Panda

Think McGeouch could actually be an important player this season. Before Glass took over I was reading some American blogs to try and get a handle on how he liked to set up, and it appeared he was a big fan of one guy dropping deep and picking the ball up from defence. That was very much what Brown did against Hacken, at times playing centre of a back three, then pushing into midfield. Brown though I doubt will play 40-50 games this season, certainly not the full 90 minutes. It'll be a big ask to play 2-3 times a week, which at times we'll have to do. So he needs a back-up for that role. McCrorie possibly will be that man with Gallagher partnership Considine, but it's also a role that seems to very much suit McGeouch. The jury is still out on Ojo. Glass seems to be playing him in more of a forward role which essentially means he doesn't have to do all the stuff he's crap at - tackling, heading, closing players down. The guy I wonder about now is Dean Campbell. Not a fan of shipping players off on loan as I prefer they learn how to play in our system, but I don't know where we play him and Jenks coming in on loan pushes him further down the pecking order.

Looks a bit like a Wimbledon top. I like it though.

Hacken looked tidy going forward & we actually had to defend well at times. They have goals in them and could see them scoring at home definitely, which was why at 3-1 it was a bit nervy. But a four-goal lead to take there is just incredible.

Well those fearing a Sigma Olomouc repeat got the scoreline right. It's 80/1 for Aberdeen to win the league. Would get it on before it drops. Also, the final is due to be played in Tirana, but the stadium only holds 22,500. Surely we'll need to get the changed as no way that's going to be big enough for the Aberdeen-Roma final.

I don't think fitness will play as big a part as people think. It's not like when the friendlies got cancelled they went home to play FIFA. They'll be as fit as you would expect them to be in July. The fact that we only organised four (and two would have been on the same day) suggests Glass was never putting much onus on the games anyway. It's often talked about Scandinavian clubs having an advantage because it's mid-season, but this season Malmö (champions) have only just squeezed past Riga in CL qualifying, and last season's champions Djurgården were out straight away last year. In the Europa League last season, Malmö had a few decent results as you would expect for a team that then went on to win the league & were unfortunate to meet a Spanish team in the play-off round, but none of their three sides reached the group stage. That's maybe unfair as their season would have been curtailed due to covid so they wouldn't have had their normal "advantage", but looking further back - again apart from Malmö who have a good record, their sides tend to fall at the same stage as Aberdeen and rarely make the groups unless the draw is kind. So the advantage appears to be minimal. So, I think it's a close tie, Hacken would probably be a top six side in Scotland, but I don't think fitness will be the dominant factor. Think it will simply come down to who is the better team and it's hard to predict Aberdeen at the moment because we haven't watched them since last season. My line-up Lewis Gurr McCrorie Considine Hayes Brown Ferguson Jet Jenks Hedges Ramirez Even then, I dunno if that's a good line-up or not as haven't seen three of them ever play.

It's evidenced by the fact they willingly broke them. It wasn't an accident. Numerous is stretching things, a mere handful more like. And beyond October, it's been nine wins in seven months.

There should be a bigger gap though and we shouldn't be struggling as much as we have, that's the point. We've just taken Motherwell's captain off them and one of Livingston's best players. Apart from Hibs, I don't think any in the division would have been able to entice Scott Brown from Celtic. Only being slightly better than them isn't really something to boast about.

Apart from saying cancelled instead of postponed, which part was inaccurate or unfair? It's easy to look good and motivated and want the ball when you're 5-0 up against Runavik. The players get found out when it's time to roll up the sleeves. Hedges I think is actually one of those players who attitude was fine. There were plenty others who were happy to hide behind excuses.

