Next manager

[RicoS321]

8 hours ago, OxfordDon said:

There's nothing wrong with lists that:

1. Have no purpose

2. Just exist to make the author happy with having made a list.

Yes there is.

[Panda]

So, five games played under Robson, should he be a contender for the job permanently?

Three wins & two defeats. The United one was the biggest test of his credentials as he had to find a way to turn a poor performance - initially - into a winning one.

It'd be great of course if a sexy, exciting name emerges next week. Some Italian or Spanish coach with an excellent CV and a promise of thrilling attacking football, with Robson maybe as his assistant.

But if that's not happening, why shouldn't Robson get the chance now ahead of your Danny Cowleys, Neil Lennons or Stephen Robinsons? What are they coming in to do that Robson isn't capable of?

You can see the improvement in terms of having a structure about the team, showing more faith in younger players in the team selection, being able to change it in-game, better use of subs. Alongside Agnew the team looks better coached. Even in a short space of time it's evident they've been working on things, and they look fitter too. 

Now maybe Robson/Agnew just look good because Goodwin/Sharp were so poor. But I keep hearing (mainly from Sportsound to be fair) that the new manager has to be experienced. He doesn't if he's surrounded by experience, and in Agnew then Robson has that. He clearly has a sharp mind, knows how to get things ticking. The players are playing for him. We're getting results - albeit a small sample.

Until a better name emerges, I'm content with giving Robson longer, and certainly he should be on that shortlist.

[tlg1903]

2 hours ago, Panda said:

So, five games played under Robson, should he be a contender for the job permanently?

Three wins & two defeats. The United one was the biggest test of his credentials as he had to find a way to turn a poor performance - initially - into a winning one.

It'd be great of course if a sexy, exciting name emerges next week. Some Italian or Spanish coach with an excellent CV and a promise of thrilling attacking football, with Robson maybe as his assistant.

But if that's not happening, why shouldn't Robson get the chance now ahead of your Danny Cowleys, Neil Lennons or Stephen Robinsons? What are they coming in to do that Robson isn't capable of?

You can see the improvement in terms of having a structure about the team, showing more faith in younger players in the team selection, being able to change it in-game, better use of subs. Alongside Agnew the team looks better coached. Even in a short space of time it's evident they've been working on things, and they look fitter too. 

Now maybe Robson/Agnew just look good because Goodwin/Sharp were so poor. But I keep hearing (mainly from Sportsound to be fair) that the new manager has to be experienced. He doesn't if he's surrounded by experience, and in Agnew then Robson has that. He clearly has a sharp mind, knows how to get things ticking. The players are playing for him. We're getting results - albeit a small sample.

Until a better name emerges, I'm content with giving Robson longer, and certainly he should be on that shortlist.

The appointment of Agnew alone made me think there was a good chance Robson was at least in the running for having the gig till the end of the season. I knew the name but when I looked into him my first thought was "you could easily be getting a permanent gig down south inside a month if you wanted to with that CV" Robson is on the record as saying he was a coach he got on really well  and kept in touch with but I just don't see Agnew taking the job if there wasn't at least the chance of it being permanent. So yeah, I think Robson is absolutely a contender for the job. 

I'm going nail my colours to the mast here.  I think he should be given it till the end of the season, he's had a month with the players and not only are  we are seeing improvement but we have resurrected a realistic goal of 3rd place as things stand.  To use a metaphor; with budding shoots appearing from the earth this is a terrible time to be rasing the ground for a new crop.

[RicoS321]

I'd be happy with Robson, but for me it'd require a complete change in strategy, either publicly or tacitly. It was clear, to me, that the style adopted by both Glass and Goodwin was being pushed as part of the strategy from above, and likely agreed upon at interview/selection time. I don't think Robson is doing anything particularly thoughtful or difficult, just applying basic principles that McInnes was good at, as is Neilson at Hearts. I haven't seen Gorter play a single short goal kick yet as an example. There is no attempt to play [mythical] attractive and exciting football, but simply to setup in a way that reduces the chance of losing goals whilst relying on players who are better than their equivalents in other teams to score goals. Good enough for me. 

