RicoS321

Could you imagine Wilson playing number 10 today though? We needed Gallagher in there. Wilson would have done about a tenth of the work and we'd have got tanked. He's his own worst enemy as he seems to need a 6 minute breather between each jaunt up or back the park. I thought he looked okay against Hearts before getting injured too, but today he was right back to being pap. He should never have been signed. Aye, although Vyner sold him a few times in the first half by being out of position (he fairly made up for that in the second). Aye, it's not a team for the Tims like. Considine was very good today like, alongside Devlin and McKenna but the Tims will have a hell of a lot of space if we play that midfield against them. That said, will we have any other options?

To be fair, it was a very good tactical display. None of us would have considered Leigh in midfield, it was a shrewd move given their pressing and style of play. We're all pretty quick to lambast McInnes for shite tactics, but today's were excellent. Not just the line-up, but the way we drew them in and played very quickly on the break. It was great to watch. Gallagher, for all his inability in terms of decision making, did really well in terms of making space for himself and others - his movement was first class. The only downside was the chubby retard getting on for the last minute. I'd have cancelled football forever right then.

Wilson maybe? Or am I being harsh? He really doesn't seem to be able to do both defensive and attacking duties and it effects both areas of his game. It's like watching Greg Stewart as a winger.

It's not fair. The suggestion made by the comment is that we're playing a back 6. It would have been fair if he'd backed it up with his suggested midfield. We're clearly down 3 midfielders. In answer to ayrshire, there are no youth midfielders better than Campbell and McInnes (and I agree with him) has deemed that Campbell hasn't been cutting it in the games he's played and that was with experienced midfielders alongside him. I suspect he might get some time later in the game. Decent performance so far, absolutely tremendous finish from Cosgrove who has been excellent this season - a huge improvement in his overall movement and use of his body which shows again today. Wilson been murder, I'd get Hedges on. Leigh doing the miles in midfield as has Gallagher, with Vyner a little poor in terms of coverage, resulting in Logan having to come infield leaving him constantly out of position against their fast winger and he's making mistakes because of it. Devlin and McKenna been very strong. Lewis making up for his mistake (although it was a dive) for the penalty in some style. It's a good away performance against a strong side. They're pressing has been immense. I'd hook Wilson as I don't think we can afford another 45 with a passenger on the pitch and I'd consider Campbell on for Vyner at around the half hour. Vyner has the strength against Tait where Campbell might struggle, but Campbell will hold onto the ball, which we're seriously lacking at the moment.

Just saying "6 defenders" doesn't really tell the whole story though does it? Who would you have had in our midfield today? Clearly Bryson isn't fit. Campbell has been pretty poor in recent games and doesn't really have the physical side to match Campbell in their midfield. I think Vyner is average, but I understand having him in there, so he's a midfielder today. You're then looking at either dropping Considine for Hedges or keeping Devlin on the bench. Given Motherwell's dominance against many teams this season that's a reasonable risk too given our obvious weakness in midfield. Does anyone seriously think we should have gone with Campbell and Gallagher, or Campbell, Gallagher and Hedges? Name yer team. The options are fairly gash at the minute.

I think the problem for AFC is we're probably deemed "above" that approach. Motherwell, Hamilton etc blood their youngsters through necessity and with out having to think about it. We can afford not to have to. All it needs is for the club to explain it to the fans, to actually connect with the fans not in the guise of sales. Whether they do it via McInnes' annual fan meetings (previously Black and Gold, I assume it's now DNA?) or some other mechanism is fine. Just explain that we're going for an experienced first 16, with youth supplementing other areas. Ask for understanding of the policy and patience with the young players when they're introduced. If we have no youths coming through (such as centre half this season) then we supplement via the loan system. Current squad of 19 non-youth players is: Lewis, Cerny, Leigh, McKenna, Considine, Devlin, Taylor, Vyner, Logan, Bryson, Ferguson, Ojo, Gleeson, Gallagher, McGinn, Hedges, Wilson, Cosgrove, Main My definition of youth is a player that hasn't broken through yet. That makes Wright still a youth player and McLennan, Campbell, Anderson and Ross. I'd advocate taking Main, Taylor, Gleeson out of that squad leaving only one injury covered by a senior player in each position before we reach the youth backup. That's not exactly radical given Gleeson hasn't played, Taylor played 20 minutes and all three being gash regardless. With existing injury and performance levels we'd have seen a good few minutes for Anderson and perhaps even Ramsay getting minutes in defence on top of Campbell's extended run.