Well they are all his own guys. Allan Russell, Henry Apaloo and Scott Brown. Cancelled was the wrong word, we had two/three games postponed at the start of the season. There may have been few "incidents", but the players not being overly bothered was evident throughout the season. I still remember them being 2-0 down at Ibrox after being crap, expecting McInnes to hammer them at half-time, and before the second half started the camera panning over Considine, Ojo and I can't remember who else and the three of them were having a laugh and a giggle. You don't act that way if the manager has gone through you, or if he did they clearly didn't give a shit about what he said. We were 2-0 down against supposedly our biggest rivals, at a venue where we had been given a hiding when in a similar position the season before - and unsurprisingly we went on to get another one. There was also the defeat to St Mirren, where McInnes was picked up by those in the stand screaming at the players "it's a cup game, it's a fucking cup game" because they were playing it like it was a kickabout with their mates.

The league placing is irrelevant, that's just polishing a turd. We were awful last season, we've been poor for three seasons, it's why fans wanted McInnes gone. Aberdeen's performances were bottom six standard. That the other clubs didn't take advantage is their own issue. "You make it sound like he inherited a total shambles." He did. He took over a team that couldn't score, couldn't create, couldn't defend, were being laughed at by fans of other clubs for the boring displays they put in, had no real desire or fight in the team, had games cancelled because players couldn't give a toss about breaking rules their manager put in place, and had a big rebuilding job this summer due to so many being out of contract. We were a shambles. And I think people are underestimating the job that Glass has already done before a ball is kicked. He's changed the whole coaching structure, signed six players, and already is dealing with both injuries (McCrorie at centre half surely isn't his first choice), disruption to pre-season with games cancelled, and one of his players handing in a transfer request. Aberdeen could finish in a European spot next season and still be a team in transition. We're not going to finish sixth, simply because the rest of the league isn't good enough. A poor Celtic still comfortably finished second. I'm judging us, and the performance of Glass, by our own performances, not about how many more points than St Mirren we pick up.

It really isn't. We were really poor last season, Glass would need to be a genius to come in and sort us out in one summer. It took Fergie four years at Man U and Gerrard three years at Rangers, just to give some examples. You either need loads of money, or time. I think Aberdeen will be similar to how Hibs were last season - will be be really good and entertaining to watch on their day, but will turn in more than a few shockers throughout the campaign and struggle with consistency. I'm prepared for that, I just want evidence we're getting better, and Europe and a trophy would be good too.

Actually, I'm going to essentially disagree with myself having thought about it. Been a few times in the past under McInnes where we threw everything at these qualifiers, played loads of friendlies, ultimately failed to reach the groups and, while it didn't always happen there were more than a few times we started the campaign poorly. We also haven't always had the best of luck with injuries and maybe that was down to pre-season. 14/15 - lost 3-0 to United on day one of season after the Real Sociedad game, and lost three of the opening five games. 15/16 - Managed to beat United on day one in between games with Almaty, and actually won our first seven. 16/17 - Won just one of our first five games after losing to Maribor. 17/18 - won our first four after losing to Limassol, though to be fair it was an easy start against Hamilton, Partick, etc. 18/19 - Drew with Rangers after losing to Burnley, but won just two of first seven league games. 19/20 - Won four of first eight games. Also went out early in League Cup. 20/21 - The European games started after the league season started which maybe helped us, and we actually only lost one of our first nine league games. But of course then had loads of injuries and were generally pish. I just wonder if the new coaching team have looked at it, questioned whether playing loads of friendlies to prepare for European games rather than working on other things and building it up slowly to day one of the league season has actually impacted the campaign at a later date and led to injuries, and have therefore decided training > games and we'll see how the legs are v Hacken. I do remember when we played Burnley they hadn't played a lot of friendlies and I thought that would favour us. On one hand maybe it did as we pushed them so close, but on the other they essentially won the tie because they had fresher legs in extra-time.

Yeh I really don't know what to expect from us. I would like to think Aberdeen are far better prepared than we think, I imagine there's been a few inter-squad games being played, and our coaching team have surely had it all meticulously planned out. Especially with a player being on the coaching staff, he'd surely be able to say if the players weren't anywhere near where they needed to be. But the schedule and lack of games has me bloody nervous. Is it still five subs this season? Has that rule been extended?

