OrlandoDon

Wow, quite an article. Don't agree with the lack of talent and overachieving as I feel we have got some pretty capable players in Foster, Hart, Seve, Smith, Nicholson, Miller, and Lovell (dare I say.) Diamond, Considine, and Aluko are young but should progress into good players with the right guidance and coaching. However, we aren't playing well and haven't for quite a while, and appear to lack the drive and motivation in recent games which suggests something is wrong. In terms of the signings, you do have to question JC but also the board. Mair isn't good enough and Young is a squad player at best, but you have to give Duff a chance before judging. However, are we seeing any transfer money or is all the recent transfer and Euro income servicing the debt? You cannot expect JC to sign good players if he has little or nothing to offer.

How would you explain the performances of the national team and our club teams in Europe then? Em, well, we are lucky to be in Europe with one win in six games (great to be there but we were VERY lucky that all results went our way) and Rangers and Celtic are the top two teams in our league. I think we look at the other eight SPL teams in a different light financially and in terms of quality, hence the old firms domination of the SPL over the last 20 years or so. As for the national team, many of the players don't play in the SPL and the national team rarely picks players from outside the old firm these days. (Barry Robson was the only player outside of the old firm in the last squad according to the Scottish FA website.) I am very proud of our national team and would love to see more home based players in the team/squad but the quality simply isn't there.

In attack I actually rate Foster and Hart when they push forward, and Seve, Nicholson, Smith, Miller, and Lovell can play a bit, plus I think Aluko is a tidy player. That's why I think we are capable of playing more quality stuff. I don't think there are that many players in the SPL that I'd take ahead of them when they play to potential. I also think they are players who can play with the ball at their feet and aren't so suited to long ball/kick and run stuff. We seem to play some pretty crap stuff on a regular basis which suggests a lack of motivation, tactics etc.... hence I look to JC. As for the state of scottish football, I would say the league is more even than it has been in years which again I put down to the financial state of scottish football, but I wouldn't say it's the best quality in years. Considering the quality on show yesterday between us and Dundee Utd, two of the 'better' teams by league positions, I don't think the quality was particularly high from what I have heard/read.

Yep, I think that is pretty obvious. With no money in Scottish Football we lose so many more players to the lower leagues in England and don't attract nearly as many decent players to Scottish Football. We were gash while other teams still paid for players now it is much more even again since few teams can spend.

Nope, just this season. He's been here long enough to establish a system and pattern of play, but he hasn't. I'm all for giving managers time to implement their thoughts and style but I just don't think he is capable of doing any more for us. We're not consistent and rarely produce quality/inspiring football, but I think we have the players capable of that. It's dire to watch with the odd exception like Copenhagen. He's motivated and inspired us to work and that, along with the decline of the opposition, have meant we are no longer as pish as we used to be. However, even the JC motivation seems to be lacking these days and I hate hearing his same old crap in the papers after another poor performance. With the quality of opposition in the SPL and the players at Aberdeen, some decent tactics and play and I think 3rd should be rapped up and we try to challenge the old firm. There is an opportunity with the decline of Hearts and Hibs this year to solidify the '3rd force' again but I just don't think JC has the skills to do so.

JC quote after the Dundee Utd game - "But too many good players are not performing anywhere near their capabilities for this club." Why? There is only so many times before the yelling and the shouting crap gets blocked out. Since I am appreciated for repeating myself by stating the "could do better" remark, all I say is even Jimmy agrees!!!! Yes we could do worse, not much in terms of performance, but we should be doing so much better. We have the players as they have shown occasionally this year, why aren't they performing? He's gone as far as he can with AFC, if only the board had the stones to do something about it. Just because we are not bottom two or three doesn't mean we should be happy. Reaching semi finals shouldn't be considered an achievement for AFC and we have been very fortunate to go as far as we have in Europe with one win in six games. I don't get why people don't open their eyes???

No sour grapes, I just want us to play well and have success. British football is rather primitive hence the introduction of the foreign coaches with new ideas and foreign players who are better (obbviously not all as there are also plenty of foreign diddies we have seen in Scotland.)We are having a decent season so far (we're still in everything but I won't call it a good season until we see how far we go) but I think we can do better. I didn't say we always played long ball, that was a response to another email. I don't think we play with any pattern of play but we do play quite a bit of long ball lumped up the park. When we keep the ball on the deck and pass we do well, I just want more of that. Wenger's teams can over pass and Mourinho's teams can be cynical and borderline boring at times. Man. Utd. have a great blend of strength, flair etc. They are all progressive coaches and JC appears a little dated. Agree, the future and another coach with a different style is speculation. As is keeping JC, only time will tell. Hiring Alex Ferguson after getting sacked from St Mirren was a ballsy and risky decision. As was firing Willie for being 2nd in all competitions. JC may win us the UEFA cup :-) but I still think a new approach with the playing staff we have could do better.

