Well, figure it’s close enough to start the thread and may get some more enthusiasm than the current season. So what do we need?

manager - Alex Neill

formation - 4-2-3-1/4-3-3

I’m going with the belief that we currently have 7 starters - Devlin, ruby (or gartenmann), Jensen, Mackenzie, shinnie, clarkson or McGrath, and sokler. 4 legit starter signings needed, plus more. I’d argue McGrath has been better than clarkson this year, but I dont think both together are our midfield solution.

goalkeeper - NEEDED to replace Roos, doohan is back up

right back - devlin, Richardson, SiGN gartenmann

left back - think Mackenzie deserves to be our left back, one of our few successes this year, mcgarry as back up, jenson cover too as gartenmann does right back.

central defense - ruby, gartenmann, Jensen, Macdonald - think that’s good enough, just need a legit and consistent keeper and midfield to protect and support them

Right mid - TWO needed, starter and back up, vinnie as back up? sell morris

left mid - ONE needed, possibly hoilett and mcgarry as back up, vinnie?? Don’t think Duncan is good enough, squad filler.

center mid - sign TWO. ONE starter needed, plus assuming Barron leaves. Free agent Baccus? Shinnie clarkson or McGrath,  and one other, mcgrath/clarkson and polvara as back up, sign another ONE physical/athletic worker so that shinnie and new signing aren’t run into the ground.

Forward - assuming Miovski and duk are sold, I want sokler given a chance. SIGN one to compete with him to start, bavidge the third option and given minutes. Sell GUEYE.

I’m assuming miovski, duk, morris, gueye, and Barron are gone, and we sign gartenmann and hoilett. Hayes retires. Mcgarry gets a summer to get fit and prove what he can do next year, been unfortunate to date. A bench from Richardson, mcgarry, Duncan, clarkson/mcgrath, hoilett, bavidge, doohan, Milne, polvara, vinnie, plus a new back up right mid and an enforcing center mid.

Obviously Mikey Johnson is one of our new signings.

Edited February 18, 20242 yr by OrlandoDon

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

Don't count on Polvara.

Rumour doing the rounds that he is injured and potentially out long term 😲.

Aye, heard that. Shame. Might just be a guy that we never see the best of. It'll be interesting to see if we replace him. Maybe an ideal chance for a loanee later in the windae.

Nothing more on the Norwegian Roy Keane? Kind of expected to wake up to a new signing. And still no wingers, or is JT getting more out of Vinny and Morris and they’re like two new signings??

1 hour ago, OrlandoDon said:

Nothing more on the Norwegian Roy Keane? Kind of expected to wake up to a new signing. And still no wingers, or is JT getting more out of Vinny and Morris and they’re like two new signings??

Why would we need wingers when we have the dynamic width and overlapping prowess of McGurry and Richardson?

3 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

Nothing more on the Norwegian Roy Keane? Kind of expected to wake up to a new signing. And still no wingers, or is JT getting more out of Vinny and Morris and they’re like two new signings??

Patience..

 

https://www.afc.co.uk/2024/07/11/nilsen-is-a-don/

Think it's been difficult for him in training so far, everybody's talkin' at him.

32 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Think it's been difficult for him in training so far, everybody's talkin' at him.

Fuck sake Rico 😲

You're clearly a fair bit older than I thought 😂

Genuinely looks fair chuffed to be here.

Little bit surprised at three year deal.

Welcome aboard loon

6 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Genuinely looks fair chuffed to be here.

Little bit surprised at three year deal.

Welcome aboard loon

Yeah length of contract is interesting for a player of his age.

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Yeah length of contract is interesting for a player of his age.

I’d say he’s either a shinnie fitness freak or given all the talk about leadership a future coaching role?

 

 

On 11/07/2024 at 10:13, RicoS321 said:

Aye, heard that. Shame. Might just be a guy that we never see the best of. It'll be interesting to see if we replace him. Maybe an ideal chance for a loanee later in the windae.

As feared, confirmed Dante is out for fourteen to sixteen weeks.

Gutted for the loon.

As Rico said above, might need a loan signing until end of December at least initially.

The time is drawing ever closer 😒

 

Allan Campbell, ex Motherwell, been told he has no future at luton and can move on. Worth a look? We were linked with him before, plus something I like, he’s Scottish!

1 hour ago, OrlandoDon said:

Allan Campbell, ex Motherwell, been told he has no future at luton and can move on. Worth a look? We were linked with him before, plus something I like, he’s Scottish!

Nah, we've got Shinnie and the new guy, no need for another all action midfielder. Although I'm saying that with no real idea of how Thelin intends to play. I'd like to see us just leave the squad quite bare, with no overloading of positions until we get an idea of how things are progressing. A loan late in the window if we feel that we're missing something, to tide us over until Polvara returns. 

