On Saturday, our League Cup Group stage obligations come to an end as we warm up for pumping Hearts by hopefully pumping Hearts. It begins at 3:00 pm sharp at Pittodrie.

I fancy a 4-0 home win.

22 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Right place, right time, just didn't get up high enough, this lad is going to be a star, I just doubt it it's going to be for us

A bold call. Of our top 10 youngest starters, only Fasanya and Fletcher Boyd have still got the chance to become stars. Of the rest, only Ryan Fraser got close.

2 hours ago, TheDonbytheDee said:

Just in the pub.

I enjoyed that.

Kelty were shyte, really shyte, but I thought we were good and dominated as we should.

Haven't seen the stats, but we should have scored far more than three.

Unlike above, I think Malouda will be fine. Just needs that goal and it will come.

Be more of a test next week, but I enjoyed that today.

Wasn't even cold and fuck knows where the seagulls have gone.

The Kelty physio seemed easy on the eye and yes, I ken, we're not supposed to say that now.

Rules(according to Ab mad)

1 hour ago, wee toon red said:

A bold call. Of our top 10 youngest starters, only Fasanya and Fletcher Boyd have still got the chance to become stars. Of the rest, only Ryan Fraser got close.

Interesting WTR

Regardless of his defection to the dark side I would respectably suggest that Stephen Wright was a success as he brought us on a £1. 5m fee which in today's money would be worth considerably more.

Alfie Bavidge, just outside the top ten still has the time on his side to be a success.

You could also put forward a case that Fraser Fyvie with a FA Cup winners medal was a success

57 minutes ago, Brochred said:

Rules(according to Ab mad)

Qué 🤔

3 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Qué 🤔

In less enlightened times, any mention of a woman had to be accompanied by a picture of them. That was the "rules".

41 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Interesting WTR

Regardless of his defection to the dark side I would respectably suggest that Stephen Wright was a success as he brought us on a £1. 5m fee which in today's money would be worth considerably more.

Alfie Bavidge, just outside the top ten still has the time on his side to be a success.

You could also put forward a case that Fraser Fyvie with a FA Cup winners medal was a success

I could be going off duff info but I don’t think Wright is close to one of our youngest. He was 18 years and 8 months. I’d agree he was a success but not a star. Fyvie maybe in a similar bracket.

Widening the scope here but, for me, we haven’t produced a star since Fergie’s days. Plenty of successes but no stars.

A very interesting subject but the evidence suggests that 15/16yo debutants are highly unlikely to go on to be absolute stars. I can’t even think of many in a wider Scottish sense.

Edited Saturday at 19:544 days by wee toon red

Chat gpt reckons this was our top 10 prior to today.

Sadly in the modern game if he is anyway decent he’ll get snapped up by an academy somewhere for sure. It’s depressing but hard facts.

37 minutes ago, wee toon red said:

I could be going off duff info but I don’t think Wright is close to one of our youngest. He was 18 years and 8 months. I’d agree he was a success but not a star. Fyvie maybe in a similar bracket.

Widening the scope here but, for me, we haven’t produced a star since Fergie’s days. Plenty of successes but no stars.

A very interesting subject but the evidence suggests that 15/16yo debutants are highly unlikely to go on to be absolute stars. I can’t even think of many in a wider Scottish sense.

Not quite sure where I got my info from that Wright made his debut in 1987 as a sixteen year old but I stand corrected and apologise for the error of my ways

In my defence I did apparently live through the 80's but spent most of the decade with my brain totally pickled

18 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Not quite sure where I got my info from that Wright made his debut in 1987 as a sixteen year old but I stand corrected and apologise for the error of my ways

In my defence I did apparently live through the 80's but spent most of the decade with my brain totally pickled

He signed in 1987 but made his debut in 1990.

4 hours ago, BigAl said:

Right place, right time, just didn't get up high enough, this lad is going to be a star, I just doubt it it's going to be for us

In fairness he looks about 5ft 2

Enjoyed the highlights. As others have said it’s hard to judge much against the level of opposition, but regardless, the team needed to get the job done and get the job done they did. Nice to see a few of the younger ones get a look in. So has it been confirmed whether Fasanya can appear in the league? Someone mentioned the rule had been changed recently but Robinson certainly didn’t seem to know.