Maybe. I agree is it easy to criticize and judge from a distance and many coaches don't get the respect they deserve. However, having done the courses there are some complete numpties with licences who are clueless. The ex-pro tends to get preferential treatment in these courses and some very poor and uneducated 'coaches' get to coach pro teams. There is definitely the 'old school' coach and the newer progressive style of coaching like a Wenger, Mourinho etc... They are very forward thinking with advanced methodologies - there are plenty of these types around and I used to think JC with his background, his dutch coaching etc was one, but I really am surprised at the 'quality' he has us play. I used to think JC and JN were that way but now I fear they are just fun guys with a bit of personality who the players like to play for. However, we do have the players to play better and I think we have players with the technical ability suited to passing more. We see it sometimes, it would be nice to see it more often as I feel it would get us more positive results.

Fair points Tradesman. I agree it is certainly pleasing to see us in the top half of the league, competing in all competitions and, having been a die hard dons fan for almsot 30 yrs, I've certainly seen the highs and lows. I've also been involved in professional coaching for the last 12 yrs and simply feel we have the skill and talent to do better at present. Yes, you can argue we're 4th in the league but we're not far of 8th. A little more consistency and quality and we could solidify 3rd against a very average league at present. I also think there is no reason we cannot compete with the old firm as they are average teams. We also should do well in the cups given the opposition is not as strong as the past due to financial limitations. I trully feel we are two or three signings away (and some decent tactical coaching) from being a good side. A new right or left back (Foster can play RB and I agree he has been good over the last year - I remember the dogs abuse he got and he has certainly come along), a commanding centre half to partner Zander or Considine, and a natural central midfielder to take hold of the middle or the park. Re-sign Barry and get the most out of Miller and Lovell (providing they re-sign) and we have a decent team. Surely we can spend some cash given the cup runs, the Anderson money, 200k for Clark etc. - we can still use some to reduce debt but investing in the squad in the current situation is neccessary. Maybe it's too forward thinking to replace a manager when we are doing ok. He's done good things but pass it on to someone to do better. Certainly the new guy could do better or could do worse, that's the risk you take. I still think we could do better, play better, be more consistent, and win. I do think we've gone as far as we can with JC but I will certainly be deligfhted if he proved me wrong!

So what does 200k get us these days? Ian Murray? Burton O'Brien? Stevie Hammell? Would the huns sell Alan Gow if we pressed them since they got him on a freebie?

No need for the abuse, debate is healthy and we are all entitled to our opinion. I get the thumbs down for debating versus sending insults and abuse? Quality! As I said before, Calderwood has done a good job at stabilizing the team/club. However, I think he's taken us as far as he can. Nothing to do with hating the guy, he's simply a coach that motivates and get players fired up. However, I think he cannot do any more with us. I'm not asking us to play like Brazil, I just want us to play football rather than kick and run scraps. We have the talent to do better and I think we could get someone to improve our play. I feel we have a much better squad than most of the league yet we've struggled to get 9 wins out of 22 in the league? That has taken us to 4th which sums up the standard of the competition; I think it's fair to say we haven't played well many games this season, what if we played better? The league is not a great standard and we are very capable of being top 3 and competing with the old firm in my opinion. I used the Gretna game as an example as it was the last game I attended. I also referenced the Copenhagen game as what we are capable of doing. We have the talent to pass the ball and play better, and still win. Our players are capable of more from what we have seen of them in certain games - how many games have we trully played well this year versus the comments of 'we were dire today?' We don't have to play kick and run to get results and we can play well and win well, and win more often. I think we are simply missing an opportunity here to do better?

