Jimmy in warning to Reds reserves

 

Published: 16/09/2008

 

DONS boss Jimmy Calderwood today challenged his first team fringe men to prove they are ready to be recalled to face Dundee United.

 

Calderwood is considering changes for Saturday’s SPL clash with United at Pittodrie in the wake of their 2-1 SPL defeat by Hamilton Accies.

 

The extent of those changes will be dictated by how well some of the players waiting to come back in – Zander Diamond, Tommy Wright, Chris Maguire, Lee Mair and Stuart Duff – perform in today’s Reserve League clash with Rangers at Brechin.

 

Calderwood said: “The reserve game will have a bearing on what happens.

 

“Zander, Tommy and a few others should be champing at the bit hoping to force their way back into my plans for Saturday.

 

“If they do something special in the reserve game it would strengthen their hand.

 

“But if the performances are as poor as some of the ones I saw when we fielded a pretty strong reserve side at Fraserburgh then that will be a different matter.

 

“Stuart Duff’s display up there particularly upset me, which was why he wasn’t even stripped for the Hamilton game.

 

“It was annoying because he was starting to force his way forward and would probably have been involved.

 

“I spoke to Stuart about it. I’m hoping to see a reaction from him today, but he isn’t the only one I will be watching closely.

 

“I have 22 fit players battling it out for 11 starting places and I don’t really care who they go to.

 

“I know how we will play against United.

 

“Who plays will be decided after I’ve seen the 90 minutes at Brechin.â€

 

Wright hasn't started a game for the Dons since making his £75,000 switch from Darlington.

 

When I asked if the Red Army are ever going to see that change, Calderwood replied: “Of course they will.

 

“Tommy wasn’t fit to start games when he first came but he has been working hard and is close to being back at his peak. It’s a matter of deciding the best time to throw him in.â€

 

In an interview with the Evening Express the day after joining the Dons, the Englishman revealed he had already pencilled in the date of their league clash with the Tannadice club.

 

That’s because Wright would love to put one over United boss Craig Levein, who he claims never gave him a chance to play when they were at Leicester.

 

When I mentioned that to Calderwood, he smiled and said: “I’m aware of that but that won’t be what convinces me to play Tommy at the weekend.

 

“It’s what he does in the game today and in training through the rest of the week that will make my mind up.â€

 

Right, time to stick Wright in from the start.

I only saw the second half and I thought he, like EVERYONE else from midfield forward, were a total disgrace.

F?rst half he was def?n?tely the b?ggest threat for us. But second half h?s pass?ng was a b?t off.

Did not go today just watched it in the pub and after yet another gutless clueless display I do not think I will be back to watch another game until manager either leaves or sorts out the way the team are playing. Crap from back to front. Only Seve and Zander getting pass marks. Just goes to show how low we have gone when one of players is praised for having a good game because he was not as shit as he usually is but still shit all the same. New siginings were awful today with Wright looking every bit the 4th division cart horse I feared he would be and even Mulgrew looking like he is getting dragged down to the level of the rest of our pish after a promising start. Not happy.

Your opinions on Maguire dont count, you're to biased  

 

Admittedly I'm a proponent of Maguire, and know why you think I'm too biased 

 

Northfield Quine phoned me after I'd been at the ICT game, and I clearly recall saying that Maguire played shite. Today I thought he was one of our better players.

 

 

If people are thinking Maguire had a good game today you need your heads checked and i'd hate to see him have a bad game if today was a good one, he really is awful, runs and looks like a girl aswell as tackles like one, he has no positonal awarness or no upper body strength which is no good if you are playing against a very tough United team.

If people are thinking Maguire had a good game today you need your heads checked and i'd hate to see him have a bad game if today was a good one, he really is awful, runs and looks like a girl aswell as tackles like one, he has no positonal awarness or no upper body strength which is no good if you are playing against a very tough United team.

 

Abit like me being biased towards Maguire, it is well know how much you dislike him minijc

Abit like me being biased towards Maguire, it is well know how much you dislike him minijc

F?rst half he was good. Second half, l?ke everyone he turned to sh?t.

F?rst half he was good. Second half, l?ke everyone he turned to sh?t.

 

Agree he did really well in the first half, however despite having 2 or 3 shit moments in the second half he didn't give up and got the ball back a couple of times after that, completed good passes etc.

 

I'd have taken McDonald off for Young rather than Maguire

Agree he did really well in the first half, however despite having 2 or 3 shit moments in the second half he didn't give up and got the ball back a couple of times after that, completed good passes etc.