In terms of ayrshire's main point, there's definitely something there although I wouldn't use Shankland as the example (he was poorer than Cammy Smith at the time). I've said for years that our squad players are the issue here. Guys like Main, Storey etc. are simply no better than the young players coming through. We're taking the easy approach of going out and buying a player to fill the squad rather than the riskier approach of allowing youth to play. It's a fine line I suppose. In my opinion we're seeing that Campbell isn't quite there yet when given a run in the team but I'm extremely glad that we're not seeing a seasoned pro like Gleeson in there in his place as it's throwing good wages after bad. When you look at our striking options, it should have been three strikers only in the squad and that should have been Cosgrove, Wilson (I think Wilson is pap) and Anderson. In an injury crisis, you simply move McGinn in there and act in January if necessary. There is zero benefit from having Curtis Main on a football pitch. The Main signing reeks of bad management and bad planning. We could have picked up 100 Curtis Main's late in the window if we really thought the squad was still light. Two things I think need to be highlighted. The first is that we haven't had a better backup striker than Josh Magennis under McInnes - we haven't been able to improve on that. That's not a compliment to Josher. The second is that McInnes needs to understand that we - the fans - need to see evidence of our youngsters failing. I'm not convinced that Anderson is good enough, but I want to see that he isn't. It needs to be AFC strategy to play these guys for extended periods within games to the extent that they are experienced enough to play the role of - at very, very worst - Curtis Main. Main brings nothing to AFC, Storey brought nothing, Tansey, Maynard, Taylor, Halford etc etc. This straddles the good times and the bad times, I was saying the same when we were winning 7-0 (more so, in fact). The strategy has to be less Mains and Taylors and more youth. At worst, if we're finding that someone like Campbell is struggling in a game, then we shove Gallagher in there and get on with it. If Anderson is struggling, then shift Wilson, Hedges or McGinn in field and hook him. But set up our squad so that these guys are the next line of defence (midfield or attack) when we get one or two injuries. Most importantly, tell the fans that is what you're doing. Be honest about it and you'll get far less flack if it goes wrong. It isn't even a fucking risk to be honest, do we really need Cosgrove, Wilson and Main ahead of Anderson?

That was a grim second half. Mulgrew excellent at turning up for Scotland, rarely misses a game. Unfortunately he's not that good a defender anymore. Good on the ball, but loses his man regularly and never holds the line. The third would have been avoided if he had just played the guy off at the back post for example. That said, the big cunt up front was different class like. Devlin didn't do much wrong and didn't do much right.

Managed to get a couple for the first half, but a wee bit buffery. Will give strike out a try in the second. Devlin majestic so far. Looking good for a place on the dons' bench in the coming weeks. To be fair to Clarke, we struggled with our two left sided centre halves in the last few games, with the opposition getting a lot of shots where the left-sider (Mulgrew, mainly) kept showing them inside. I can see why he wanted a right-fitter, and Devlin is a solid defender despite his passing being pap.

Any links? Mine keeps buffering

I'd agree with that, I like Robinson. Although, to date, I'm not sure the evidence really backs up that he has punched above his weight in the league. I can't think of any bad managers that we've taken from Motherwell in recent years either.

That's a pity. We could have gone for a straight swap.

He didn't rank his levels of concern in his posts. Just responded to a direct question.

I honestly didn't realise that was an option. What do they do with you? Sea? Landfill? I'm of the opinion that it's not my decision. If others would prefer to remember me via a funeral then that's up to them. Fit if yer kids want a big pairty to dance around yer corpse?

Aye, but the only place it's going to come from is the fans. AFC certainly don't want it. In terms of your comments about youngsters, I'd imagine that anyone under the age of 40 has no memory of the dons (last team) winning the league, which is an absolute indictment of our league and should be brought up every single week on the impartial BBC. It's a massive issue. Young fans are living through the worst ever period in Scottish football. Fair play to those that come along and watch it like.

