Panda

First game this season I'm not looking to. I'm just so bored with this team at the moment. I've a dentist appointment on Wednesday I'm looking forward to more than the Dons game that night. I'll watch if we play this team. Lobban would usually be my first pick but Id be inclined to not overplay him, especially with the number of games we have coming up in December. Nisbet generally plays deep anyway so let him do that, Lazetic and Karlsson central, Clarkson pinging passes for fun.

We have very little link between midfield and attack. Our two midfielders sit really deep - whether that's by accident or design. Our wing backs don't get up the pitch or overlap quick enough. So we build up slowly, then have a line of four players passing to each other while the opposition are very comfortable in their defensive shape. I was looking at the 'average positions' from recent games on the opta stats website (I'm on my phone at the minute and the mobile version of the opta site is chronic, so can't post the graphics). It's noticeable how deep Nisbet generally is as opposed to Lazetic and Karlsson. He essentially plays as a number 10, which he did to great effect last season. But last year - as @RicoS321has just said - he had Gueye to play off of. Karlsson tends to sort of drift, not knowing if he's a striker or inside winger. At the other side, Armstrong or Aouchiche aren't forwards and don't play as such. When Lazetic plays, he plays further forward, but then there's this big gap between him and the midfield so he receives very little of the ball, certainly not in dangerous areas. Our tactics appear to sort of hope he can pull defenders out of position so Karlsson and whoever is on the other side can exploit the space, but it doesn't really happen, especially when playing a three-man defence. There's two options with a front two. Play Nisbet as a 10 and play Karlsson and Lazetic as a front two. Or play similar to Hibs' set up. Three in midfield, meaning two number 8s step up further forward (a role that would suit Armstrong) and allow the front two to move the defence more while the opposition try to cover the extra bodies. It would also allow to press more.

I don't think he's fixed anything from a month ago, despite the relatively positive results. Defensively I'm not sure we have really improved. I think we just have an extra man in there which means by default second balls in our own box are more likely to fall to a red shirt. Midfield - no improvement. Up front is the same. When Thelin first came in, the first thing I noticed was how well we passed the ball in little triangles. We'd play our way out of trouble. It's clearly something worked on every week in training and even now we still look confident in small pockets of space, and our touch and control is generally good. However, that's it. There's no real substance there. I don't see a game plan. I expected us to play long ball, or "long pass" the Swedes describe his play. It was supposed to be quick transitions, soak up pressure and counter. Elfsborg were comfortable without the ball, but would jockey the opposition into areas they couldn't hurt them. None of that describes how we play. It almost seems like we're getting away with things because we do have good individuals (not to be confused with having a good team). In Thelin's post match interviews he talks a good game, identifies all the things we're not good at. But I don't see any evidence of him ever fixing these issues.

Yeah I don't agree Livi is more important. Even if you think the chances of qualifying from the league phase isn't going to happen, based on last season's prize money then just winning tonight earns us £350,000.

Fourth round draw is this weekend, when the cup holders enter to bring the glamour. My mate has organised a stag do for the weekend of the final which is fucking ridiculous planning.

So what was the justification for the extra £5? Some sort of late fee?

Six months since that wonderful day

On 23 November 2024, Aberdeen were 22 points ahead of Hearts. Had Hearts won today, they would have been 22 points ahead of us.

I was only half watching it today so didn't get a proper look at it. My take though was Derek McInnes made a mistake by naming a two-man midfield, especially with Baningime out. In the last few weeks, Hibs and Motherwell have demolished our midfield by adding an extra man. We looked like we could pass through their midfield pretty easily at times. It also looked like three at the back from Hearts. We're not a team that pepper the opposition box with crosses, so it looked like a man wasted from Hearts, and in the first half we always had an extra man outside their box getting to second balls. In the second half we gave the ball away and invited pressure. It looked like a 6-3-1 formation once Shinnie and the rest came on, we had no out ball. Still improvements needed but will take the three points.

I can't think of a Scottish player better than Mbappe, but I wouldn't want him in the Scotland squad either. No, because that's what club football is. Players can move freely from club to club. Ibrahimovic has played for both Milan clubs. Sometimes it leaves a sour taste (like Miovski) but it's club football, it happens. If you make international football like club football, then what's the point in it? I think you said in a previous post other countries are picking players not even remotely linked to that country - that's not right. I'm not saying Scotland should use the grandparent rule, I'm saying it shouldn't be a thing at all. Should be the parent rule (because that's jus sanguinis, so there is no argument over McTominay or Dykes' nationalities). I'll accept the grandparent rule only if they have also lived in Scotland for a certain period of time (I think it's five years in rugby). Like I said, he should have been told to ram it too. (Although, granted, he is at least Scottish by parent).

