LA-Don

First game I’ve also thought brown was a liability. He makes a lot of mistakes. Also losing faith in Lewis, keeper really needs to be a strong personality and he doesn’t exude confidence. Im not a big fan of the Dutch signing either, don’t really see anything more than what kennedy and mclennan offer. hard to perform well joining a failing team with zero confidence, I’ll give him that.

if we lose Ramsay and Ferguson in the summer, what is left?? Said before we were 2-3 players off being a decent side, but the way we’re playing we look fucking awful and other than these two plus mccrorie and Ramirez, who else is demonstrating they are really worth keeping?? I’d say Mackenzie and Barron certainly get a chance, but …..?

10th place but 5 points off 4th. Mentioned before about Europe but little says that will happen. We create so little and just don’t look like a team that can win games. Certainly feel we are a bottom 6 team.

2 down. Watched an hour. We are shit. Not much else to add. 

1 hour ago, Jute said:

 

Strange appointment. A team in free fall and it's March. Hire a young American with no EPL experience when he's in a relegation scrap? Hope he's got guarantees on being there in August and a new season potentially in the championship.

Not sure it’s fair to judge given the supposed COVID outbreak, but we were shit. Again. Struggle to watch us play a full game as it gets me frustrated/angry being so bad. Bates was awful, good god. Hope we punt ojo kennedy mclennan, Montgomery hasn’t shown anything to merit extended playing time. Those 4 had a chance today but just showed how limited they are.

28 minutes ago, Elgindon said:

Yes good interview.Think he was putting athleticism/fitness as a pre-requisite alongside rather than priority over other attributes.

  Wasnt over excited about the appt,but liking the cut of his jib so far.Bit of steel about him too

Pretty much sums it up for me too. Bottom line, we have to win games. For a good 5 year period we did a good job of consistently beating everyone except Celtic (then Rangers.) Got to get back to that, plus play the old firm with the intention of winning and obviously take points there too. With a new manager in place and a dozen games to play, 4th is an achievable must. Not totally ruling out 3rd.

1 hour ago, LightbulbMoment2021 said:

That's obvious but I just hope come the summer a few are moved on.. Jet Campbell  Montgomery  Ojo Gallacher Mclennan 

Not ready to write off Campbell just yet. He’s young, hopefully the killie experience helps him. Plus if we lose ojo Ferguson and brown maybe worth keeping him for a little longer.

Lewis, Ramsay, mccrorie, bates, Gallagher, Mackenzie, Barron, hayes, besuijen, Ramirez, Watkins, brown, Ferguson…….and I suppose Andy isn’t going anywhere. That’s 14…….plus polvara who I’ve never seen play is 15.

out of that, possibly Ferguson and Ramsay go in the summer, although with Ramsay off the boil not so sure he’s going now. Brown too perhaps. Still leaves maybe 12 capable players. 

we’re desperately short on confidence but I still back up what I said 2-3 weeks ago. Still feel we are 2-a couple of  players from a pretty decent starting 11.

Harsh? Didn’t think he touched the ball much in the first half, just an observation. But I’m suggesting he’s given an extended run until the end of the season. I think that’s positive! 

7 minutes ago, BigAl said:

That in my opinion is an extremely gatsh analysis of a young boy on his second start.

There are even Motherwell fans on P&B claiming Barron looks like a real find.

Gatsh??

5 minutes ago, Elgindon said:

From what I saw,(when Hesgoals wasnt packing in),we looked pretty lucky to get a draw.Barely strung 2 passes together,maybe miss Brown more than we think.Will take a draw today.

While I think brown is certainly on the decline as a player, and we see him make mistakes regularly, he is most definitely a positive factor for us. Don’t want to lose him at this stage of the season.

6 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Don't want to big up young Barron too much but have to say ge is fairly grabbing his chance and looks a real decent prospect.

On a separate note, why oh why had no one gone shoulder to shoulder with the Dutch thug.

Saw very little of the second half but I though Barron hardly touched the ball first half. I assume better in the second?? Would love us to stick with him for the rest of the season and really see what he’s got.

I wouldn’t expect much from big Andy when he’s fit. He was old and slowing by the day before the injury, and it was a significant injury. Think that’s a factor when we invested in Gallagher and bates, plus kept Devlin on. Andy won’t be a left back any more, plus not sure a back 3 is the direction we are going in.

Yup, nice goal. Good for besuijen’s confidence too. Got to hold until half time and get reorganized. Don’t look bad but half will come at a good time.

Love Ramsay’s confidence but it always seems to be one touch, even one trick too many now. Get back to the basics.

As I’ve said before, and even more so now with a new manager in place, unless there’s a potential agreement for a permanent transfer, no reason to even play Montgomery or jenks now. Like how Barron is being given a chance, maybe one or two others?

Interesting to hear in commentary that Montgomery sees himself as a left back and that’s his preferred position. Certainly prefer him or Mackenzie at left back and hayes further forward.

Put Mackenzie at left back and that’s the team you develop for the rest of the season. Barron at 10. Please.
 

fir today I’m assuming jonny is left back, Montgomery in mid. 

