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.

Calderwood has lost one of, if not the best player at the club every season, this season he's down at least 2 of his best players from the start of last.

 

You can't be expected to mount a challenge consistently when after 3 or four years you have to rebuild the team. If money was invested in the team there is every chance we would be far more consistent.

 

The problem is, if we are successful, other teams will want our players, teams who can pay a shitload more and the club and Calderwood just can't compete with that. I reckon that will apply to pretty much everyone around us too so getting into 3rd and then pushing on from there is far more difficult than it would otherwise appear.

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

 

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?

 

 

Ok then, we'll just stick with JC forever then? And accept mediocrity forever as well?

 

MAYBE it is as far the club can go, but what the fuck is wrong with testing that out and actually trying to better ourselves?

Ok then, we'll just stick with JC forever then? And accept mediocrity forever as well?

 

MAYBE it is as far the club can go, but what the fuck is wrong with testing that out and actually trying to better ourselves?

 

Seems to me like sacking calderwood just now and bringing someone else in puts us back to square one, as it stands we made quite alot of money last year, which has allowed us to start spending again which in turn allows us to keep on building. No one is saying we should accept mediocracy but any major improvement will be gradual.

 

The performances are picking up, so the enxt thing to click into place is the results, as long as they start coming soon then theres relaly no need to panic (yet)

Stick with JC forever?

 

It may be a bitter pill to swallow but mediocrity is here to stay for some time, it's been around already for a long time, just we've had a more tolerable version of mediocrity of late.

 

Calderwood may not bring brilliance to Pittodrie, frankly I doubt if anyone could but he has brought a tolerable form of mediocrity.

 

 

Seems to me like sacking calderwood just now and bringing someone else in puts us back to square one, as it stands we made quite alot of money last year, which has allowed us to start spending again which in turn allows us to keep on building. No one is saying we should accept mediocracy but any major improvement will be gradual.

 

The performances are picking up, so the enxt thing to click into place is the results, as long as they start coming soon then theres relaly no need to panic (yet)

 

Already said that i'm willing to give him a bit of time, but the realist/pessimist in me believes that we're only one block away from being back at square one already, a huge reason for that is the money he's spent in the transfer market/wages.  The standard of player at Pittodrie is piss poor.

Already said that i'm willing to give him a bit of time, but the realist/pessimist in me believes that we're only one block away from being back at square one already, a huge reason for that is the money he's spent in the transfer market/wages.  The standard of player at Pittodrie is piss poor.

 

I'd say the standard of our 1st 11 is pretty stong just now

I'd say the standard of our 1st 11 is pretty stong just now

 

what's our first XI then?

Ok then, we'll just stick with JC forever then? And accept mediocrity forever as well?

 

MAYBE it is as far the club can go, but what the fuck is wrong with testing that out and actually trying to better ourselves?

Stick with JC forever?

 

It may be a bitter pill to swallow but mediocrity is here to stay for some time, it's been around already for a long time, just we've had a more tolerable version of mediocrity of late.

 

Calderwood may not bring brilliance to Pittodrie, frankly I doubt if anyone could but he has brought a tolerable form of mediocrity.

 

 

 

That's the thing.

Are we to accept that this is as good as it will get?

Is it wrong, or "unrealistic" to hope, expect, that the club can do better?

Surely we are bigger and better than most clubs in the SPL.  Should our expectations not be above the same "half-arsed success" that the rest have had?

 

Should we not be aiming to be getting into europe most seasons?

Should we not be aiming for cup finals and cup wins?

Should we not, at the very least, expect a manager to replace our main (only) centre back after 18months?

Should we not expect some ambition from the club?

 

Perhaps a change won't work. Perhaps it will.

The unremitting mediocrity of our league performances over the last 18months is surely not hard to better.

Ok then, we'll just stick with JC forever then? And accept mediocrity forever as well?

 

MAYBE it is as far the club can go, but what the fuck is wrong with testing that out and actually trying to better ourselves?

 

Which fuckwit said anything of the sort coz it certainly wasn't me?

 

I was merely highlighting the fact that the league is fucking bollocks and anyone with half an ounce of grit and determination could rise to that challenge.

 

Full marks for our board (yeah that's right, I'm praising the fuckers) for cutting costs a lot sooner than the rest of the league.  We copped a lot of stick regarding league positions and toasters to get some sort of wage structure and cost cutting strategy underway.  But they've done fuck all to capitalise on that and we're still having to suffer for it.

 

Now before the chants of "we've got no money" starts up, I'll explain that I don't think it would have taken much to build on our 3rd place finish and last 32 in Europe.