You may be right on account they're using Shankland on today's match graphic. Or maybe it's a double bluff. I hope he does play as he's likely to lose the head again anyway.

Because I was making the point that it isn't "one or two" who shouldn't be there. And yes, I include Adams in that. We wouldn't even be worse off without him.

So you want Barnes, Adams, Delap, Hirst. Luis Binks is also touting himself for a call up. So we're not talking one or two, we're talking potentially five. You could throw Angus Gunn in there too - although he at least has a Scottish dad, let's not forget he initially turned us down for England. And then there was Elliot Anderson, who thankfully has finally picked England, who said: "I went away with the Scotland team and I left camp after a few days.... I'm really thankful I've done that now. "I'm definitely English. That's where I see myself. It's just I hadn't really been called up to England throughout the ages when I was younger so I thought I'd take the opportunity to play for Scotland. Then, once I got that belief that I thought I was good enough to play for England, it hit me, and I focused on England." If you try to make international football like club football and let them switch about, then what is the point of international football? We could have had Elliot Anderson playing for Scotland in a friendly v England, then later playing for England against Scotland.

What if over the next seven months we found 11 players who all had Scottish grannies, no interest in Scotland but want to play at a World Cup? What are we actually supporting then? Or what if we couldn't get tickets because all the Welsh and Northern Irish fans with Scottish grannies wanted to support a team at the World Cup so snapped up our allocation? Nah, not having it.

Yeah, Tom English has never actually knocked us back. But Harvey Barnes can watch the World Cup on the telly. He's not Scottish and isn't remotely interested in Scotland. What he's interested in is getting the chance to play at a World Cup. Would love to sign Harvey Barnes for Aberdeen. But for Scotland, no. They need to change the eligibility rules. The grandparent rule should only be allowed to be used if you have also lived in Scotland for a certain period of time. Otherwise, it should stop at the parents.

This is very much the Hibs formation. Clarkson in deep allowing Armstrong and Shinnie to push further forward than the graphic shows, and it would allow our midfield to have an extra man to Hearts' two. Lazetic or Nisbet to partner Karlsson. I'm not sure which one works best or if Karlsson would even work in a front two. Looking forward to seeing Lobban v Milne on that side of the pitch. Shankland apparently hasn't travelled with the Hearts squad, Ague and Baningime also out. Cammy Devlin - arguably Hearts' best player this season - picked up a knock so will not be 100%. Halkett suspended. Despite their good start, the game is there to be won. Good time to be playing them.

I do like the thought of us drawing their play-off path, then booking all the flights while they have to wait patiently until March to see if they qualify first. Especially the flights from Dublin.

Seems like it, but I'm happy to be one of the faithfuls. #Traitors

Aberdeen winning the Scottish Cup and Scotland qualifying for the World Cup within six months of each other, that's the dream. And yet, within those six months, both Jimmy Thelin and Steve Clarke have had more criticism than praise, and not unfairly so considering there's been more poor performances than good ones from both teams. Despite that, they've still both delivered the ultimate high. Kasper Schmeichel also deserves a lot of credit for being part of both days.

How many moderators does this forum actually have?

The sad thing is Clarkson would excel in another team's midfield. Hibs play a three-man midfield; usually Barlaser who sits between Grant Hanley and the other two midfielders, McGrath and Mulligan. I don't think any of those players are particularly more talented than Clarkson. Barlaser does the simple things. Collects the ball from defence and passes forward. McGrath and Mulligan collect and have three to four passing options -their front two and the two wing backs who get forward at pace. They repeatedly cut us open with just two-three passes a few weeks ago, not helped by our front three doing little pressing on Barlaser, and Palaversa having a nightmare, but that's another debate. For us, when Clarkson plays, often he turns and his options are a long ball forward (not necessarily a bad thing because he can pick players out from distance, one of his strengths) or a side ways pass to the wing back. He could be used so much more effectively in a three-man midfield. Technically, he's a better player than Hearts' Cammy Devlin, but even though they also play two midfielders, Devlin has two wingers and two strikers to aim passes at. Wait for him to sign for Hibs in January and start opening up chances for Boyle, Bowie and the two Caddens, while we're still scratching our heads.

Thains in George Street [insert rowie emoji] But I'm always open to suggestions.

Aye. Could call it "stuff"

Good to see you Blin, been a while. Just don't ask me to clean any ashtrays