Graeme_S

what was MM's budget like at Motherwell? (serious question, I've no idea) I thought one of the main points of bringing him in, was to better develop youth players into the first team, as there were a few promising youngsters in his motherwell team. I know however that this was also a way of the board saying "you're getting buttons for player budget" so MM can hardly say he wasn't warned. besides when you play a youngster who's allegedly a central midfielder, at fullback because you've bumped our only full back to league opposition then you're not really helping to develop the youth are you?! I think we made some decent signings before the season started. I was genuinely optomistic. but regardless of budget etc. you can't say that MM is getting the best of our current crop right now. the players we have, with 1 or 2 exceptions, should be beating the likes of St Johnstone & St mirren etc. but at the moment, they aren't Had I been playing football manager, I'd have probably given most of them a free transfer after the celtic game, which would momentarily cheer me up until I realised I had no squad and no money to replace them. then I'd have quit the game in a huff. This is reality though, and we can't get rid of the whole team, so we need to find a way of making them perform better and a new management team is looking increasingly the only option. after the ICT game, I don't know if it was a bizarre optimism or early signs of severe apathy, but I was coming round to the fact MM was here to stay and even thought that in 3 months time I'd maybe be reading an "I told you so" thread slating me and others for our "knee-Jerk" thinking as the club climbed the table rapidly. I'd happily take that slating to see us even just in the top 6 now, but it's not looking likely is it?

when was this story in the Record? there's a couple more comments that they left out of the retard, and it's from an interview given before last weeks game. http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2017864

Ironically the ref at the Allianz Arena game was sh*te. if we so much as looked at a Bayern player a foul was given. I'm pretty sure with a stronger ref, it'd have been closer. probably 4-1...

if you're responsible for putting that squad together, then the buck stops with you. we'd all love for him to be given more cash at the start of the season. but look at the teams that have beaten us. do they all have stronger squads than us? really?! there's certainly teams with less resources than us doing better than us. by your logic above, Hibs & Hearts would never have got results against the Glasgow 2 last week. but their manager's got something out of their players to raise them up a notch. Again, I'm not directly slating MM here, I'm only pointing out your complete absolution of blame from him is a little hard to take. Truth is, it's the middle ground between your posts, and the MM's a total retard posts of others that's probably closer to the truth!

Wasn't Aluko one of the players that MM was talking about as one of the first teamers who are injured as a means of mitigation for our 11 game 'blip'? what's gonna be the excuse if he's not even there in Feb? this is not necessarily a dig at the manager, but it seems odd if we are saying we are struggling without x in our team, only to punt x 2 months later.

I don't use this board much, so I have no pre-conceived bias against anyone, or reasons to rubbish anyones posts. but I'm sorry stoney, I cannot possibly see how any dons fan can defend McGhee a this point in time. 4 points from 30. that's 1 win, 1 draw from 10 games.including 9-0 defeat. In a league as sh1t as the SPL, that's unforgivable. I think his signings have been not too bad. I'm even gonna ignore the foster fullback debacle. but if anything that's even more damning. he's signed players that are decent, and he cant get them to beat f**king st Mirren. I was at that game last week and we were a shambles. mostly in defence (but I still won't mention the fullback situation, I won't even mention his "man management" of our goalkeepers). if you can point out 3 press conferences since the start of the season, where he has sounded like a) he was in control of our situation b) he sounded like he knew how to resolve our problems then, I'll back you and Mark himself in turning things around. I really wanted him to do well. I really didn't want us to waste more money on another new manager/squad rebuilding, but I simply cant see another option. yes the board are culpable but we know we can't budge them. but if we're lucky we might just get someone in who can form the ragtag bunch of wankers we have in our squad into something resembling a pub team. that alone should guarantee SPL football next season. so far we've won 25% of our games. I'm not a Hamilton/Motherwell/St Mirren fan. To me that is an unacceptable return and something has to change. if you think that's good enough, then we're not on the same page at all.