I don't understand how Ramirez has to quarantine for 10 days, yet is allowed to train and played the second half today. I know he got an elite sport exception, I just don't get the logic behind it.

Schedule announced here. Playing Inverness, St Johnstone and Reading. https://www.afc.co.uk/2021/07/06/dons-confirm-closed-door-pre-season-schedule/ On another note, every time I post here I get a notification telling me I've gone up a rank. Any chance of getting rid of those - I know my posts are great but i don't need an award each time.

He spoke about Gurr at the Q&A, defended that signing quite strongly.

https://www.afc.co.uk/2021/07/03/afc-women-match-to-be-streamed-live-on-youtube/ Game and trophy presentation live on YouTube tomorrow, 4pm. They're playing Boroughmuir Thistle who they've already beat 9-0 this season, while they won 8-1 on Thursday against Glasgow Women, so expect a few goals.

You know what they say about statistics.... Was watching a couple of YouTube videos of him, appears to be good in the air - a lot of goals from headers. Also bit of pace about him, although some of the defending against him was woeful. He even has his own chant which is quite catchy. Basically the "Vamos mi Sevilla" chant, but changed to:- Vamos Christian Vamos Christian Vamos Christian Vamos Christian Ramirez Cant find a video of the actual chant or where I even heard it (may have actually been an Aberdeen fan suggesting it when he was first linked weeks ago) but here's the Sevilla version.

The Dons won SWPL 2 today with two games to spare after thumping Dundee United 5-2. That's them in the top fight next season.

But, so what? So they've heard of Scott Brown (a lot may dislike him). They might have to google Glass. It doesn't mean a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. They'll know all about him in a few weeks. Our players all knew who McInnes was and didn't bother their arse playing for him.

Pretty much every loan player we've had has been pushed to the front of the queue and been picked regardless of performances. The Hernandez signing was weird, aye, I'd give myself a headache trying to tackle that one. Will we see more Atlanta players coming to Aberdeen? Probably. But at least Glass will be able to tell Cormack which ones are any good. There's too much scepticism and paranoia around the Atlanta partnership in my opinion.

No I didn't miss your point. How do you know Glass isn't a strong presence in the changing room or able to command respect? Who's to say Brown will undermine him? By that reckoning, did Miller or McLeish undermine Alex Smith? "What does Glass bring to the table", well you're quite clearly making it about his leadership abilities, which you're clearly doubting. What is it that's making you doubt he is any sort of leader? As for your Aitken/Miller comparison. After Miller was sacked, Aitken was able to cajole a lot more out of the team when he took over from Miller, which suggests a lot of things.

This makes no sense. If Gallagher was put in for "non-footballing reasons", then why wasn't Hernandez? Gallagher was actually one of Atlanta's better players last season under, funnily enough, Stephen Glass. At least, according to an Atlanta blog I read. Also, what benefit is there to Atlanta in us enjoying one of their coaches? If he's a massive success and a big club in England come in for him, you think he's going to turn that down to go back to Atlanta?

We nearly got relegated under Miller. Being a leader doesn't automatically make you a good manager. Just how close are Glass & Cormack? According to Tam McManus, who is a lot closer to Glass than Cormack, he said Glass told him the two had only ever met once previously. I think people presume Cormack is close friends with everyone in Atlanta. Whether they are close or not, the notion that he's just giving his mate a job is nonsense. Since Cormack has been at the club, the single biggest criticism he has had to face - almost on a weekly basis - has been him backing McInnes. He's under no illusions how much the success of the manager impacts on him. Therefore, he's going to only appoint a guy he is convinced is going to be a success, not because he's worried the Atlanta 2 coach is struggling to put food on the table. Maybe he has been earmarking Glass for a while. I'd say that's a good thing. He's got a strategy for the club and how he wants the team to play. Ash Taylor is fucking shite. Him winning a few headers in what has been a very poor Scottish Premiership this season should not make us forget that up against decent opposition he is consistently shown up.