RicoS321

Year on year, we've probably made >£1M from our exploits in Europe (prize money plus a couple of close to full houses per season) and it's the only thing keeping us ahead of the pack right now in terms of revenue. This season, but for McInnes' (or perhaps AFCs) failings in the transfer market, it would have been significantly higher. So, yer right, there's definite culpability there, but missing out on Europe would make that failure even more significant. All this misses the point though. Nobody that I can see on here is arguing that the league is more important than the cup. That's just a strawman argument that seems to have been built, probably over comments I made. People were suggesting that we should have "tried out" the semi team. We've narrowed that down to one player that hasn't been tried out that was available and that was Ball. The argument we're then left with is: Would playing Ball for 90 minutes or so prior to the weekend's game have made a difference to his performance in the semi final? I don't believe so. All I was suggesting was that, rather than helping us on Saturday, it would have just fucked up a couple of league games instead - cutting our nose off to spite our face. There was zero upside and only a downside. To me, it wasn't a case of saying: playing Ball = greater chance of semi success. It was: playing Ball = lose league games. I'm really surprised that people are seeing the upside of playing Ball and the effect that it would have had on his semi performance. The argument seems to me to be: "we should have tried out the team first", with little or no detail behind that. When you dig into the detail your left with just Ball who wasn't given time, and he's pap.

It's frustrating that a guy can't voice a genuine opinion (if it was him etc) and not be hounded because of it. He might have a point, but I doubt Aberdeen fans are worse than those of any other club. At least he should be able to say so though and perhaps even lead to a discussion on how it wasn't helpful or whatever his point was. That said, the obvious problem with it is timing, as he should have said it after a decent result rather than a shite one. I don't think he's regressed under McInnes, just remained constant. Decent backup centre half, who's inability to kick with more than one foot and sever lack of pace means he's a liability in midfield. Won't miss him. Had about 3 good games at the beginning of the season but has proven to be no improvement on Ash Taylor.

Chidi was unavailable through injury. Arnason got plenty of minutes in right centre half and O'Connor got a run in midfield for parts of a couple of games too (Hertz I think). Ball was the only one who would have benefited from a run out, but that had to be weighed up against the risk of him fucking up in one of those games too. So it was Ball or nothing really. Which is a horrible choice for anyone to have to make. I suppose there is an argument to say that he could have tried out the system before Saturday, but he's played Rooney and May lots up front together. He's done it enough to know that it doesn't work and it should never be tried. Given the additions of pish like Ball and Chidi (and O'Connor in midfield who was fucking awful), it was definitely a step too far to try and shoehorn those two in at the same time. He should have been reducing the number of differences from our normal line up, not increasing. We played large parts of the first half with nobody on the left hand side of the pitch other than Considine. Christie and Stewart were clearly both told to run wherever the fuck they wanted. Due to the changes, it was a time for complete positional discipline, and we got the exact opposite.

No it doesn't. The league was over in October (or something). That Celtic took slightly longer to officially win it isn't something to be proud of or to even highlight. Our game isn't a sport and hasn't been for sometime. Anyway, a tight 3-1 win. McKenna, GMS and some other cunt.

In hindsight, that would have been the better option. A back three with McGinn or Christie as wing back. Given their two brutes up front, three at the back would have been a better shout. I'd rather have had a shite wing back than a shite right back in Ball. Out of interest, which game would you have sacrificed in order to test out Ball?

Fair doos, my apologies. Yes, I think it would have made a difference. Or, I think it would have had a far greater chance of a negative effect on our league games than it would have had positive affect on the semi. Weighing up the risk, I don't think the extra benefit gained from giving Ball a run out at right back in our league games would have been worth it. It would have been the same if both Rooney and May were out for yesterday. I wouldn't have used that as a reason to play Maynard at any point ever. Ball at right back = Maynard up front (in terms of ability). I think that yesterday we just had to throw him in and hope that he wouldn't do too much wrong and the other players could cope. Having said that, I think that our biggest issue was the changing of the system when we were already struggling with the personnel. I think that if we'd stuck to our more normal 4-2-3-1 we would have stood a far better chance. I think our personnel issues were further compounded by a terrible set of tactics. I was disgusted when I saw Rooney and May on that pitch at the start.

You're missing the point. I'm not comparing one with the other, I'm saying that there was zero point in jeopardising one in the hope that it might have made a difference in the other. You've suggested that we should have "practiced" with the team from yesterday, but not backed that up with any suggestion of how that would be done. Chidi was unavailable recently, so the only thing we could have done was give Ball more minutes at right back. I'm saying that no amount of minutes would have made a difference there and that - if anything - it could have lost us more points in the league. There was no useful preparation (in terms of personnel in previous games) that I could see that would have helped for yesterday. I think he got the formation completely wrong on the day, and I would never have played Chidi, but that's neither here nor there. Agreed, I've said that on heaps of occasion, and I think it's the reason for all our big defeats this season. You seem to be mistaking my suggestion that McInnes was right to do one thing with absolving him from his other mistakes? I'm nae, the squad is entirely his fault. The formation (Rooney and May up front) was entirely his fault. Playing a shite midfielder was his fault. The entire approach was his fault and he's completely to blame. I just don't believe that giving Ball extra minutes was a remotely useful exercise.

