BobbyBiscuit

McGinn's appearance seemed to perk up his team mates. He's got to start on Saturday and give us a fast start hopefully. Time for Considine to have a rest I think. Hoping for a good open game on Saturday but I think Killie may sit in and keep it tight hoping they're still in it with 20 mins to go and then open it up a bit.

I think it is still about the Celtic games. It's how we lose - we never give them a game, Scottish Cup Final apart. We are beaten before it starts. If we actually put up a fight in these matches I think defeat would at least be easier to stomach. Wednesday we were far too deep in our starting position far too much. This was then compounded by individuals having poor nights, not helped by us being on the backfoot all too often. But, why are we so deep against them when we know they are fragile when being attacked? Is it the ridiculous inferiority complex kicking in and the subconscious making us drop back or is it the tactics? It may be both.

Another issue on top of that, is his signing of players "just because". The likes of Greg Stewart for example... I really like Stewart's ability on the ball, he has a lovely touch and nice vision (played a lovely throughball for McLean last night)... but he doesn't fit into our tactical set-up (last night showed that). Greg Stewart is not a player who wants to be chasing back and then charging up and down the wing. It's not his game, never has been. His game has always been in the forward position or playing slightly off the forward position. He is never going to play there for us and that was clear in the summer. So we signed him simply because we could. No foresight from the manager on how he was actually going to fit in. Tansey is probably another example of this. Stevie May is another. A striker whose best period was playing with a partner allowing him to run the channels looking for the quick throughball from midfield. We don't play that system and therefore Stevie May has struggled. We're a patchwork team due to lack of cohesive thinking from the manager.

Full backs should not be on top of their cbs. Considine at one point tonight was no more than 5 yards from McKenna but the hun was on the touchline. Fair enough you can expect GMS to have provided better cover but he didnt, therefore Consi had to be further away from McKenna but not right on top of the hun. You may not call it what i called it, but it was a huge downfall tonight. Both fbs are missing the defensive work McGinn and Hayes offered for years. RS - no worries. I feel Joe doesnt seem to have the same presence this season which is really where my concerns are with him. Looked like McKenna didnt track the run at the backpost for the first but maybe not, would need a better view of it. Another shite night at the bastard garden, roll on Saturday.

v the OF: P28 W6 D0 L22 Defend that McInnes. Team was far too deep. The three who were supposed to be behind Rooney left him isolated and invited the hun on to us, leaving them with far too much space to play in. Then when they came at us, Considine and Logan were tucked in offering us no defensive width at all. If one was doing it I'd think it was poor positional play by the player himself, both of them doing it makes it look as though it was on instruction. it killed us. Shinnie had his worst game for us tonight. GMS predictably went into his shell. Stewart will never fit into a McInnes team. Christie had a mare. McLean huffed and puffed. Rooney had nothing to go on. McKenna was passable, O'Connor horrible. Lewis shaky. That's an unfortunate night right there. Could McInnes defend any of that? For the fourth time this season, I left the ground early tonight. Hate doing it. But I hate standing watching AFC offer fuckall. Before this season I don't think I've ever left the ground as many as four times in one season, and that's in more than 30 years of going to matches. But we're supposed to be thankful McInnes turned down the huns? Welcome to leave any time he likes, but unfortunately we'll be stuck with him because no one will touch him with that big game record. And to top the night, the half time footage on the big screen of Craig Brown and Duncan Skinner with the huns board and their "Loving Cup" ceremony...why we had to oblige them in that I don't know but it shows the lack of back bone we have at that club.

But, if going by previous experience, it is exactly what he will do. I am going there with absolutely no expectation of a result for the exact reasons you outline. Fingers crossed he's finally learned his lesson.

Couldn't have been mid 90s if we won, last won there in 91 before winning there in May last year. Don't think we were in any part of the main stand after the late 80s, not that I can remember anyway.

McLean doesn't tackle either. He'll move centrally as he gets older. Eoin Jess couldn't tackle, but used his skill and vision to great effect in the centre of the park.

Bratislava is a good night out (or it was when i was there 9 years ago). Couple of cracking Cuban themed bars in the old town, they encourage you to graffiti the walls... it's probably gone now but there was some AFC related stuff up after our visit. It got more severe as the night wore on.... if he ever visits, Ian Durrant's going to get a surprise....

Could be that Norwich know he won't play just now - if they know certain midfielders are leaving in the summer, probably better for them to have McLean playing week in week out. Maddison has been linked with a 20m pound move to Spurs

I don't think you're wrong in the summation of McLean's negative points. For the natural talent he has he should be doing better. Your point about Shinnie however... is Shinnie a better centre midfielder? or is Shinnie a left back playing in centre midfield and merely showing the same tenacity he always shows, regardless of position? Shinnie is an asset in the middle of the park because he covers the ground so well, he shuts things down and gets us going forward. But, his passing has to be better, his composure has to be better and he has to be more measured in possession. Shinnie is loved in the same way Hayes was favoured over McGinn for a lot of fans. They have this all action style, Hayes always looked as though he was running 120mph when he was actually only doing 30mph , and fans lap that stuff up. But, McGinn was equally as creative/dangerous in the last season of the two of them being in the team, and more-so over the course of their time at Aberdeen. Now, I love Shinnie (as I did Hayes), but we need to see past the rough and tumble styles and look at the quality they're bringing in relation to the position they play. Comparing Shinnie to McLean... well, McLean is a better passer of the ball, and to replace McLean we need to make sure we get someone who has that passing range. In saying that, i reckon in 2 years time McGinn will be one of our centre midfielders....

