AEK Larnaca V Aberdeen 06/11/25

[tlg1903]

Started having a look at Larnaca so thought I may as well start the thread.  On the face of it this is a game we should be looking to win.  In actuality, despite being a smaller team and having a squad value 10 million lower than ours and a wage bill less than half according to t'internet, this mob went to Palace and won 1-0 despite playing most of the second half with ten men.  Clearly they are no mugs.  We do have one reasonable advantage in that they have two games to play before we meet.   One is currently underway, the Cypriot super cup final against Pafos which is 1-1 after half time. Didnt see the Pafos goal but Larnacas qualiser was a very well taken header from an excellent ball in from deep.   Hard to say much more as the feed keeps dropping so you can't really get a feel for the game. 

They then have Limassol on Sunday so by the time they get around to playing us that will be their 6th game in 19 days.  That's a gruelling schedule for any squad and will defo have an impact on their preperations.  All in I think we can get something from this but we need to make sure we stay in the game to take advantage of their inevitable tiring in the second half.  

 

[Panda]

8 hours ago, tlg1903 said:

On the face of it this is a game we should be looking to win. 

I'm sold. Get into them.

 

For anyone who is going to Cyprus, and heading to Ayia Napa - many years ago I worked in Craig's Bar, the Scottish bar where Dons fans will be congregating (Napa is about 30-40 minutes from Larnaca). Buy a t-shirt (preferably the Aberdeen ones), I designed them all, apart from the Old Firm ones. 

Great place. Great times. 

Take a wee trip to Famagusta if you can, believe parts of it are now open. Sad and chilling story though.

Don't go for dinner in Napa, all overpriced tourist traps. Hire a car* and drive out to where the locals go to for a decent 'meze'.

*(like Scotland they drive on the left so it's very easy to drive there. Just be wary of the frustratingly low speed limits - only country I've been stopped in for speeding at 30mph).

 

[Jute2]

Europe already feels like a bit of a side show for me. Think we have very little chance of qualification so should be prioritising league games and we should be resting most of our starters in these games. Defeatist I know but think it’s where we are due to poor recruitment and preparation over the summer.  

[OrlandoDon]

2 hours ago, Jute2 said:

Europe already feels like a bit of a side show for me. Think we have very little chance of qualification so should be prioritising league games and we should be resting most of our starters in these games. Defeatist I know but think it’s where we are due to poor recruitment and preparation over the summer.  

Exactly how I feel. Squad players could get playing time while we get to rest some for key league games. Almost like a transitional year to get us into Europe next year. However, players were also sold on joining Aberdeen, karlsson Armstrong lazetic probably as an example, because they get to play big European games. It’s a tightrope, spud..

[baggy89]

7 hours ago, Panda said:

I'm sold. Get into them.

 

For anyone who is going to Cyprus, and heading to Ayia Napa - many years ago I worked in Craig's Bar, the Scottish bar where Dons fans will be congregating (Napa is about 30-40 minutes from Larnaca). Buy a t-shirt (preferably the Aberdeen ones), I designed them all, apart from the Old Firm ones. 

Great place. Great times. 

Take a wee trip to Famagusta if you can, believe parts of it are now open. Sad and chilling story though.

Don't go for dinner in Napa, all overpriced tourist traps. Hire a car* and drive out to where the locals go to for a decent 'meze'.

*(like Scotland they drive on the left so it's very easy to drive there. Just be wary of the frustratingly low speed limits - only country I've been stopped in for speeding at 30mph).

 

I'm guessing you, having lived and worked in the South, have bought into the the Greeks version of events? If not ignore me. 

Fuck the Greek Cyps...

Cross into Lefkosa (Nicosia) at the Metehan gate, you can go to the marketplace and still see the bullet holes where Turkish Cypriots were lined up and shot, you can even go and wander around in the ruins of Roman Villas. There's no protection as the Greek Lobby won't let any archaeologists examine the sites (if they want to do any work in Greece ever again). You can still go to Gazimagusa (Famagusta), the beautiful sandy beaches outside the town are the real reason the Greeks want the North "back", along with the pan-handle. Let's face it, there is as much land in the South that was owned by Turkish Cyps as there is land in the North owned by Greek Cyps. If only the Greeks would tell the Turkish Cyps where the mass graves are, where entire villages of men were kidnapped from their homes shot and buried in what can only be described as an ethnic cleansing genocide by the Greeks. 

Like most things North>South

 

[OxfordDon]

38 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

Exactly how I feel. Squad players could get playing time while we get to rest some for key league games. Almost like a transitional year to get us into Europe next year. However, players were also sold on joining Aberdeen, karlsson Armstrong lazetic probably as an example, because they get to play big European games. It’s a tightrope, spud..

I'm confused by this.  We put all of our effort into the league to qualify for Europe, but then once we succeed we avoid putting effort into those hard-won European games, so that we can focus all of our effort into the league so we can...qualify for Europe?

[RicoS321]

4 minutes ago, OxfordDon said:

I'm confused by this.  We put all of our effort into the league to qualify for Europe, but then once we succeed we avoid putting effort into those hard-won European games, so that we can focus all of our effort into the league so we can...qualify for Europe?

Of course. There's a massive sum of money available for doing fuck all.

[BigAl]

So this is the one of the six Conference League games I'm not attending.

