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.

12 minutes ago, Jute said:

We desperately need to get another striker in as we cannot go with what we have and would suggest a left back. 

We've got a left back though, don't we? Or his he just for two years time or something? If he's back in a month or so, should we really be signing another player? Maybe a loan until January would do no harm. What about a Max Low(n)e?

Re-the lack of friendlies, I do see the other side of it.

A couple more friendlies may or may not have made the difference v Hearts. But we still would be saying we need a striker, an energetic midfielder, and that we missed a left back. And Yengi might still miss those chances and Knoester & Shinnie still make those mistakes for the goals.

We're not going to be a full strength (we hope) until the end of the transfer window anyway.

I think a lot of the complaints from Barry Robson used to be he had no time to work on things with the players once the European group games hit, because it was game, recover, travel, game, travel, recover.

So, if you play a lot of pre-season friendlies, you have fewer valuable time on the training pitch. So Thelin has obviously prioritised that. And like I said, I don't think we looked unfit, and at times we knocked it about well, and while over the 90 minutes Hearts were better - there's every chance we could have taken something tonight but mistakes did us in. 

I'm disappointed we lost but I didn't see enough tonight to make me worry too much about the season. 

5 hours ago, Panda said:

and at times we knocked it about well, and while over the 90 minutes Hearts were better - there's every chance we could have taken something tonight but mistakes did us in. 

I'm disappointed we lost but I didn't see enough tonight to make me worry too much about the season

This could have been written after any one of our final twenty games of last season. That's where the worry is. Equally, you could have written that we were easy to play against, predictable and playing a style that leads to too many errors, whilst exposed in numbers. 

It was a bottom six performance by a bottom six team. Unless we see quality signings, or a change of approach, then that's where we'll end up. I think you're right about the friendlies, that isn't the issue (although Nielsen, especially, looked like he could have done with a few).

7 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

We've got a left back though, don't we? Or his he just for two years time or something? If he's back in a month or so, should we really be signing another player? Maybe a loan until January would do no harm. What about a Max Low(n)e?

Gyamfi has only played 30 first team games so a bit of a project so I think we need another left back anyway to rotate him with. Jensen isn’t good enough defensively for me to swap sides and Shinnie doesn’t have the legs for me to be playing there. 

Just now, Jute said:

Gyamfi has only played 30 first team games so I think we need another left back anyway to rotate him wit. Jensen isn’t good enough defensively for me to swap sides and Shinnie doesn’t have the legs for me to be playing there. 

Shinnie is also probably still our best midfielder in the setup we play, as he's the only one that'll fire into people and make space for the others to do their business. Aye, left back it is then. I'd probably still opt for a loan until Gyamfi is back, but through hope as much as anything. Jensen is honking at left back, and we appear to be suffering under the illusion that he can play there because his Wikipedia page says he can. It's inexplicable. I'd have Shinnie, Devlin, Molloy, Knoester and Duncan ahead of him in that position, and probably Polvara and Keskinen too. 

A lot is being made of the lack of friendlies. Leaving 10 days between the last friendly and the first competitive game, and with almost an entirely new front-4, does seem to be a bit odd.

42 minutes ago, Slim said:

A lot is being made of the lack of friendlies. Leaving 10 days between the last friendly and the first competitive game, and with almost an entirely new front-4, does seem to be a bit odd.

I think odd is being kind Slim

It is beyond bizarre and who the fuck thought that was a good idea 🤔

I'd love to hear the thinking behind it.

Playing a centre midfield 2 against Hearts was never going to work and it’s mildly confusing as to why JT thought that it would. I assume  that he expected the wingers to do a lot of tracking back and that was sadly lacking with Keskinen looking off it and the team lacking match fitness in general. 
Allied to that was our lack of legs in the middle so, in the first half in particular the gap between our middle 2 and front 4 was huge at times. I didn't think that collectively our central midfielders were good enough last season to play in JT’s system, particularly against decent teams, and I can’t see how they’ll be good enough this year. 

I didn't really have the stomach to talk about this post match, god I hate Hearts.  I can see where Panda is coming from, there were spells in the game we actually looked quite handy going forward.  Equally I can understand where Rico is coming from in saying we have seen this film before though I do think Milanovic and Aouchiche add something new.  The biggest concern I had coming into this was how the defence was going to perform but for the most part I felt we actually held the hearts front line at arms length from that POV.  Shankland did fuck all really (lovely finish for his chalked off goal 2bf) and Braga didn't cause too many problems either despite jambo wankfests over him in the build up.   The first goal was a real kick in the teeth that at the time was completely undeserved and I do suspect this game would have gone a bit differently if Knoester doesn't slip.  That's not to say that we wouldn't have still lost but 1st goal was always going to be really important last night I'm sure you all agree.  To concede it in the manner was just grim.  

27 days left of the window which will probably drag like fuck and then a flurry of late business.  There is a lot to be said for keeping your powder dry until late in the window as bargains can crop up at bigger clubs as players get pushed down the pecking with late business.  Equally though there's no point in having powder if it's not going to go boom at all and if you leave it too late you can end up scambling.  I also do wonder if the club are expecting a bid for ferguson sometime soon which potentially couild affect the transfer budget.  

 

Watched the highlights and that Yengi miss 🥲 yikes. With highlights, you can give the benefit of doubt but knowing what I’ve read here and over social media, I know it wasn’t an isolated incident. We need to get a striker in asap, if we leave it until the end of the window, I fear we’ve given ourselves too much to do. Certainly with this team. We really should never have conceded either of those goals, pathetic defending.

is Suman actually any good? Feels like we need a good keeper to push mitov, as he seems to have spells like this during the season.

1 hour ago, manc_don said:

Watched the highlights and that Yengi miss 🥲 yikes. With highlights, you can give the benefit of doubt but knowing what I’ve read here and over social media, I know it wasn’t an isolated incident. We need to get a striker in asap, if we leave it until the end of the window, I fear we’ve given ourselves too much to do. Certainly with this team. We really should never have conceded either of those goals, pathetic defending.

is Suman actually any good? Feels like we need a good keeper to push mitov, as he seems to have spells like this during the season.

I thought Suman looked decent at Cove last season and was surprised that he came to us to be a back up as thought there would other clubs offering him a starting gig. 

I'd second that. Steady keeper. Big presence.