Aberdeen FC have to stay united

Director Miller’s open letter to Red Army

Published: 30/03/2009

 

WILLIE Miller today made an impassioned plea for furious Aberdeen FC fans to back their bid to qualify for Europe.

 

Aberdeen FC director of football Miller has sent an open letter to the Red Army via the Evening Express.

 

Published today and tomorrow, Miller admits that the fans are right to be angry at the way they were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Dunfermline.

 

Many of you have asked the question: What is going on at Pittodrie?

 

Over the next two days, Miller will attempt to answer that question.

 

Miller will also explain why it’s vital that fans stick together at this crucial stage of the campaign, and will provide a summary of the work done over the last five years.

 

He has also given details of how the club performed in the five years prior to that to help fans fully understand what has happened at Pittodrie since 2004.

 

For more on this story, pick up a copy of today's Evening Express.

 

Anyone read the paper to see if Miller is digging a hole for himself or not?

Does he really think that people will accept the look at where we were and where we are now spiel?? There is only so many times that excuse can be wheeled out, and my, has it been wheeled out every time we've been knocked out of the cup by a team we shouldn't have.

We deserve better but you know what I mean, I think Willie is playing with fire here. They keep thinking that its just because of the Pars result, its not, its a culmination of results. Whilst I agree it is important for the club to stay united to ensure we finish 4th (3rd is near enough out of the question), I will be interested to see what he has to say, I just get the feeling its another "look at what we've done, stats stas and more stats, you should be grateful" article.

the MIG mob.

 

I think we should get Mike Newell in.

I think alot of this has to do with the arrogance of "football people" that Bobby_Biscuit raised in the other thread. I have always thought Willie Miller has had this trait.

 

This is one reason I don't think McGhee would be any better in public relations that Calderwood.  McGhee came out and slagged off the Motherwell fans because he said they didn't know what they were talking about - this is a fact conveniently forgotten about by the MIG mob. There was also his punditry on a Celtic game hours before a Motherwell match.

 

Both of these would have a big implications on his relations with fans had he been at Aberdeen.

 

It is not just a problem with Miller or Calderwood - it's an arrogance thoughout the fitba establishment.

 

McGhee is not very highly thought of by London based Dons supporters who attended the Centenery celebratory dinner down here. If his performance that evening is a yardstick then he is an arrogant twat. 

He may not have attended the dinner, but a prominent London based poster on a downmarket AFC forum currently has

 

Mark McGhee, your time of destiny is almost upon us..................

 

as his signature. MIG!

 

And manc-don, is third really that far out of the question? There are twenty four points to play for, and we are sitting five behind Hertz with a better goal diff. Assuming (!) that we beat Hearts at Pittodrie post split, that would give us a two point gap. I'm not saying it's likely, just that it is still possible.

I think alot of this has to do with the arrogance of "football people" that Bobby_Biscuit raised in the other thread. I have always thought Willie Miller has had this trait.

 

This is one reason I don't think McGhee would be any better in public relations that Calderwood.  McGhee came out and slagged off the Motherwell fans because he said they didn't know what they were talking about - this is a fact conveniently forgotten about by the MIG mob. There was also his punditry on a Celtic game hours before a Motherwell match.

 

Both of these would have a big implications on his relations with fans had he been at Aberdeen.

 

It is not just a problem with Miller or Calderwood - it's an arrogance thoughout the fitba establishment.

 

It may be a terribly judgemental thing for me to say but in general, 'football people' are not particularly bright and are certainly not often schooled in the art of diplomacy, protocol, respect or general professional conduct off-field.

 

And manc-don, is third really that far out of the question? There are twenty four points to play for, and we are sitting five behind Hertz with a better goal diff. Assuming (!) that we beat Hearts at Pittodrie post split, that would give us a two point gap. I'm not saying it's likely, just that it is still possible.

 

Think the general feeling is that we cant see where our next win is going to come from and this is the problem. After Saturday we'll know whether we're chasing third or hoping to hold onto the top 6 spot.

He may not have attended the dinner, but a prominent London based poster on a downmarket AFC forum currently has

 

 

as his signature. MIG!

 

And manc-don, is third really that far out of the question? There are twenty four points to play for, and we are sitting five behind Hertz with a better goal diff. Assuming (!) that we beat Hearts at Pittodrie post split, that would give us a two point gap. I'm not saying it's likely, just that it is still possible.

