http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article4895562.ece

 

From The Times

October 7, 2008

Crunch time for Jimmy Calderwood as Aberdeen plumb the depths

Graham Spiers

 

At some point over the next few weeks, unless there is a sudden and remarkable transformation in Aberdeen’s fortunes, three key figures at Pittodrie will gather rather nervously around a table - perhaps even a dinner table – to discuss the vexed issue of whether to sack their manager.

 

Willie Miller, Aberdeen’s director of football, will lead the debate, along with Stewart Milne, the chairman, and Duncan Fraser, the managing director, and their business will be the fate of Jimmy Calderwood. The manager, amid all his success, has never fully shaken off a capacity for occasional calamity at Pittodrie, and right now he is mired in his worst one of the lot.

 

Aberdeen, humiliatingly, find themselves bottom of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League for the first time in eight years. The club have taken just seven points from their opening eight league matches and were ignominiously bundled out of the CIS Insurance Cup two weeks ago by Kilmarnock. The 2-1 home loss against Hibernian on Saturday meant that Calderwood’s team had lost five straight games in a row, the latest before a paltry crowd of 10,793. It won’t be allowed to go on.

 

While supporters are restless, former players-turned-pundits such as Joe Harper are starting to snipe from the sidelines. Speaking to Calderwood yesterday, it was impossible not to utter the words “the sack†in conversation with him, and they elicited the following response.

 

“That would amaze me,†Calderwood said at the suggestion that his dismissal might be in the pipeline. “I’m not stupid, I know that things like this situation can’t go on for long.

 

“But I know the people at this club, they’re good people, and they know my track record in football. Me and Jimmy [Nicholl, the assistant manager] have done pretty well since we’ve been at Aberdeen and I think we can probably be regarded as among the most consistent managers there have been in Scottish football over the past eight years, in terms of cup finals, semi-finals and top-six finishes.

 

“The sack is not something I’ve ever had to face – I’ve always been able to make my own choices in football. But I’m not complacent, I know there is a big job to get done here.

 

“And while I feel I’ve done well, some bad results have hurt me and the club. Losing to Queen of the South last season in the Scottish Cup semi-final was a bad one. And before that we’d done things like lose to Queen’s Park in the League Cup. So there have been sore ones.â€

 

By general consent Calderwood has restored Aberdeen from their gruesome, breast-beating days of the 1990s, when crisis was almost permanently on tap around Pittodrie. On top of that, it is just eight months since fans were savouring a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich at home in the Uefa Cup. The bunting that was out that night around the city couldn’t have been greater had Charlie Chaplin been back in town.

 

Yet football lives for the moment, and patience is now wearing thin. Calderwood is taking a savaging on supporters websites, and the town’s local paper has been plastered with disparaging comments from fans about the team and its “inept†manager. As Calderwood admitted yesterday, he has a battle on his hands.

 

“The way our luck has been going, I just knew that St Mirren were going to beat Rangers on Sunday and shove us to the bottom of the league,†he said. “It’s not a nice feeling, and it’s not somethng I’m familiar with. This is a new experience for me, but I’m telling you, we’ll get out of this situation, don’t worry about it.

 

“The daft thing is, I know the team can play well. We actually played okay on Saturday, and we played well against Rangers at Pittodrie [a 1-1 draw in August], and did well, too, against Celtic when we lost 3-2 at Parkhead . So we know we can do it, but it’s a question of cutting out the individual errors that have cost us dear in most of these games.

 

“As for the fans, one problem we have is that some of them still think we should be up there with the giants. Now I’m not accepting the current situation for a moment, but I just feel we need to be realistic. I’ve said it a few times now that when you look at the players that have had to leave the club recently – like Russell Anderson, Barry Nicholson, Chris Clark and Kevin McNaughton – then these have been hard guys to replace. And it’s not as if Aberdeen have a divine right to be up there challenging all the time, even though that remains our goal every season.

