Friday 20th June 2025 - SPFL 25/26 Fixtures Released
️ SCOTTISH CUP WINNERS 2024/25
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Everything posted by Panda
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Someone is going to have your head for posting that in the Europa league group... Am I right in thinking that of the 36 teams listed there, only five have won European trophies, us being one of them? (The others bring Fiorentina, Kyiv, Forest and Donetsk).
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This is the updated list of possible play-off opponents. A lot of it is based on projections though, and not all of it on the seeded team winning, more the 'favourites', so it's only a rough idea at the moment. There is a small chance enough seeded teams could be knocked out, meaning Aberdeen could be seeded. Likewise, if Aberdeen did make the group stage, they would more than likely be in pot 4. The new format means we would play two teams from each of the four pots, with four home games and four away. The top 8 make the last 16. The next 8 are seeded for the knockout play-offs, and the following eight are unseeded. Just need to avoid finishing in the bottom 12 to advance. Going by last year's table, 11 was enough to progress, and one team on 10 points made it through (A post-Jimmy Thelin Elfsborg also got 10 points, but missed out on goal difference).
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For me, Europe is more important than finishing third next season. Obviously you want to finish as high as possible, but without the guaranteed group stage place, third is not as big a carrot. Europe provides a big chance for us to earn significant funds, it's a shop window if we're selling players (and we are a selling club), it's a showcase to others to come and play for us, and it's a chance for us to grow our own coefficient (the club one) to help our seeding in future. All the players say that getting European football was a big thing to them. Palaversa, Polvara and Clarkson in particular were vocal about it. It's why Knoester and Tobers came here. It's a stage we should be on more often and it's a shame that after this season it'll be more of a challenge to make the groups. If it's the Europa League we reach, then being competitive likely represents a good campaign. If it's the Conference League, we could still end up with a horrible draw, but there is more possibility of progressing beyond Christmas (should be noted Hearts' group was particularly easy, doesn't necessarily mean we'll get as "lucky"). I think if we finished fourth, did well in Europe, and as ever give the cups a good go, then that's a decent season. If we were top three, made the knockouts in Europe, and claimed another cup, then it's time to start designing the Jimmy Thelin statue.
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I respectfully disagree on account I could win more headers than Molloy.
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Not always, no. The loan system also exists to get better players in that you otherwise can't. Would we be overloading it though? We ended the season with Tobers and Molloy injured. Without Dorrington we'd have been relying on Knoester and Milne. Molloy could do with a loan. Rubezic should be sold. So Dorrington coming in would give us four centre halves. I don't think that's overloading the squad. He was poor on the right for a long time too.
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If he is better than what we have then often the only way to get that level of player is on loan. We were never getting James Maddison on a permanent deal for example. Too early to make a call on Tobers, and likely too early to expect Milne to be a regular starter. Dorrington would be very useful, especially since he can play both sides of defence.
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Jack Mackenzie's new manager has just quit for Schalke. Not a good start to life at Plymouth
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Scottish Cup final: Aberdeen v Celtic - 24/05
Panda replied to Panda's topic in Aberdeen Football Club
That's because despite Celtic's riches, we have something money can't buy: a soul, a team spirit built in a family tradition. Just came up with that myself.. -
To be fair, he did play a part in our Scottish Cup success by helping to knock out Rangers. Surely we can get a medal cut for him.
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The feeling of some Queen's Park fans that I've seen was that he improved as the season went on, but if they were loaning him again he's a back-up at best for them. Wouldn't be the first player to have an underwhelming loan at a lower level then surprise everyone by turning it on for his parent club, but like I say I think he'll start pre-season for us to fill the squad, but unless he trains like Shayden Morris in front of Thelin, he'll do well to survive summer.
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Alfie Dorrington probably needs a post of his own. The 2025 Scottish Cup winner, when asked about potentially returning to Aberdeen, said: “Obviously, I love the city, I love the club, the staff, the players. I love Tottenham as well. They’re kind of in charge of what I do. I’d be grateful if Aberdeen came back in for me but it’s all in Tottenham’s hands.” And Dave Cormack said: "I know Spurs have been, as I understand it from Steven and Alan, delighted with his loan. "It's the first time the boy's been away from home in London, and he told me a number of times he's absolutely loved being away on his own, and he looks after himself as a player as well. "So we'll just have to wait and see on that one." It's an interesting one. There's no doubt he has improved as the season went on (especially from the mistake-laden game at Easter Road). I would like to see Tobers and Milne get more of a chance, but at the same time if you have access to a good player you should take him. I'd hate for us to turn him down and then he ends up at Hibs or Hearts. Although not his natural position, I'd bringing him back as understudy to Knoester, and then give Molloy a loan elsewhere.