One slight correction to the original post above. Dons legend's dream job? Afraid that's not quite true. MM's dream job was in the other dugout today.

I've been all for giving him time, and have always said the players need to take a fair share of the blame. but f**k me, that today is just ridiculous. when Hartley went, a towel should have been thrown in and everyone go home early. I guess it's only fitting that having clearly wanted the Celtic job more than our job, his biggest humiliation as Dons boss is at the piggery!

I'm not currently employed as a defensive coach so I may be speaking out of turn here, but chasing someone after they've got the ball and are closer to your own goal than you are isn't exactly my idea of tracking back!

Agree. he shouldn't be picked, he's made 2 many costly errors. but irrespective of whether you think he should be on the park or not, he was, and he was out there representing Aberdeen F.C. so the very least he should get is 90 minutes without being mocked by his own fans.

I thought his comments after the game were fair enough. As soon as the 2nd went in, I said to my son "that was Paton, not tracking back AGAIN" it was the 3rd time since he came on, that he hadn't tracked back and they got in down our right hand side. McGhee qaulified it by saying that he was culpable in taking a risk by putting on Paton to try and win the game, knowing he shirks his defensive responsibilities. So it wasn't so much finger pointing, more letting Paton know of his errors. I thought Paton didn't look very fit to be honest but that's just me. Someone else mentioned the treatment of Howard & Ifil and I also found it embarassing. ironic cheers for every catch Howard did make. who's side are these clowns on? yes he made yet another error, which was costly. but if the muppets that think the way to sort out a player low on confidence is to give them abuse like that then they're currently getting the results they deserve. I wonder how many potential signings would be put off by playing in front of that kind of 'support'? Ifil was shocking, no other word for it. BUT he's big no nonsense old fashioned centre half, and he's been asked to bomb forward downthe wing and get crosses in for our strikers. for that reason I had a little sympathy for him. and again the massive cheer when he was subbed was shameful. he's being put in a sh*tty position (pardon the pun) by his boss. it's the old fullback story which McGhee has to holds his hands up for. positives? my first look at Folly live and thought he looked very tidy, although if he has one failing it's that he's allergic to taking shots. a few times it rolled to him on the edge of the box and he stops it and tries to look for a pass. also thought Jack came onto a good game, particularly 2nd half.

Nice one, cheers folks. Manc_don: I'll be heading over from the east (Docklands).

any londoners on here know if the Rob Roy will be showing the game tomorrow? not been up there in a while and I heard it had been taken over by new management. Just wanted to check so I don't end up making a 40 min tube journey for nowt tomorrow.

Diamond was shocking today. maguire can thank him for his red card. thought maguire himself had a decent enough game. McArdle also made a decent attempt at keeping Weiss quiet. 3rd goal was a sickener to lose. came from a sh*t kickout by Langfield and we were caught sleeping. Did we intentionally sit back at the start of the 2nd half? if so it was a ridiculous tactic. 1st half we pressured their possession. 2nd half they did it to us, and then when they had we let them come at us which was always gonna end with a huns goal.

What's the script with this new set up and what does 4th place give us? do we have a play off or 2 first with some uzbekistan team, or is it straight into a draw for some groups?

I've PM'd you back. agree'd I may have snapped like it was my bad week, but I'm a good 4 days from that yet, so I've no real excuse. anyway, at end of all this, I'm still no nearer an AFC towel.

It's cocks like you that are the reason I don't normally use message boards. typically the kind of little nob that sits in the corner saying nothing, but put a keyboard in his hand and suddenly he's a bit "crazy". I wouldn't have minded if you had said something funny. that might have made it worthwhile. but as is common with arses like you, you added nothing of any value to the thread, and failed at being funny. keep up the good work.

Anyone know where I can buy a decent AFC towel online. (not a second hand one! ) the club shop doesn't seem to have any.