Calderwood honoured by Dons milestone

Dons manager set for 200th game

 

By Charlie Allan

 

Published: 26/11/2008

 

DECEMBER 20, 2007: Jamie Smith is all smiles after netting for the Dons in the 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the UEFA Cup.

More Pictures

 

JIMMY Calderwood is “honoured†he is about to take charge of his 200th game as Aberdeen boss.

 

That’s because he feared he had blown his chances of ever being boss at Pittodrie when he gave chairman Stewart Milne an ear bashing months before he came on board in 2004.

 

Milne forgave him and Calderwood has gone on to become the club’s longest serving manager since Alex Ferguson.

 

Calderwood said: “I’m grateful that the chairman doesn’t bear grudges.

 

“I was still the manager of Dunfermline when I ran into him at a function in Manchester.

 

“I gave Stewart a right earful, asking him when he was going to sort out Aberdeen, who I’ve always regarded as a massive club.

 

“When I walked away from him I remember thinking ‘what an idiot.’

 

“I had ambitions to manage one of Scotland’s bigger clubs but feared I had blown any chance of that being at Pittodrie.

 

“The chairman forgave me though, and I hope he is happy with my efforts so far.â€

 

Calderwood admitted his reign so far has contained a mixture of highs and lows.

 

“I’m proud that I’ve taken Aberdeen into Europe and we have finished in the top six of the SPL every season I have been here,†he said.

 

“But those highs have been countered by the two cup semi-final defeats and CIS Cup loss to Queen’s Park.

 

“I also look on the opening eight weeks or so of this season as a real low period.

 

“It was hard to keep my head up when people were doubting if I was still up to the job.

 

“We are coming out of that dark spell now though, and I’m convinced we will go on to enjoy a good season.â€

 

Ferguson was at Pittodrie for eight years and enjoyed the majority of his trophy successes during the second half of his reign.

 

Jimmy laughed when asked if he plans to be around Pittodrie as long.

 

“I reckon the section of Dons fans who have never taken to me would have heart attacks if I ever said that,†he said.

 

“It’s suffice to say I plan to be at Aberdeen as long as they want to keep me here.

 

“I work for good people and have gathered a lot of good people around me.

 

“I’ve signed a three-year contract, and if I see that through, that would take me up to the seven-year mark.

 

“It would be great if I was able to bring some real success back to Pittodrie during that period, although I know I’ve no hope of ever matching what Sir Alex achieved during his time here.â€

 

Calderwood has at least restored respectability to Pittodrie, despite having only a fraction of the cash all of his predecessors since Ferguson had to spend on players.

 

“It’s an honour to have lasted as long as 200 games at a club that has very high ambitions,†he said.

 

“The average job expectancy for football managers in England now is about 14 months.

 

“The pressures on managers to deliver in Scotland are just as intense, but I love my job and thrive on the pressure.

 

“I also know the best of my time at Aberdeen has yet to come.

I think he means people who like to see the team win.

 

Yeah I was wondering that.

We want to see the team win or at least get to a cup final - not just win one off games

 

my point was mearly that if these teams can reach / win cup finals surely with our management team / budget this SHOULD be a piece of piss for us?

 

Do you not want to see us win a trophy?

Do you not want to see us win a trophy?

 

Of course we do.

 

But Ebbe's trophey haul ranks with that of Calderwood.  So why the hard-on over two cup finals where we were embarrassed?  That's no benchmark, that's just one one-off game more than the one-off game you said you're not interested in.

 

I was suicidal over the semi defeat because I knew we were in with a chance of winning the cup.  Neither of the two finals under Ebbe did anyone give us any hope of beating the Huns or Tims as they were fucking us hard in the mouth every other time we played them.

 

I'd fancy our chances against either of them these days.

But Ebbe's trophey haul ranks with that of Calderwood.  So why the hard-on over two cup finals where we were embarrassed?

 

Last time I looked a cup semi final was a one off game.

WE  are the ones with the positive outlook - WE  are the ones that believe we have a team capabable of winning a trophy.

 

YOU are the ones that dont thinks this is posible and that our expectations are too high

 

WE  are the ones with the positive outlook - WE  are the ones that believe we have a team capabable of winning a trophy.

 

YOU are the ones that dont thinks this is posible and that our expectations are too high

 

 

Who has ever said that on here?

 

You're full of shit, son.

Who has ever said that on here?

 

You're full of shit, son.

 

Jimmy said the fans expectations are too high, however you are correct, as JIG'ers think reaching two semi final and getting pumped in them is what makes a great season.

Jimmy said the fans expectations are too high, however you are correct, as JIG'ers think reaching two semi final and getting pumped in them is what makes a great season.

 

No, the European trip made last season a great season.

