RicoS321

The question is, which of the three to drop? McGeouch hasn't been any better than Ojo in recent games, but I think he is probably the better player, so I'd retain him. The issue is that McInnes probably doesn't know which one, and so will keep them both in the team until one makes sufficient errors. Also, we're good enough to beat St J with three holding midfielders, but it's just that it will be incredibly boring to watch. The worst situation will be playing all 3 but still winning in a stuffy 1-0 game. McInnes will feel empowered to continue with the 3 because of points won.

I don't think the collaboration is anything other than scouting resources. We're not a feeder club. However, I wondered if there was any possibility of us actually pooling our scouting department costs at a "group" level, along with sharing the costs and profits of any new signings/player sales? Not sure how this would work with regard to the rules like. Basically, we have a single recruitment department with SA, Europe, UK branches that work in the same fashion and pass player info to the dons or Atlanta as requested (i.e. if they're looking for a defender, then they would get the benefit of the knowledge of our scouts in europe as well as their own). As for Hoban, he's missed the boat a little I think. I can understand him not coming up to Aberdeen to train without getting paid, it'd be quite a trip away from family with the possibility of zero return. If ever fit, he'd be better than Taylor. I'd be tempted to give him a one year in the summer.

Aye, I think he signed on an amateur contract, which was very appropriate.

I agree, it's an interesting model. I wonder if the risk is being pooled at a group level between us and Atlanta? I don't really like the idea that - because we have a slightly richer benefactor than our rivals - we can subsequently operate beyond our means and I'd like to think that there would be some sort of league ruling that prevented that. However, currently it's just a guy we've purchased from a Norwegian club, so I'm guessing his wages are well within our structure.

I was just being cheeky. I knew what was meant. Otherwise I'd have added Ferne Snoyl and Dyron Daal....

And Jeffrey De Visscher.

Weirdly enough, I read that he'd played for Scotland youth when we signed him, but I just had it in my head that he was Irish despite all evidence to the contrary. He's South of Stonehaven, so he's basically a foreign Weegie. I only recognise Andy Considine, Scott Wright and Bruce Anderson as proper dandies, the rest are foreigners.

More than half our team are foreign. Lewis, Logan, Taylor, Ojo, mcginn, Kennedy and Cosgrove. We've only a handful of Scots getting a game for us.

Gallagher is perfect in that role when we're likely to have less possession, it's blatantly obvious (and obvious he can't play out wide). It fits all his strengths. However, when we've got more possession, which we regularly do, then it has to be hedges or Anderson in that advanced role. McInnes got it right for the most part yesterday, as he regularly seems to against the huns (before making the same rudimentary errors against teams we should be beating. Neither Gallagher, or the holding midfield trio should be starting against killie. We need to be forward thinking at home.

I've been saying for years that should be our approach. Far too much responsibility given to one man. He should identify positions of course and have a final say (or be part of a final say) but we need to build proper recruitment that transcends the current manager, regardless of who that is.

Not a bad result in the end. We did quite well in stages. Defence was fairly solid. Cosgrove breathing out his airse for the last 20, it's a shame we don't have anyone we can bring on for him in these types of games (Anderson not really going to hold the ball up). Didn't really look like sneaking one in the second half, but they didn't cause us too many problems either. Edit, to add: Lewis was fantastic. Brilliant at one-on-ones.

Not a bad game so far. Cosgrove will be kicking himself with that one on one, he did so well to get on to it. We just need to be a little bit better in pressing, as their defenders aren't great. Their midfield is decent. The pitch is a fucking disaster. Huns spent all their groundsmen funds. Hopefully get a goal in the second half. Kennedy and McGinn playing well.

I agree, although there's no way he can continue playing those three against poorer opposition and creating nothing. By the time Wright is back you'd have expected the horrendous experiment to be over. Although Wright has a very long way to go to prove himself of course, but he's definitely the type of player we need in there.

No problem playing the three away at Ibrox (or timland). Similar worked in the recent past. Not for all other games though. I definitely think Wright would have been playing there a number of times had he been fit. However, 6 minutes in, he'd have switched him to left wing, then right then back again, so he wouldn't have had a run of games in the no 10, which is an obvious place for him.

Really? He looks distinctly average to me. Although I've only properly seen him on the telly.