Got to say, I love the intelligent responses and debate. It gives people so much credibility. If you are going to abuse at least be funny!! My job is in coaching so I pay attention to what coaches say/do during Games. I also scout and watch training sessions to see what coaches do. Last game I watched was the Gretna game over Christmas and while it certainly wasn't a great performance it's just embarrassing watching Calderwood. He shouts, screams, doesn't really coach, and the way he rips into Michael Hart when he gets injured is just primative. When you go 1-0 up with less than 5 mins remaining you make tactical adjustments to hold a lead as you know the other team will press. You practice these kind of things in training. You also practice how to hold the ball, play possession, and keep the ball in the corners - you see that regularly when teams hold a lead. Jimmy does nothing and from what we see there are no team adjustment, we don't keep the ball, and lose a last minute goal. Even the penalty which was a dubious penalty, you don't sit so high when defending a 1 goal lead with 2 mins left. You play deep and get men behind the ball so there is no space to exploit and the team plays infront of you. I simply feel we have the talent in our squad to do better. We have many average teams in our league and I expect more - if we were playing good football I wouldn't have an issue but it's painful to watch most games. Jimmy stablised our team/club now it's maybe time for someone else to take us forward.

Of course we are underachieveing. With the squad we have we should easily be 3rd (at worse??) yet the league form has been average at best. The Copenhagen game gave us a glimpse of what we are capable of - no reason why we don't reach the league cup final as we haven't faced any good teams (we should beat anyone and give Celtic/Rangers a challenge) and we should beat Falkirk in the replay. Calderwood is a motivator and not a tactician but there are only so many times you can use the same speeches, yell at the players etc. and he struggles to inspire, motivate and coach the current group. We are inconsistent/poor because he's a very average coach. A fresh approach could take us further in a time when we could easily be the third force in Scottish football and be competing with the old firm. Most games are a struggle and a slog when we do have the players to be doing much better and playing much better quality football.

From the last few games we've played dire stuff - not much to jump about. Even with the injuries we can play better. I think you'll find if we pass the ball a little better and are coached a little better you get to jump around a little more. We do have the talent in the squad and we are underachieving. While we are still involved in all competitions we could do better. Just because we are not the doom and gloom of the past under Alex Miller, Ebbe etc doesn't mean we settle, and I think people are happy just because we are not involved in the relegation battle - play better and we could easily solidify 3rd but we're also not far of 8th. Compare our squad to the rest of the league and we could/should be doing better - some quality coaching and that could easily be achieved.

I think there is a difference between playing the ball to a target man who holds the ball up for midfield support, knocks it into the channels for wide runners, on flicks it on for the other forward to run onto, and simply lumping it up the park head height or higher. I don't see all the games but from what I have seen and heard we regularly simply punt it up the park and posession is lost. We can rarely keep possession and play more than 3 passes in a row. Miller loses a lot more than he wins, not solely his fault as the 'punt' isn't exactly a quality pass. It would be nice to have a team that plays through midfield rather than kick and run stuff. I think we all agree we don't play quality stuff much at all and we simply want to see a few passes and be entertained. The players are paid professionals who do have technique - it takes coaching to play possession as a team, it doesn't take much intelligence at all to play kick and run.

I get why we are looking to replace Hart with Bus or some other numptie, but why are we looking at strikers?? (if you can call Dobie that.) We have Miller, Lovell, Mackie, Mcguire, and Smith who have all shown they are capable. I assume Miller is leaving and Dobie is the replacement but why not use the cash to get Dobie to keep Miller? Having watched the dons this season we don't play with any real style or system of play.... apart from lump it up the park. Do we actually coach in training? What does Sandy Clark do again exactly? I'd much rather we signed a central midfielder who'll take responsibility in games. We have no leader on the park and no central player willing to take charge of a game. Seve used to but rarely now. We don't play through midfield very often and any good play is a lump forward to the forwards to hold the ball up for midfielders - very basic play. I watch/listen to games every week and we always seem to play poorly. We're not fun to watch and it appears more teams play more attractive football than us (Hibs, Motherwell this season for example, never mind the old firm.) What do we do in training as you cannot tell from watching games? I do a lot of coaching in the U.S. and we appear to be a very poorly coached team. We can sign whoever we want but what do our coaching staff do with them? The boy got slated in another topic for criticizing Calderwood but my feelings are is that all prem clubs are struggling financially. We were crap for a few years because other teams were still spending money and we were tightening the belt. Now it seems to be even hence we are more competitive again - I don't really hold Calderwood responsible for success but more the other teams are crap now. If we were playing good attractive football then maybe but we aren't particularly good. I personally feel Pittodrie is stale again and Calderwood has taken us as far as he could - a new contract to me means more of the same which is not really inspiring. Dare I say we missed an opportunity to sign a John Collins for example with English/European experience and a reputation of playing good attractive football.

Sorry if it's already been asked, but when is the draw? I'd take Bayern, Spurs, Athl. Madrid, and Copenhagan - that would be fun, low expectation, and mega money!!