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So this is where we are at the moment. I've not included the youngsters who have barely played, but of course there is Emslie, Bavidge, etc. There is also Ryan Duncan, Richard Jensen and James McGarry. I suspect they'll join us for pre-season but won't last the window. Rubezic I've included - his loan was more about personal issues than Thelin not rating him so he may still have a future, although Tobers and Milne probably both ahead of him now and we might feel we can get a small fee for him. Will he even want to come back if he's third choice CB? We do need more Scottish players for the European squad - there's only three there. We'll sign or promote a Scottish third choice GK probably, and Fletcher Boyd has been on the bench in three of the last six games and think he'll make the squad if we're not considering a loan move.
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Scottish Cup final: Aberdeen v Celtic - 24/05
Panda replied to Panda's topic in Aberdeen Football Club
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Dirthy Filthy Hun Scumbag Vermin (deceased) and Poundland tribute act
Panda replied to mizer's topic in Football Chat
I think it's fanciful. For a poor squad, they were still 17 points ahead of third and Europa League quarter-finalists. I think our target for now is Hibs and Hearts - we're still early into our own rebuild. I'll settle for beating them in next season's Scottish Cup final though. -
Scottish Cup final: Aberdeen v Celtic - 24/05
Panda replied to Panda's topic in Aberdeen Football Club
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Dirthy Filthy Hun Scumbag Vermin (deceased) and Poundland tribute act
Panda replied to mizer's topic in Football Chat
That's £20m additional investment though. Add around £14m from season ticket sales, the £11m in prize money from the Europa League last season (which doesn't include ticket sales from five games which would be another £5m - £6m), and although I don't think they'll make it there is always the small chance they might get through the Champions League qualifiers and into the group stage. That doesn't guarantee anything, but it's a lot more than they had last summer. -
Scottish Cup final: Aberdeen v Celtic - 24/05
Panda replied to Panda's topic in Aberdeen Football Club
Fair fucks to the club for sticking with the current strip by the way. The squares on the shirt were already iconic, and now even more so. (I have the day off tomorrow and am currently celebrating the six-day anniversary with a few whiskies. There's a chance of more nonsense posts like this before I get put to bed.) -
The issue for Jack, like a lot of our local lads through the years, was that he was always one of the first for criticism. I don't think he was ever that happy, certainly not this season when he was getting pelters from Nilsen. I think the only time I saw him truly happy was scoring that goal at Ibrox, and on Saturday with a winners medal around his neck. I think we'll see him back at Aberdeen one day. And I hope he pushes his way back into the Scotland squad when Robertson, Tierney and Taylor retire. But for now he's probably best moving on. I get people saying Plymouth aren't a step up, but he'll likely play there and maybe will get noticed by a bigger club, so good luck to him.
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Scottish Cup final: Aberdeen v Celtic - 24/05
Panda replied to Panda's topic in Aberdeen Football Club
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Scottish Cup final: Aberdeen v Celtic - 24/05
Panda replied to Panda's topic in Aberdeen Football Club
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Well his goals to game ratio is far better than Sokler's. We don't even need to talk about Ambrose. Bavidge is not at the level required yet. Am I suggesting Dabbagh should be our first choice striker, no, I'm saying can we develop him into a big part of the squad. Morris for me shouldn't be a first choice either, however he has shown he can make an impact as part of a squad and I think Dabbagh could be the same.
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Apparently not. Zagreb will either be in the Conference League qualifiers, or will get direct entry into the Europa league groups. It's because the two Conference League finalists (Chelsea and Real Betis) don't need the automatic EL spot they would get from winning the Conference League final, so the spot goes to the highest ranked EL qualifier, which will be Zagreb or Shakhtar.
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And I'll give him an A+, as well as a gold star and a letter home to his parents praising him for his Scottish Cup performance.
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I didn't see it myself, but Dabbagh apparently was motioning this ()to Cormack during the celebrations, presumably asking for a permanent contract. Either that or he wants his autograph. I'd quite like to see him stay. I think he does have good movement and he's a player who with a full season behind him would improve. But then after what Thelin has done with Morris, I believe he could make anyone a player.