Panda Posted July 26 Report Posted July 26 Well, here we go again, another season of joy and despair. Hearts had a very similar League Cup group stage campaign as to what we had last season. But, as was often said about us at the beginning of last term, I'd like to see them tested before talking them up. It's easy to look impressive at home to League 2 sides. Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis could be very good signings though, and they appear to have a dangerous front three with Shankland staying. One thing Derek McInnes generally does is get his striker scoring. I watched the goals from their friendly with Sunderland, and if we thought Aberdeen had gifted Ipswich their three goals, it was nothing compared to Sunderland's efforts, so hard to read too much into that. But we clearly need to tighten up. At the time of writing, with no new signings in and with Sokler, Gueye, Tobers and Gyamfi all presumably injured, I'd expect a similar team to what started v Ipswich. I wouldn't be surprised to see Morris keep his place for "experience" of going to Tynecastle, Nilsen maybe start too ahead of Aouchiche, and maybe even Dorrington in for Milne - which wouldn't be a slight on Milne, more that Dorrington and Knoester have played more games together. But, I'm second guessing Thelin. I rarely manage to get his starting XIs correct. Looking forward to it. I don't think in my lifetime that Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs have all been good at the same time. The transfers they've made suggest all three could be handy this season, and it would be mouthwatering if they were (and Dundee United too), but we'll see. Likely someone will end up sacking their manager during the season - hopefully not us. 1 Quote
tlg1903 Posted July 27 Report Posted July 27 I'm in the strange position of aching for football to come back but dreading the opening fixture. I defo feel we are going into the campaign a little under cooked both in terms of match fitness and squad building. Obviously we aren't even into August yet and the club is probably trying to keep it's powder dry until a bit closer to the end of the window. They may also be thinking about potentially impending sell on clauses becoming active and waiting to see if so before splashing out for a key target. With 8 days still to go before we head to Edinburgh my feeling is we will see at least one in and out before then. I defo think we needed a few more friendly matches but I got curious about what JT's form is for pre season. This was Elfsborg last season. So, 7 matches in 8 weeks. I've no idea why there was such a big gap between friendly 5 and 6. I'm going to suggest that Thelin doesn't hold with the idea you need to have lot's of friendlies to be match fit. Perhaps he prefers playing bounce games between the squad instead . No idea how we will lineup in other than it will be Mitov in goal, Aouchiche at 10, Topi wide left and Yengi as CF. I don't think it's impossible to go there and get something but it's not going to be easy and I defo think we need to score first. Quote
DantheDon Posted July 27 Report Posted July 27 13 hours ago, Panda said: Looking forward to it. I don't think in my lifetime that Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs have all been good at the same time. The transfers they've made suggest all three could be handy this season, and it would be mouthwatering if they were (and Dundee United too), but we'll see. Likely someone will end up sacking their manager during the season - hopefully not us. I do worry a little that Thelin is the man who still has a bit to prove in terms of getting his system working, and doing the job on a regular basis. Scottish Cup win papered over the fact that in the final 27 games of last season we managed to amass just over 20 points. Hibs seem to have turned a corner from last seasons start and although I’m not expecting them to be consistently as good as they were towards the end of last season I think they could still have a better season than us. Hearts are likely going to do pretty well in the league this season. McInnes will manage to get them grinding out results and with no European football to contend with I expect them to get a jump on us and possibly Hibs if they qualify. My worry for next Monday night is that McInnes won’t overcomplicate things whereas I expect Thelin to stick to his system. Seeing as we don’t seem to have mastered it yet it could be a difficult game for us and a bit too early. Quote
Panda Posted July 27 Author Report Posted July 27 3 hours ago, tlg1903 said: I'm going to suggest that Thelin doesn't hold with the idea you need to have lot's of friendlies to be match fit. Perhaps he prefers playing bounce games between the squad instead . Yeah I think us playing Friday was deliberate in order to give us time to fit in one more match. It'll likely be a full squad game behind closed doors. Hearts are doing the same I'm sure on Tuesday or Wednesday. Quote
RicoS321 Posted July 27 Report Posted July 27 Fairly certain we have a 100 year contract to play St Johnstone every preseason. Quote
tlg1903 Posted July 27 Report Posted July 27 It turns out we didnt play St J last season either. We actually only played one friendly against peterhead before the league cup started. 1 Quote
Panda Posted July 27 Author Report Posted July 27 1 hour ago, tlg1903 said: It turns out we didnt play St J last season either. We actually only played one friendly against peterhead before the league cup started. That's probably why St Johnstone got relegated. Didn't prepare properly by facing Aberdeen in pre-season. 1 Quote
Jute Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 Not looking forward to this one. Was at Hearts friendly against Sunderland and while it was a friendly thought Hearts played well. Looks like they have signed decent forward in Braga and have goals in their team. Defensively they looked solid with Finldlay and Milne being standouts. Only weak point at the back looks like Clark in goal who flapped at a couple of crosses as usual. With it looking like Gueye will be away looks like Yengi will start up front. Would expect one of Aouchiche, Clarkson or Palaversa to drop out from Friday’s starting midfield three and Nilsen to come in to protect back 4. Dorrington could come in for Milne at the back but think that would be a bit unfair on Milne who has done okay in preseason games. Agree with those saying we are going into this game a bit undercooked. Unlike Hearts from what I have seen in preseason we do not look like a team with many goals in it. Expect Hearts to start fast on Monday and we will need to weather the storm for first 30 minutes if we are to get anything from the game. If we lose an early goal we will be in for a long evening. As an aside only getting 550 tickets for an away game is shite. League really needs to look at making clubs provide a minimum number of away tickets based on % of stadium capacity. In work then pub Away end Bus home 2-0 no dons scorer 1 Quote
