This is where the season begins to unravel. Sold out away end, Aberdeen fans arriving in expectant mood, only to be met by a poor performance and Thelin's first defeat.

Nisbet to miss a few sitters, Gueye to revert to his early-Aberdeen form, Clarkson to struggle to make an impact, Rubezic to be caught out for one goal and to be at fault for the penalty, Keskinen to go missing.

Rangers to beat Hibs to narrow the gap on us to two points.

I mean, I might be wrong. If I am then sorry Dundee for jinxing you.

1 hour ago, manc_don said:

Superb 😂

just watching it back, two very tidy finishes, fans sound in great voice. Wonder when JT stops the Ambrose time? Needs a Norwegian loan.

Yeh I think Ambrose was sent on for his ability to win headers (and, to give him some credit since we're all picking on him, he did well defensively late on when he got his head on a dangerous Dundee cross and cleared it).

But in hindsight Sokler would have been better coming on there. 

Surely Ambrose's touch can't be as bad as that in training? 

12 minutes ago, Panda said:

Yeh I think Ambrose was sent on for his ability to win headers

Sokler is very good at winning headers. The commentary suggested Ambrose was on to run at them. I'm fairly certain that we're all wrong, and Ambrose is on because someone at the club has some serious gambling debts.

Just caught the highlights. Poor Barry 😂😂

 

5 minutes ago, redordead said:

Just caught the highlights. Poor Barry 😂😂

 

I counted four mentions of how European football means you can't get to work with the players on the training ground.

Which is right. Except, we only played eight European games last season. Even when we had two-week international breaks the players came back still looking lost. 

Also described Devlin's pass to Keskinen for the opener as "just a hopeful ball up the park". No, he was trying to pick Keskinen out. Granted poor defending helped send him clear, but it was a player in red aiming for another player in red, something lacking under Robson last season.

Fuck sake @redordead you've set me off now.

8 hours ago, Panda said:

I counted four mentions of how European football means you can't get to work with the players on the training ground.

Which is right. Except, we only played eight European games last season. Even when we had two-week international breaks the players came back still looking lost. 

Also described Devlin's pass to Keskinen for the opener as "just a hopeful ball up the park". No, he was trying to pick Keskinen out. Granted poor defending helped send him clear, but it was a player in red aiming for another player in red, something lacking under Robson last season.

Fuck sake @redordead you've set me off now.

In fairness to Barry, he was talking about Naismith being sacked, at which point Naismith will not have had a huge amount of time on the training pitch. I think he probably has a point. The main/only reason for hearts' poor run of form is that the guy who scores every single one of their goals wasn't scoring goals. It wouldn't surprise me if a new manager came in, and by coincidence (rather than good management) Shankland started scoring again. That'll instantly make them a better team, gaining points. That could easily have happened under Naismith. Without the time on the training pitch, it will be difficult to implement anything other than "give it to the guy who scores goals" and get it working, as Naismith found out. Of course, he could be just using that excuse to back up his own failure to change tactics in the first half of last season. 

Totally agree about Devlin's pass, it was actually well played. There was no movement from midfield for once, and Keskinen offered the run (take note, Morris). He hit it as long as he could so that the defender had to stretch for it, which made him fuck it up (of course, he should have comfortably done better). It was a good direct ball, not done under pressure, after decent passing and movement from defence and keeper to give him time to make the pass. As you say, something we didn't see under Robson. 

Bringing on Ambrose, and I must have had the volume down as I didn’t hear the almighty roar when he came in, what does he offer that sokler does not? Sokler is decent in the air, has pace, works his bollocks off, and is fit. Haven’t seen much of any of that of Ambrose to date. The comments were aerial ability which I don’t see much difference, and sokler is pretty capable running in behind. Baffling decision. 
said this before, I almost think Ambrose gets in the way and is a clear liability.

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

In fairness to Barry, he was talking about Naismith being sacked, at which point Naismith will not have had a huge amount of time on the training pitch. I think he probably has a point.

That was his fourth mention. He had already talked at length about it in the "Why is Thelin so much better than you" debate.

The time on the training ground thing. The European games only really kick in now. They've played two European games so far, the last of which was weeks ago. They had a whole pre-season, a schedule where they lost every game. They have played two fewer competitive games than we have.

The new manager you have sympathy for because he IS walking into a hectic schedule with little time on the training ground. Naismith doesn't get to use that excuse though.

 

 

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

The main/only reason for hearts' poor run of form is that the guy who scores every single one of their goals wasn't scoring goals.

Not necessarily. When you look at the chances Shankland was missing, they often were in positions when you're asking a lot of him, the team weren't creating good opportunities for him. Now he will have missed very scoreable chances like every striker does, but Hearts whole creative play under Naismith was poor.

Their actual game plan was, as you say, "give it to the guy who scores goals" hoping the other team wouldn't mark him.

I said last season, even when Hearts were getting results they never really looked all that convincing, and Hearts fans could see that too. Was a matter of time before they were found out.

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

 

2 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

Bringing on Ambrose, and I must have had the volume down as I didn’t hear the almighty roar when he came in

Tbf, he's well on his way to becoming a cult hero at all the teams we play against

Loved being part of that 😁 

The bond between the team and the support is magical right now.

Let's enjoy every minute of it 👍

 

 

Did the support get pretty much half of the old main stand as well?

1 hour ago, tom_widdows said:

Did the support get pretty much half of the old main stand as well?

Yes, was just over 4,000

2 hours ago, tom_widdows said:

Did the support get pretty much half of the old main stand as well?

Certainly looked like it was Dons fans up to halfway line.

Great support again,.....maybe ease off on the Abdn ole song a bit

#startingtogetonmytits 

Black Stone Island jackets and bad hairdos. I see the ultras uniforms haven't changed since the ASC days 

2 hours ago, Elgindon said:

Great support again,.....maybe ease off on the Abdn ole song a bit

#startingtogetonmytits