Last home game against them was the beginning of the Jim Goodwin horror series. Showed no ambition, time wasted from the first minute, and eventually lost late on.

Since then, Barry Robson has faced Celtic twice as a manager and has lost both to an aggregate of 9-0.

So I can only suggest it can't get any worse this weekend. Good time to get Celtic while their defence is unsettled, and Ross County scored twice against them on the opening day so they are there to be got at.

My worry is we look a bit one-dimensional so far. Clarkson goes deep and hits it long to Miovski and Duk. We need either good wingers or an attacking midfielder, otherwise we'll struggle to hurt Celtic.

But we'll win it 1-0, Jack Mackenzie the match winner. 

4 hours ago, BigAl said:

We are now a week and a half away from our best opportunity to play in the group stages of Europe's second top club tournament and IF we are indeed planning on signing a new left footed defender time is running out fast.

But like I've just said in my original reply, we probably aren't targeting another LCB. We have Mackenzie and Williams to play there. Stewart too if you like. 

If we sign Scales it'll be us making room for him in the squad because Robson likes him. So there's no need for us to hand out deadlines - there's one coming up on 31 August anyway.

26 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

I was right next to Shinnie's challenge, the ball was there to be won and he won it. That Ralston collapsed in a heap (as he did all game), and the linesman bought it, was the issue. That, and the fact that we couldn't defend a freekick. His header was unlucky, the ball was above him and given that he's not known for headed goals, it was a difficult one to control. He was otherwise excellent, first to every ball, held onto the ball under pressure so many times and used the ball well too. He set the tone for any pressing that we did throughout the match.

Devlin's challenge did get looked at by the VAR people, they look at everything, they deemed it wasn't worthy of overturning. I suspect that had the ref given a penalty they may not have overturned either. It wasn't clearcut either way. Devlin was excellent against Livi (probably motm) and did well against the Tims all whilst out of position. I'd say that his performance at right centre back was as good as any McRorie gave us in that position, and that's the type of utility we are replacing. Devlin will be a good signing.

People don't want us to be streetwise at home to the Tims, they've had enough of it. I can understand that. We went toe to toe with them, lost, but not by any great degree and weren't embarrassed. Sitting in and risking a 0-1 loss would have only upset the fans. Most Dons fans are realistic about where we sit in the scheme of things, and most fans applauded the team despite their loss yesterday. The fact that Livi or St Mirren might be able to sit in against them and get a draw is neither here nor there. 99% of the time they will also lose. If, collectively, one team gets a result once, that's not evidence of success in any approach. The reality is that it's difficult, and so we went with the option of playing to our strengths, which is refreshing at least.

You're right that Shinnie won the ball but he barged into Ralston before he won the ball, that's why it was a foul.  I don't agree about his header either, it was as simple a header as you are likely to get.  Otherwise excellent is a bullshit phrase if you are the captain and have cost your team two goals.

Same with Devlin, may sound harsh but he gave away a goal on a plate so he did not do his job well whether he was out of position is irrelevant.  

Streetwise is exactly the phrase I would use about yesterday in both of the above cases.  We handed them the two goals that they won by. 

 

 

2 hours ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

People seem almost accepting of the defeat yesterday because it was an exciting game,

No, people are being positive because they can see it was a good performance, and there's a confidence there that we may be in for a decent season.

We don't have to be negative and miserable because we lost one game.

24 minutes ago, Panda said:

But like I've just said in my original reply, we probably aren't targeting another LCB. We have Mackenzie and Williams to play there. Stewart too if you like. 

Why do you keep stating that Williams can play LCB? He's a right footed centre half, and so he'll likely be deficient on his wrong foot. The fact that you say Stewart could also play there shows that your opinion on this matter can't be trusted.

30 minutes ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

You're right that Shinnie won the ball but he barged into Ralston before he won the ball, that's why it was a foul.  I don't agree about his header either, it was as simple a header as you are likely to get.  Otherwise excellent is a bullshit phrase if you are the captain and have cost your team two goals.

Same with Devlin, may sound harsh but he gave away a goal on a plate so he did not do his job well whether he was out of position is irrelevant.  

Streetwise is exactly the phrase I would use about yesterday in both of the above cases.  We handed them the two goals that they won by. 

 

 

He didn't cost us two goals! He cost us a free kick, and missed a chance. Clarkson didn't cost us a goal by missing his opportunity, and nor Polvara for missing his header (arguably easier for a man of his height). Nor are we suggesting that Shinnie gave us a goal because of his good ball winning in the lead up to the goal. Shinnie covered every blade of grass yesterday and did everything that you'd expect from a player in that role. Nobody expects Shinnie to convert every chance he gets, that's not his role. Everybody expects Shinnie to give away fouls, because he plays on the edge, as that is his role. 

Devlin's fuck up was a freak one, and just a total brain fart. Like a keeper dropping one in, it happens now and again. There is nothing to suggest he'll be repeating it (indeed, he had an excellent block on the line in the second half), but we'll wait and see. It certainly wasn't anything to do with being "streetwise" for that goal, it was just bad luck for us and good luck for them, a header that he would deal with 999/1000 times - he was under zero pressure. I'd have expected nearly every striker in the league to have scored from there. 

20 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Why do you keep stating that Williams can play LCB? He's a right footed centre half, and so he'll likely be deficient on his wrong foot.

Because last season he played 12/21 games at LCB. 

20 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

The fact that you say Stewart could also play there shows that your opinion on this matter can't be trusted.

In 2020-21, Stewart played 15/33 games at LCB.

On 13/08/2023 at 17:31, SeeBass said:

Thank God I don't waste £150-£200 on travel, overnight accommodation, food and drink anymore to come up for the Old Firm matches at Pittodrie.

 

Given the continuous poor showings against the two Glasgow sides I can't justify the expense.    

🤔 We beat the huns 2-0 last time we played them at Pittodrie!

It was started by a fluke.  Doesn't count.

So will we call it a 1 nil win then??

Edited August 14, 20232 yr by Elgindon

Mackenzie and Polvara, the new McLeish and Bett.

Polvara defo starting to look like a shrewd bit of business by glass 

7 hours ago, tlg1903 said:

Polvara defo starting to look like a shrewd bit of business by glass 

I really want it to work out for him. Seems to have his head screwed on. Don’t think we can rely on him completely as he’s still young, but happy to see him get a decent chunk of minutes over the season. Started well so far.