Panda

I'm a big advocate of sizeable away supports, but can see us getting shafted a lot this season. We already get a small amount at Tynecastle, I wonder if Hibs will respond to having their allocation slashed for the top six split last season, and Dundee United are cuttings ours more and more (not helped by some of our fans' behaviour there).

Ties won't be confirmed until the end of this week because Dundee United for example may or may not be in Europe, and that might affect other scheduling etc.

I dunno, I think he's an interesting one. Nisbet (and Miovski actually in the very few games he played under Thelin - I'm thinking St Johnstone away on the first day of last season) played deep and let someone else go beyond them. I don't think we're signing Lazetic to play as a 20-goal a season striker (and if he does bang them in that's a bonus), I think we're signing him to compliment the other attacking players, ie create space for Keskinen, Aouchiche and Milanovic. Keskinen and Milanovic look like inside forwards rather than wingers, and you don't stick an Adam Rooney type next to them because he wouldn't get the service he needs.

Fun fact, Lazetic played against Slobodan Rubezic twice last season. Rubezic's team won both games 2-1. Lazetic started both games and was subbed off at half-time in both of them. Watched a wee snippet of one game. Here's Lazetic slipping in behind the two defenders, and Rubezic trying - and failing - to stop Lazetic getting his shot away. However, perhaps that sums up Lazetic's limitations, it's a fairly tame effort at the goalkeeper, and had he been more aware he could have taken advantage of Rubezic being drawn to him and slipped in his left winger, but probably harsh on account he wouldn't have been in his eyeline.

Fits the Thelin mould - probably not gonna be a prolific goal scorer but brings the wingers into games. Puts the onus more on Keskinen and Milanovic to get the goals. On paper it doesn't sound too exciting, but we've been chasing this guy for some time, so he's not some panic buy and clearly is a fella we see a lot of potential in. Still only 21. Oddly, he moved to TSC in Serbia on loan last season just as his uncle (who was the manager) left to join Maccabi Tel Aviv. From the looks of it only completed 90 minutes eight times in his 39 appearances, but managed to pick up far more yellow cards than goals and assists. My fear with this is it's another project and we have plenty of those already with Yengi-Ambrose-Sokler-Gueye. It's still a downgrade on Nisbet. But as above, I don't think Thelin is bothered about having a Shankland-type goal scorer - even Nisbet didn't bang them in every week - and it's more about complimenting his wide players.

Millwall boss Alex Neil on Kevin Nisbet, who missed their pre-season trip to Spain through injury. “I watched some of his games at Aberdeen,” Neil told NewsAtDen. “I spoke to him since we came back, I spoke to him in the summer before we came back in. “We want to get Kevin fit. Unfortunately he’s injured at the moment but when he does get back fit the opportunity is there for him to try and stake his claim to get in the squad. “So he’s like every other player we’ve got, there’s no differences, like I’ve said there’s no pre-conceived ideas on any player at the moment – everything is up for grabs.”

That's probably why St Johnstone got relegated. Didn't prepare properly by facing Aberdeen in pre-season.

Yeah I think us playing Friday was deliberate in order to give us time to fit in one more match. It'll likely be a full squad game behind closed doors. Hearts are doing the same I'm sure on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Well, here we go again, another season of joy and despair. Hearts had a very similar League Cup group stage campaign as to what we had last season. But, as was often said about us at the beginning of last term, I'd like to see them tested before talking them up. It's easy to look impressive at home to League 2 sides. Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis could be very good signings though, and they appear to have a dangerous front three with Shankland staying. One thing Derek McInnes generally does is get his striker scoring. I watched the goals from their friendly with Sunderland, and if we thought Aberdeen had gifted Ipswich their three goals, it was nothing compared to Sunderland's efforts, so hard to read too much into that. But we clearly need to tighten up. At the time of writing, with no new signings in and with Sokler, Gueye, Tobers and Gyamfi all presumably injured, I'd expect a similar team to what started v Ipswich. I wouldn't be surprised to see Morris keep his place for "experience" of going to Tynecastle, Nilsen maybe start too ahead of Aouchiche, and maybe even Dorrington in for Milne - which wouldn't be a slight on Milne, more that Dorrington and Knoester have played more games together. But, I'm second guessing Thelin. I rarely manage to get his starting XIs correct. Looking forward to it. I don't think in my lifetime that Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs have all been good at the same time. The transfers they've made suggest all three could be handy this season, and it would be mouthwatering if they were (and Dundee United too), but we'll see. Likely someone will end up sacking their manager during the season - hopefully not us.

I am actually wishing him well. Firstly, and mainly, because he at least gives good soundbites, and I have to listen to most of these manager interviews every Saturday. Give me a Pressley or Martindale over Kettlewell and McInnes every day of the week. But also, he scored two cracking goals for Aberdeen in his career, and has said before he grew up as a Dons fan, so he seems like a good guy.

