Ajja

Agreed. After the cup game we have two huge games against St Johnstone and Motherwell than we must win to push for top 6 and we should be confident going into those games as well. Celtic are not the benchmark for us at present, they'll keep.

Think this may be the positive effect that Brown has at Pittodrie, players who actually want to come and play under him knowing they will improve their lot as a result.

As bad as these two were, they aren't the long term cancer that takes a wage from the club. We have cut away the fat, now lets start toning muscle.

I'm more concerned about Diamond now to be honest. I think he is indicative of a regime that has got comfortable with failure and although I always felt there was a player there waiting to get out after Saturday I think his footballing limitations and poor decision making just keep letting us down when it really matters. He needs to go now.

Agreed. We have some serial offenders when it comes to not turning up to these games. We need to move them on from this club but that only serves to re-iterate my point that its going to take Brown time. He has at least demonstrated that he might make the right changes, unlike McGhee who failed to show a change of fortune from day 1.

So you did, I didn't go near the match thread. I assumed a train wreck! Only read the one about our support and it confirmed my fears of knee-jerkville.

I expect a virtual kicking for this post but fuck it, I'm going to post it anyway. I am as gutted as everyone else about the way we played on Saturday, it took us 45 minutes to realise we were at a cup semi-final and there is no excusing the lack of fight that we showed in all areas of the park. However, this is the team that 8 weeks ago was getting horsed by anyone who came up against us. We were the SPL punchbag with no confidence, an imbalanced squad and a battered support. Despite the obvious changes that Brown has made to the teams morale as well as a few personnel changes that looked to have improved things we have a long long way to go to be turning up to a semi-final and knocking out Celtic. A Celtic side who are flying, who brushed a strong Hearts side away with little effort 3 days previously. They were strong and fluid and we were nowhere near competing with them. Just because 14,000 fans turn up to watch us, doesn't mean we become a great side as a result. We have beaten some of the poorest sides in the SPL and East Fife over the last weeks, it's improvement but people need to realise what Aberdeen FC are at the moment. We are a fragile side with a few encouraging results under our belts with a glimmer of optimism ahead. It doesn't all just change overnight and this game came too early for that team. Celtic are streets ahead of us and it showed. We just have to pick ourselves up, forget the blow it delivers and keep rebuilding. If we can keep seeing some momentum then maybe the Scottish cup becomes a more achievable goal. SF.

LOL. Calm down folks.

Isn't na na na...a Celtic ditty ?

Problem is if you unfurled your flag and then were asked to take it down and you handed the steward a fire safety certificate which option do you think you would find as a response; a. Oh I'm terribly sorry sir, carry on then or b. Just take it down and shut your mouth if you want to see the game son. Pointless trying to get around the rules, they will either let you or not depending on how they feel and it will have fuck all to do with a fire certificate.

Exactically Al. There needs to be a little calming of expectation among the support. A matter of weeks ago we were going down to Division 1, 8 weeks later we are disappointed to be getting a player who is on the fringes of a mid-table SPl side.

I hope you are taking the piss there mate. Obertan would piss his way through the SPL, ever day of the week.

Agreed. Absolute priority this season. We are building a bit of a make shift team just now with all these loans and signings to the end of the season. Can only imagine that its all about a short term push for cup success in one of the two tournaments. That said, top 6 should certainly be achievable.

If we assume that we are not going to catch Killmarnock in that period leading up to the end of February and that none of the teams below us will catch us then we are basically competing with 4 other teams to get 5th spot going into March. Here are the fixtures each team has with possible points; Aberdeen; Celtic (H) 1 St Johnstone (A) 3 Motherwell (H) 3 Kilmarnock (H) 3 Hamilton (H) 3 Hearts (H) 1 Total 14 (Giving us 37 for season) * Points based on what we might need rather than what is likely St Johnstone; Hearts (A) 0 Hamilton (H) 3 Aberdeen (H) 0 ICT (A) 1 Dundee UTD (H) 1 Huns (A) 0 Total 5 (Giving them 31 for season) ICT; Dundee UTD (H) 1 St Mirren (A) 3 St Johnstone (H) 1 Hibs (A) 1 Total 6 (Giving them 35 for season) Motherwell; Kilmarnock (H) 0 Huns (A) 0 Aberdeen (A) 0 Hamilton (H) 3 St Mirren (H) 3 Celtic (H) 0 Total 6 (Giving them 34 for season) Dundee UTD; Hibs (H) 3 ICT (A) 1 Celtic (H) 0 Hamilton (H) 3 Hearts (A) 0 St Johnstone (A) 1 Hamilton (A) 3 Total 11 (Giving them 37 for season) So with all that in mind, the table looks like this come March 1; 5. Dundee UTD 37 6. Aberdeen 37 7. ICT 35 8. Motherwell 34 9. St Johnstone 31 All looks reasonably achievable but it depends a lot on us getting a high points haul, basically winning 4 games on the trot sandwiched between draws with Cletic and Hearts at home.

This is the crux of it. Let's not start sucking each others dicks just yet. When we've played a round of teams in the league, gathered a good amount of points and genuinely competed against top table opposition then I will be satisfied that we are top 4 and cup final contenders. We have a good run of home games that can see us catch the likes of ICT and Motherwell as they look to have lost momentum. UTD and Killie will be our main challenge if we are looking to get into 4th place and they have a fair bit on us at the moment in term of points/games in hand.

Can't see that to be honest. Surely they will have in excess of 20,000 at the game. The bigger the crowd on all sides the better, improves atmosphere and brings in cash.

FA cup is where fringe players are often used though.

Josh Morris mentioned on Abmad ? http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10303~52728,00.html

Saving their voices, fingernails and cash for the big games. YAAASSSS

Good sign indeed. We didn't sound overly convincing I'd have to say. Maguire and Vernon were very quiet and we lacked any creativity in midfield. can only hope these guys were just going through the motions and saving it all for the big push on Saturday. SF

Really unfair on Young like, think we should forget EPL talent and stick with him in the middle.......what ?.........what's wrong with that ?

Do you like anything about what Aberdeen FC do ?

Truly dreadful punning today lads. Woeful.