 

I'd have taken McDonald off for Young rather than Maguire

 

Same here.

Same here.

As soon as Ian Crocker told us that Young was gett?ng str?pped me and my old man turned to each other and sa?d ?t would be Magu?re to come off, the usual sort of obv?ous, yet wrong dec?s?on we've come to expect from J.C.

Have to say I thought Maguire was very poor and surprised he wasn't hooked at half-time, he's not a right winger.

 

Looks like injuries to Wright and Aluko forced two substitutions on JC when he could have been looking to take off perhaps Kerr or McDonald and shove Seve into midfield, and also hook Bebo and Foster, surely the worst right side in Aberdeen's history.

Surely the worst right side in Aberdeen's history.

 

The worst Aberdeen side for five years, definitely.

 

QUICK FACT

 

Aberdeen had lost just four of the past 27 games at Pittodrie – three of them this season.

Pittodrie natives getting restless after another home defeat

despite having all the early pressure the dons again fail to convert effort into points

 

By Paul Third

 

Published: 22/09/2008

 

In football, you must strike while the iron is hot. In other words, when dominating a game, turn your pressure into goals and put the game beyond your opponents.

 

Aberdeen, however, seem incapable of learning this lesson following a second game in a row where they have let a team off the hook and conspired to gift all three points to the opposition.

 

To do so at home is unforgivable in the eyes of the supporters, who are growing tired already of the lack of positive results.

 

This was a game between two teams on edge and both for the same reason. Aberdeen's record of one point from three home games had taken the shine off their maximum points gained away from home in the two matches so far.

 

Dundee United, in comparison, were in an even more precarious position. With only two points from a possible 15, manager Craig Levein badly needed a win to gain some momentum for a side tipped as European challengers by many this season.

 

It showed as United forced some early pressure, but the Dons, still smarting from their loss to Hamilton the previous weekend, responded with a Lee Miller free kick which was deflected into Gary McDonald's path. The midfielder's effort went well over the bar from close range when he really should have hit the target.

 

It was a strong start from the home side, whose crisp passing caused the visitors all sorts of problems, but the early promise failed to come to fruition. The effort was there for all to see but the quality is not – and the onus is now on the manager to find that winning formula.

 

As woeful as the Arabs were in the first half on Saturday, Aberdeen seldom looked like breaching United's defence and that is what Jimmy Calderwood must worry most about.

 

The Dons had more of the ball but the final passes were poor and both Tommy Wright, on his first start for the club, and Lee Miller had little in the way of service.

 

United's inability to find each other meant they invited pressure on themselves, surrendering several free kicks in dangerous positions.

 

Given Charlie Mulgrew first came to prominence during his loan spell at United, it was startling to see him given so many set-piece opportunities and even more incredible to see him squander every one.

 

Five free kicks and three corners were afforded to the left back in the first half. Fortunately for United, his deliveries were poor.

 

The only time a set-piece paid dividends in the first half was from a Mulgrew throw in, which broke to Chris Maguire. The shot, which was saved by visiting keeper Lukasz Zaluska, was the only one on target from either side in the first half.

 

United had to improve in the second half and they did – but they were given a huge helping hand, literally, from Dons striker Wright.

 

With the second period only seconds gone, Francisco Sandaza saw his shot turned round the post by Jamie Langfield and from the resulting corner Wright inexplicably raised his hand to palm the ball away, much to the horror of his team-mates.

 

Referee Calum Murray gave the easiest decision he had to make all day and Sandaza sent Langfield the wrong way from the spot to give United the lead.

 

The Dons almost let in a second as Sandaza let the ball run away from him when clean through on goal before Jon Daly shot wide of the target.

 

Wright tried to atone for his mistake with a shot from the edge of the box which went wide. It was his last contribution to a disappointing first start as he was replaced by Darren Mackie.

 

Jeffrey de Visscher and Derek Young soon followed with substitute appearances as Calderwood sought to restore parity.

 

The home side put United under pressure in the final half hour but the Dons were found wanting and the quality of Mulgrew's deliveries diminished with each opportunity. Aberdeen's 10th corner, all taken by the former Wolves player, was a prime example as the ball into the box failed to beat the first defender.

 

With three home defeats for Aberdeen in four games, the supporters are already delivering their verdict with Saturday's attendance of 11,000 informing the club they are not happy.

 

Calderwood must find a winning formula before the number turning up for home matches decreases further.

Well done to United for getting their first league win in 20 games!!!!! 

 

JMG