and I don't mean a doing on the pitch, although it wouldn't surprise me either if we did.

 

I don't think anyone is getting carried away by Mains performance the other night, but the guy came in to the team under a lot of pressure and put in a decent performance, finished well to score and had an part in the second. Easy to put the boot in like we all have with Main, but credit where credit is due.

 

As much as it always good to see the tribute act get beat, you can't really get any satisfaction of seeing Celtic so far out in front and us so far behind, so would love for us to take the three points against them on Sunday, but would happily take the draw if offered.

[Jute]

Not sure going with 3 at the back is going to work against Victim FC as they have pace wide and our wing backs could easily be pushed back into a 5-3-2 formation with no width. Might be better to switch back to 4 at the back and 5 in the middle but drop McGeouch to allow us to keep McGinn in behind the striker. Main deserves the start following his performance (against an admittedly shite Hamilton) on Tuesday but can see McInnes bringing Cosgrove back in. Cannot see us getting anything from the game as Victims seem to have stepped it up a gear since the winter break.

 

In

Supporters bus as only 1 train from Edinburgh that arrives before kick off

Y

Supporter bus back to the Capital.

3-0 no dons scorer

[ayrshire_don74]

Main wont work up on his own, i would continue with him and Mcginn

[tamzarian]

Everyone buzzing for this then, aye?  Bad weather should work in favour of the inferior team...

 

 

[Elgindon]

 

Opened the curtains just after 9 and there was a mini Blizzard going on.Eased off now to bright but very breezy.Might deter a bit of hoofball but nae too confident.

 

  Take a draw 2- 2 McGinn,Gallacher

[rocket_scientist]

Very unlucky to lose. Best performance v. Celtic for a very long time. They were poor and we didn't create much but the combination of the swirling wind and excellent fight from AFC kept the champions from dominating the game. Well done AFC and hard cheese

[Elgindon]

Well that was harsh,Celtic looked out of sorts.We deserved something from the game,showed good intent,competed wel and looked hungry

    Some good performances,Taylor,Ojo,McLennan and McGinn.Kennedy doing a bit of an early Johnny Hayes though,ie hesitant,out of sorts as compared to what he was doing at StJs.

  McLennan looks like he could be pretty handy through the middle,though would like us to continue with McGinn and Main or Cosgrove for the time being in the 'lesser' games

  Bit more optimistic than of late,bring on the Killie. COYR

[LA-Don]

Ha, funny old game, only saw the last 20 minutes and we looked shit. Hayes missed, good save from Lewis, Celtic scored, then Edouard missed an absolute sitter, and we created nothing other than a header from McKenna. Usual play with minimal passing. What did we do the other 70? And what line up, I assume back to 4 at the back??

[CtS]

Scott Brown is a cunt.

[TheDeeDon]

Gutted!  We deserved at least a point from that today, but switch off for a second and they punish you.

 

A great shift from all the players today, they got really stuck in and didn't give Celtic the freedom of Pittodrie like they did last time they were up here, even Broon was kept quiet today and didn't get things his own way.

 

Thought Ash was solid at the back, sit in Merkie and couldn't see what happened for their opener very well, but I didn't fear the worst even going a goal behind.

 

McLennan possibly put in his best shift in a red Jersey and set up Ash for his goal, which he finished well, didn't look like a dive he took in the first half either which cost him a booking, which was the first in a series of strange refereeing decisions by Dallas.  McGinn looked interested as well for a change against Celtic and did a lot of running, possibly should have been off as you could clearly see him struggling in the second half, would have been a better player to hook rather than Kennedy who being younger has more energy for the 90 minutes.

 

I thought Bryson looked pap when he came on, I know why he put him on, but didn't think it was the correct move and we lost a bit of our shape which allowed them that bit more freedom which they used to punish us. On the other side you knew when Rogic came on something was going to happen as it always does when he plays against us.

 

Their fans are dicks though, never hear the so called greatest fans in the world unless they are winning, cretins to a man, each and every one of them.

 

Overall we went gave them a game and should have got something from it, but despite the effort we put in, in was just that little bit more quality that got Celtic over the line today.

 

In the second half Ojo was over speaking to the Physio/Doctor about some issue with his leg, then not long afterwards he is off injured.  Looks like he will be out for a few weeks and a shame as he looked to be finding his game for us.

[Jute]

That was probably best we have played against Victim FC in a number of years. Yes we lost but we made them work for it rather than our usual meek surrender. As others have said felt we lost our shape when Bryson was brought on for Kennedy which allowed them into the game. Only disappointing thing for me was despite a number of good balls into the box we did not work Foster enough.

[KennyFuckinPowers]

The type of performance I believe we should be putting in against each and every team we face. Pressed them everywhere for large periods, tried to play Football on the ground, snapped into tackles and rattled them. Some basic practices but rather effective. I thought we made a team, who has been on a great run since the turn of the year, look bang average.

 

Forster didn't have too much to do, but neither did Lewis until the latter stages when we were committing more numbers forward. Ajer's goal though, takes a lot of shine of it though, the man simply marauded from his own Box, with nobody tracking his run and even when he breezed beyond a very struggling Considine, there was no communication from him and the others were ball watching, leaving him completely unmarked, a very, very, very poor goal. Their 1st was a bit shambolic as well to be fair.

 

We did well to get back into the game, we probably should have won it, it was a much better showing and if we applied that every game we played, we would win a fair chunk of games comfortably, in my opinion.

[TheDeeDon]

Only 14k at the game today which tells its own story really about where we are heading as a club.

 

When you look at the current league table you are left wondering what the point is in going. I've never been one to get overly excited about being the best of the rest and all that sort of shyte.

 

In the long term will we really need an 20,000 seater stadium with the direction the league is heading?

 

 

[Panda]

Only 14k at the game today which tells its own story really about where we are heading as a club.

 

When you look at the current league table you are left wondering what the point is in going. I've never been one to get overly excited about being the best of the rest and all that sort of shyte.

 

In the long term will we really need an 20,000 seater stadium with the direction the league is heading?

 

I don't think the crowd was down to not being in a title race, more a combination of playing poorly v Celtic, and boring football across the season.

 

Put in a performance like that every time we play them and the crowds will come back.

[manc_don]

I don't think the crowd was down to not being in a title race, more a combination of playing poorly v Celtic, and boring football across the season.

 

Put in a performance like that every time we play them and the crowds will come back.

 

Pretty much my thoughts on it. Folk were probably expecting us to get turned over again. By all accounts, we played well for the majority of the game, which is pleasing. Really didn’t expect to wake up to a narrow loss. Motherwell doing nothing this weekend means we haven’t lost any ground, now need a result in Dingwall!

 

In the meantime, hopefully the team have given themselves enough confidence to get past killie on wed.