Phil Connors

He'll do well there. For two years with us he looked like he was running through sand.

Tell me about it...

4 points from the next 3 games as an absolute minimum before JC is given a final warning I'd say. It's all fine and well JC talking about balls flying into the box and no-one getting on the end of them, but the bottom line is football is a simple game about scoring goals and if your strikers/players aren't getting on the end of them, then quite simply something has to give. Clubs are judged on results and not how bonnie they tend to play in the first two-thirds of the pitch. Defensive frailties apart, 4 goals from open play in the 8 league game we've played (7 in total; 2 free-kicks and a penalty) is unacceptable having had 5 of our 8 games at home so far. It's pretty obvious to a sizeable amount of us that Mackie and Miller are not the way forward. Kilmarnock at home in 4 weeks is the critical one. Fail to win that game and it will be squeaky bum time for Calderwood.

Dearest SeeBass I was attending the premiere of Groundhog Day on the day that Aberdeen faced Rangers in the cup final of 1993. When I heard Rico scored that thunderbolt I took Andie McDowell roughly from behind in front of the assembled world media. She's quite hairy you know. And she is worth it. Yours over and over again, Punxsutawney Phil for WPBH-TV9 News

Nice one. The comparisons with Manchester United or any other team for that matter are ridiculous and irrelevant. So please, no more dissertations on Fletcher/Ronaldo/Tevez. The question simply is - "is he really doing enough for Aberdeen FC>" His general all-round play is not in question here, but a natural penalty box goalscorer he obviously is not. That said, could that indeed be down to tactics? He scored plenty for Falkirk and Hearts, so there's a striker in there somewhere. However the question of supply is also dubious. There has been more than a few occasions this season where a full back or winger gets a cross in, and Miller doesn't look interested, or sharp enough, to make a near post/back post/any kind of run to get on the end of anything. His off the ball movement is also questionable and makes him difficult for defenders and midfielders to pick him out with a ball to feet. BUT - is this because he's lazy, or is it because he has been instructed to play this way? I think if we saw a bit more liveliness from him, he would silence the overwhelming majority of his doubters. Furthermore, if he was more lively, he might be even more of a handful for defenders and might get on the end of more things and score more goals. Supply isn't great, but good strikers also create chances for themselves.

There's nothing wrong with the article. Many fans who have been sitting on the JC fence for a long time are starting to turn, so in that sense the article is spot on. Articles like this are designed to challenge him and it's up to Calderwood to deal with this kind of pressure in the same way he continuously tells the media that the players have to live up to our expectations. These expectations may be high, but quite frankly, that's just tough. He knew what he was getting into when he took over. Jimmy seems a tough kind of guy and I'm sure he'll brush it off, but he really does need to read between the lines. The fans are beginning to turn. Of that there can be no argument.

OK, since this thread hasn't been posted in in 2008, here's a wee update on AFC's no1 striker. In 2008, Lee Miller has played 34 games and has scored 6 (six) goals. Only 3 (three) of these have been from open play. Q1 - Should we be expecting a better return from our no1 striker? Q2 - Is it time for him to be dropped?

He didn't look fit in the first instance, so draw your own conclusions from that.

Aint that the truth!

There is no denying that a 4-0 reverse at Peterhead is terrible with a so-called "strong team", but in the bigger scheme of things it could turn out to be a blessing, a wake up call if you will. Try a couple of new things against a lower league team in a friendly, take a hammering and realise that certain players can't play together? Try a couple of new things against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on day 1, take a hammering and realise that certain players can't play together? I can vividly remember the reaction to being humbled by Hartlepool a few years back. This is no different really. Still plenty of time for the Dons to get it right before the serious business starts.

I'm pretty sure he had a spell on loan at Dundee Utd the season before last and didn't impress much. EDIT: Season 2002-3 it was (man I'm getting auld). Alex Smith signed him based on his performances for Scotland U-21. LB Cummings, LM Mulgrew, CF Smith would work for me.....

We don't want him. He's the ultimate cunt.

This quote has sarcastic undertones.

Mackie's contract is up next summer. Of course he'll get into double figures.

