Panda

He's been a regular starter post-injury with Cardiff and still has two years left on his contract. They paid £2m for him so doubt they'll want to sell him, and if they do it'll be for a fee that we won't be paying.

Anton Rogan Dariusz Wdowczyk Callum McGregor Alistair Johnston A list of Celtic players that I will forever hold a social place in my heart for.

This thread should be pinned imo instead of that Arabs v Dons one, which should be allowed to drift down the forum and never posted in again.

Homegrown quota: In a 25-man European squad, we need eight Scots, four of which need to have come through your youth system. So... Dimi Mitov Second goalkeeper Third goalkeeper (Tom Ritchie, but someone on this thread saying he's been told he can leave?) Nicky Devlin Alex Jensen Jack Milne Slobodan Rubezic Richard Jensen Gavin Molloy Kristers Tobers Mats Knoester James McGarry Graeme Shinnie Sivert Nilsen Leighton Clarkson Ante Palaversa Dante Polvara Pape Gueye Shayden Morris Topi Keskinen Nicolas Milanovic Peter Ambrose Vicente Besuijen Ryan Duncan Ester Sokler Fletcher Boyd Finlay Marshall Dylan Lobban Alfie Bavidge Adam Emslie New striker New left back New energetic midfielder That's a 33-man squad. Not all those youth players will make the squad, but a few first teamers will miss the cut even if they somehow survive the summer cull. Difficult to see Richard Jensen return, and most likely James McGarry too. Peter Ambrose's time may have come as well. Besuijen you imagine might go too, but then he's kinda the type of player Thelin could work with, especially if Okkels isn't signing permanently. Rubezic said in an interview he's returning (he scored yesterday I see), but is there a place for him, Molloy and Milne? Do we turn down Dorrington if offered him again on loan? Nisbet said in post-match interview at Hampden it's his last game, and didn't offer much encouragement that he was coming back.

He's been promised he'll be second choice in a year when Schmeichel retires, so it's not really a surprise he's going there.

And 2017 will now no longer keep me awake at night. That's me completed the "big five" set now. Have seen us beat Celtic, Rangers, Hibs and Hearts at Hampden. Technically haven't seen us beat Dundee United there, although have seen us win a semi-final v them at Dens Park and that counts.

He was injured according to Thelin pre-match. Had he been fit, could have been a Charlie Nicholas moment with him stepping up for a spot kick.

Currently (subject to change) these are the projected teams we could face.

Not my work, but this is braw.

Holy shit, we actually did it. With about 15 minutes to go I accepted we weren't going to win it. Couldn't see a goal coming, but was weirdly calm about it. Team had defended well apart from the goal, hadn't been embarrassed like everyone expected, but I just thought we didn't have enough to topple Celtic. And then we only went and fucking equalised, looked like we might even sneak a late winner, had huge chances in extra-time and looked a different team. The moment Maeda was one-on-one and Mitov saved, you felt the luck we never seem to have at Hampden against Celtic had finally arrived. Maybe luck the wrong word - more that you need the big moments to go your way and that was a sliding doors moment right there. Even penalties, I kept thinking it's the same end (different stadium I know) that we beat Caley and it'd go well for us. I fully expected that first penalty to be saved, was such an odd feeling, was like I was watching the 2014 League Cup final again. I went past Celtic Park on my way home, couldn't resist it. They were dismantling the stage they had built to welcome back the treble winners. Party cancelled, and strangely just pockets of Celtic fans wandering about, almost like they were unable to accept they had lost. Stayed sober today but I certainly won't be finishing it in that state.

It's absolutely pishing it down in Glasgow tonight so my fear is it ruins all the cards not under the roof, but hopefully they survive.

Thelin now the fourth longest serving manager in the top flight.

Michael Wimmer has left Motherwell. That's five clubs starting next season with a new manager.

