It's that time of year when we're all so optimistic about doing well in the new season, which usually stops at the final whistle of the first game.

The Dons take on last season's champions runners-up Heart of Midlothian at 5:30 pm on Saturday 3rd August. Hearts have given away their manager, top scorer and best player to their big brothers in Glasgow. Nevertheless, it will be a tough game, and I fancy a 1-1 draw, with Nisbet on the scoresheet for Aberdeen.

A rough start to the season but once it gets up to speed, still reckon this team stands a good chance of getting St Mirren back in the top 6.

Slow ponderous pish. No urgency and no apparent quality where it actually matters.

Yogane is a lazy bastard

Midfield being played through with ease and defence looks worse than uncomfortable every time they break

Needs a change or they will score a second

They do realise they are getting beat surely. I can't tell. They seem happy with everything given the effort.

oh my.

You have to feel for Findlay, if he'd just left Olusanya alone he would've cleared the ball himself.

Hearts have Hibsed it

Never in doubt. Minimum skill and effort got us over the line.

9 minutes ago, OxfordDon said:

You have to feel for Findlay, if he'd just left Olusanya alone he would've cleared the ball himself.

Like!

10 minutes ago, OxfordDon said:

You have to feel for Findlay, if he'd just left Olusanya alone he would've cleared the ball himself.

Quote of the day

That was jist magic

Will have that Joy Division tune in my heid a' night.

No idea how we won that but over the last 50+ years there have been many times i've wondered how we have lost so I'll take it and its very satisfying

Wild ending to that, and really not sure how we pulled it off. One of my boys had gotten up and was asking how much longer (before we equalised) as he wanted to watch Lucas the spider…that ending managed to hold his attention. Woke his brother up with his scream of delight as Nisbet coolly (how fucking good btw)scores that pen despite hearts being absolute Shitebags and trying to out him off.

Shite performance, lucky to get anything let alone a win, but I’ll fucking take it. Hopefully helps build some mental strength and confidence.

A pretty poor performance but 3 points ahead of Hearts, 2 of Sevco and TSMSTID. If Carling made Saturday nights…

Well, well, well - fitba eh.

Positives:

We’d have never ever dug that result out last year - full credit to all for that.

We defend set pieces and high balls into the box much better (nae hard to improve tbf)

We’re more of a threat at set pieces in the opposition box than last year (see bracket point above again).

Nisbet is on a hot streak (top notch pen) so let’s hope it continues.

I thought Smith made a difference when he came on. Very direct and worried them with his pace and positivity on the ball.

BUT

Lets be honest, that was daylight robbery. That’s not a particularly good diets team and they were in complete control in that second half. We were miles off it in terms of quality, tempo, technique, intensity etc.

Constantly gave the ball away, moved it way too slowly when we didn’t give it away and delivery into the box in the main was very poor as usual.

There were far too many shades of last year in too much of that performance for me.

We’ll take 3 points when playing poorly every day of the week of course, and full credit for having the attitude to dig that out, but there’s loads of work needed to improve pretty much every aspect of that team.

Still, GIRFUY Diets.

Alexa - play Joy Division…

Just back. Piece of pish, never in doubt.

Not a terrible first half, fairly even, and probably unlucky to be going in one down. A new defence can probably be cut some slack for their goal. Thought Happe and Mayo looked fine together and Cadden was decent enough. Guinness-Walker not brilliant, but offered no support from Yogane. Thought Lyons was poor today, and Aremu had a good first half, but faded badly. Olusanya terrible at football. Smith played well when he came on. Nisbet okay, and sublime when required. Mouloua not so good. Armstrong good, and Briedl not. We're going to have some serious problems with a goalkeeper that can't even attempt to kick it with his left - that just shouldn't happen in the modern game.

They were well ahead of us in the second half, and controlled the game entirely. Worryingly we took ages to make subs, and then threw on four at once, which took ten minutes to recover from, and nearly cost us - poor management that was eventually rewarded. Our strengths are set pieces, and form the majority of our chances. Crosses are coming in very early without looking to see if anyone is there, and result in several miscues. A lot of cracks papered over, but hilarious to do it in such a fashion against them.

At 89 minutes I was seriously questioning my life choices and wondering why tf I signed up to another season of this pish - and then extra time happened.

Olusanya makes defenders shit themselves. He is far more effective through the middle, as seen for the penalty. Kevin “Ice Man” Nisbet pinging it in top corner. Nice celebration too.

Dundee up next for Robbo’s Red Raiders.

Edited August 1Aug 1 by STFU_Donny

Just finished watching the game. Bit of a reality check for us. Some interesting comments here, I’d argue our back 4 is decent and played reasonably well. Also not convinced by our keeper even though he didn’t have much to do. Thought Cadden played ok all things considered, few good attacking crosses and runs, and a good run and shot. I’d expect him to get better as he settles. Lovely turn by the attacker on their goal, but the covering defender should have been there, far too much space, but a bit unfortunate to lose the goal. I like happe, solid in the air, will win a lot and clear a lot as he did today, and score a few. Great assist on the goal, I think he’s a good signing. Mayo seems solid. Guinness walker seems pretty solid too and had some good defensive plays on 1v1s. Still want to see him attack more.

