http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/768290

ABERDEEN’S front men are ready to match the 30-goal target set for them by manager Jimmy Calderwood.

 

That’s the verdict of reserve team coach Sandy Clark after spending the last month sharpening up their front-men for the big SPL kick-off.

 

Calderwood wants his four main strikers to deliver at least 30 goals between them to bolster Aberdeen’s chances of qualifying for Europe.

 

That’s something that has happened only twice in the last 10 seasons. But Clark is convinced Lee Miller, Darren Mackie, Chris Maguire and new man Tommy Wright have it in them to give Calderwood what he wants.

 

“It’s a very reasonable target,†said Sandy, who was a top-class striker himself with Hearts, Rangers and West Ham.

 

“All four are capable of delivering their fair share and will get their chance over the course of the campaign.

 

“It is very rare nowadays for one strike pairing to get the luxury of playing together all season.

 

“Injuries and suspensions mean you tend to find the combinations change quite a lot.

 

“But a target of 30 goals means they will need to get about seven or eight each.

 

“It’s not really a lot when you look at it that way, so we will all be disappointed if they stay fit and can’t deliver that total.

 

“Lee was our top scorer last season and I’m sure he will score more than his fair share again.

 

“Darren is fit again and eager to make up for lost time after only getting four last time.

 

“Darren always seems to score the important ones though, and I am certain he will continue that.

 

“Wee Chris is going to be a lot more involved as well and I’m excited by the thought of what he could achieve in the new season.

 

“Tommy will do his bit as well.

 

“I was sent to watch him play and was impressed by his aggression and sheer will to get in about defenders and win the ball.

 

“If we get the ball wide so that it can be delivered into the area the way Tommy likes it, I am certain he will score a good number of goals.â€

 

In the days when Sandy was a player, most Scottish clubs had one striker who was expected to deliver the bulk of that 30-goal target on his own – but he accepts times have changed.

 

“Football has become more squad orientated, so you don’t see many teams sticking with the same strikers all of the time,†he said.

 

“In one of the seasons I played for Hearts, we only used 14 players the whole season.

 

“When you are playing every week it stands to reason that you will have more chance of scoring goals.

 

“But strikers now find their playing time restricted because their club may choose to go with one up or make some other tactical change.

 

“I played with Ally McCoist at Rangers and John Robertson at Hearts, who were among the greatest of what you would class as old fashioned poachers.

 

“They did very little in games at times, but would then pop up with the goals that mattered.

 

“Few clubs can afford the luxury of players like those now.

 

“The strikers have become the first line of defence, so they have to be a lot more mobile and be willing to track back a lot more than some of the great names from the past did.â€

 

Sandy spent extra hours in Holland supervising special shooting drills at their training ground in Delden.

 

He was delighted with the way the players improved the quality of their shooting and movement over the course of 10 days.

 

“They are looking sharp and are now ready to go,†he said.

 

“Strikers are only as good as the delivery they get and that is something we worked on a lot.

 

“Most of our drills involve moving the ball about at pace and firing into the area early for the strikers.

 

“We also incorporate a bit of competition to add a bit more bite to the training.

 

“They take part in various shooting competitions and you would be amazed at how competitive they get at times.

 

“The quality of finishing was exceptional at times. But the strikers now have to prove they can do the same when the real action starts.â€

 

I too agree its a very reasonable target and you could say a higher target should be set as if you dont aim high mediocrity can set in.

Its just an interesting statistic, get over it for fuck sake.

 

 

 

It just feeds into some folks agenda hereabouts and elsewhere to point out the shortcomings or clouds on silver linings.

 

I fear I'll never get over it. It's a tough one.

It just feeds into some folks agenda hereabouts and elsewhere to point out the shortcomings or clouds on silver linings.

 

I fear I'll never get over it. It's a tough one.

 

None of those 'people' were the ones to point it out though. Give people the credit to be able to understand that a penalty still counts as a goal. There is scant room for misinterpretation and spin in that surely ?

As someone mentioned above, If we are going list Miller's pens can you put Mulgrews free kick goals as seperate as well.

 

I think that would also be an interesting statistic.

As someone mentioned above, If we are going list Miller's pens can you put Mulgrews free kick goals as seperate as well.

 

I think that would also be an interesting statistic.