 

Didn't hear any complaints from you or anyone else for those games.

Jimmy said the fans expectations are too high, however you are correct, as JIG'ers think reaching two semi final and getting pumped in them is what makes a great season.

 

yeah, so he's still talking shit then, isn't he?  We all have ambitions and expectations for the club, but maybe not all of us think that sacking the manager at every juncture is the way to achieve this.  I've moved camps a couple of times with this - after the Tynecastle semi I was all for him going, i don't think i've been as angry after a game, the other semi i was away on holiday and that cushioned the blow for me but still wanted him out.  

At the moment though, you have to accept that we're "stuck" with him but you also have to accept that we're a couple of wins away from putting big pressure on Hearts and United in the race for third. Things will change many times over the course of the season and we'll have a few bad results, but i also know we'll have a couple of cracking results too.

 

I do agree that a cup final appearance (at least) has to come at sompoint, otherwise for a club our size what's the point?  But continually moaning about everything and anything is fucking tiresome at best, and to be honest, simply de-values your opinion cos you put a negative spin on absolutely everything.

Is Stoney really Calum Gilhooley?

 

G for gnome and N for, erm, gnome.

 

yeah, so he's still talking shit then, isn't he?  We all have ambitions and expectations for the club, but maybe not all of us think that sacking the manager at every juncture is the way to achieve this.  I've moved camps a couple of times with this - after the Tynecastle semi I was all for him going, i don't think i've been as angry after a game, the other semi i was away on holiday and that cushioned the blow for me but still wanted him out.  

At the moment though, you have to accept that we're "stuck" with him but you also have to accept that we're a couple of wins away from putting big pressure on Hearts and United in the race for third. Things will change many times over the course of the season and we'll have a few bad results, but i also know we'll have a couple of cracking results too.

 

I do agree that a cup final appearance (at least) has to come at sompoint, otherwise for a club our size what's the point?  But continually moaning about everything and anything is fucking tiresome at best, and to be honest, simply de-values your opinion cos you put a negative spin on absolutely everything.

 

Dear me min! Why are you guys so upset, angry and unhappy that we dont see things the same way you do? Do you want me to be a hypocrite and run around following the crowds consensus and not say what I think? Of course not!

 

If Jimmy's management is so good why are you worried about people not being on the pro-jimmy bandwagon?

 

 

Dear me min! Why are you guys so upset, angry and unhappy that we dont see things the same way you do? Do you want me to be a hypocrite and run around following the crowds consensus and not say what I think? Of course not!

 

If Jimmy's management is so good why are you worried about people not being on the pro-jimmy bandwagon?

 

 

 

To be fair it's more that you're a pair of objectionable wee basturds than what you're saying 

Dear me min! Why are you guys so upset, angry and unhappy that we dont see things the same way you do? Do you want me to be a hypocrite and run around following the crowds consensus and not say what I think? Of course not!

 

If Jimmy's management is so good why are you worried about people not being on the pro-jimmy bandwagon?

 

 

 

Mizer, believe me, you do not have the ability to upset, anger or make me unhappy.

 

And why on earth would i be worried about you not being on the pro-Jimmy bandwagon?  I certainly wouldn't call myself "Pro-Jimmy", more just pro-Aberdeen, and while we're in the position to make a good charge for third and the Scottish Cup hasn't started yet, I won't be getting my knickers in a twist about it, if that's alright with you?

To be fair it's more that you're a pair of objectionable wee basturds than what you're saying 

 

See I like that, straight and to the point 

 

 

Mizer, believe me, you do not have the ability to upset, anger or make me unhappy.

 

And why on earth would i be worried about you not being on the pro-Jimmy bandwagon?  I certainly wouldn't call myself "Pro-Jimmy", more just pro-Aberdeen, and while we're in the position to make a good charge for third and the Scottish Cup hasn't started yet, I won't be getting my knickers in a twist about it, if that's alright with you?

 

Why did you complain about me being 'negative' then?

 

Yes, looking at the fixtures we have a good chance to get up the table with Hearts. But the way I look at it is we should be up with hearts, if not above them at this point with the squad and resources we have. Is that negative or positive? I dunno, but I would say positive as I know they can play better.

 

 

See I like that, straight and to the point 

 

 

Why did you complain about me being 'negative' then?

 

Yes, looking at the fixtures we have a good chance to get up the table with Hearts. But the way I look at it is we should be up with hearts, if not above them at this point with the squad and resources we have. Is that negative or positive? I dunno, but I would say positive as I know they can play better.

 

 

 

It was merely an observation, I wasn't complaining.

It was merely an observation, I wasn't complaining.

 

It definitely came across the other way 

 

 

It definitely came across the other way 

 

 

 

It definitely wasn't the case.

