Ajja

I'd prefer to hear we have signed Fyvie on a new contract for 4 or 5 years

You are correct, that is how many see it but I think they are wrong. Exactly how solid were things under Calderwood in his last season ? The ground has been further softened under us by a collapse in revenue since then and McGhee has made as decent a start in terms of points to Calderwoods previous seasons. Add to that an exciting couple of additions to the first team and I would argue things are already improved on how I felt last season.

I guess that depends on whether you view McGhee's short period in charge as a step backwards. I personally don't, although I recognise that the quality of football has not improved yet. If you are trying to make significant change to a squad that is leaking yet more of its experienced players (Severin, Smith etc) and has become stagnant (as you correctly point out), carrying a number of players who are simply not up to the job then you have to be prepared to do some pretty major restructuring. I have said this many times but it just isn't going to happen overnight. You say the football has 'been uninspiring bar the young players', lets not forget that those young players represent a fair chunk of the first team these days (between 25-35%) and most fans have been pretty excited by that element. I agree, the formations are frustrating but you also have to applaud McGhee for wanting to play the style he believes in rather than accepting that due to the limitations of certain players he has to abandon his principals. Like you, I'd prefer to see him focus on a short term plan to play a formation that works with the players he has but to build a squad that can play the way he wants them to. Again, this will take time. As for chasing players he never had a hope of signing, how do we know what really goes on with these discussions? Fans need to relax about signings and transfer window gossip because we have no idea what is going on behind the scenes with agents and media specualtion. The one thing we do know is that there is fuckery a plenty and its not worth getting boiled up over.

You can't fault the galvanising effect that this sort of chat has on the fans. They just have to be careful not to actually spend too much money. Talk cost nothing.

Have we lost away from home in the league yet ? On the whole we do OK at ER and I think if we can remain solid at the back and NOT FUCKING TRY TO PLAY FUCKING 4-3-FUCKING-3 then we should be able to out play Hibs. You could see from a distance that if we tried to play a lightweight midfield against UTD then we get over run but we did it anyway and we did. Hopefully, a nice simple 4-4-2 with strength across the midfield will see us snub out Riordan and Zamanamnamanmanaa. Could go either way really.

I think you are right manc. This guy clearly wants to be the big cheese. He is deliberately going at making a big splash. Its quite funny and is certainly getting it up UTD, always a crowd pleaser!

While I agree that we made a mistake in blowing the money 'adjusting' the JC situation, the mistake was surely made in giving him 3 years when the rot was already beginning to set in. I don't agree that we could have waited another season or so. I think it is fair to say that the majority of fans felt to varying degrees that things were becoming difficult under JCs management. If we had let the this fester I think it would have been hugely damaging for the club and its relationship with the fans. You can be as pragmatic as you like but most football fans are fickle and knee jerk, its just the way the game works. Ironically, this myopic viewpoint that saw JC hounded out the door is exactly the same myopia that has fans losing heart with McGhee after a dozen games. Its deeply frustarting to watch Aberdeen right now but I don't remember it being any other way for around 18 years. McGhee has been honest enough to assess the squad and the position we are in and say that he thinks it will take him at least a season to transform our performance. In most businesses this would be an acceptable plan but not in football. I would agree that its pretty hard to keep up levels of interest while these transitional periods are going on but we just have to give the manager some time to make a difference. We also know that a few good wins and some good performances and that myopia will kick in again and we will all be salivating at the prospect of the next Saturday.

This is surely just a bit of mischief making. UTD will never sell the guy to Dundee for that amount when they are looking for £1m+ (think they have said £2m!). Melville knows this and there is no chance of him moving. What better way to get Dundee fans cramming themselves into Dens Park than to come out publicly and state that you are able to pay more wages and have more money than your biggest rivals? You are effectively putting a marker down to say 'we are bigger than you and are an SPL side'. I think in terms of PR its a pretty good move.

I appreciate you were being sarcastic here but it might be the most significant contribution that Wright makes ot our squad. If he pops up with a goal or 2 (my expectations are low!) then it might actually put a rocket up Miller, and by fuck he needs one.

Thought he cam across well. Honest and humble. Hopefully he will prove to be a good addition and will bring some much needed strength and stability in the RB position. If he can get forward a bit as well it will help the front end to push on, I think thats something we have lacked for a long time with a series of makeshift fullbacks.

I don't believe that I said that but what I would say is that a players market value is not inert. I would ask you if you really believe that there is absolute knowledge available to scouts and that no influencing factors exist dependant on how players are presented in the media or through the activity of agencies etc ?

Lets just remain patient. McGhee has steadied things and while not exactly impressing we are unbeaten in the league since the opening day. I think its actually quite an accomplishment to have had the run we have with such a depleated squad. The key thing is that we see continuous progress, the performance against UTD is quite a big milestone in the season IMO. If we can boss them and win convincingly then most peoples golden boys for 3rd place will be firmly in our pocket. I think a positive view of McGhee will be increasingly reinforced by next week.

If we are to make any kind of return on our investment we probably have to be talking him up now. Unfortunately for us, we have not signed him on a long term deal and so have one season to really lever his value upwards and sell him. Otherwise, we will get a couple of seasons from him and then lose him on a pre-contract for zip. Its a shitty situation that we probably have little control over.

You never know. Darren Mackie has been masquerading as a striker for years and still manages to deceive many.

Funny as fuck this result. Makes our Sigma humping look almost acceptable

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA Watch those seats empty...

McCulloch you utter wankstain

Got a good buzz on about the UTD game. Kerr will pull a performance out, as will Miller. They have a depleated squad and its time the McGhee show got going. Think we might destroy them.

BBC giving Hearts a 68% possession rating...is that for real ? I didn't listen to the game today but sounds a bit of a ropey figure if you guys reckon we were the better side and should have won.

Indeed!

I wasn't suggesting that it would be acceptable to let average squad players go and not replace them, I would agree with you there. I was merely choosing to shift the discussion towards culture change at the club as I think there might be more to gain there than from replacing a few squad players.

Not a practical solution as you are well aware. Better to open the trap door and let a few of the worst fall through and watch the rest clamber upwards to avoid being next.

Its essential that we begin the process of weeding out bad performance in this squad, even if we are not able to replace like with like. McGhee has to start sending a message that poor performance has a consequence because for a very long time it has not seemed the case. You can concern yourself all you like with who might come in to replace these guys but it doesn't change the fact that they are underperforming and should go. Standards have to be set before they can be raised and its the impact on the players who stay that I am most interested in.

Yeah, its sooooo summer 2009 you Losers.

LSC are in for a beating.