 

“This is a fabulous club, and the people that are running it know that me and Jimmy have done fairly well here. So I’ve no fears about that. But of course we have to improve, there’s no getting away from that. If we don’t improve, then the crowds will dwindle, and that won’t help anyone.â€

 

It has been claimed, perhaps a touch theatrically, that Calderwood is “a dead man walkingâ€. Well, every manager bites the dust eventually, though Calderwood and his players will need to get a result against Falkirk in their next league game on Saturday week if a full-blown lynch mob is not to be unleashed. The club’s directors, meanwhile, are getting queasy.

Not since Jimmy arrived they haven't.

 

And they're following the lead of Dons fans (belatedly) here, not leading/creating an upsurge in anti-Jimmy feeling.

 

What we have to be careful of though is that the press dont whip up anti JC feeling wen its not there.  I agree that there is a growing element of anti-JC feeling, but its the scale of it that we have to gaurd against.  If we use the same mathematics that the hacks use for celtic in thier away european games, then all the poulation in Aberdeen, Inverness, Orkney and Shetland with a bit of Norway as well want JC to go.

Fair enough Bobby, but what choice does he have?  He doesnt drop any of the backline just now because he knows his only options are to replace them with the likes of Duff

 

With the exception of Diamond he signed them, if he has a lack of alternatives or consistency at the back, he has to be pretty culpable for that. He needs a centre half. He cannot be expected to sign someone who will adequately replace Anderson, it would be daft to expect that, but expecting SOMEONE to come in or at least stick with 2 recognised, first choice centre backs is the very least that should happen.

Fair enough Bobby, but what choice does he have?  He doesnt drop any of the backline just now because he knows his only options are to replace them with the likes of Duff-who hasnt had a start for a while now, which makes me think that Calderwood KNOWS hes not up to standard, and to put Severin and Foster back, which have been discussed before.

 

I think Calderwood KNOWS his best backline, is trying to stick to it (for a change) and is hoping that these stupid bloody mistakes stop.  After all, why else is he frantically trying to get Mulgrew's red card rescinded?

 

Then why sign him?  He can't moan about these things if he's brought it on himself. I can understand what you're saying, but nearly every excuse or reason comes back to his poor signings or poor tactics.

 

And sad to say, but Mulgrew is the most likely source of goals for us at the moment, be that through him directly or through him setting them up.

With regards Duff, I think he bought him to beef up the squad.  I think Calderwood realised that having as small a squad as he had last season was counter productive, so to solve that, he has his preferred starting 11 and a bunch of squad players to fill in gaps, say for a half in a game, or one game until an injury clears up.

With regards Duff, I think he bought him to beef up the squad.  I think Calderwood realised that having as small a squad as he had last season was counter productive, so to solve that, he has his preferred starting 11 and a bunch of squad players to fill in gaps, say for a half in a game, or one game until an injury clears up.

 

I was led to believe that Duff had played well when in midfield.

So surely then that is why calderwood is such a fan of "versatile" players. It doesnt really matter if he's diego fucking maradonna.  He's there to plug a hole in the team for a short time and we are paying peanuts for him.

It does matter if he's just there to fill a jersey, much like an alarming number of Calderwood's signings.

 

That said, they were probably all earning next to fuck all.

It does matter if he's just there to fill a jersey, much like an alarming number of Calderwood's signings.

 

That said, they were probably all earning next to fuck all.

 

What we have to be careful of though is that the press dont whip up anti JC feeling wen its not there.  I agree that there is a growing element of anti-JC feeling, but its the scale of it that we have to gaurd against.  If we use the same mathematics that the hacks use for celtic in thier away european games, then all the poulation in Aberdeen, Inverness, Orkney and Shetland with a bit of Norway as well want JC to go.

Very fair points CS.

 

Not being in Aberdeen, I can't gauge the overall feeling. However it is strange to see this site so heavily in favour of jimmy, while the Hat is so heavily against him. It's clear there is a big divide still among the fans.

 

To be fair to the press though, they are pnly saying that opinion is starting to turn against Jimmy, they're not reporting that the fans want him out, even though many do. I would say their coverage is still giving him quite a lot of benefit.

Very fair points CS.

 

Not being in Aberdeen, I can't gauge the overall feeling. However it is strange to see this site so heavily in favour of jimmy, while the Hat is so heavily against him. It's clear there is a big divide still among the fans.