Talking of crap signings, how many of JC's have been good signings? Not many - Seve and Jamie injury prone, Baz Nic has been good in the last season or so, Lovell and Miller have potential but not done much - he supposidly wants the board to state ambition (with finance) but do you trust the guy spending the money???

If the boy is any good this one will certainly piss me off. We're recommended him by Bobby Clark months ago, he then gets capped by ROI, then Jimmy says he's only looking at him as a favor to Bobby and that it's highly unlikely that he'll get a deal. No wonder the boy goes elsewhere, we don't exactly seem at all interested. Given our severe lack of money should we not trust a Bobbby Clark and at least look at him before commenting?

I'm certainly not saying Onstad is a great keeper, but I don't rate Langfield or Soutar at all and the SPL isn't full of quality keepers, and you weren't pointing out better players if you look into who you commented upon (maybe the exception is Robinson who has a number of Welsh caps and could probably play in the dons starting eleven). You pointed out average players in MLS as did I, guys who play most games. Would you take a 32 yr old Dichio or a 40 yr old Brewster in your squad? They are comparible if you ask me. Paul Dalglish won the MLS = Bob Malcolm winning the premier league. There are plenty of mediocre Scottish players would get overly recognized too - look at the Rangers and Celtic diddies who have been selected for Scotland before quality and more deserving players (i.e. the clowns that play instead of Russell Anderson.) I'm not arguing MLS is better but I think they are comparible leagues. I've seen terrible dons games in the past and great MLS games and vice versa. Freddy Adu is a decent player with plenty of talent but remember he's only 18. He's been overly hyped up by MLS to get attention to the league but that is American sports - the world series, world champion San Antonio Spurs etc. It's not the world but that's America. Johnson isn't the best player in MLS and I'd say Angel, Donovan, Albright, Johnson, Mapp, Ching, Mastroeni for example could all start for an SPL team plus there are loads of good up and coming players. I heard Danny Szetela is being linked with Rangers being one. It's a very new league and will only get stronger as players develop and gain experience. MLS will just get stronger (as will American 'soccer' in general) - It pains me to say but I'm not as confident about Scottish football.

I'm not saying MLS is a high standard but neither is watching the majority of SPL teams. Go and watch Caley Falkirk and tell me the quality on display. I'd say Eddie Johnson is as good if not better than Darren Mackie, Justin Mapp on par or better than Chris Clark, I'd take Chris Albright in a heartbeat, and as for Freddy Adu, while he has been so overly hyped up, I'd take him any day as we seriously lack creativity and flair. Ricardo Clark is a good player too and would probably take a starting spot. Agreed the league has its duffers but for every Terry Cooke, Carl Robinson, Danny Dichio and Gavin Glinton I think you've got an equally good Richie Byrne, Densill Theobald, Markus Paatelainen and Steven McGarry. And as for Pat Onstad, how good are Langfield and Soutar?

I'd say MLS is probably very similar to the SPL with the exception of Rangers and Celtic. There are plenty of players in MLS who I think would make it in the Dons first team squad, and a number who would be starting players. I also think there are plenty of diddies who play(ed) in the SPL. last season i.e Richie Byrne, Dan Smith, Jamie Langfield, Gary Dempsey, Jamie Winter etc., and I'd say Chris Clark and Darren Mackie are easily MLS standard and we are the 3rd best team in Scotland right now. Having lived in the USA for 12 years now, being heavily involved in coaching, and watching the growth of US football and MLS there is plenty of talent here. The perception of US fotball is not great but the talent is certainly here, but the SPL isn't that great either (unfortunately).

I think it would be very difficult to knock back any bid of a million plus. We are a club with major debt and can we really afford to lose Anderson for nothing in less than a year? You can argue the fees for players like Brown but I think these guys were all on longer contracts. While people moan about ambition by not keeping Anderson the fact that we were 3rd and in Europe may just encourage a decent defender to come our way. I think most of the fee would be used to service debt but we'd sign an experienced central defender to complement our younger central defenders (dare I say someone like a Craig Moore or Bobo Balde.) I don't really know what central defenders are available and as much as I want to keep Anderson I just don't see how we can afford to keep Russ if bids come in.

Do we consider a back three with McNamara sweeping behind Diamond and Considine with a 5 man midfield with Hart and Foster (dare I say Byrne) as wing backs? Had we not signed the Dutch winger I'd have thought that. However, I think if Russ goes we will buy an experienced and dominant centre half to combine with Diamond or Considine. Just don't know who??

Any idea where we are entered and how many rounds until the group stages? What would the groups stages mean in terms of finances - anyone any idea how much money reaching the group stages will bring us?