That's not what I said though. However, the "possibility" of winning a cup isn't worth throwing away our league position, because it's just a possibility, which we'd inevitably fuck up in the final anyway. Would I rather win the cup than finish second? Of course, only an idiot wouldn't. Would I seriously dent our chances of finish second (or even in a european spot) by giving Dom Ball more minutes on the park than is absolutely necessary? Would I fuck, it'd make no difference anyway. We gave O'Connor some minutes in midfield in practice, Chidi was injured so couldn't play any more minutes. The rest have had plenty of game time together. We've got a shite squad with a half decent first 11, we can only play our strongest team every week and hope for the best. Our supposed strongest team was way off the mark today.

Logan has been poor by his own standards, but Ball took that to a whole new level today. Nothing Logan has ever done for the dons has been that bad. He definitely wouldn't have let thon chunt handle his way past him (fucking disgraceful decision by the ref too). Nonsense. We're in second place in the league. There's been zero opportunity to play anything but our best team. We can't just sacrifice the league position in the hope of getting to a cup final Agree with that statement though! Fucking horrendous tactics. Rooney and May does not fucking work McInnes. Again, silly. He's signed the players, it's nae like he can take them back. If he'd said they were shite on day one of the season we wouldn't be sitting equal second. If anything, he should be keeping his mouth shut for another 5 games, but I can understand why he isn't. He's directly response though. This signings have been shocking. Tansey, Maynard, May, GMS, Arnason all not of the standard, or consistency of standard that we needed. All of those should have been obvious to the manager. I've seen all of those players play many times (Maynard aside) and would have advised McInnes against signing any of the, due to obvious flaws in their game (a punt on May and GMS would have been fine if both were free and were brought in alongside better signings). If I can see it, and mentioned it at the time, then why the fuck can't our scouts? I'm usually a positive person regarding new signings but it should have been obvious. These were massive positions for us given the players that left and it wasn't acceptable to take in inconsistent pish instead of the players leaving. It's not looking good for the rest of the season.

Just leaving. Ridiculous time to be getting up for the fitba. Should be a good one though. 13 degrees predicted, so I won't be needing ma t-shirt. 2-3 the dons. Glorious comeback sealed with a 93rd minute winner fae Considine, after strikes from Christie and May turned around a 2 goal deficit with just 7 minutes left. I stayed until the end, while non-super-fans left in disgust. Maybe this should be in the betting thread?

Aye, it's going to be a good one. I'm excited about it. Make or break for the season.

Front page news in the EE eh? Great to have such non-agenda driven journalism at the heart of the city. Wanks on both sides, that's for sure.

It's not that strange, their manager is Craig Levein. They need someone to kick the ball at. What's more strange is that they're spending shite loads getting their entire pitch re-laid. I'd have thought they could have saved money by just getting 25 yards at either end done.

Aye, looked good against us if it's the guy I'm thinking of (maybe played in holding midfield, but I canna mine?). Anyway, good to see a Scottish youngster going a bit further afield for some experience. Especially when it means the hun getting nothing for him too.

There are very few communities in towns and cities today. They're designed that way. Most folk, me included, go to work, go home and watch TV - on repeat. You've probably mistaken your building that you live in for a community. It probably isn't. It's probably just a building filled with people only looking out for themselves, which is what our economic system teaches us to do (at the expense of others, too). So, yer right, it is a myth now.

It should have been at Tynecastle or Easter Road. It's a total sham. There'll be 20K max there. It's a big game, I'm looking forward to it.

Shinnie to left back would be fantastic. However, it has to 3rd or 4th in the queue given our first team leavers. We should be looking at two central midfielders first to replace McLean and Christie. Then a wide player to replace Stewart if we're not interested in playing Wright. Then another centre mid to replace Shinnie. Then another squad centre half in place of O'Connor.

Pretty difficult when our own club don't bat an eyelid. Anyway, reasonable fixtures. Only one 3pm home kick off left this season.

As I recall, the arab spring was started by thon manny setting himself on fire because he couldn't afford the price of wheat, because a giant global (US) monopoly corporation decided that they'd fuck aboot with the global wheat price for a short term lift in share price. The CIA may have stoked with some opportunism, but it was mainly about one manny and his inability to feed his family/sell his produce.

Still no release because of one fixture. Fucking shambles. Instead of phoning each database entry selling them some bullshit about how £18 per month will help us challenge the scum, how about we actually challenge them? How about making a statement calling out this shite? Shite like this is why yer £18 will do fuck all to reduce the gap.

The one with the funniest name always wins. Then is shot through the nose

Aye, it's season ticket time again, remember.

Aye, it's an interesting one. Fit's everybody's take on fit the team should be? I'm going: ---------------Lewis--------------------- Ball---Arnason---McKenna---Considine ---------O'Connor---Christie------------ McGinn--------Stewart------------GMS- ------------------May-------------------- I think Nwakali is pap (despite being okay in one game) and Christie is probably more likely to do as he's told in a role that requires discipline. That is (obviously) the biggest worry though, that's a very weak midfield. It is a very strong attacking midfield though too, so it might just work out nicely. Edit: great minds Jute.

Instead of writing arse-licking pish, why doesn't he get down to Hampden and find out where the fuck the fixture list is?

Admin? Admin? I want this moved to the rowie thread. We'll soon have this place operating out of one thread, probably a rant started by Rocket called "Everything is wrong, because:", which encapsulates the essence of every other discussion, football or otherwise.