 

To be fair to the press though, they are pnly saying that opinion is starting to turn against Jimmy, they're not reporting that the fans want him out, even though many do. I would say their coverage is still giving him quite a lot of benefit.

 

I dunno fatshaft, we've had that Sporting Life article and one earlier, ridiculously over dramatically entitled "Dead Man Walking", in the former the "journalist" is advocating Calderwood getting fired, the latter implied he was near enough away already.

I dont trust the hacks as far as I can throw them.  We will not win from this.

 

Scenario 1: Calderwood gets sack.  press content will include drivel such as "over expectant Dons fans hound manager out".  "Fans never liked Weegie boss", "Dons fire most succesful manager since Fergie"

 

Scenario 2: Calderwood remains until end of season or longer.  Press excrete "dons warned at start of season that poor form has dire consequences".  "continuing emarassment for Dons as relegated/knocked out of cup."  "Calderwood fails to manage top six place".

 

They will find a stick to beat Calderwood regardless of what happens.

I dont trust the hacks as far as I can throw them.  We will not win from this.

 

Scenario 1: Calderwood gets sack.  press content will include drivel such as "over expectant Dons fans hound manager out".  "Fans never liked Weegie boss", "Dons fire most succesful manager since Fergie"

 

Scenario 2: Calderwood remains until end of season or longer.  Press excrete "dons warned at start of season that poor form has dire consequences".  "continuing emarassment for Dons as relegated/knocked out of cup."  "Calderwood fails to manage top six place".

 

They will find a stick to beat Calderwood regardless of what happens.

 

Or perhaps just not read the papers?

 

Who gives a fuck what the tabloid press thinks or writes? I don't. I never read them, so it doesn't effect me. If other people want to read them and allow it to sway their mind, then that's their problem.

But if it affects YOUR team negatively, then it becomes YOUR problem as well?

 

I dont buy tabloids, I dont trust what they say but i keep an eye on what they are printing, better to be informed than ignorant?

I don't subscribe to this "if you don't read them you are ignorant". Quite the opposite in fact.

 

That said, we have to accept that the majority will read this pish regularly and a lot of them will have their opinions affected by it.

What we have to be careful of though is that the press dont whip up anti JC feeling wen its not there.  I agree that there is a growing element of anti-JC feeling, but its the scale of it that we have to gaurd against.[b/]

 

Exactly, TF as other have said, we are only a few games into the season and crap like "dead man walking" trots out.

 

Why is Levein or  Paataleinen not subjected to this level of negativity?  Both these mangers have had shocking runs.

I think JC should probably go sooner rather than later.

This isn't based on 8 games this season but on the frankly shocking league and cup semi-final performances last year.  

 

I have no doubt that "things will pick up", they can't fail to given the shite in the league.  I however can't say that I'm looking forward to another season(s) of random selections, bizarre tactics, shocking substitutions, inane ramblings and manufactured excitement when we sneak into the top six.

 

I don't trust JC.  I don't believe he really knows what he is doing on too many occasions. If he stays (he of course will, he won't be sacked unless we are still bottom at xmas and he will never walk away) I expect us to finish top 6 but have a long frustrating season in front of smaller and smaller crowds with yet again little to show for our season other than "top6"

Exactly, TF as other have said, we are only a few games into the season and crap like "dead man walking" trots out.

 

Why is Levein or  Paataleinen not subjected to this level of negativity?  Both these mangers have had shocking runs.

The press and some hibs fans were after Mixu even before the season started

Exactly, TF as other have said, we are only a few games into the season and crap like "dead man walking" trots out.

 

Why is Levein or  Paataleinen not subjected to this level of negativity?  Both these mangers have had shocking runs.

 

The classic example being that of John Collins who near as damn it didn't win a fucking game after he won the League Cup with Hibs but that kind of run didn't generate this kind of speculation in the press about his job. The players had to do that for them.  

But if it affects YOUR team negatively, then it becomes YOUR problem as well?

 

I dont buy tabloids, I dont trust what they say but i keep an eye on what they are printing, better to be informed than ignorant?