tlg1903 Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 1 hour ago, Jute said: Not looking forward to this one. Was at Hearts friendly against Sunderland and while it was a friendly thought Hearts played well. Looks like they have signed decent forward in Braga and have goals in their team. Defensively they looked solid with Finldlay and Milne being standouts. Only weak point at the back looks like Clark in goal who flapped at a couple of crosses as usual. With it looking like Gueye will be away looks like Yengi will start up front. Would expect one of Aouchiche, Clarkson or Palaversa to drop out from Friday’s starting midfield three and Nilsen to come in to protect back 4. Dorrington could come in for Milne at the back but think that would be a bit unfair on Milne who has done okay in preseason games. Agree with those saying we are going into this game a bit undercooked. Unlike Hearts from what I have seen in preseason we do not like a team with many goals in it. Expect Hearts to start fast on Monday and we will need to weather the storm for first 30 minutes if we are to get anything from the game. If we lose an early goal we will be in for a long evening. As an aside only getting 550 tickets for an away game is shite. League really needs to look at making clubs provide a minimum number of away tickets based on % of stadium capacity. In work then pub Away end Bus home 2-0 no dons scorer We better not be giving them anything more than 550 in the return fixture Quote
Jute Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 24 minutes ago, tlg1903 said: We better not be giving them anything more than 550 in the return fixture Whilst I can understand that being the response I would not be doing that. Constant squeeze on away support has to stop. 2 Quote
Panda Posted July 30 Author Report Posted July 30 1 hour ago, Jute said: Whilst I can understand that being the response I would not be doing that. Constant squeeze on away support has to stop. I'm a big advocate of sizeable away supports, but can see us getting shafted a lot this season. We already get a small amount at Tynecastle, I wonder if Hibs will respond to having their allocation slashed for the top six split last season, and Dundee United are cuttings ours more and more (not helped by some of our fans' behaviour there). Quote
BigAl Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 It will be limited tickets for Falkirk, Huns and Tim's away also. Not much left really Quote
Jute Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 3 hours ago, BigAl said: It will be limited tickets for Falkirk, Huns and Tim's away also. Not much left really 749 tickets for Falkirk. Livingston will be only place where will get pretty much what we want. Quote
BigAl Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 32 minutes ago, Jute said: 749 tickets for Falkirk. Livingston will be only place where will get pretty much what we want. Motherwell and Kilmarnock also, given they have two levels to the stands we are given behind the goals. Quote
tlg1903 Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 1 hour ago, BigAl said: Motherwell and Kilmarnock also, given they have two levels to the stands we are given behind the goals. When was the last time we sold out Killie away though? Quote
BigAl Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 1 hour ago, tlg1903 said: When was the last time we sold out Killie away though? That's my point mate We will get plenty tickets there Quote
Jute Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 3 hours ago, BigAl said: Motherwell and Kilmarnock also, given they have two levels to the stands we are given behind the goals. Forgot about those two. Maybe folk will have to make those two their away trips for the season. Quote
Panda Posted August 1 Author Report Posted August 1 Tobers and Gyamfi out for "at least another two or three weeks", but everyone else fit for Hearts. Quote
manc_don Posted August 2 Report Posted August 2 7 hours ago, Panda said: Tobers and Gyamfi out for "at least another two or three weeks", but everyone else fit for Hearts. Left back really worries me, didn’t expect him to be out, let alone this long. Is he training at least? Won’t be up to speed until October realistically, if that. Quote
Jute Posted August 2 Report Posted August 2 8 hours ago, manc_don said: Left back really worries me, didn’t expect him to be out, let alone this long. Is he training at least? Won’t be up to speed until October realistically, if that. Article I read suggested he has only done rehab work so far. Quote
manc_don Posted August 2 Report Posted August 2 57 minutes ago, Jute said: Article I read suggested he has only done rehab work so far. Devlin can do a job, but I do hope Gyamfi will get fit and perform like it sounds like he should. If not, I think we really should have someone lined up, for the sake of balance but a call would need to be made in the next fortnight. Have to say, I’m very nervous about this game. Feels like we’re not quite there yet and I know friendlies are never the barometer, but our league form was pish for the majority of last season. All the noises of JT having learnt his lessons etc are all promising, just hope it turns out to be the case. I’d happily take a draw, as it’ll give the team some confidence and fuck attendance fc fans up no end. They really are a miserable bunch of cunts. out bed work work 3-0, no dons scorer Quote
OxfordDon Posted August 3 Report Posted August 3 Win by 2, we go top of the league. Lose by 2, we go bottom of the league. No pressure. Quote
Jute Posted August 3 Report Posted August 3 With there now being an Amber weather warning in place and all trains cancelled between Edinburgh and Aberdeen from noon tomorrow suspect there is a fair chance this game might be called off. Quote
JessianK Posted August 3 Report Posted August 3 24 minutes ago, Jute said: With there now being an Amber weather warning in place and all trains cancelled between Edinburgh and Aberdeen from noon tomorrow suspect there is a fair chance this game might be called off. TBH, here was me thinking it would have been called off today. Okay, its an amber warning, so the Police can't really force it, but the weather for Edinburgh at 8pm looks horrible. How can you honestly play football in 50mph winds !! nonsense. Quote
BigAl Posted August 3 Report Posted August 3 37 minutes ago, Jute said: With there now being an Amber weather warning in place and all trains cancelled between Edinburgh and Aberdeen from noon tomorrow suspect there is a fair chance this game might be called off. We all know who the last to be taken into consideration are and frankly in this country that isn't changing anytime soon Quote
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