The strategy, however, doesn't allow for this and will require a manager who can go a step further and bring in a high intensity, passing style that plays "attractive" football whilst getting results. I'm not convinced that is possible within our budget, as players like Shinnie, Ramadani, MacDonald, McRorie, Mackenzie and others aren't capable of playing that way. Not to mention the dregs who aren't even getting a game at the moment - most signed by our new recruitment team - suggesting that even if we get a capable manager, we don't have the other elements (which I believe come with money rather than some elusive data capturing exercise). If the intention is to bring in a manager to implement this strategy then it is imperative that it begins before the end of the season, so notions that Robson should be here until end of season (something I originally thought might be okay) are unworkable if we're serious about this strategy. Unless there's some sort of pre contract type agreement, which would be unusual, where the new guy has input from afar before joining in the summer. 

There could be a compromise approach of course, where any manager is allowed to play a conservative, results approach, and slowly move to the new style over time as personnel allows. A pragmatic approach, and one that should have been implemented when McInnes was here. Were never going to have a squad that allows for continuous attractive football against every team. One or two players missing and pragmatic no-lose football has to take priority. The same should apply to when we just have a summer of poor recruitment. No manager is getting Ross McRorie, for example, to play free flowing beautiful fitba. Nor Shinnie or Ramadani. Trying to dictate that rather than playing to the strengths of the players themselves is a little perverse, but that's effectively what our chairman has been insisting on through his managers over the last few years. Hopefully, with the new CEO, we get to a place where the manager is allowed to do what he does, but there is regular reviewing and challenging to ensure that we don't get in a rut of crap football like we did under McInnes - that the aim is always to play entertaining football, but a few months of pragmatism is completely acceptable because of squad limitations. 

[OxfordDon]

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

Hopefully, with the new CEO, we get to a place where the manager is allowed to do what he does, but there is regular reviewing and challenging to ensure that we don't get in a rut of crap football like we did under McInnes

We should set up some kind of board to monitor this

[DantheDon]

I think your spot on Rico. Only thing I would add is that if your opponents are going to sit in and play defensively its very hard to play attractive football as there just isn't the space in the final third. You could argue this was our problem under glass we had 80% possession but weren't able to break teams down. It's nice to aspire to play attractive football but it's not always practical.

[RicoS321]

2 hours ago, DantheDon said:

I think your spot on Rico. Only thing I would add is that if your opponents are going to sit in and play defensively its very hard to play attractive football as there just isn't the space in the final third. You could argue this was our problem under glass we had 80% possession but weren't able to break teams down. It's nice to aspire to play attractive football but it's not always practical.

I agree. I think that comes with money. The Tims undoubtedly play attractive football most of the time whilst playing teams that sit in. They've got guys like Turnbull on their bench. The question is what is the amount of cash you need to spend to get the level of player that can do that consistently? Clarkson is one, he can make those defence splitting passes that get around the problem of defences sitting in. We'd need at least one more of those.  Plus a midfielder that can score goals like Lewis Ferguson, and one that can win everything in midfield. Wingers that can not only hit the line and get a cross in, but are capable of 10 goals per season too. A number nine that scores every week. We had all those under McInnes and managed 76 points and scored seven goals in a couple of games. Yet many suggested that football wasn't entertaining. Maybe they weren't. We certainly didn't have the squad depth to play entertaining football every single week. 

[Panda]

At peak McInnes, some of our best football actually came away from home when teams would open up more. But in general it wasn't an attractive style, it was one that functioned very well with all the correct components like Rico listed.

McInnes' downfall was an inability to change things when teams figured out a way to play against us, but mainly the poor recruitment. It's why he's struggling at Kilmarnock just now. But for four years we went to Tynecastle, Easter Road, Tannadice & Fir Park confident of a win in a way that now seems like forever ago.

The reason I initially wanted Goodwin was because I thought he was going to aspire to that. Instead he missed a step and it was like he was trying to create a revolutionary style rarely seen in the Premiership when he didn't have the players or tactical know-how to do it. 

Robson's outlook appears to be to keep it more simple - solid defence, workmanlike midfield, goal scorer. McCrorie and Mackenzie at full back are less flashy too than Richardson/Coulson but get the job done, there's shades of Logan and Considine there. Yet, the creative players like Clarkson and Duk are still freed up to make an impact, very much like McGinn and McLean.

McInnes, and dare I say it Gordon Strachan's Celtic, are teams that Robson played in and that appears to be what he's trying to do. Maybe not exactly like they did but a variation based on the players he has.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Panda

[Kowalski]

Chris Wilder back in the frame according to the Retard. 

[tlg1903]

8 hours ago, Kowalski said:

Chris Wilder back in the frame according to the Retard. 