No complaints about the result as Ipswich were clearly a level above us, but we did gift them their goals. First, Shinnie loses possession and Milne appeared to be having to mark three blue shirts. Second, Aouchiche gives it away and Mitov spills the initial shot. Third, can't really remember it but did think at the time Mitov could have done better. On the flip side, you could say after half-time we had figured them out, as their third was very much against the run of play. But, basically Ipswich just pressed us high and overloaded us. We couldn't get out because we couldn't hold onto the ball.

Was thinking about this the other day too. I thought we began last season weaker than the previous season, due to Miovski and Hoilett leaving. This season, with Mackenzie and Nisbet leaving I think we're weaker again. But, haven't seen Gyamfi yet so we may well be okay there, but yeah a striker is imperative.

Really hope there's one more friendly in us before we go to Tynecastle, even if it's just a closed-door bounce game among the squad. I don't think we were that bad though considering the quality of opposition and our lack of games and sharpness. Ipswich had a 25-minute spell where they roasted us, other than that we competed well without ever looking overly impressive. However, doesn't help that already we're having to shoehorn Molloy at left-back and Ambrose up front (granted, he scored) because of injuries, albeit it from the bench. Yengi, he's exactly the player to fit Thelin's model - which looks like a target man with pace to run in behind on the counter, and the link up man to bring Milanovic and Keskinen into play. Unfortunately he showed none of that tonight, but hopefully there's more to come from him. He hasn't played a lot of football and I fear he's a guy that we might not see the best of until December/January, a bit like Kevin Nisbet. Polvara - if only he had pace, he could play that roll nicely, and I'd actually like to see Polvara alongside Keskinen, Aouchiche and Milanovic. But we're crying out for either one of our guys stepping up or a new striker arriving in the next week.

Has to be said - Ian Westlake is his name -despite my snippy comment, he's actually been an excellent co-commentator, have enjoyed listening to him. And he may well be right with the "more than four goals prediction".

Three-nil harsh on us, been much more pleasing on the eye from us in this half. But, Mitov been poor, and again our full-back is outpaced. An Ipswich fan doing the Soccer AM "easy-easy" chant about 20 years after it went out of date sums up why we shouldn't invite English teams up here. Yengi not impressing but I'll give him a chance before slating him. Palaversa too sloppy. On a positive note though, the four of Keskinen-Aouchiche-Clarkson-Milanovic are showing promise. Milne has been good - I wouldn't blame him for the goals. Good to see Nilsen back. The new boy Kjartansson coming on too will be interesting, looking forward to seeing him.

Defensively we're certainly getting a work out. It's mistakes they've punished. Their wingers are so much quicker than our full-backs; a quick one-two and they're in behind. Started to get things going for the last 10 minutes of the half. I suspect a lot of that was Ipswich dropping the pace. Aouchiche looks good. Yengi maybe just sluggish due to pre-season and the injuries he's had, but so far disappointed at his lack of pace. The commentators saying Ipswich plan to change most, if not all, of their starting XI on the hour mark, so we'll likely get a lot more joy in the second half.

Also the commentator has not once, but twice described Alexander Jensen as "Finnish centre back Richard Jensen".

Watching with Ipswich TV commentary. The co-commentator has just said "I know we scored four in Austria, but against this Aberdeen team I'd expect to score more than four this evening".

Ipswich beat Austrian side Blay-Weiß Linz 4-1 at the weekend. The Austrians are a handy side - were sixth in the top flight last season - so maybe around St Mirren's level (that's the height of my knowledge of Austrian football). George Hirst (the very English Scotland striker) scored twice. Ipswich earned £111m last season in prize money, and have just turned down a £35m offer for one of their players. It's another world down there. Good job the result on Friday isn't important.

Hero and legend as a player. But a sigh of relief that Gordon Strachan is nowhere near our football department these days.

I'd like to think if we're playing Ipswich on Friday, and with Hearts not for 10 days after that, we could slip in a bounce game in between. Even if it's a closed doors friendly among the squad. It also doesn't feel like pre-season until we've played St Johnstone.

Lost 4-1 to Fulham. Little surprise really considering only two outside players managed to play more than an hour. I do wonder if we're going to be a wee bit undercooked for the opening day of the season, is it just Ipswich the only remaining first team friendly? Shinnie and Devlin played one half each at left-back. Milne did start and only he and Jensen (and Mitov) managed the 90 minutes which suggests he might still be the first choice RCB even if Dorrington has signed (although, granted, Alfie wasn't in the squad). 4-2-3-1 so no sign of three at the back just yet.

In terms of central defenders, we now have:- Dorrington Tobers Milne Rubezic Knoester Jensen Molloy Still feel we need one more ahead of the game with Hearts.

Don't think there's much truth in this. We had an option to buy Dabbagh so could have taken it up by now. Expect we'll sign another similar-type player this window instead.