I'm guessing Stewart fae county. The right height for getting on the end of a Taylor punt. Overall, not a great window. Strengthened areas that didn't really need strengthening with players that are similar to what we've got with two of them, and an exciting one that could be the next chidi or the next [insert successful recent foreign import here], but in a role that probably won't change the team on it's own. Good that we have a right wing Venezuelan though.

It's fairly hilarious that we waited right up until the last few hours of the window and still nae cunt wanted gleeson. I'm just glad he's finally over. It's been a long 18 months.

Yasss, welcome aboard comrade.

I'm guessing that we maybe got the choice of 6 month loan or a clause perhaps. We'd have been a lot shitter that season had McLean not stayed. To be fair to the dons, they seem to be a lot better at these types of deal in recent times, but there is always a no-win situation when a player wants to leave and doesn't have much left on a contract. Wilson is a disgraceful signing. A charlatan. He was given lots of time last season and proved he couldn't hack it. I disagree that he's a footballer that wasn't allowed to play, he was another goodwillie who has lost all match playing ability he may once have had and will have to go down several levels to try and get it back. But that was obvious from day one. As most of us were saying in the summer, the money for main and Wilson (and May) should have been pooled to get one striker instead. Awful signings. Greg Leigh has been the only decent signing this season (and I don't actually think he's that good). Taylor hasn't been bad maybe. That's another atrocious return.

I'd rather he got another 6 months of weekly championship fitba over sitting on our bench. We need to do what's in the player's best interest at this stage. I think we'll have a far better young player next season with a good season of fitba behind him.

The player himself has addressed it on numerous occasions, he simply wasn't working hard enough and needed to understand that for himself. He was turned down by numerous teams after leaving us. It happens. That said, I still don't see a guy who'd score significant goals down south. He doesn't have the physique or pace. Reminds me of a Kris Boyd type. At present, I'd rather have an improving Cosgrove (assuming he continues to improve).

Is that not pretty much standard in all transfers with a fee these days? Since the days of Fraser leaving, we've always had one in. It's kind of what you need to do in order to sign a young player in contract. Probably the way it should work too. Carlisle deserve something in the same way as we would have if Fraser moved. No big deal.

Agreed. It's akin to gambling. The club would never allow it. Not even for the player's health, but the club's image. The first thing they'd do is get him help to stop, then he'd stop. If it's on a chat site, then the club would know about it and would have dealt with it. If it was on AFC chat then the club would likely know it's someone posting a wind up and would dismiss it. It's clearly not true. Kids vape these days anyway.

I'd probably go along with that. I trust the sports scientist guys to get it - for the most part - correct. We're a fit team as far as I can see. Ferguson looks absolutely fine for a young loon too, and I think McGinn just has a different body shape rather than a weight issue. Very difficult to tell without seeing them with their tops off, which I don't think is necessary! McGinn also works his arse off in games, including St Mirren, but often with little return. The midfield have been in and out through injury, so it's difficult to tell. For me, the biggest thing is the amount of wasted energy in a game. We have players moving up and down, but we're too slow to move the ball. Ferguson covered a huge amount of ground at the weekend coming back into his preferred position and back up the pitch again. We're making the wrong runs in the wrong areas, and taking a first "possession" touch backwards where a turn would be more efficient. Furthermore, we keep players that aren't performing on for far too long, expending more fruitless energy. McInnes loves this type of shite, there's no way on earth he won't be monitoring players' distance travelled, heart rates, diets etc., he just misses the tactical basics all too often. That results in wasted energy, and also lethargy as our own players [must] see that things are not working.

At the same time, there are probably quite a few who have no wish to tell our most succesful manager in a long time to get to fuck either. That's the problem with fitba songs though, they're all or nothing. "Derek, don't play 3 fucking holding midfielders at once" doesn't really fit into a tune. "Derek, make a sub! Derek, Derek, make a sub!" would have been quite nice at around the 50-55th minute mark (or the 2nd minute mark given the obviously shite starting line up). He's bringing it on himself like, although - again - I'd question why the fuck he thinks that his job is safe enough to play three holding midfielders in an entertainment sport against a poorer opponent. What is happening above him that he is comfortable in that flawed decision? The knives didn't need to be out, there were very simple changes he could have made to prevent that.