Not sure where the confidence that we can get something out of this is coming from. Whilst Cyprus might not be the greatest power in European football, Larnaca sit second top of the Conference League and we sit rock bottom. They have already beaten AZ and Crystal Palace, not sure there is any Scottish team at present would be doing that, far less us.

Can't see anything other than a defeat to be honest, the important part for me is the level of performance and to demonstrate that we are learning lessons from the harsh experiences we have had. Again being brutally honest, I'm not really sure this will be the case BUT will be delighted to be proved wrong here.

Out

Working

TNT Sports

Moaning like fuck about another inept performance

4-0 (no scorer)

 

[BigAl]

15 minutes ago, OxfordDon said:

I'm confused by this.  We put all of our effort into the league to qualify for Europe, but then once we succeed we avoid putting effort into those hard-won European games, so that we can focus all of our effort into the league so we can...qualify for Europe?

 

10 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Of course. There's a massive sum of money available for doing fuck all.

We'll find ourselves in Dire Straits 

[OrlandoDon]

1 hour ago, OxfordDon said:

I'm confused by this.  We put all of our effort into the league to qualify for Europe, but then once we succeed we avoid putting effort into those hard-won European games, so that we can focus all of our effort into the league so we can...qualify for Europe?

That’s exactly my point. It’s a flawed system. It’s all about league position, Europe, glamor, and money. Then when you get there it makes things much more challenging on the league schedule.

jimmy is trying the squad thing, where Robson failed. But we have so many new players and don’t have a set and established team, playing style etc., not even a spine of a team that stays consistent. plus as has been said, you find out not all signings are good enough.

Edited 15 hours ago by OrlandoDon

[Panda]

1 hour ago, baggy89 said:

I'm guessing you, having lived and worked in the South, have bought into the the Greeks version of events? If not ignore me. 

 

I spent four months in Ayia Napa just out of uni getting pissed every night, I wasn't paying much attention to historical events (much like my career ).

I did travel out to the museum though which was an eye opener, and then at that time you could pay one euro to hire a telescope and look into the city.

My folks did live there for a few years though (thankfully, not when I was there ) and they often went "on holiday" to the Turkish side. No idea what their views on the whole thing are, I'll raise it at Christmas dinner. 

[Panda]

2 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

However, players were also sold on joining Aberdeen, karlsson Armstrong lazetic probably as an example, because they get to play big European games. It’s a tightrope, spud..

I don't think the European games are affecting us this season. I don't think there's been a game where you say "if it wasn't for the midweek European game we'd have won that". Yeah, we looked a bit knackered v Hibs, but they just outplayed us and tactically we got it wrong.

I'd say we'll take more positives than negatives from the experience. The money, that it's attracted players to the club, players and manager gain experience from it. I think Shaktar gave us much needed confidence when we badly needed it, and when the players are maybe struggling mentally it's not a bad thing to be flying off to Greece and Cyprus for a change of scenery.

[tlg1903]

2 hours ago, Panda said:

I don't think the European games are affecting us this season. I don't think there's been a game where you say "if it wasn't for the midweek European game we'd have won that". Yeah, we looked a bit knackered v Hibs, but they just outplayed us and tactically we got it wrong.

I'd say we'll take more positives than negatives from the experience. The money, that it's attracted players to the club, players and manager gain experience from it. I think Shaktar gave us much needed confidence when we badly needed it, and when the players are maybe struggling mentally it's not a bad thing to be flying off to Greece and Cyprus for a change of scenery.

Last 25 minutes we looked burst against Killie too.  I think the key point is Thelin needs to manage fatigue in the squad a bit better.  E.g I appreciate Karlsson has taken a step down to come to Aberdeen but that doesn't mean he can't be subbed from time to time.  He defo looked burst come 75 minutes at rugby park and should have been replaced.  It's not like we don't have options for the wide attacking positions and fresh legs would have helped us get up the park a bit more instead of being so hemmed in.  It really was quite shocking only one sub was made in that game and I've no idea what Thelin was thinking.  

[RicoS321]

21 minutes ago, tlg1903 said:

Last 25 minutes we looked burst against Killie too.  I think the key point is Thelin needs to manage fatigue in the squad a bit better.  E.g I appreciate Karlsson has taken a step down to come to Aberdeen but that doesn't mean he can't be subbed from time to time.  He defo looked burst come 75 minutes at rugby park and should have been replaced.  It's not like we don't have options for the wide attacking positions and fresh legs would have helped us get up the park a bit more instead of being so hemmed in.  It really was quite shocking only one sub was made in that game and I've no idea what Thelin was thinking.  

The only thing I can think of is that he wanted to teach them a lesson! About what it takes to fight for a win, even if you're out on her airse. Agree about Karlsson, he was like man down, and likely to make a poor decision in those circumstances too. 

[tlg1903]

5 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

The only thing I can think of is that he wanted to teach them a lesson! About what it takes to fight for a win, even if you're out on her airse. Agree about Karlsson, he was like man down, and likely to make a poor decision in those circumstances too. 

Given the context of the season so far that would be a hoor of a big risk to be taking but it could perhaps explain why he looked so happy after the game (according to SS anyway).  Grinding out a result when you're playing shit is not to be sniffed at but if you have to that at Killie away something has gone wrong if you ask me.