 

That does concern me Harcus! I'm sure we've all said on here that we don't think he'd be the right man for the job. Not that we have any other real alternatives, but would we be able to afford Mike Newell? Not a bad shout otherwise!

 

Re my point about third, I think so. I felt we pretty much killed it off by not beating St. Midden as that was the moment I felt we could have pushed ourselves into contention. I know mathematically we can still achieve 3rd, I just don't think we will achieve it with the way we are playing, and Hearts seem pretty solid at the moment. But I guess we'll just have to see which Aberdeen team shows up over the course of the rest of the season.

but would we be able to afford Mike Newell? Not a bad shout otherwise!

 

It was a joke, so we could end up with the Newell Is God acronym  , but yeah he probably would be a decent shout.

 

As for McGhee, I don't see what the hard-on is for him.  I wouldn't lose sleep if he was appointed, but I'd like to think there are better options out there.

It was a joke, so we could end up with the Newell Is God acronym  , but yeah he probably would be a decent shout.

 

As for McGhee, I don't see what the hard-on is for him.  I wouldn't lose sleep if he was appointed, but I'd like to think there are better options out there.

 

Haha whoops It actually seemed like one of the more sensible options i've heard lately! I think the only reason why people want McGhee is because he's an ex player, but he's still part of this managers boys club which seems to have formed.

 

The hard-on is because people want to build him up and build him up - so it's much more fun when it eventually comes to knocking him down.

 

Director Miller’s open letter to Red Army

Published: 30/03/2009

 

WILLIE Miller today made an impassioned plea for furious Aberdeen FC fans to back their bid to qualify for Europe.

 

Aberdeen FC director of football Miller has sent an open letter to the Red Army via the Evening Express.

 

Should be entitled "Director Miller’s open letter to Red Army who can purchase an Evening Express", as it is not on Aberdeen FC website nor EE website.

Should be entitled "Director Miller’s open letter to Red Army who can purchase an Evening Express", as it is not on Aberdeen FC website nor EE website.

 

I went to buy EE tonight, but over zealous bloody shop asistants had packaged them up for return. Wouldn't let me take one out of the pile as they had counted them!!!!

Does he really think that people will accept the look at where we were and where we are now spiel?? There is only so many times that excuse can be wheeled out, and my, has it been wheeled out every time we've been knocked out of the cup by a team we shouldn't have.

We deserve better but you know what I mean, I think Willie is playing with fire here. They keep thinking that its just because of the Pars result, its not, its a culmination of results. Whilst I agree it is important for the club to stay united to ensure we finish 4th (3rd is near enough out of the question), I will be interested to see what he has to say, I just get the feeling its another "look at what we've done, stats stas and more stats, you should be grateful" article.

 

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't!

 

Folk have been asking what he's been doing at the club for the past 5 years and now he's going to tell us.

 

I've calmed down a little since the latest cup upset and if the bigger picture is that we're still moving forward off the park then two shite games against a lower league team this season I might manage to swallow.  But I want to see us moving forward on the park now and if that doesn't happen soon then it's tattie o'er the side.

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't!

 

Folk have been asking what he's been doing at the club for the past 5 years and now he's going to tell us.

 

I've calmed down a little since the latest cup upset and if the bigger picture is that we're still moving forward off the park then two shite games against a lower league team this season I might manage to swallow.  But I want to see us moving forward on the park now and if that doesn't happen soon then it's tattie o'er the side.

 

I just worry that he won't actually tell us a) anything new b) what we want to hear. But I'll wait patiently for his article before jumping to any conclusions. I hope its something that we want to hear (in the form of answers). I think there are signs of progress off the park but its the progress on the park that counts and at the moment its gone very very stale.

Why is Mike Newell deemed a reasonable shout? Is he not currently trying his hardest to get Grimsby relegated from league 2?

 

The full reply from WM is now on the AFC website.

 

Shite reading imo

It's all more or less what he had to say. Did anyone expect him to come out and say "yer right, I'm sacking the balloon in the summer"?

 

 

Don't know - I keep falling asleep after the 5th paragraph - will try again after a cup of coffee!

 

He doesn't say it! 

 

He does later say that Rocket_Scientist is a prick after he blanked WM at the Gothenburg dinner...

He doesn't say it! 