I think Shinnie will stay at left-back, I don't see Thelin making drastic changes and playing a somewhat unfamiliar team. If Tobers is 100% fit he'll start, otherwise will be Dorrington. Other than that, I expect it'll be the same team that started the semi-final, which means Morris and Keskinen, Gueye and Nisbet, Clarkson and Palaversa, Jensen preferred over Devlin. Maybe McGrath starts over Gueye or Morris. Many asking for Dante Polvara to start, but he made an interesting comment this week. Said he's not had enough minutes to build up his fitness since his injury. Said something along the lines of "I played 35 minutes, then the next I played 80 minutes at Ibrox and my body was broken". Said he basically needs a proper injury free pre-season to get up to full speed.

I'm actually the Aberdeen fan in this that Big Dunc is bantering away with. He's actually a lovely bloke. The full interview - when it gets published on Iplayer - will be a fascinating listen. Hope another club give him a chance in management. Forest Green and Inverness CT were both uphill battles that a somewhat rookie manager (I'd still class him as that) shouldn't have taken on, and he pretty much admitted that.

He has had constant criticism recently, from the media and from sections of the Aberdeen support. The same people criticising him are some of the same ones telling us we had to give him time. I wanted Skovdahl gone quite early on. At the time I wrote the Aberdeen teletext column (oh yes, heady days) and I called for him to be sacked after the second of his 7-0 defeats to Celtic. That was when I found out how many people actually read that page because I got blasted for it by a lot of angry punters. I didn't think Ebbe's heart was really in it. I think he could have improved us long term, but wasn't going to get the backing he needed from the board, and it was probably a relief to him to head home. With Thelin though, it's a different feeling (as he might say). He's a year in, knows the team and league, and despite his calmness I sense a real hunger there. I truly believe, even if it doesn't happen this weekend (it will though), that he'll be a successful Aberdeen manager. I all honesty, I couldn't give a shit that we finished fifth. It was his first season, he has qualified for Europe, he has improved us (maybe not as much as people want), he's leading us into a cup final on Saturday. This "be prepared for some pain along the way", that was it, yet we were still better than four teams we finished below last season, including Hearts. And we'll be much better next season.

McInnes is taking over a side that finished seventh and made it to the Scottish Cup semi-final, and have had a relatively positive end to the season under their caretaker head coach. He will likely lose his top striker, if not in summer then early on into the season. He has no European football to contend with so does have a chance to build some momentum and get to know his players through the League Cup group stage. Sound familiar? If this time next year, Hearts have qualified for Europe and have a Scottish Cup final to look forward to, I wonder if the Scottish media* will give him the same stick they're giving Jimmy Thelin. *Yes, I know. He has less work to do on the squad than Thelin had this season. When you look at the Aberdeen team that finished 23-24, the goalkeepers and centre halves needed changed. In midfield, Barron was leaving, and up front Hoilett and Miovski were going. So five starters at a minimum needed and only three of them adequately replaced). Looking at Hearts, they need probably two new full backs (presuming Penrice leaves), and a striker, but they have the guts of a decent squad there and I think they've already signed a right back. This is actually more like the situation when McInnes arrived at Aberdeen. I think Hibs and especially Dundee United will be weaker next season, and Aberdeen & Hearts will be top four.

41 years ago today.

Some comparisons with last season. Both overall, and up until the split (considering last season we played five bottom six opponents compared to top six this season). Points (up until split in brackets) 23/24: 48 (35) 24/25: 53 (50) Five more points overall, 15 more up until the split. Goals scored 23/24: 48 (35) 24/25: 48 (44) Goals conceded 23/24: 52 (49) 24/25: 61 (49) Up until the split had conceded the same, but post split this season there were hammerings by Celtic and Rangers in particular. Wins 23/24: 12 (8) 24/25: 15 (14) Stats were skewed a little last season by the bottom six split, but likewise a lot of our goals and wins this season were at the beginning. So, how about February 1st (after transfer window closed) to the split? Games played 23-24: 12 24-25: 9 Points 23/24: 11 24-25: 15 Four more points despite three fewer games played. Goals scored 23-24 11 24-25 13 Goals conceded 23/24: 16 24/25: 13 Wins 23/24: 2 24/25: 4 Conclusion: Stats are like miniskirts...