I thought McKenna was asking for it short, but you're likely correct. Joe was immense at the weekend. Easy to say that the boy missed 4 sitters, but Lewis is the best keeper in the league (full stop) at one-on-ones by a mile. Covers every gap and players must hate coming up against him. I don't like him being captain because of his position on the field, but he's a fantastic example. To add, I thought McKenna was good at the weekend too.

That's about right I'd say. There was only one opportunity to change things and AFC fucked it for everyone. This isn't a hindsight thing either. I suspect most of us argued at the time that there was only one chance to absolutely pummel the scum and change the game for the better in its entirety, or we'd be back to helicopter Sundays within 10 years. I remember arguing with some cunts on dons mad about it at the time we disgustingly voted with the Tims in the 11-1 voting changes. They actually had the audacity to argue that Motherwell and St Mirren (or whoever) were trying to take something away from the mighty AFC. They genuinely couldn't see that we'd need to give up a little in order for the whole league to be better and that by not doing so we were always going to return to the duopoly in short order. Short term greed never pays and all that. The Westhill shit-piece will give the fans something to get excited about for a short period. Within a decade, the idea that the population of Aberdeen are going to bus it out to the windy shite hole to watch 5th placed AFC is a bit ludicrous. I can cope with AFC having a crap team or a shite manager - that's what fitba is about. A systemically bad league and a club designed to perpetuate that will be the death of them for me.

I've never understood the notion that you have to go a specific location at a specific time in order to "pay respects" (whatever the fuck that means). You clearly think it matters. Or you were just being a dick. Either way, I find it strange.

Getting treatment for an injury during the international break

Fuck sake. Ah well. Saves him sitting on our bench.

Darren McGarvey's Scotland on BBC Scotland has been excellent. When they see us was also decent on Netflix.

Bryson is a box-to-box midfielder. He's basically Shinnie's replacement. He'll sit alongside Ojo, providing the legs and coverage. Ferguson could play the advanced role, but in my opinion should be unrequired for a lot of bottom 6 home games and I'd give others a chance. At the very least, give others (Wright, Wilson) a good 30-40 minutes if we're winning games like happened against County (although, typically under McInnes, moving Wright 38 times in 35 minutes from left to right to centre and back again). Ferguson could easily interchange for Bryson or Ojo and vice versa (I don't think Ojo could play advanced) to give more flexibility and keep all three happy if required. I think that the three of them should play together for the harder games as I think that they're our best midfielders, but I think the 4-2-3-1 offers large scope for a behind-the-striker midfielder who doesn't really worry about defending.

Aye, it's a fair point. Although I actually think that in the forward areas you can afford a bit of chop and change and a settled defence is the key. I'd have dropped Forrest but not Fraser. I'd have dropped McGregor and not McGinn. The problem Scotland have is that they are deficient in quite a few areas and so that lends itself well to not having a settled side. All the players are of similar standard in the areas that we struggle. Forrest vs Snodgrass, Phillips vs McBurnie, McLean vs McGregor or McGinn. Lack of standouts I suppose. That said, Clarke has made a lot of mistakes up to this point and I don't think he's close to knowing his preferred team even before injuries and call-offs. We now have a series of non-competitive competitive games where players will take the opportunity not to turn up and we'll still be no closer to understanding our best team as a result. Clarke needs to do something that every manager since Brown (different era really) has struggled to do and that is to get our best players to want to play for their nation regardless of anything else.

I assume that you would deploy different tactics against Belgium than you would against Russia? Also, we have a squad, and it's an international squad so the variance between players shouldn't be significant. Phillips is pap, but is he much more pap than McBurnie? Similarly, Cooper vs Bates or O'Donnell vs traffic cone. Clarke was very new in the door for his first couple of games (a week?) and so this round of games should be a much better marker of what is to be expected. But then he's had injuries in defence to contend with and limited choices up front generally. Friday seemed to me to still be a bit of experimenting because of the injuries (in defence mainly), which is frustrating but you could see quite quickly that Cooper was pap for example. I wouldn't have McGregor near the starting eleven either and I'd be pretty ruthless about ditching Forrest if he was having a poor game as he's had only 3 good games in 25. You'd like to think that we could make 4 changes and happily have as good a team starting tonight as did on Friday.

No, I was just hinting at mock outrage for my own amusement. Keep us updated.