First question, does he dye his beard? No way it can be that perfect…

Scrap that, no brown and mccrorie plays today? Hopefully in midfield!

3 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

You think if the Norwegian lad had said yes, we wouldn't have employed him? That guy looks like he's going to go to the very top of management. He'll know that, he's not stupid, and he simply doesn't need Aberdeen as a stepping stone, but given we wouldn't have had to go insanely outwith our wage structure was definitely worth asking. Whatever you think of Cormack, he's clearly got ambition - far more than you or I, I expect, given his business success. His ambitions for Aberdeen have been fairly clearly written out, he's very much put his cards on the table with the club's strategy. There seems to be too many Dons fans equating ambition with Dave Cormack spending all his money. I want us to be a club that can run itself on its own income, with Dave Cormack (or another) providing the balancing funding between seasons where we perform poorly or there is unexpected events like covid, plus getting the investment for large scale capital infrastructure. Is that unreasonable? Should we really be employing a manager that we can't fund from the football playing side (ticket/corporate sales etc)? Why should Cormack's ambition be to be AFC's sugar daddy? I don't think the chairman spending his own money is ambitious at all, I think it's the very opposite. Anyone can spend mummy and daddy's money and have a good chance of success, but it's not ambition. Goodwin will be about the middle of our budget, maybe higher, but I don't imagine there are a huge number of managers significantly better willing to come to Aberdeen for <£500k per year. 

Goodwin is perfectly capable of adapting his style of play if required I'm sure. There's a good reason for not playing possession football at St Mirren. He also cost us £250K, so clearly wasn't that easy to get. If he's happy with the club's strategy, then it's a good appointment.

Haven’t heard a single person say we should spend tons of money. People have asked to look outside of the usual fishbowl and that’s it. Appears we really didn’t but we’ll never know. Much like last time with glass, looks like cormack had his mind made up and knew who he wanted.

goodwin is the manager, let’s all get behind him. Wish him nothing but success.

unfair to criticize his playing/coaching style, you can only piss with the cock you are given. Give him a chance with new and better players, let’s see what he can do. 

Today will be robson’s team with goodwin watching, learning, and giving input. Unfair to expect him to take over today when he doesn’t really know the players and hasn’t run a training session.

hope brown stays until at least the end of the season. Interesting that outside of the window I’m assuming he’s have to retire as a player if he did move??would like to see mccrorie back in midfield regardless, but what’s the extent of his injury?

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Scott Burns claiming Goodwin has signed 2.5 year deal. Also suggesting that St Mirren approaching Scott Brown.

 

Few things to happen first, but hope this means McCrorie returns to center mid!

36 minutes ago, Chris Frae Killie said:

I would much rather someone like Paul Lambert. He has the experience of playing and managing at a very high level. Jim Goodwin has not played at or managed a big club. I know we are not Celtic, Rangers or Liverpool etc. But in Scottish terms, we are way above St. Mirren  and Alloa. I don't mean that as a disrespectful comment to them. They may be better than us this season but they have nowhere near the same fan base and there is not the same level of pressure to win every week. Goodwin will not be used to dealing with that. I think that is why managers that have played at top clubs often do well at bigger clubs, they are used to the pressure involved. We need a steady the ship appointment in my opinion. I would argue that Jack Ross would be better as he has at least played and managed at a higher level.

Whoever they decide on, they will have my support! Stand Free!

I'd add to that. Someone who has won something, managed in European competition, plus with their experience has a relatively extensive contact list for potential transfers. Glass was blasted for inexperience, but he'd at least experienced playing for us, winning with us, playing and scoring in Europe with us, playing for big clubs in England under people like Bobby Robson and Gianliuca Viali. Even coaching in Ireland and the states learning the trade and gathering contacts. Fair to say that's how we got Ramirez. I just don't see what Goodwin really offers other than coached in the Scottish league before, and, to me, he's flavor of the month like Tommy Wright, Callum Davidson, and Stephen Robinson have been.

5 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

Fuck it, I'll have one more go. Every single example you're throwing out is not comparable and you seem completely unable to see that. It's just weird. You do realise that signing an arsenal reserve team player in the eighties for well within budget isn't the same as signing a manager being paid £7.5M? That Celtic signing Postecoglu, well within budget, isn't remotely the same thing? Or your other random attempts at comparison. It'd be like a Dundee United fan questioning why they weren't chasing European success because they got to the final in '87. 

The fact that you state that your not suggesting we do anything financially irresponsible shows that you don't understand what you're proposing. That means that you must think Solskjaer is willing to take a 95% pay cut to join Aberdeen, which is a little bit fucked up. I mean, I love the Dons, but I'm not fucking delusional, it really isn't that great a job. However, if we humour the stupid suggestion for a second and he agrees to join the Dons. After we've checked his hard drive, what do you think the first demand is going to be from the fans? Ye canna sign Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and nae gie him a budget! You then have to either match those demands or hang the guy out to dry. You can't have both, and one is useless without the other. As soon as you go down the Solskjaer route, you're opening the club up to financial disaster. You become the Huns, basically. It's not a great look. If Cormack is asking Solskjaer then he has plans for this club that are disastrous and he's not fit to be chairman. Luckily, he won't be doing that, because he's not am idiot. As I stated in my original post about Nicholas' original suggestion, it's really unhelpful to have these types of ideas without laying out the critical thought process behind it. Imagine we were one day to get fan representation at board level and this was the kind of idiotic shite that was being added? It would utterly ruin us. I'm not a massive fan of Cormack, but it's really unfair on him to have this type of thinking out there. Anything he does in comparison is always going to look shite.