He has done it on occasion. Today was an example of it; moving Clarkson to the left of a back three, which looked unorthodox but meant he received the ball in space and could pick passes. It meant Shinnie and Jensen could push forward and we doubled up on their full-backs. Individually our players didn't take advantage, but I think Thelin does show more tactical awareness than previous managers.

Just to add, John Beaton was woeful today. Absolutely woeful.

I'd give him a B for the league season. Had we finished third it would have been a very good season. To have finished below a Hibs side with a rookie manager in place, and a newly promoted Dundee United, that's disappointing. But I do give Thelin leeway because it's his first season and no-one on here was saying he'd sort us out in one season. The proof will be who makes the most improvement out of those three teams next season (and Hearts). Pros: * You can see the game plan as opposed to wondering what Robson's long ball football was trying to achieve. * Has improved a few players. Clarkson mainly, Morris too. I would add Mackenzie to that although he did drop off. Moving Nisbet to 10 got him going when others would have given up on him. * Perhaps to his detriment, wants to attack, even against the Old Firm. The game at Parkhead (5-1) was one of those games where we took the game to them, created chances, but our marshmallow defence melted. Cons * None. Just a bit unlucky. * Okay, if you want to attack, sort your defence out. Even when we're ahead we always look vulnerable. * Indecision over a few positions. Keskinen looks better on the left but often been played on the right to accommodate other players. Same situation with Jensen. * There are clearly quite a few deficiencies with the team, but let's see how much he can fix in summer and see how we look next season. I don't buy the "if we start next season poorly he's under pressure" stuff. I think the club are backing him, even if we finish fifth next season again. Only a terrible season would make Cormack wobble.

The game I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say I didn't think we played that bad. I just don't think this team is capable of much better away from home. We can't kill teams off. Hibs would have got a second before half-time today, and that's why they're deservedly in third. We don't have a single player in our team able to win headers, either defensively or offensively. The goals, as they normally are, were soft. But we did create good chances. Thelin's subs questionable, but the changes he made to a three after going behind allowed Clarkson to always be in space, we doubled up on their full backs, had bodies in the box. It "worked" to an extent. But we just don't have enough goal scorers in the team. Nisbet has 11 league goals, which is as many as the next two (Gueye & Keskinen) combined. And the three of them combined have scored just four fewer than the rest of the team put together. Hibs 'success' this season is they have an athletic team. Not particularly physical, just athletic. Pacey, can beat opponents down the wing, can get from box to box quickly, win headers, and they've not all ran their race by 70 mins. Gueye started okay, was good at putting himself about and was winning challenges in their half. But he went on a run with the ball, lost it, we nearly conceded, and afterwards Shinnie in particular (but also Mitov) unloaded a volley of abuse his way. His head dropped and after that he was a man down. Ambrose offered nothing in his place. But who else does Thelin throw on? A pish finish to the league season, but it's coming at a good time for us. Get the cup final done and then bring on the summer overhaul.

I was at the game. Seat throwing I was in the fair play lower and wasn't far from where Mackenzie got hit. He was in a bad way, was down for a long time. Keskinen also got hit by the same seat but Mackenzie took the full brunt of it. He was wheeled past us. Was a lot of blood and I wouldn't be surprised if one of our fans has just put one of our own players out of the cup final. As soon as fans saw how bad it there were a lot of anger towards those in the upper deck above us. You could hear the seats getting broken above us, and had the first one not hit Mackenzie, I reckon a lot more were about to be thrown, and only his injury stopped folk. In the first half where was a lot of drinks getting thrown down on fans in the lower deck too. What that was about I don't know, but we have an element of bloody idiots in our support. We can expect the tickets for this fixture to rise significantly next season (was £28 today) because they'll probably have to make it a category A fixture now, and put on more police and stewards, and it'll be us paying for it.