wee toon red

I could be wrong but I don't think the majority of Scottish clubs have got enough players for an old-school reserve team, so it just ends up being a youth team anyway. With as many as 16 "senior" players involved in every league game, there aren't many left over to play in the reserves. As for Fletcher, 16 does seem a bit young to be playing any kind of regular first team football so, as Panda says, he's as well staying with us, training with the first team when appropriate and making the odd appearance here or there.

I see there's talk that Liverpool want to loan out Ben Doak. Given our previous dealings with them, I wonder if there's any chance? Exactly the type of player we need.

I’d still like to see Hoilett back when he’s fit. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we were a much better team with him in it.

Rightly or wrongly, this is still our pre-season so three wins from three is all we're looking for. Airdrie are a decent outfit but it's encouraging to see the team getting tweaked at half time and improving immediately, exactly what you'd hope for as the players work in a new system. Surely we'll get some more players coming in once Bojan's exit is finalised so on that basis I'm not hugely worried about Morris starting at the moment.

Saw him play for Kelty at Queen of the South near the end of the season. Looked like he was plenty good enough for that level so even though I agree with you and expect him to be loaned out again, I would still have expected him to have been in the first team squad on Saturday.

Hopefully Bavidge will be with the first team more than these young XIs this seasons.

A guy who you have to feel got everything out of his talent. A 20-year top flight career, almost entirely at his boyhood club, winning a trophy and gaining international recognition. What an example. I don't know what his retirement plans are but getting someone like that into a youth set up somewhere at least seems like a good idea.

That's been one of the most noticeable things about the tournament, the majority of players looked knackered. I thought it was definitely true of Scotland and England look the same, while France, Italy and Portugal's performances would suggest their players are shattered as well. Too much football being played for the players to be in top condition all the time - and too much for fans to watch as well. Way beyond saturation point now. What's the scoop in Scotland with the extra tv deal this year? 80 potential games? Madness.

How good does a fixture list full of Saturday's look?! Unfortunately it'll all go to shit when tv and European games get involved and we'll have more shite like the Monday 8pm kick off we've been handed to kick off.

We seem to have paid about £250,000 for Ferguson from Hamilton and the story goes that £500k would be the expected compensation figure for Barron.

That advanced midfield role should be perfect for Ferguson rather than sitting a bit deeper. For me it's between Ferguson, McGinn and McTominay for the advanced roles and Gilmour, McGregor and Christie for the deeper ones.

Ryan Christie is a more of a holding midfielder than McTominay these days. You could actually make an argument for him playing alongside Gilmour and McGregor dropping out.

Subject to fitness and availability, there should never be another Scotland game that starts without Billy Gilmour in the team. He's our only "proper" player in terms of composure and ability on the ball and we're a different team with him in it.

Instinctively feels like a good signing and fits in with the idea of signing the better players from around the league to supplement the unknown quantities we're bringing in every year.

We’ve apparently met the st Johnstone keeper Mitov’s release clause. No idea how much it is.

I'm relatively ambivalent towards women's football but it does catch my attention from time to time. Mainly the Scotland team and then if I see a score update on some of the Dons socials then I'll check it out. Maybe helped by having two young daughters who play but I certainly don't have any ill will towards it and I find it more interesting than some of the guff that you'll find on BBC Sport, that's for sure. Rico's point about trying to copy men's football is spot on. When Glasgow City were the top women's team it felt natural to hope that they do well. Now that Celtic and Rangers have their own teams who are doing well you can't help but want them to lose, which is a pity for the players but so be it. Glasgow City and other Scottish teams would be much easier to "support" without the rivalries that come from the men's game.

Lewis Morgan called up. You'd have to think he'll be in the final 26 otherwise dragging him over for a friendly tomorrow night and then sending him straight home would be insane.

Six ex Dons, including two who came through our youth system.

Already relegated and a midweek trip up to Aberdeen? Well done to them for taking any fans whatsoever.

Unreal again tonight. 2-0 down with less than five minutes of normal time left and won 3-2, with an absolute worldie of a winner 8+ mins into stoppage time. https://x.com/AberdeenFC/status/1790123950636167252

From what you read about Thelin's style of play, then if he's going to implement it here he'll need players with discipline and energy. Particularly from the midfield forward. So you'd imagine any of our squad who possess those traits will thrive, those with one of the two will probably hang around a while and any who have neither won't last long.

I see former St Johnstone defender Shaun Rooney is leaving Fleetwood on a free... maybe not much of a step-up from Devlin but I'd have taken him when he left Saints two years ago.

Actually think Foster was a bit pro-Dons in his co-commentary to be honest. Also thought that under the bollocks "handball" rules these days it was a stonewall penalty. The blatant on one of our players that wasn't given up the other end which resulted in the Huns getting possession and ultimately the penalty was, however, an absolute joke.

What are we going to say to CAS? "Please sir, this is unfair. We want 50% of the tickets even though we can't sell them all"? We'd rightly be laughed out of the place. A fairer mechanism for selling, ie section by section up to a deadline and if not sold out the other team get them, is the ideal but to suggest we go greetin to CAS about it is fanciful. If "we" as a club want to make a point then it should start with being able to show demand is there in the first place, which it demonstably isn't. The SFA aren't going to have seats that could've been sold lying empty if they can possibly help it and it's very difficult to blame them for that.

The news must be right if we’re getting pronunciation lessons! Hopefully the media style guides will be equally well informed