 

Its not a closed up thread mate. Work away. Whatever you want to post, you post it. Noone is going to stop you.....

After 13/12/08

Defence 5

Midfield  6

Strikers 11

 

 

Considine    1  (1 shin)

Diamond    1

Mulgrew    3 (2 free kick)

 

MacDonald  3

Young        1  (1 cross)

Aluko        2

 

Maguire      1  (1 sclaff)

Mackie      4  (3 toe poke)

Miller        6      (4 pen)

 

Non-strikers      11 goals

Strikers            11 goals

After 13/12/08

Defence 5

Midfield  6

Strikers 11

 

 

Considine    1  (1 shin)

Diamond     1

Mulgrew     3 (2 free kick)

 

MacDonald  3

Young        1   (1 cross)

Aluko         2

 

Maguire      1  (1 sclaff)

Mackie       4  (3 toe poke)

Miller         6       (4 pen)

 

Non-strikers      11 goals

Strikers            11 goals

 

So in summary Gary MacDonald is our top goalscorer of proper goals so far

 

After 13/12/08

Defence 5

Midfield  6

Strikers 11

 

 

Considine    1  (1 shin)

Diamond     1

Mulgrew     3 (2 free kick)

 

MacDonald  3

Young        1   (1 cross)

Aluko         2

 

Maguire      1  (1 sclaff)

Mackie       4  (3 toe poke)

Miller         6       (4 pens:Won by Mackie x2, Miller & McDonald)

 

Non-strikers      11 goals

Strikers            11 goals

 

Some more info 

 

After 13/12/08

Defence 5

Midfield  6

Strikers 11

 

 

Considine    1  (1 shin)

Diamond     1  (1 ugly)

Mulgrew     3 (2 free kick)

 

MacDonald  3   (2 x luck, 1 x jammy)

Young        1   (1 cross)

Aluko         2   (1 x fluke, 1 x cross-cum-shot)

 

Maguire      1  (1 sclaff)

Mackie       4  (3 toe poke)

Miller         6       (4 pens:Won by Mackie x2, Miller & McDonald)

 

Non-strikers      11 goals

Strikers            11 goals

 

Aluko's second was a clean through on keeper and neatly stroked away under  his body...where was the fluke ? If we are going to be a bunch of pricks, lets' at least be factual pricks huh ?

Aluko's second was a clean through on keeper and neatly stroked away under  his body...where was the fluke ? If we are going to be a bunch of pricks, lets' at least be factual pricks huh ?

 

It was against St Mirren and they are fucking pish, so certainly a goal of less standing than one against Celtic, for example.

It was against St Mirren and they are fucking pish, so certainly a goal of less standing than one against Celtic, for example.

Yeah, so Mulgrews goal should may count as two whereas Alukos is maybe a half? Actually it was a neat finish so we'll make it a .75

It was against St Mirren and they are fucking pish, so certainly a goal of less standing than one against Celtic, for example.

 

In my view, if a dude can fire into Helen Mirrens box without resistance, dribble a little before letting one off right between the uprights leaving Helen Mirren on the floor with nothing more to give in return then its a score of high standing 

In my view, if a dude can fire into Helen Mirrens box without resistance, dribble a little before letting one off right between the uprights leaving Helen Mirren on the floor with nothing more to give in return then its a score of high standing 

 

There ain't nothing like a dame!

After 20/12/08

Defence 5

Midfield  6

Strikers 11

 

 

Considine    1  (1 shin)

Diamond    1  (1 ugly)

Mulgrew    4 (3 free kicks)

 

MacDonald  4  (3 x luck, 1 x jammy)

Young        1  (1 cross)

Aluko        2  (1 x fluke, 1 x cross-cum-shot)

 

Maguire      1  (1 sclaff)

Mackie      5  (3 toe pokes)

Miller        6      (4 pens:Won by Mackie x2, Miller & McDonald)

 

Non-strikers      13 goals

Strikers            12 goals

 

After 20/12/08

Defence 6

Midfield  7

Strikers 12

 

 

Considine    1  (1 shin)

Diamond     1  (1 ugly)

Mulgrew     4 (3 free kicks)

 

MacDonald  4   (3 x luck, 1 x jammy)

Young        1   (1 cross)

Aluko         2   (1 x fluke, 1 x cross-cum-shot)

 

Maguire      1  (1 sclaff)

Mackie       5  (3 toe pokes)

Miller         6       (4 pens:Won by Mackie x2, Miller & McDonald)

 

Non-strikers      13 goals

Strikers            12 goals

 

 

......I'm sure is what you meant to put up 

 

Mulgrew and MacDonald looking like good additions in terms of goals as well as general contribution. MacDonald is now looking like the replacement for Barry Nic we have been hoping he was.