Seems a lazy journalism article to me but who knows. 

[Slim]

The article seems to suggest Wilder was physically in Aberdeen to meet Burrows which, assuming I read it correctly, would be a fairly big step forward. 

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, Slim said:

The article seems to suggest Wilder was physically in Aberdeen to meet Burrows which, assuming I read it correctly, would be a fairly big step forward. 

Yep, previously he was only mentally in Aberdeen.

[Kowalski]

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/old-traditional-guy-dwight-yorke-reveals-why-aberdeen-should-appoint-him-and-not-chris-wilder-4052706
 

[KGB]

18 hours ago, Kowalski said:

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/old-traditional-guy-dwight-yorke-reveals-why-aberdeen-should-appoint-him-and-not-chris-wilder-4052706
 

He's convinced me, get him in

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, KGB said:

He's convinced me, get him in

He has got six months managerial experience, and he played in a friendly against us once. 

Nothing wrong with him applying I guess, but he should maybe consider doing some time in the lower leagues of Scotland or England before deciding he's good enough for the dons. Although, Gerrard had less coaching experience when he joined the scum. I guess there are certain types of player that are assumed to be coaches before they've even picked up their badges, probably unfairly. Either way, Robson would be a better choice than Yorke.

[BigAl]

Premature post

Edited and saved for later

[Slim]

Wilder taken Watford job until end of the season. Daily Record must have been talking pish.

[tlg1903]

12 minutes ago, Slim said:

Wilder taken Watford job until end of the season. Daily Record must have been talking pish.

I'm shocked, shocked I tell thee! 

[manc_don]

4 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

He has got six months managerial experience, and he played in a friendly against us once. 

Nothing wrong with him applying I guess, but he should maybe consider doing some time in the lower leagues of Scotland or England before deciding he's good enough for the dons. Although, Gerrard had less coaching experience when he joined the scum. I guess there are certain types of player that are assumed to be coaches before they've even picked up their badges, probably unfairly. Either way, Robson would be a better choice than Yorke.

He did have MacArthur playing decent football and seemed to have a good balance of youth and experience. They won a trophy and their form has nose dived since (made worse with Uli getting injured too). Agree though, Robson would probably be a better option.

[Panda]

I think it's looking more likely that Robson will be in charge for the Hearts game, and if we win that then there's a high chance the board look at the fixture list - four games until the split, three of which are against bottom six opposition - and stick with him until at least then.

[manc_don]

3 hours ago, Panda said:

I think it's looking more likely that Robson will be in charge for the Hearts game, and if we win that then there's a high chance the board look at the fixture list - four games until the split, three of which are against bottom six opposition - and stick with him until at least then.

It's certainly an interesting one for the board. Ideally you give a manager plenty of time  (like we did with Goodwin) and they can assess the squad in a competitive environment ahead of the summer. However, if the team are performing, why wouldn't you want to finish as high as you can? Especially Europe is actually still to play for.

[RicoS321]

Back to the Japanese Spaniard again it seems. Even the rumour mill can't be arsed with it anymore.

[Reekie_Red]

On 08/03/2023 at 13:23, manc_don said:

It's certainly an interesting one for the board. Ideally you give a manager plenty of time  (like we did with Goodwin) and they can assess the squad in a competitive environment ahead of the summer. However, if the team are performing, why wouldn't you want to finish as high as you can? Especially Europe is actually still to play for.

Yeah I feel for Robson. The fans love him, cos he is a red through and through, and he really puts his heart and soul into the job. He could win every game outside of the Ugly Sisters matches, but his inexperience will show eventually. If he wants to become a football manager, he needs to go and manage a lower division team asap before the poisoned chalice Pittodrie taints his reputation, which is only a matter of time and inevitability. 

[Elgindon]

Retard claiming Rodriguez interested in the job  ...but it is Keith Jackson...

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Elgindon

[BigAl]

Rodriguez or the likes will be viewing us a stepping stone to the land of milk and honey.

This will piss off a fair few of our support, but the way I see it, is it better to appoint someone like that that potentially gives us a couple of right good enjoyable years of fitba to follow, or go for one of the less ambitious types that are part of the managerial merry round.

I know which camp I'm firmly in.

As have been said by others, I like Barry Robson but still have reservations about his experience to handle the step up if and when the going gets tough (@ Billy Ocean ) and think he needs to cut his teeth at maybe Scottish Championship level for example he could replace Goodwin at The Arabs next season