Panda

2 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

Out of curiosity, have they even paid for Barron? 

Nope, going to a tribunal.

1 hour ago, RicoS321 said:

Nonsense, Clarkson is under contract, Cameron isn't. 

It's not nonsense at all.

Do you think Clarkson will be here next season? I don't.

And I don't think we've brought Cameron in just to fill a hole for five months. I think we want him here long term. Loans turning into permanent deals aren't a new thing. 

Also, if Cameron can't get into this Rangers team, he's even less chance next season when they start throwing the chequebook about. I'm not convinced even a strong second half to the season is enough for Rangers.

There is probably more chance of Cameron being an Aberdeen player next season than there is Clarkson.

He isn't going to sign a new deal and he'll have one year left on his current one in summer - every chance he moves on (be surprised if he didn't).

Cameron is a loan at the moment. We got close to making the Scales & Christie deals permanent. We'll try with Cameron too.

But it's not a competition between the two anyway. That they both started today suggests they may well be starting together in future too. The mistake was Armstrong being paired with them - was better when Shinnie came on.

Not that I wanted a Premiership team, but it's a fairly decent draw in that if we win, we've got rid of half the top six, and there's going to be at least two non-top flight sides in the quarters. So, as long as you avoid the Old Firm, nothing is too daunting.

Might be a great time to get Motherwell. We (hopefully) will have a new manager bounce and some new signings, while they will be without Welsh (cup tied even if he returns), Maswanishe (potentially leaves in January) and therefore could be rocking a little bit.

Teams we can face

Premiership: Dundee / Dundee United / Falkirk / Motherwell / St Mirren / Rangers / Celtic (probably).

Others: Airdrie / Elgin City / Dunfermline / Stenhousemuir / Kelty Hearts / Partick Thistle / Spartans / (winner of Stranraer v Queen's Park).

So including us that's a 50/50 split between the Premiership & non-Premiership. Good chance of an appealing draw.

Celtic will be at home to Falkirk as usual so we will avoid those two, and Rangers I imagine will be at home to Spartans.

I quite fancy Dunfermline away, big away support at a ground we haven't played at for years, and a good tie.

Kelty Hearts at home though, thanks.

Just now, OrlandoDon said:

Cameron MOTM?

Yeah I'd agree with that. Wasn't a vintage display but was positive, drove forward, got shots off, and his set-piece delivery was really good.

And this is a guy that has barely played for months.

Keskinen was everywhere but makes too many mistakes. Thought Nisbet played well - interesting that he stayed on for the 90 because you could usually set your watch for the Lazetic-Nisbet swap.

Stephen Welsh named in Celtic's team so that transfer won't be happening this month.

If the ball brushes someone's arm - even if it doesn't offer an advantage - it's a penalty. Yet Devlin at the back post being pulled by the arm to stop him connecting with the ball is "not enough".

19 minutes ago, Kowalski said:

No better than Clarkson at either. 

I don't think there's any evidence to back that up at all, which is why Cameron is on every set-piece.

6 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

Yup. Besides being Scottish, does Cameron offer anything more than aouchiche or Armstrong?? (Besides younger and more of an engine than Armstrong maybe?)

Set-piece delivery?

We look a lot more of a threat from corners and free-kicks today, which when you're struggling for goals is a big thing.

MITCHELL FRAME!!

The season has officially started.

25 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Having to watch this on the telly today. @Panda, what's the purpose of having McFadden in the studio? He'll have seen plenty of Raith with his championship coverage, but they've also got Murray for that. When asked "What's going wrong at Aberdeen?", he doesn't have the slightest clue. Just the tired pish about us "heavily investing in the team" and other shite. 

They've got Tony Doc at the game for TV, and Willie Miller for radio. And the commentator and pitchside reporters are both Dons fans. So is the producer.

Great coverage as ever. 

I'm just really happy for @OrlandoDon that Frame is in the squad.

Knoester was ill yesterday apparently.

4 minutes ago, TheDonbytheDee said:

Kelle Roos getting of to a good start with Killie.

Start as you mean to go on.

 

On his debut as well

Want to get the fans back onside Dave? Get the chequebook out and get this man back up the road.

I think you're all looking at this wrong.

There is every chance that we drag Lyall Cameron down to our sorry level, drive most of his football ability out of him, and send him back to Rangers a shadow of the player he was.

Lutz knows what's he's doing here.

I wouldn't be adverse to McGlynn, and if he was 20 years younger with hair and minus the baseball cap, he'd probably be a shoe-in. I think McGlynn almost does himself out of big jobs because his face doesn't fit. He has that lower league gaffer look about him and that's how people view him.