 

It was rumoured that it would only have cost a few hundred quid to keep Hart at the club.  We let him go along with Clark just before the Semi with QoTS.

 

We take in our highest lump sum in years for our team captain and still haven't spent anything to replace him.

 

We rake in TV money and gate receipts for all our European exploits and can't wave a few quid to keep a team together.

 

Had we established ourselves as 3rd place regulars then and there, then we could have been taking a slice (albeit a small one) out of that debt each season.  Which is going nowhere fast even after all the cost cutting, wage structuring and shocking football we've had to endure.

 

The board and club are yet again treading water and I'm convinced they're pinning their hopes on building a decent youth set up to sell our way out of this mess.

 

Which means more years of this yo-yo league shite.

Which fuckwit said anything of the sort coz it certainly wasn't me?

 

 

Dry your eyes, petal.

 

 

I was merely highlighting the fact that the league is fucking bollocks and anyone with half an ounce of grit and determination could rise to that challenge.

 

Full marks for our board (yeah that's right, I'm praising the fuckers) for cutting costs a lot sooner than the rest of the league.  We copped a lot of stick regarding league positions and toasters to get some sort of wage structure and cost cutting strategy underway.  But they've done fuck all to capitalise on that and we're still having to suffer for it.

 

Now before the chants of "we've got no money" starts up, I'll explain that I don't think it would have taken much to build on our 3rd place finish and last 32 in Europe.

 

It was rumoured that it would only have cost a few hundred quid to keep Hart at the club.  We let him go along with Clark just before the Semi with QoTS.

 

We take in our highest lump sum in years for our team captain and still haven't spent anything to replace him.

 

We rake in TV money and gate receipts for all our European exploits and can't wave a few quid to keep a team together.

 

Had we established ourselves as 3rd place regulars then and there, then we could have been taking a slice (albeit a small one) out of that debt each season.  Which is going nowhere fast even after all the cost cutting, wage structuring and shocking football we've had to endure.

 

The board and club are yet again treading water and I'm convinced they're pinning their hopes on building a decent youth set up to sell our way out of this mess.

 

Which means more years of this yo-yo league shite.

 

All very, very fair points. Would you trust the manager to spend any available money adequately though?

Which fuckwit said anything of the sort coz it certainly wasn't me?

 

I was merely highlighting the fact that the league is fucking bollocks and anyone with half an ounce of grit and determination could rise to that challenge.

 

Full marks for our board (yeah that's right, I'm praising the fuckers) for cutting costs a lot sooner than the rest of the league.  We copped a lot of stick regarding league positions and toasters to get some sort of wage structure and cost cutting strategy underway.  But they've done fuck all to capitalise on that and we're still having to suffer for it.

 

Now before the chants of "we've got no money" starts up, I'll explain that I don't think it would have taken much to build on our 3rd place finish and last 32 in Europe.

 

It was rumoured that it would only have cost a few hundred quid to keep Hart at the club.  We let him go along with Clark just before the Semi with QoTS.

 

We take in our highest lump sum in years for our team captain and still haven't spent anything to replace him.

 

We rake in TV money and gate receipts for all our European exploits and can't wave a few quid to keep a team together.

 

Had we established ourselves as 3rd place regulars then and there, then we could have been taking a slice (albeit a small one) out of that debt each season.  Which is going nowhere fast even after all the cost cutting, wage structuring and shocking football we've had to endure.

 

The board and club are yet again treading water and I'm convinced they're pinning their hopes on building a decent youth set up to sell our way out of this mess.

 

Which means more years of this yo-yo league shite.

 

It's hard to argue with any of that.

 

However I feel that even given the meagre resources JC has been given (and in the main they are more substantial than most) he should have done better than he has.  Any team can blow one cup semi final. To lose 2 so spectacularly and seemingly learn nothing is an indictment on his ability.  To continuously fuck about with the team, as he did last year and this, seemingly clueless as to it's best composition, is equally not good enough.

 

To still not to have replaced Anderson and play imposters like Bossu in our most important game of the season to date is down right negligent.

 

None of this is the boards fault.

 

Bossu was bad, but to single him out would be very wide of the mark.

 

Zander?

 

JC has been given fuck all like what has been needed to "replace" players. Folk always wanting Ferrari fitba on Ford money.

JC has been given fuck all like what has been needed to "replace" players. Folk always wanting Ferrari fitba on Ford money.

 

So why are we getting "Lada" players?

So why are we getting "Lada" players?

 

Are we? The last 2 seasons would suggest otherwise.

All very, very fair points. Would you trust the manager to spend any available money adequately though?

