Superstar Tradesman

If it's good food you're after then you're shit out of luck in Madrid.

I had a word with Easyjet and it appears that you won't be able to take one of those donkeys on the plane with you. That's Byrne taken care of then.

Surprised that these, along with the odd li-lo and sombrero hasn't cropped up in the support over the last few games. Is everyone waiting until they get to Madrid? Or are we just leaving that nonsense to the Tims and Jambos?

Anyway... 7 days (almost to the minute) that I'll be putting my jacket on and heading for the door.

I very much doubt he just turned up on the doorstep one morning at training without JC having probably sat them both down to see if there was any disputes. So far he's not really stuck it to Brewster in a "I'll show you" type attitude. If he's letting the football do the talking then he should speak up a bit.

Didn't realise you could get insurance for that. I thought that was just part and parcel of a trip abroad?

I'm going to say something many will most definitely not agree with here. Before i do, let me say my piece and understand this is just my opinion, and everyone's entitled to one. Right, here goes... I thought Brewster was largely pish for us. I don't think he was anything like as fit as he needed to be, he was too old to be a viable long term option, only had about 4 decent games for us in all his time here and set Miller's career with us back to the extent that he's only rediscovering some kind of form 2 months after he left. One good thing Brewster was though was a communicator. He would talk players through games in a way that nobody on the pitch currently does. I'll give him that. Now, i'm coming across as some kind of massive bummer of Lee Miller right now - and in general today, come to think of it. I'm not, i think he's really rather limited in what he can do, but i think he does it quite well. Anyway, he's reputedly one of our highest paid players. Why disrupt his progress by bringing in the man who all but sacked him from his last club and branded him unprofessional and a bad influence as he did so? There, i've said it. I've dug out my flak jacket in anticipation... Hard to disagree with Brewster's comments re:Miller until he starts showing he's worth the high wages. Thankfully he's beginning to show a bit of effort at least. As for Brewster not being good; we obviously see things differently but he left months ago, yet Miller's still only scored one more than him!

Speak for yourself, I didn't think it was any great loss. He was a decent shot stopper but was glued to his line, was more scared of crosses than Dracula and couldn't kick for toffee......... maybe somethings did rub off from Jim's training. If it was as easy as that then Duncan Shearer would have turned Darren Mackie into a goal machine when he was here. The Celtic youth would be desperate to learn or progress so probably put in the hours under Moravcik. We can't even get Lovell to put in a shift on a Saturday afternoon and Miller gives me the impression that he thinks he knows it all already. Not sure if Thompson is the answer but since we've got misfiring strikers I'd probably take the chance to offload Lovell and bring him in. Can't really be much worse can it?

Again?

There's a fair amount of truth in that as well but a striker should already know where he'd like the ball played or where it would hurt the defence most. Brewster was superb at that and was always popping up with assists.

The alcohol in those flasks would have killed off any colds, flus or bugs. Sounds like hepatitis to me.

Not sure if I subscribe to this "if they played together more" excuse. Surely they're both play together in training and know each other's strengths and weaknesses?

Not sure if we should be actively trying to find a decent partnership for Miller. He's played alongside about half a dozen strikers over the past couple seasons and I can't remember him really linking up that well with anyone. Maybe it's about time he started getting used to other player's games although it wouldn't be a bad thing if the midfield tried to link up better with Miller. Most of Miller's flick-ons come straight from defence.

Fuck Lovell. He didn't show what he's got in his locker when he was getting picked more weekends than not and he's not even trying to now he's been sidelined. Sounds like a greety wee bairn to me.

Although by signing another striker it might actually put a rocket up Miller's arse. I still think Lovell's offski though. Either way, it must be ringing alarm bells in Maguire's head.

1. Double shite news. 2. I thought we'd learned not to highlight our targets although I fully expect it to be made up coming from the EE. 3. Get him tae fuck.

If you took that line of thought then we'd also have world class 'keepers albeit with bandy legs. 'Train' yes, but some things you just can't coach into a player and I'd say a striker's instinct is one of them. I'm not so sure we're necessarily 'turning them into shite', as Miller was only prolific at a brief spell at Hearts (Paul Sheerin anyone?), Lovell showed it in a poor Dundee side and Winters....... well nobody including himself could believe that piece of transfer market madness. We've certainly signed some players with reputations; Whelan (booze), Lovell (needs confidence), Touzani (injuries), Severin (failed fitness tests apparently), Miller (bowff at Bristol) so maybe it's not so much of a surprise when they don't set the heather on fire. Although on a good day, they'd walk into most other SPL first teams outside the O.F.

Think I'll actually be back in Aberdeen for the Hun game so it'll be the Hibs game after Madrid then. I take it the Hun game's been moved due to us playing Copenhagen the day before it was supposed to be played? Cph, Huns, Gretna & St Mirren all in the space of 8 days.......

Usually watch our Setanta games on Redtv due to living outside of the UK. But bumped into a fellow Dons fan last weekend whilst watching the Scotland game, so we'll probably head to the bar to watch the next Dons. Anyone know the date of the next Dons game shown on Setanta? (The site's blocked here at work). I'm not holding my breath for it mind...... what we up to now, twice a season?

Then you've got the hour's difference....... I'm sticking to 'sleeps'.

Might add a bit of "beef" to the attack but I'm getting a bit sick of signing "good strikers" who seem to have failed everywhere else except where they were first noted to be "good". Granted we don't have the funds to go attracting on form strikers but I'd be quite happy to pull in a young lad with a bit of promise about him. One thing's for sure, I'd say Lovell's days are numbered and I can't see there being a long queue of folk bothered to sign him. The Dorothy's mate the Tin-Man had more heart than him.

If you're sweating now, what you gonna be like after a few days and nights on the San Miguels?! On that note: 8 days left.... I'll leave Sneckie to work out the hours.

I'm back on the Saturday afternoon but I'm thinking I should book up another night. Chances are I'll get back here, dump my bag and then head into town anyway. Be as well having another night in Madrid....

Or maybe only 8. Not sure how much sleep I'll get the night before.