 

Ok, I'll go in a different direction and try to humor you a little in the process. You will never win this argument no matter how hard you try.

I traded a couple of emails with Haardon the other day. We disagree strongly on vaccines but there's zero hard feelings, just a difference of opinion. No love lost. I've no reason to dislike the guy, or any of you, we just see things differently. I respect him for reaching out too. That type of mentality is getting harder to find. People are losing friends daily because of disagreements in opinions. I like donstalk, debate with a bunch of complete strangers who really know very little about each other and why we think the way we do.

We all have mindsets and opinions, and that's great. I accept that. I've also lived my first 23 years of life in Scotland, the last 26 years in the US. I'm probably more American in my thinking now. I will passionately fight my point at times, and try to educate others at times too. I think I'm smart, but not that smart. I won't lie, there are people here who use words that still call for me to reach for a dictionary. I've coached football a lot, full time for a while, and am highly trained and qualified/licensed/credentialed. Doesn't make me an expert, but I think I have a more educated football brain than many.

I was raised in Lanark, went to teacher training college in Edinburgh, Moray House. My first teaching job was at Bannerman High School in Castlemilk/Baillieston. While in college I coached summer football/soccer camps in the US during the summers. After a year teaching I came back out to the US for a summer. Never came back. I do visit, used to be yearly, but been here 26 years now. If I had listened to many of my Scottish friends and family I'd still be teaching at Bannerman.

I've lived in Tennessee, Florida, and California. Married and divorced by 33. I won't get vaccinated. Have my reasons. Recently quit my job because of my beliefs, walking away from six figures as I said the other day. I don't have a job lined up yet. That's a 100% pay cut. I have 3 and 5 year old boys. My older boy just got kicked out of preschool because his parents aren't vaccinated, not even him. I've dated models, porn stars, hung out with celebs, done more blow than can line Pittodrie. Spent way too much time in Hollywood and Vegas. I already own a house in Florida and when I sell my LA house I'll probably pay off the Florida one. No debt. Unless the world/US goes to shit in the next three months which is possible. Trump was nuts but I'd take him over Biden and this admin any day of the week. I'm opinionated and I express that. Daily. And I'm wrong sometimes. I live life and take risks, and I feel I get rewarded for that. I've won more than I've lost. It's the only way to live if you ask me. Calculated and educated risks.

Here's my point. There are reasons for Ross, Goodwin, Lennon, Adams, as you stress, and all the other predictable names. Boring as fuck. All your reasons are safe and valid. But boring as fuck. I think you have to open your eyes, really open them. Isn't football meant to be entertainment? I think Cormack has tried to bring more of that, both off and on the park. But yes, as pointed out, results do matter. I'd argue Cormack is more American thinking now, and in Glass he was willing to take a calculated risk. It failed. I just hope he doesn't crumble and conform to the more Scottish safer mindset of Goodwin or Ross. Of course I want us to be fiscally responsible and not put the club in jeopardy. But surely we can find a more creative and inspiring mind. My initial response to Ole was simply that it's not that daft an idea - my point, as I keep saying, is that you never know. If you never explore or ask you'll never know what could have been. Surprises do happen.

My life has been nuts, but at least you know me a little more and maybe understand me a little more. I don't make it easier at times. But I wouldn't have it any other way. That's how I live. Others would choose to still be teaching at Bannerman because it's safer. I don't want our club to be safer and conform, I want bravery and risk. Calculated of course. Bigger risk bigger reward.

1 hour ago, Slim said:

Jack Ross seems to have built his entire reputation on what he achieved with St Mirren in the Championship. He’s done absolutely nothing with Sunderland and Hibs to suggest he can be a successful manager. Goodwin has already done more with St Mirren than Ross did.

Jack Ross won the championship with St Mirren. After winning the league he went to Sunderland who had just been relegated for the second consecutive season to league one. Took them to league one playoffs and lost in the final. He was sacked in Oct of 2019 while sitting 6th in league one. Took over in Hibs in November, finished 7th and lost in the semis of both cups. Last season they finished 3rd in the league and again lost in the semis of both cups. He was sacked in December after losing 7 of the last 9 games, one week before the League Cup final. Not sure Maloney has done much since he was canned but they are one point above us and one behind St Mirren at present.

Goodwin finished 9th in his first year managing St. Mirren, 2019-2020, didn't advance past the group stage of the league cup and lost to us in the quarters of the Scottish Cup. 7th in 2020-2021 and lost in the semis of both cups. Currently 6th, one point but worse GD behind 4th and 5 points off 10th. Lost in the second round of the league cup, play Hearts in the quarters of the Scottish Cup.  Much like our season, this year could be a good or bad year for them.

I don't see it, sorry.......I'd take Ross before Goodwin.