Thought the midfield was really poor today which is worrying. Have been impressed with Lyons so far but today he was non existent. Yogane so far does not look an upgrade on players been and gone, Ronan was just ok despite him looking quality in the cup, but we need big games from him. Aremu just ok. Signing a quality starting winger is a must. Rumors of an ex player returning, no clue if there’s anything there, sadly I’d take shady mo back in a heartbeat.

Olusanya deserves a paragraph to himself. No way is he a starting 11 player. Impact sub, but not sure impact is an appropriate term. Very poor game, no clue how he played the whole game. Firstly, he’s not a right midfielder, pained me to see him there to start the game. His touch was shocking today, poor vision, poor technique, plenty of diving. Then again, his running and effort wins the penalty. And has been mentioned, had the defender not caught him olusanya misses that chance.

Bilalovic injured? Think it’s smith and a new signing as our wingers, backed up by yogane and bilalovic. But even smith, despite being decent today, hasn’t overly impressed so far although prob unfair, he has to settle, not that long in the door and thrown straight into games. Thought smith and Armstrong did well off the bench, fresh legs for sure, and that’s Armstrongs role, some flair and creativity of the bench for 30 mins.

Nisbet can’t be judged today other than he wins it for us. Playing with that midfield today always going to be a frustrating game. Great penalty, especially given the time in the game, the delay, the opponent in his face, then top corner. Side note, no way he’s made captain if the returning player were to be miovski, nisbet is our 9 we build around.

As I said, reality check after lower level league cup opponents, but good confidence booster. Plus still gelling and new players settling. But the midfield will win us and lose us games, today wasn’t nearly good enough.

Edited August 1Aug 1 by OrlandoDon

We'll take that three points every week, but fuck we weren't good, especially second half and against a middling Hearts team.

A good team would have buried us today.

Subs made a huge difference, especially Smith.

Olusanya is never a fitba player and goes down easier than Jojo on a Friday night, but he works hard.

We are a well organised group, but not much quality on show.

That band at half time were utter pish and the seagulls were back in numbers for the second half.

Games like tonight is what fitba is all about and why no other sport is like it.

May I say a big "get it up ye" to the 50% of fools who picked Hearts to win on the BBC Predictor.

Probably all guffs who know nothing about Scottish fitba.

One of the funniest games of football I can remember. Not fussed how we played

The subs turned the game in the end but why they took so long I have no idea. Ronan huffed and puffed but was off it all game but Armstrong was far more effective. Smith caught the eye too but I also thought Briedl got involved well.

Olusanya is such an odd player. At times he looks like he's never seen a football before but others he takes the ball past people and finds a team mate in the box. I rewatched Moneyball the other night and I was made to think of toy by the phrase "he gets on base". You could argue that's what Olusanya does best for us. In football terms he's an outball that more often than not will keep possession when the ball is launched to him in the opposition half and his pace stretches the play enough for others to find space to be found.

Adored the Nisbet celebration. Particularly the jog on down the road gesture. Much classier and annoying than flicking the V or the wanker sign.

It wasn't a great performance but it was gritty and arguably more enjoyable to beat them like that than by a couple comfortably. There was one wee cunt near the front of the away end on the edge of the row in a bright white tshirt that was giving it big all game. Was already halfway up the stairs by the time Nisbet got in front of the away end 😂😂😂

You could write master's theses about Olusanya - you'll rarely see a more 'main character' player than him. Good or shite, it always comes down to him. I'll never forget that highlights video of a game last season - believe against the PJMs - where every single clip was him being terrible or him winning free kicks.

I think a few players didn't quite grasp the speed of the Scottish game, which turned into a nervy performance and a fair few were trying to hide out there and didn't want the ball. I'm guessing Robinson's quotes about being impressed with the desire was him being diplomatic, and behind closed doors it'll be a different conversation.

Happe and Guinness-Walker both looked particularly nervous at times, and watching them knock the ball to each other rather than one of them trying to get the ball forward summed that up. Yogane went missing. Lyons poor and it was noticeable that Armstrong was slating him when he came on.

Armstrong and Smith changed the game because they were the only two that wanted the ball and were willing to drive with it, which upped the atmosphere. Before that, today was a day where you miss Graeme Shinnie, who would have been driving forward from deep rather than just trying to get rid of it like many were doing.

Olusanya, for someone whose strength is his...well, his strength - he falls over constantly. If he can't even bring that to the game then he's no use.

Hopefully the new signings just haven't quite settled in to Premiership football at a big club yet, and we'll see more from them the more they play.