Good to see a nice spread of goals too.

1 hour ago, manc_don said:

Enjoyed the highlights. As others have said it’s hard to judge much against the level of opposition, but regardless, the team needed to get the job done and get the job done they did. Nice to see a few of the younger ones get a look in. So has it been confirmed whether Fasanya can appear in the league? Someone mentioned the rule had been changed recently but Robinson certainly didn’t seem to know.

Good to see a nice spread of goals too.

It appears as if the rule change will be communicated to member clubs this week in an effort to slow down the talent drain from south of the border.

Prize to the best Doric joke incorporating “Fasanya”.

2 hours ago, BigAl said:

It appears as if the rule change will be communicated to member clubs this week in an effort to slow down the talent drain from south of the border.

I suspect the large wage increase has more to do with young players heading down South rather than limited game time.

27 minutes ago, Jute said:

I suspect the large wage increase has more to do with young players heading down South rather than limited game time.

Totally agree, but not much can be done about that

Think the reduction in minimum playing age is to allow them the chance to experience first team football in the hope that some might think they are better to develop and play competitive football for two or three years before moving.

The above could also work in Scottish clubs favour as potentially higher fees for them.

Although not a to England transfer I would strongly suggest Motherwell would not have got the fee for Lennon Miller if he had moved as a sixteen year old instead of having two full seasons as a first team player with them.

Regardless, I guess there will be no hard and fast outcome and some will see the benefit of staying put to develop and others will chase the readies at the first opportunity. Some might make it, but others will continue to be chewed up and spat out by bigger clubs whilst having the consolation of a bulging Bank balance.

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

Totally agree, but not much can be done about that

Think the reduction in minimum playing age is to allow them the chance to experience first team football in the hope that some might think they are better to develop and play competitive football for two or three years before moving.

The above could also work in Scottish clubs favour as potentially higher fees for them.

Although not a to England transfer I would strongly suggest Motherwell would not have got the fee for Lennon Miller if he had moved as a sixteen year old instead of having two full seasons as a first team player with them.

Regardless, I guess there will be no hard and fast outcome and some will see the benefit of staying put to develop and others will chase the readies at the first opportunity. Some might make it, but others will continue to be chewed up and spat out by bigger clubs whilst having the consolation of a bulging Bank balance.

It's life changing money, usually over £5k per week, for most.

Know of a loon that just moved south, on £6k per week. 16 years old!

The scary part of it all, is that it's loose change to clubs down south.

No matter how well you bring your kids up, to support your team, you are not telling them to say no to that kind of money.

Stay at the Dons, where you are equally as unlikely to make the grade, or get a sniff of the first team, but be financially worse off at the end of it.

I believe they offer better aftercare, for want of a better word, if they fail to make the grade down south too.

I may be missing an obvious one, but I can't think of any youngster who has left Aberdeen in recent years and gone on to have a decent career.

Calvin Ramsay has been unlucky with injuries and a change of management at Liverpool, but would he be a first choice player at Anfield if things had worked out better?

42 minutes ago, swaddon said:

I may be missing an obvious one, but I can't think of any youngster who has left Aberdeen in recent years and gone on to have a decent career.

Calvin Ramsay has been unlucky with injuries and a change of management at Liverpool, but would he be a first choice player at Anfield if things had worked out better?

Depends on how you determine decent.

Jack Grimmer has had a decent career in the lower English leagues, Dean Campbell too.

Michael Rose plys his trade down south and Phil Macguire did fine down south too.

None in the EPL, although Calvin Ramsey played for Liverpool yesterday and got an assist and Fletcher Boyd is apparently doing well at Villa.

Fair play to any of them for making a decent career out of the game.

Decent run out and decent performance by all involved including the hawk (not a seagull to be seen)
Happy with the draw as well hame to Dundee.

Happy enough with how the squad is looking and taking shape, most of the new arrivals seem to be settling in and although it is still early days most of them seem to be an upgrade and what they are replacing.
I do have doubts over the Morrocan lad, but a goal or two might help him settle. And the jury is certainly out on Yagane I just canna see him as any sort of upgrade on Topi, he jist looms sluggish and nae a winger.

But nae too much complaints as such and level of optimism is sneaking in ahead of next week's league opener, although as always I am lowering my expectations (just in case)