Don't agree with that at all. From memory, McLean was scoring more at St Mirren from open play than he does for us. McLean has good footballing technique, but when it comes to shooting it goes out the window. We're not asking for him to score 20 a season, just a few more from open play. A few more assists. It would hardly make him Delle Alli. McGinn does all that and more for us, and has done consistently for years (and hopefully that continues). Granted, McLean isn't always in that role as far up the pitch as McGinn, but the point still stands up - it is not unreasonable to expect his tangible return to have been better for the second best team in the country.

McLean may be missed as he drives us on and can switch the play well for us which really stretches our opponents. That shouldn't be underestimated. On the flipside, as DM actually said at the weekend, he doesn't score enough and he doesn't create enough for a player of his talents and position. And that's been the case for the few years he's been with us, which is why I said he "may be missed". Let's face it, if we get a replacement in who can do the above but add a better end product none of us are going to be pining for Kenny McLean. I'd take the money from Norwich on the proviso it's reinvested in a suitable replacement.

Hull manager Nigel Adkins has confirmed they've made a bid and conversations are on-going

Same for me. Nothing about his ability - he clearly has a lot of talent, but I just don't think he suited our style; we always wanted to keep the ball moving and have the early pass played, he always wanted to hold on to it. Good luck to him though, I hope he goes far.

Always thought Hector was over rated when he was here. Decent player, no more than that. Distribution at times was utterly abysmal for a professional - he's not alone in that in our league of course but never quite got the love-in for him.

We were offered Henry and Trezeguet (as were every other top flight club in England and Scotland)

What are the rules around clubs in administration playing in Europe? I would have thought they'd have tried to struggle on to the end of the season to get Europa League, then go into admin in the summer (if this is where they're at just now). 30pts deduction for a club going into admin for the second time is it? We'll see if they claim to be the same club if/when that comes around...

I think we'll only see someone come in now if one or two leave - i.e. Ball and/or Maynard leave. Ball, as a loan player, probably hasn't played as much as he anticipated and may therefore look to move on. Maynard just hasn't worked, looks way short of what's required and is likely, with McGinn coming in, to fall down the pecking order even more now. Whether we can get another team to take on his contract or pay him up is another matter. I think it will be another last minute job with others coming in, but we've made the best signing we could have in McGinn so I wouldn't be too anxious about the rest of it. Yes, there are other areas needing strengthening but as others have pointed out, there's not a lot of value to be had in January. Have to say a three of McGinn - Stewart - Christie behind Rooney would be fantastic to see.

I don't think any of this is about people not liking what you say, per se. I think people disagree with you, but the frustrating thing is that you're banging the same drum with utterly no evidence to back it up; indeed, all the evidence points to the exact opposite of what you're saying but you're determined to stick with it, and it seems for absolutely no good reason other than just refusing to back down on that one main point. Anyway, best of luck to you and best wishes for the New Year.

Hearts didn't even try to play football. 8/9 men behind the ball, keeper wasting time in the first half with his goal kicks and free kicks. Berra and Cowie at it all game, Lafferty's assault on Shinnie was a definite red, what a hideous excuse for a footballer he is. Their keeper had a couple of really good saves, another day we'd win 3-0 (Lewis obviously having his own outstanding save in the first half), we persevered with it and at one point were playing 1 at the back in front of Joe. McLean took responsibility today and tried to get us going - dropping deep and trying to make things work. Didn't always happen but he never hid and I don't think he can be blamed today DD. McKenna was my MOTM too. Logan was poor again, i don't think he's helped going forward by GMS's lack of desire to make a move - hugs the touchline and wants it played to feet on the touchline a lot of the time. McGinn would always at least feint to go forward/backward and then change to create the space. Hopefully we see a step up in performance from Shay once McGinn is back in. Considine - struggling with a back problem but he was very poor today, as he has been for a lot of the season. So many of our moves broke down with him that it eventually looked like our players just didn't want to pass to him even when he was in space. Our attacking balance with Shinnie at left back is so much better. N&T - Stewart couldn't have been used as both him and Considine only just passed their fitness tests today and DM couldn't risk starting both. Stewart didn't look quite right when he came on unfortunately but had a couple of good moments. Maynard - had a header straight at the keeper - looked very much like a player just concentrating on hitting the target rather than trying to score. He did nothing other than that. Literally nothing. Rooney wasn't brilliant but he certainly didn't miss sitters.

The rat bastard will appeal the injury and get it overturned....

Lukaku again at fault as that deepest line of defence at a set piece for United. Didn't defend it well, ball breaks for Burnley and they score. Why can Mourinho not see this? But in saying that, after the home draw with Burnley he was bemoaning Man United's transfer kitty - what he has spent and what he can spend. In fairness to him he's only spent 286m on 7 players.....

Why say that when you know that's exactly what you're doing? The one massive thing you're missing here is that Rooney has scored a shitload of goals for us. And as a result of that, has credit in the bank. I'm a huge fan of Rooney, but I would concede that he's looking like a shadow of his former self just now - partly, I think, because he looks a bit bulky and partly because he wants the ball delivered from a wide position which we do so rarely now. Either way, he has done the job for us and therefore deserves respect. Nicky Maynard has done nothing for us. And perhaps more importantly, looks like doing nothing for us. There is no glimmer of hope there. There is no credit in the bank with him. So please, stop comparing the fans attitudes with him and Rooney. It's like comparing Gary Hackett to Peter Weir for fucks sake.

Dry yer eyes sweetheart.