I guess you'd know all about complaining seeing how it's all you ever do.

 

It definitely wasn't the case.

 

Im happy now then   

 

 

 

more fuel to the fire, I'm outta here:

Nicked off Mad

 

MANAGER PLAYED WON PCNT

Alex Miller 42 11 26%

Steve Paterson 68 23 34%

Ebbe Skovdahl 159 55 35%

Paul Hegarty 20 7 35%

Jimmy Philip 726 263 36%

Tommy Pearson 233 87 37%

Roy Aitken 123 50 41%

Jimmy Calderwood 199 83 42%

Ally MacLeod 76 33 43%

Willie Miller 155 72 46%

Pat Travers 576 271 47%

Jimmy Bonthrone 204 96 47%

Dave Halliday 436 206 47%

Dave Shaw 196 94 48%

Eddie Turnbull 291 140 48%

Ian Porterfield 89 44 49%

Alex Smith / Jock Scott 178 93 52%

Alex Ferguson 455 271 60%

Billy McNeill 50 31 62%

 

more fuel to the fire, I'm outta here:

Nicked off Mad

 

MANAGER PLAYED WON PCNT

Alex Miller 42 11 26%

Steve Paterson 68 23 34%

Ebbe Skovdahl 159 55 35%

Paul Hegarty 20 7 35%

Jimmy Philip 726 263 36%

Tommy Pearson 233 87 37%

Roy Aitken 123 50 41%

Jimmy Calderwood 199 83 42%

Ally MacLeod 76 33 43%

Willie Miller 155 72 46%

Pat Travers 576 271 47%

Jimmy Bonthrone 204 96 47%

Dave Halliday 436 206 47%

Dave Shaw 196 94 48%

Eddie Turnbull 291 140 48%

Ian Porterfield 89 44 49%

Alex Smith / Jock Scott 178 93 52%

Alex Ferguson 455 271 60%

Billy McNeill 50 31 62%

 

 

Bring back Billy McNeil 

agreed only stat worth looking at is trophies won and for the past 13 years OUR club has not been good enough

 

 

Jimmy said the fans expectations are too high, however you are correct, as JIG'ers think reaching two semi final and getting pumped in them is what makes a great season.

 

I’ve read some shite in my time but that’s up there, it really is.  If you can find any proof of that I’d be shocked, stunned and amazed.

 

Yes, looking at the fixtures we have a good chance to get up the table with Hearts. But the way I look at it is we should be up with hearts, if not above them at this point with the squad and resources we have. Is that negative or positive? I dunno, but I would say positive as I know they can play better.

 

 

The league standings aren’t decided by your resources, money, debt, support or otherwise.  If so then we’d let accountants do some sums at the start of the season and then we can all sit and look at a bonny list of 12 teams which mean fuck all in the way of football.

 

Meanwhile, back in the real world:  22 blokes run around on a field with 1 making strange decisions that influence the game in weird and mysterious ways that nobody can really quite fathom.  Anything can happen during those 90 minutes and if you multiply that by the number of games in a season then it’s just about anybodies guess.

 

The reason is that these startling resources you and Stoney keep banging on about are fuck all in comparison to the other teams out with the O.F.  “But Calderwood has spent X, Y, Z in the past 1, 2, 3 seasons………..blah-dee-blah!â€.  Well guess what, he’s fucking had to as we were the laughing stock of the SPL.  Not the Dundee that’s now fucked, the Motherwell who was minutes from switching the lights off, not the Lego factory workers halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow.  Us.  We were being managed

 

We were being managed by a man who had MADE IN CHINA stamped on his arse, had a flower that squirted water pinned to his lapel, chain smoked on the touchline and made funny remarks about our heavy defeats.  The next one was too hungover to manage all that or even manage the team so he had a kip in the boot of a car and someone drove off to the scrap yard without knowing he was there.

 

Nobody is saying this is where we want to be, nobody is lapping in the glory of semi finals, I'd very much doubt anyone of these JIG's that you bang on about think JC is the 'special one' but he's certainly a step in the right direction if you ask me.  We've made a profit for the first time in a decade, we're actually selling players for hard cash, we're no longer ashamed to tell people who we support, we're no longer expecting a humping from anyone (although defeats happen from time to time) and we're no longer the sinking ship that we once were.

 

My biggest gripe is that we don't seem to build on our successes and it's back to square one each season.  That and having to read your pish about how we're in shite-state and that it's all doom and gloom.  As for Stoney, he puts more into our rival's coffers than he does to AFC so I just find his ramblings about our shite players ridiculous.

 

JMG?  JIG?  No, Jimmy is the manager of our team and until he stops improving us each season then I don’t see any reason to ask for his head.

jimmy was step in the direction three years ago , now hes doing the paula abduhl