 

How is it ignorant if they're "informing" us of lies?

 

I'll make my own mind up on MY club, thanks.

 

Why is Levein or  Paataleinen not subjected to this level of negativity?  Both these mangers have had shocking runs.

 

Because it's not as newsworthy as it is when it's Aberdeen.  You can continue to peddle this "weegie press" stuff all you like, the fact is we're a bigger club than those two and therefore more newsworthy. We're the only club outside the OF never to have been relegated.  And I hate to say it, but you can say we're unfairly subjected to this level of negativity, but the fact remains, we're bottom of the league. Not many teams get a positive press when they're down there.

 

Because it's not as newsworthy as it is when it's Aberdeen.  You can continue to peddle this "weegie press" stuff all you like, the fact is we're a bigger club than those two and therefore more newsworthy.

Beat me to it BB. The weegie press like to sneer at Aberdeen, I've no doubt about that, and rake through the muck when things are going badly, but it's a back handed compliment in many ways. The reason they do so is that they understand subconsciously that Aberdeen are and always have been the #3 team, so it is always a bigger story when it happens to us.

You have to allow for the fact that the amount of fans who frequent forums is actually a small percentage too.

Of course, but that doesn't mean that a small sample can't be representative.

Of course, but that doesn't mean that a small sample can't be representative.

 

Using kkk-chat as an example, the opposite is most definitely true. I at least hope that's the case.

Beat me to it BB. The weegie press like to sneer at Aberdeen, I've no doubt about that, and rake through the muck when things are going badly, but it's a back handed compliment in many ways. The reason they do so is that they understand subconsciously that Aberdeen are and always have been the #3 team, so it is always a bigger story when it happens to us.

 

A fair point.  I hadnt thought of that aspect.

 

All im saying is that I would rather know what rubbish was being spouted about my team from whichever paper, and because of that, like you say BB, some mugs who read this crap take it as gospel and demand change from that.  All Im doing is being  generally informed.  Im not saying the published articles are informin me of anything.   The recent articles we are discussing are appropriate examples.

 

 

A fair point.  I hadnt thought of that aspect.

 

All im saying is that I would rather know what rubbish was being spouted about my team from whichever paper, and because of that, like you say BB, some mugs who read this crap take it as gospel and demand change from that.  All Im doing is being  generally informed.  Im not saying the published articles are informin me of anything.  The recent articles we are discussing are appropriate examples.

 

 

 

Totally appreciate that, CS. Used to do it myself, just found it drove me up the wall!

 

The article from Michael Grant (the See You Jimmy one, where it said he was a dead man walking) I read in the paper at the time, and it was an opinion piece and I think should be taken as such.  However, I did have the misfortune of reading Keevins' "article" on JC and that was awful, and reminded me of why i stopped reading guff like that.

Out of that whole piece earlier, I think the end part speaks volumes:

 

Of course the grass is not always greener and it's highly debatable whether the Dons can afford a better management team but maybe they've taken Aberdeen as far as they can, or possibly as far as the club can go.

 

Unless you're a miracle worker then you’re not going to take the team any further than the very occasional semi, final or trip into Europe.  Look at any other team in the league other than the OF and you’ll see they’ve all roughly had the same amount of half-arsed success as us.  Sure a few of them have lifted one piece of silverware over the years of the SPL, but where are they the season after?  You can of course argue that we’ve not had a final or any silverware but we’ve been a lot further in Europe than most and ask anyone about the 4-0 tanking of Copenhagen or the 2-2 draw with Bayern and I’m sure they’ll admit it was better than any trip to Hampden to see Robbie Winters pull on the goalie gloves.

 

The problem is nobody is building a team or has built a team to slot nicely into 3rd spot each season behind the OF to then mount a serious challenge against them.  Look at Motherwell for instance who were flying last season.  Dumped out of Europe already and playing mediocre pish with only 3 points more than us who apparently all running round pushing the panic button asking for the manager’s head on a silver tea tray.  If Dingus was in charge of us lot at this moment in time, would we be happy about that position after finishing 3rd?