Whoops!

 

Just lacking the ability to tackle. He looks pretty hopeless at that but has scored some really good goals and continues to make the kind of runs that Nicholson made.

Whoops!

 

Just lacking the ability to tackle. He looks pretty hopeless at that but has scored some really good goals and continues to make the kind of runs that Nicholson made.

 

You could be right about the tackling but as a progressive midfielder he is looking more the part and is a good compliment for Aluko pushing forward. As someone else said, I just hope we have the confidence to play that settled set up over January. Particularly against Hearts as they will come up to defend and hit us on the break. We will need forward thinking midfielders to break them down.

It seems that our mid field IS actually gelling.  Why it takes half a seson to do that mystifies me though.  Anyway, with the fixtures we have comng up jambos, tims and filth next month, we can ONLY keep a settled formation.  If we attack the filth like we have done in spells this season we will especially tear the hun a new arsehole.  I believe they are a worse team than the league actually shows. This is the time to build on confidence and take ourselves up that league.  I dont think two wins and against these three is imopssible.

It seems that our mid field IS actually gelling.  Why it takes half a seson to do that mystifies me though.  Anyway, with the fixtures we have comng up jambos, tims and filth next month, we can ONLY keep a settled formation.  If we attack the filth like we have done in spells this season we will especially tear the hun a new arsehole.  I believe they are a worse team than the league actually shows. This is the time to build on confidence and take ourselves up that league.  I dont think two wins and against these three is imopssible.

The reason given was how nervous Kerr and McDonald seemed when they realised how big a club we are. Now they've settled in they're both steadily becoming stand outs. Hard to argue with that?

After 27/12/08

Defence 6

Midfield  7

Strikers 13

 

 

Considine    1  (bla bla)

Diamond    1  (bla bla bla)

Mulgrew    4 (bladdy bla bla)

 

MacDonald  4  (bladdy bladdy bla)

Young        1  (bla)

Aluko        2  (bla bla bladdy bla)

 

Maguire      1  (bla bla)

Mackie      5  (bladdy-fucking-bla)

Miller        7      (4 pens)

 

Non-strikers      13 goals

Strikers            13 goals

 

Its level pegging going into the NY with the strikers nearing the half way point in JC's nostradamus-esque predictions. Only flaw is so are the rest of the team 

After 27/12/08

Defence 6

Midfield  7

Strikers 13

 

 

Considine    1  (bla bla)

Diamond     1  (bla bla bla)

Mulgrew     4 (bladdy bla bla)

 

MacDonald  4   (bladdy bladdy bla)

Young        1   (bla)

Aluko         2   (bla bla bladdy bla)

 

Maguire      1  (bla bla)

Mackie       5  (bladdy-fucking-bla)

Miller         7       (4 pens)

 

Non-strikers      13 goals

Strikers            13 goals

 

Its level pegging going into the NY with the strikers nearing the half way point in JC's nostradamus-esque predictions. Only flaw is so are the rest of the team 

Thats a positive, surely?

Thats a positive, surely?

 

If the number was 22 then I couldn't agree more..........it's 13!...that's THIRTEEN

If the number was 22 then I couldn't agree more..........it's 13!...that's THIRTEEN

 

But 13 is near enough halfway isn't it?

If the number was 22 then I couldn't agree more..........it's 13!...that's THIRTEEN

Aye but most other seasons the rest of the team wouldn't be as close.

But 13 is near enough halfway isn't it?

 

Please don't tell me you think we are doing well here ? We are around 43% towards a tally that was a very poor target to start with and we are pretty much 50% of the way through the season unless we have a cup run......oh and did I metion that 4 of them were penalties 

Please don't tell me you think we are doing well here ? We are around 43% towards a tally that was a very poor target to start with and we are pretty much 50% of the way through the season unless we have a cup run......oh and did I metion that 4 of them were penalties 

 

We are doing well NOW. Our desperate start has fucked us.