Let's not forget if it wasn't for perfectly good goals being disallowed at Celtic Park and Fir Park we would have been 3rd and in Europe. We need a right back, an experienced centre half and a left winger. Smith to play up front.

This single statement proves the point. Pre-season friendlies are about finding the positives in amongst a group of half-fit players. There were plenty of them there, depending upon if you want to find them. I don't understand the negativity, we haven't lost anything.

I've never thought he was ever that good. He kind of lived off the Martin O'Neill clogger mentality. A siege defender but no more. Falls into the same category as a Marvin Andrews or Lorenzo Amoruso. He's barely kicked a ball in anger for the last two years, I'd give him a very wide berth. He'll end up at Hull or Bolton for a year, pick up a fat paycheque then disappear.

It's not a tangent, it's an explanation of why players are not as sharp as you would like them to be. It doesn't seem that you understand the pace at which these players play at. I'm merely saying I was surprised by the urgency of some of the Dundee players at this early stage of the season, that our players would not be used to playing at that kind of pace so early in the preparations, therefore players are prone to what looks like sloppy mistakes. In any case, I did not see these so-called numerous sloppy mistakes from Duff, because you seem to be in a minority of people who thought he was rubbish, I'm inclined to think you're making him a target because you don't think he's good enough for AFC, just as you do with JC at the slightest sniff of blood.

To put it bluntly, that is simplistic rubbish. Teams like AFC usually gradually build up their opponents from weak to strong over the course of the pre-season to reflect the progress they're making with training. This year they've done it the wrong way round and JC admitted as such after the Man Utd game. Fitness-wise Aberdeen and Dundee will be on a par as they are two full-time football clubs. Therefore the game will be played at an unusually high-tempo for such a game at this stage of the season and players will make mistakes when put under pressure because they are not 80% fit. For football-minded people that is quite straight-forward. If you want to see excitement, you don't go to pre-season friendlies.

I have no problem with that. When he signed, I suggested he'd be "our Barry Ferguson" for the simple reason he did the same job for Utd. Rarely gives the ball away and that is crucial for our midfield. Too many football fans don't look far enough into how important a player like Barry Ferguson/Mark Kerr is for a team. There were plenty of others who agree with me. It seems only a small clique of JC/Duff haters have got on his back here. He is a fairly composed type of player. Yes there were one or two wayward passes but that is to be expected when you've only played 45 minutes of football in 6 weeks. You make allowances for these things in pre-season friendlies. On the whole he played well.

Langfield - bad kicking, otherwise not much else to do Mair - didn't look too sharp but did OK S Smith - looked sharp, eager to please, played some neat passes, made a couple of good tackles. Rough round the edges but wouldn't be scared to pitch him in again. Kerr - looks like he'll be a big player for us, likes to pull the strings and always chose the right option Considine - a bit rocky in places but did OK Severin - looks really short of confidence playing back there Young - unfit and played some terrible passes but had one or two good touches as well McDonald - good engine but far too many wayward passes, mind you if he sorts that out we could have the making of a good midfield pairing with him and Kerr Miller - some good touches but needs to up his work-rate. Lays the ball off and stands still rather than making space for himself Maguire - did OK but he's not the answer Duff - looked composed on the ball, distribution was good, probably our best player on the night Foster - added some much-needed sharpness to the proceedings when he came in, giving us a genuine threat down the left hand side J Smith - as with Foster, allowed Dons to go up a notch, but by then there were too many tired legs Mackie - usual Mackie, got in about them, more of a threat than Maguire Stewart - didn't get long enough but looks like a hard-worker These games all about getting players' fitness levels up and experimenting with players and formations. We did OK in the circumstances but we should make more of how they're doing come the last game of the Holland tour when they're fit and sharp.

Well said. As for Hammill. Looked good in a poor Dunfermline team. I found him to be quite Foster-esque whenever I watched him.

Shame, JC really hoped the contract offer would catch Jaap's eye.

Doubt it. You'll find him hob-nobbing with his new team-mates at Peterhead, whom he signed for last month.

Maybe so, and probably more to do with the expectations surrounding the price we paid for him, but sadly, he'd walk into the current Dons midfield. Make of that what you will.