Duk gone missing. Shame. Six months of a purple patch has gone to his head clearly. There's always been a huge amount missing from his game, with no obvious way to address it. I'm not sure he can escape that in today's world of data analytics. Not many clubs that have the funds that the Dons will want for him will be operating the McInnes model of picking guys that played well against you, or looked good on telly. With him previously returning to the club overweight, and now not at all, he'll have just removed any remaining value he might have had. Hopefully someone at the club has the wherewithal to not drag this out into the season. If there's a club (not in Scotland!) willing to buy out his contract and maybe a token sum, we should just offload. 

6 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Duk gone missing. Shame. Six months of a purple patch has gone to his head clearly. There's always been a huge amount missing from his game, with no obvious way to address it. I'm not sure he can escape that in today's world of data analytics. Not many clubs that have the funds that the Dons will want for him will be operating the McInnes model of picking guys that played well against you, or looked good on telly. With him previously returning to the club overweight, and now not at all, he'll have just removed any remaining value he might have had. Hopefully someone at the club has the wherewithal to not drag this out into the season. If there's a club (not in Scotland!) willing to buy out his contract and maybe a token sum, we should just offload. 

Nah, let him rot. Fine him every week until he can't afford the flight back to Aberdeen to grovel. Make his life a misery until, finally, he apologises, trains hard, goes to lots of supporter functions and community outreach programmes and begins to win the hearts and minds of the city, then bangs them in for Cape Verde with his value going through the roof - yet still he waits for Jimmy Thelin to give him a chance. It's a wait that goes on until the Scottish Cup final when the bench signal for Duk, he comes on at a packed Hampden, flattens Scott Wright with his first touch, nutmegs Todd Cantwell with his second, collects a pass from Nilsen, rounds Jack Butland, and just as he's about to complete a wonderful redemption arc and send the red army wild - Shinnie snaps him in two and screams in his face "that's what you get for fucking with the Dons".

 

Connor Barron goes on to miss the crucial spot kick in the penalty shoot-out.

 

Seriously disappointed about this situation with Duk.

He is the sort of player (on his day) that could have moved in from us with cult status 

Instead his petty immaturity has ruined his legacy with our club.

He would have done well to pay close attention to Miovski and the way he conducts himself.

Really sorry to have to say this but enjoy your year on the scrap heap with your reputation in tatters.

Fine him every penny possible. I don't want to ever see him wearing Aberdeen colours again.

 

I’d say we can get 500 to a million for duk. Still plenty of time to go in the window.

1 hour ago, RicoS321 said:

Nah, we've got Shinnie and the new guy, no need for another all action midfielder. Although I'm saying that with no real idea of how Thelin intends to play. I'd like to see us just leave the squad quite bare, with no overloading of positions until we get an idea of how things are progressing. A loan late in the window if we feel that we're missing something, to tide us over until Polvara returns. 

Valid point in that we have no clue how Thelin intends to play. At the same time, I love the idea of the 4-2-3-1 with two grafters in center mid, and three attacking flair players behind a forward. That’s what I saw/thought when we saw the lineup vs peterhead. I can wait for wide players when we can give Morris, vinnie, and even McGrath and Duncan the opportunity there. When your two grafters are both 33 that may be a tough ask, adding Campbell isn’t such a bad idea, particularly when you consider the physicality of the league, injuries, and from what we hear, both shinnie and our new guy like the physicality and pick up cards/suspensions.

It's begining to become clearer why Duk is not an automatic first pick for Cape Verde 

If there are idiots out there who reportedly spent decent money on Jayden Richardson, Shayden Morris, and Pape Habib Gueye, someone must be willing to give us money for Duk!

6 hours ago, Panda said:

Nah, let him rot. Fine him every week until he can't afford the flight back to Aberdeen to grovel. Make his life a misery until, finally, he apologises, trains hard, goes to lots of supporter functions and community outreach programmes and begins to win the hearts and minds of the city, then bangs them in for Cape Verde with his value going through the roof - yet still he waits for Jimmy Thelin to give him a chance. It's a wait that goes on until the Scottish Cup final when the bench signal for Duk, he comes on at a packed Hampden, flattens Scott Wright with his first touch, nutmegs Todd Cantwell with his second, collects a pass from Nilsen, rounds Jack Butland, and just as he's about to complete a wonderful redemption arc and send the red army wild - Shinnie snaps him in two and screams in his face "that's what you get for fucking with the Dons".

 

Connor Barron goes on to miss the crucial spot kick in the penalty shoot-out.

 

Absolute delusional pish. You seriously think the Huns will get to the final? 

13 hours ago, BigAl said:

Seriously disappointed about this situation with Duk.

He is the sort of player (on his day) that could have moved in from us with cult status 

Instead his petty immaturity has ruined his legacy with our club.

 

Feels like he's rapidly in danger of becoming this decade's Sone Aluko.

19 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

Allan Campbell, ex Motherwell, been told he has no future at luton and can move on. Worth a look? We were linked with him before, plus something I like, he’s Scottish!

Going to answer my own post, I think he’s worth considering, especially with polvara injured, and, from what I’m reading, shinnie and nilsen have suspensions to serve?? Got to hit the ground running this season, a spotty start to the league cup will be far from helpful.

Edited July 13, 20242 yr by OrlandoDon