wee toon red

I don't think there's a formation that we could use that would solve our left side problem. We don't have a full back worthy of the name to play on that side and we're lacking a winger as well. Maybe Shinnie on the left of a four would be alright, be he wouldn't have much ahead of him so we'd still be pretty shite on that side. As @RicoS321 says, that's a squad-building issue. Likewise in the middle of the park, we just don't have the player(s) that we need to win the battle and control the game in there. If Jimmy is responsible for that then it's a big worry, if he isn't then it's also a concern but perhaps one that has been addressed with Lutz's arrival. He said in his arrival interview that there are one or two positions we need to sort out and I'll be amazed if it isn't left back/left wing back and centre mid. If we're not blaming Jimmy for recruitment then I'm ok with him getting until the end of the season but it'll mean Lutz has a hell of a lot of work to do in January.

Even if the squad isn't quite deep enough, we've got 20+ games left to compensate for that, we're running out of European games to win - and earn a shit ton of money from - so I'd rather we prioritised those. As Orlando says, a few of our squad are highly likely to only be here because of the European games so it's important we give them proper attention.

I'm curious as to the school of thought that the Livi game is more important than this one. We're not winning the league (this season...) and we're clearly not getting relegated, so if beating Livi is to have any relevance it must surely be to get as high up the league table as possible, to... qualify for Europe? Just to "not prioritise" it anyway? Doesn't compute.

Wanting as many Scottish players as possible in the Aberdeen team but not being as fussed about applying the same principle to the actual Scotland squad is quite the take

Because if our board were doing the same thing then I’d imagine we’d feel the same way as the Celtic support do now.

Despite it being Celtic, my sympathy is with the fans on this one. The board are taking the piss and it's starting to show on the field. Get it right up the lot of them, of course.

That's a shocker. Wife died two years ago as well, 12yo twin boys orphaned.

The simplicity of more strikers = more goals never ceases to amaze me. Two up front guarantees nothing, unless the proposal is a big man/wee man set up where we launch the ball from the back in a 00s Martin O'Neill style. Removing a midfielder to stick another striker in the team is far more likely to result in our midfield being (even more) over-run, almost zero possession and no protection for the defence. The answer isn't more strikers, it's midfield players who are more comfortable on the ball and can pick a pass, ideally to hard working wingers and/or attacking midfielders who aren't afraid to have a go at the opposition defence.

If we can’t make a player like Clarkson work in our team then that’s our problem rather than his and he would be better off away. Which, imo, is a sad indictment of our current state of affairs.

We're normally pretty decent at the commercial stuff but this is an absolutely idiotic decision.

Daboll's results have been hopeless and he doesn't seem the easiest to work with, which is why I assume that (so far) he's the only one away and Schoen and especially Bowen are still there.

Should we move this to the fitba forum to help the new arrivals feel at home?

Didn't see the game as I was travelling yesterday but those highlights suggest it wasn't up to much despite being objectively a good result for us? No good chances for either side until injury time and over an hour before we did anything of note in their half?

Celtic going without a keeper?!

Lobban in. Big chance for the kid.

Great result. Sadly no Dons in the squad, which really has to be an important part of Pfannensteil's new job. Our representation in the age groups is awful for a club of our standing.

20, 19 and 19. Players signed for the future, presumably by "the board" rather than the manager, who sees them in training every day and must feel they're not ready for the first team yet. They've plenty time to come good and prove themselves. Better to let them cool their heels than throw them into a struggling team.

Add me to the list of those who are still willing to give him a bit of time. There's talk that the new sporting director is imminent so I think that it might be prudent to let that relationship form before making any final decisions. Two things would change my mind: as you've said, relegation looking likely would be one and the other would be obvious signs that the players have stopped doing it for him. I didn't see the game yesterday so won't be making snap judgements off the back of that, but it does sound a bit like there could have been early signs of tools having been downed?

Don't know much about Teasdale but he certainly seems to know the way to goal at that level.

I think Miovski just isn't that good in the grand scheme of things. A good - very good maybe? - player for us but not up to La Liga and the resulting blow to his confidence seems to have set him back. An absolutely tremendous bit of business all round from the Dons.

Muscat turned them down according to Sky

Scotland qualifying for the World Cup would be better than anything the dons can still achieve this season so if Armstrong was needed - he isn’t, so it’s a moot point anyway - then he’d be welcome to go imo

Agree with the sentiment you’re expressing and would also add Ryan Fraser. When he was breaking through he got me off my seat more regularly than anyone since Jess.

Sounds a lot like us last year…

Agree with putting a strategy in place to give youngsters a pathway. Don’t really think it needs to be public tho, so many roasters in our support that they wouldn’t listen anyway unfortunately.