However, if Falkirk had decent strikers they'd be above Motherwell and Hibs right now. I hear the same thing from McGlynn most weeks that they had so many chances but couldn't finish. You do feel if the man had a budget he'd do very well.

I met him in summer - which every potential Aberdeen manager should be doing to be honest - and can confirm he's a very likeable guy. 

Sokler's chance to really kick on and stake a place in the team was after his wonder goal at Easter Road, but he spent most of the second half of last season injured. He was unlucky in that respect, but between the Hibs game & his injury, he started four out of five games and didn't score in any of them, and the Hibs goal was his only one since October, so he wasn't exactly a striker in form.

It didn't look good that we sent him out on loan though, but kept Ambrose and signed Yengi. And from memory he looked okay in both legs v FCSB. Really, we should have given him a chance, but if we're looking at Hearts and Hibs as our benchmark, is he as good as Shankland, Braga or Boyle? I'd argue Nisbet better than him too.

Klauß actually means "victory of the people", which is the type of thing you want in your manager.

Thelin means "protector of the people". Nice, but perhaps too defensive and cautious, and slow to react when we need to go on the offensive.

Pfannenstiel means "panhandle"...

Shame, there was a player in there, and I actually would have liked to see him given another crack at it in the second half of this season.

However, with Leven suggesting we could sign as many as four players this window, maybe a new striker is incoming?

4 minutes ago, swaddon said:

Lutz says a shortlist will be revealed in the next few days.

Interestingly, he wouldn't deny if interviews/contact had already taken place.

Also clarified his earlier "Scottish knowledge" comment. 

"It would be a good benefit if there is knowledge of Scottish football - that is not everything but definitely a positive".

"Will he be Scottish? Will he be German? Will he be from Mars or from any other planet? I can't tell you that right now," Pfannenstiel said.

"We just want to have the right guy who makes Aberdeen better."

Went down a Robert Klauß rabbit hole.  

Firstly, loads of videos of his training sessions on YouTube for anyone who has a fetish for that sort of thing. 

An Austrian podcast was saying it was a surprise he was sacked by Rapid. Appeared he was doing a solid enough job there, had put together a good squad after taking over a poor side, and they were in the last eight of the Conference League. However, they then lost 10 out of 16 games in a horror run, and also got knocked out of the Austrian Cup by a lower league side, and that finished him.

However, before that run, the feeling was he was doing such a good job that he was going to be poached away that summer.

Appears to like a 4-4-2 that turns into a 4-2-2-2, with his wingers tucking and his full backs overlapping. 

Pros: Very highly respected coach. Has worked with Ragnick & Nagelsmann. The type of guy you would love as your assistant manager.

Cons: Is he too big a risk as a manager? Didn't get Nürnberg promoted in two attempts, and despite a positive start at Rapid he then hit terrible form and, like Thelin, couldn't turn it around. But there has been interest in him from Spain and Cyprus and he turned down both roles, so clearly still highly thought of.

4 hours ago, manc_don said:

I'm sure I read somewhere that he may even be going back to Motherwell?

Yeah, if Celtic get cover, which basically sounds like O'Neill saying he'll never be good enough for Celtic as he's only going to give him a chance if absolutely necessary. 

He's 26 in a matter of days, needs a permanent club, pretty sure we can outbid Motherwell if we are interested.

But, Celtic play Auchinleck in the cup. It's a game you would make a lot of changes for. I fear Welsh will play, and we'll need to wait until summer for him.

Back to Stephen Robinson, slaughtered his players tonight.

Maybe we're just waiting for him to be sacked so we don't need to pay any compensation.

 
I'm currently watching the St Mirren game, and they have been awful. Bear in mind they've played against 10 men since the 14th minute and have had one shot on target.

I fear Cormack is looking at McInnes's impact at Hearts and thinks Robinson will do the same here; forgetting that McInnes has been helped massively by the recruitment at Hearts. He wouldn't have us at the top of the league, and neither would Robinson.

The two Germans mentioned are Markus Gisdol and Robert Klaus. 

Klaus (or Klauß) is an interesting one. Plays a 4-4-2 / 4-2-2-2, had Rapid Vienna in the Conference League quarters, but hasn't really had any long term success. But you could say, neither has Askou who has impressed at Motherwell. Maybe just lacks a bit of experience and his next club will get the benefit - he's been linked with some English Championship clubs. Certainly the most intriguing of the three.