wee toon red

Leaving next month.

https://www.afc.co.uk/2025/09/16/director-of-football-steven-gunn-to-depart-afc/

Sounds like a polite sacking. Chance to get a "proper" DOF/Technical Director for @RicoS321

Please take this as a genuine question Orlando Don as I think it was you that said it (apologies if it wasn’t):

What specifically is it that schools and colleges over there are teaching that’s “left” and lead folk like Charlie Kirk to think the opposite point of view needs to be put out on campuses across the country?

4 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Looks like the system and the set up is working, it's the finishing touch that's missing.

Gyamfi and Alfie in at the back, shinnie and sivert in midfield, karlsson and nisbet starting.

mitov

jensen Alfie knoester gyamfi

sivert shinnie

keskinen aouchiche karlsson

nisbet

No excuses today Dons, three points a must.

19 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

That’s why you have creativity at 7, 10, and 11, plus the full backs bombing on. You have two guys in there whose job is to win the ball/create turnovers, and play passes. They can be good passers with range, and can still attack, but flair/creativity is mainly from that 3 behind the 9. 

If I change my original use of "creativity" to "comfortable on the ball" then I don't think we're in any disagreement.

1 hour ago, OrlandoDon said:

You dont need creativity, that’s the whole point. We have three flair players ahead of them and attacking fullbacks, these guys serve a very different role to balance the team. Harsh on Clarkson but I don’t think he’s the type of player we need in there. As I said before though, all of our central mids have weaknesses.

You might not need creativity in the sense of beating a man or slipping in a through ball but you need to be able to manipulate space and pick a pass, as well as dictate the tempo. You can’t just have two players  in there to be a brick wall, that would just lead to the midfield getting bypassed and spending 90 minutes watching the ball fly over their heads. There’s got to be balance between the pair.

I think it has to be Shinne/Sivert and Clarkson/Palaversa. The other combos are either not creative enough or don't cover enough ground. Shinnie and Clarkson would be my first pick, subject to finding out more about Kjartanson's capabilities.

The vocal element of our fan base doesn’t have the patience to allow a youngster to develop. Jack Milne is a case in point, and it was Mackenzie before him. They’re not as young as Boyd but it’s the same principle.

The winter window has been shite so far, you'd think we'd have signed someone by now. Burrows and Gunn out.

Stuart Armstrong?

Scott burns says loan deal confirmed. My word, that’s some signing!

8 minutes ago, tlg1903 said:

Turnbull will be on similar 

Maybe, maybe not. Looks like we’re in with a shout of karlsson anyway, which is very surprising.

11 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

Re wages, wasn’t the same said about nisbet? If there’s a relationship with jimmy, win bonuses, goal/assist bonuses, signing in fee etc, there’s a way to make it work.

Some random site has him on €20k per week. We’re not going anywhere near that. We can dream tho…

Wages surely make this Swedish boy unlikely?

Turnbull I could see.

48 minutes ago, manc_don said:

£300k is an absolute steal for an international proven goalscorer, but it does beg the question, wtf were we doing Low balling it in the first place? We’ve needed a proper striker for some time and this should have been a £500k and done thing months ago. Anyway, glad we’ve finally got him and welcome back. 

There are about a hundred things involved in a transfer, the narrative that we could’ve spent X more to get him earlier is far too simplistic.

22 minutes ago, Panda said:

A point currently beIng debated on the ol' what's app.

If Nilsen leaves, that would leave only Kjartansson as the defensive break your legs midfielder (Shinnie isn't a sitting midfielder, Clarkson and Palaversa can sit deep but wouldn't necessarily maim you).

Does this mean that, when Gyamfi is fit, we may move towards a three at the back? A wee 3-4-3? 

“Amorim style” or jimmy’s cup final version? Not sure we’ve anything like good enough midfielders for the former and I hope we’re more ambitious than the latter, as plan A anyway.

That’s a great deal if it’s true.

Nisbet: good signing. Proven goalscorer, knows the system so should slot straight back in, good age.

Dykes: would be more of a risk but I actually think he’d do well.

It’s a big two weeks for Jimmy, he’s got to use the break to get the new signings bedded in and hit the ground running straight after it or we’re in bother.

Any decent websites to visit while the game is on?

Hope the midfield three runs riot as, on paper, it looks like the right balance for a game we should be looking to win.

Big Willem's coming out of retirement for that one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj6yjkl7ngko

Paying a club record fee for a Portuguese second division level player is a bit tinpot.

That's a tough draw. It's better than FCSB's in the Europa League but going to be very tough to qualify.

The Huns wouldn't waste their or Girona's time negotiating a fee if the player didn't want to go I'm afraid.