 

Yeah I would actually.

 

I feel a lot of his signings wouldn't have been made if he wasn't forced to beef the squad up with numbers.  The Mixu Bros et al were brought in with the scraps of what was left in the kitty and never saw the light of day as a 'break glass in case of emergency' contingency.

 

He built the squad that got us 3rd place, cup semis and the last 32 in Europe and if the team wasn't continually having to start from fresh each season then I'm sure he could press on from that.

 

We all laugh and joke about multi-millionaire chairmen who go out and buy the top players without consulting their managers first, like they’re playing a real life version of football manager.  But we’re at the other end of the scale where our manager is trying to build a squad, manages to take us to a point where we have a chance to better ourselves (chance of a final or build on a 3rd place finish) and is told some of his key players are on their way and he has peanuts to spend to replace them.

 

It’s mission impossible and if he wasn’t such a stubborn, headstrong, determined character then I’d wager he’d have walked by now.

 

Are we? The last 2 seasons would suggest otherwise.

 

The current squad would suggest we won't be repeating the "success" of the last two seasons.

what's our first XI then?

 

This week or last week? 

 

I would go for

 

Langfield

 

Mulgrew (still not conviced hes a defender)

Diamond

???

???

 

Aluko

Kerr

Mcdonald

???

 

Miller

???

The current squad would suggest we won't be repeating the "success" of the last two seasons.

 

The previous squads have done the same.

The previous squads have done the same.

 

Maybe, that doesn't mean this one will go on to achieve what they did though.

Maybe, that doesn't mean this one will go on to achieve what they did though.

 

Doesn't mean it won't.

Doesn't mean it won't.

 

Absolutely. But in my opinion, we're going to struggle with that group of players. Hope I'm wrong though.

Absolutely. But in my opinion, we're going to struggle with that group of players. Hope I'm wrong though.

 

So do I. I stand by what I said after the Hibs game, I thought they played some really decent fitba, better than the majority of last season. We will play an awful lot worse and win, we already have in fact.

 

The defence continues to kill us though and I still believe if anything is going to give Calderwood gip, it's that.

Which fuckwit said anything of the sort coz it certainly wasn't me?

 

I was merely highlighting the fact that the league is fucking bollocks and anyone with half an ounce of grit and determination could rise to that challenge.

 

Full marks for our board (yeah that's right, I'm praising the fuckers) for cutting costs a lot sooner than the rest of the league.  We copped a lot of stick regarding league positions and toasters to get some sort of wage structure and cost cutting strategy underway.  But they've done fuck all to capitalise on that and we're still having to suffer for it.

 

Now before the chants of "we've got no money" starts up, I'll explain that I don't think it would have taken much to build on our 3rd place finish and last 32 in Europe.

 

It was rumoured that it would only have cost a few hundred quid to keep Hart at the club.  We let him go along with Clark just before the Semi with QoTS.

 

We take in our highest lump sum in years for our team captain and still haven't spent anything to replace him.

 

We rake in TV money and gate receipts for all our European exploits and can't wave a few quid to keep a team together.

 

Had we established ourselves as 3rd place regulars then and there, then we could have been taking a slice (albeit a small one) out of that debt each season.  Which is going nowhere fast even after all the cost cutting, wage structuring and shocking football we've had to endure.

 

The board and club are yet again treading water and I'm convinced they're pinning their hopes on building a decent youth set up to sell our way out of this mess.

 

Which means more years of this yo-yo league shite.

 

100% correct, which is why Miller and Milne need to go and we need a board in who will support JC and the club with the reources they need. Until that day, we are going to struggle and maybe have a flash in the pan season every once in a while.

100% correct, which is why Miller and Milne need to go and we need a board in who will support JC and the club with the reources they need. Until that day, we are going to struggle and maybe have a flash in the pan season every once in a while.

 

I really don't get the Miller bashing? 

 

We were shit, he was asking questions of the club, they employed him, he came in, got rid of Paterson, took in JC and we've been arguably a lot better since.

 

Yet folk still piss, moan and ask what he's doing.  Perhaps he's not the missing part of the puzzle but he's definitely one of the key pieces if you ask me.

 

I really don't get the Miller bashing?

I really don't get the Miller bashing?   

 

We were shit, he was asking questions of the club, they employed him, he came in, got rid of Paterson, took in JC and we've been arguably a lot better since.

 

Yet folk still piss, moan and ask what he's doing.  Perhaps he's not the missing part of the puzzle but he's definitely one of the key pieces if you ask me.

 

I really don't get the Miller bashing?

 

+1 from me on every syllable of the above.