 

He does later say that Rocket_Scientist is a prick after he blanked WM at the Gothenburg dinner...

 

 

Very very long read, but as you quite rightly point out, says what he needed to say. It just makes me wonder though, could they have prepared for this earlier i.e. in the summer if they had an incling that this might happen? I'm not saying making a superstar signing or anything like that, but actual quality to the team. Maybe they thought they did, I don't know, but to me, the very problems we have seen this season, are the same problems that have been evident since queens park.

We need to stay together until the final point of the season. That is when we should all then sit back and look at what went on during the campaign. It's when we will make judgements and decide what we need to do to give us a better chance of making up for any disappointments.

 

Fingers crossed...

 

Very very long read, but as you quite rightly point out, says what he needed to say. It just makes me wonder though, could they have prepared for this earlier i.e. in the summer if they had an incling that this might happen? I'm not saying making a superstar signing or anything like that, but actual quality to the team. Maybe they thought they did, I don't know, but to me, the very problems we have seen this season, are the same problems that have been evident since queens park.

It's the same as the baying mob calling the players who are defending the manager 'spineless' etc. Are they really going to come out and hassle a manager in public (no pun intended)  and risk a place in the squad?

I for one welcome this reply as we then get to see both sides of the arguement.

 

The thing that is glaringly obvious from all of this though is the void between the club and fans.

 

It took an open letter from a long-heard-from supporters group to get any awareness that we're not happy.  It took a letter to the press from one of the chatsites to alert them to the fact that we're not expecting to match past glories.  Then the latest one whereby they seem to think that the home support is shite but totally miss the point that matching up to 'lesser' teams at home just isn't entertaining.

 

I don't care if we ever sign another £1 million pound player.  I don't care if we rely on youth.  I don't care too much if we get auld cloggers in.  But for fuck sake, let opposition worry about us and go out and get stuck in to 'em - heid first!

 

Asking fans to cheer for stifled fitba?

 

Good luck with that.

The supporters in Edinburgh were fantastic.

 

They got behind the team from start to finish and even gave the substitutes warming up behind the goal in front of them loads of encouragement. I can tell them that was greatly appreciated by the players and everyone else at the club. We know they could have reacted a lot differently because it was played so soon after the cup defeat.

 

We need the rest of the fans to stick by us now as well if we are to have a chance of getting the points we need to make the top six and maintain our challenge for Europe.

 

Read the article but had to come back to this as he is being disingenuous. The atmosphere was very muted that day not only by people waiting to turn up to see what the team would do to react but by the nothingness of which we produced. Outwith the generic applauding the players who come round to warm up and come on you reds pre-corner I cant remember any significant noise unless it was aimed at Mike McCurry. I can remember jute and I on a few occasions trying to start a song but there was no appetite for it from anyone around us.

 

This leads onto the second part where he seems to think the supporters who were at hibs are different and possibly less critical than the average dons fan. I would say if anything it is the opposite as I can only think of one person I spoke to that day who thought Calderwood was blameless. Miller wants us to stick together as its our best chance to get points, I say to him you could not have seen a better support on those days of the cup fuck-ups, the problem was on the field and nothing has changed as it keeps happening and happening again.

 

I will always support the dons and so will you as we love Aberdeen Football Club and will go anywhere to see them play any team no matter what

I don't know a single Dons fan who wants our club to be run like Hearts or expects us to sign £1 million players so instead of answering to criticisms that were never made in the first place, why doesn't he respond to the legitimate questions like why he gave Calderwood a 3 year contract extension and why players like Bertrand Bossu and Dave Bus are allowed to be signed?

Waiting another five years before qualifying for Europe again is not what we want. That's why it's important the fans stick behind us for the rest of this season.

 

Of course its bloody not what we want! The thing you seem to be ignoring was that all we had to do last year was beat Queen of the South and this year we were stoing favourites to make the Scottish cup final which again would have been us in Europe.

I don't know a single Dons fan who wants our club to be run like Hearts or expects us to sign £1 million players so instead of answering to criticisms that were never made in the first place, why doesn't he respond to the legitimate questions like why he gave Calderwood a 3 year contract extension and why players like Bertrand Bossu and Dave Bus are allowed to be signed?

 

That was the Supporter's Trust that mentioned Hearts.  Christ knows why.

 

And, I suspect Calderwood got a 3 year contract on the back of the UEFA cup run (rightly or wrongly).