Alright Lads, for one reason or another Ive not really been posting that much here, but Ive still been keeping in touch with all matters AFC. One thing got me thinking..... If AFC have generally improved year on year since Jimmy & Jimmy took charge what can we expect from next season ?

 

Im delighted we are back in Europe although I hope we go into that with our eyes open and dont rest people for European games or anything like that. Another good finish in the league would be excellent too but I would love us to actually win something next season. I actually think that signing Macnamara was a masterstroke in the main stream of things, He's been around for years, has plenty of experience of winning trophys ( actually one of very few in our changing room who have) and he is in the latter stages of his career which I think will benefit afc because he will want to be involved all the time.

 

All that said I'm not sure what a reasonable target for next season is. I think if we could somehow make the group stages of the uefa cup, we would get some decent money into the club, hopefully that would mean we could strengthen the side if not in january then the season after, meaning more european adventures. More european adventures would hopefully mean that we could start to address our financial problems (although I dont hold my breath) and who knows what could happen after that ?

 

Well, I'm plumping for 3rd or 4th in the league, a cup win, and at least some decent performances in Europe. Seems funny writing that, I immediatley think back to a few years ago when Ebbe got us into europe...now at least we have some stability and we can be proud of the dandies again and 3rd or 4th is a reality instead of a pipe dream.

 

Whats your thoughts on our hopes next season ?

 

Stand Free !

Rp

yea tend to agree, I think we could be at the start of our next stage of improvement, that being both on and off the pitch. Our trip into Europe a few years ago, really was mis-timed, and perhaps we paid for that?

 

This time if we are very lucky we might manage to scramble into the group stages, and any money from that must be looked upon as a bonus. But looking forward if we can repeat that for a couple of years, then things may start to look a lot more promisinig.

 

Cup win! I'd love to say yea, but I still think we struggle when the chips are down on the big games, and a quarter final at Pittodrie against anyone decent I fancy us to struggle, but they changed that on the last game of the season so who knows. I'd just love a cup final....

It really all depends on whether Anderson can be kept

My take is that until otherwise stated Anderson is here.  I cannot see them transferring the Captain.  Even if it is for "Stupid Money", the club braintrust know that to send Russell out will mean a fan exodus the like of which has not been seen since Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

 

My expectations for 2007-2008:

League: challenge for 2nd

CIS: Semifinalist

Scottish: Semifinalist

Europe: Group Stage

 

The extra money from transferring Anderson will pale in comparison to a sustained income from improvement.

 

The beauty of supporting the Dons is that you don't know what to expect from them. I'd like to see us finishing third again and progress to the later stages of both cups, but we might struggle to make the top 6 and be knocked out of both cups by third division part timers (or amateurs if the Queen's Perk get us again). As for Europe, Cadger will be lifting the cup aloft in front of a packed City of Manchester Stadium in May 2008, and I'll be there to see it.

the club braintrust know that to send Russell out will mean a fan exodus the like of which has not been seen since Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

 

 

 

 

 

I'd hope for

 

At least one final (UEFA would be nice ) semi in the other domestic cup

 

Group stages of UEFA

 

3rd (or 2nd) in the league

 

Sign another couple of players next transfer window, without selling any genuine first-teamers

Realistically - 4th in the league and get to a cup semi-final.

 

Hopefully - 3rd in the league and win a cup.

Realistically - 4th in the league and get to a cup semi-final.

 

Hopefully - 3rd in the league and win a cup.

 

 

 

I expect 3rd as a minimum and a cup win. we need to be looking to improve every season.

Realistically - 4th in the league and get to a cup semi-final.

 

Hopefully - 3rd in the league and win a cup.

 

Only improvement is to get to either the CIS or Scottish Cup Final?  NL, I look forward to seeing your "I'm pleasantly surprised" posts.

Only improvement's a final? That's the words of a 90s Dons fan! We need to keep the hunger for success going at Pittodrie. I can't believe it's only been a couple of years since we were cheering on folk like Paul Sheerin, Leon Mike and believing that simply getting close to the Top Six was regarded as success. We were short of protesting at the front gates this season if anything lower than 3rd-place wasn't achieved by the end of the season! I like it!!!

 

I firmly believe that, with the rather shite quality of signings from Rangers, and them losing a couple of VERY influential players (Prso for one!), 2nd place is definitely not out of the question. With Langfield being our only regular first-teamer from the 06/07 season who WON'T be pulling on the Aberdeen jersey in the 07/08 season, and defensive wing and attacking wing both being strengthened, I reckon we've got what it takes to finish SECOND next season. We just need to iron out those niggles like "not being up for the cup" games ... and our team actually turning up to matches against Dundee Utd.

Reekie, yer thoughts please.

 

If the Dons fail again in the 07/08 Domestic Cups, will there be trouble for JC?

No. So long as there is at least the same level of performance in the league. If there is a poor showing in the cups again, and our league positioning DROPS, then there could be pressure from Che Willie to get results sorted.

 

But I think Jimmy is pretty safe in the job, as he's proven that he can make our squad and league-positions improve year upon year. I'd expect us to do much better in the cups. I ain't saying win them, but at least one semi-final would be an improvement.

Next season could be Jimmy's biggest challenge.

1st season was a revelation; 2nd season was about stability which involved half a step back; 3rd season was indifferent for much of the season but ended up with a magnificent 3rd place.

 

The fans will be looking for 2nd or 3rd next year or we'll all be getting on his back again, but we could just as easily finish 4th. However given Hibs apparent free fall under Collins, the prospect of a Naismith free Killie and a stagnating united, ict and the rest it seems to me that we'd have to have a hell of a bad season to finish outside the top 4, so, with luck, Europe should be secured, which at the end of the day should be our main aim for the league next season (rather than actual placing).

 

It will be the cups that will shape our season IMHO.  JC's cup record doesn't need repeated here and it is VITAL we get at the very least a trip to Hampden, preferably for a final (either will do) and hopefully for a win.  It is these types of games that will get punters back through the gates on a more regular basis and will also boost the bank balance. 

 

Perhaps even more important for the bank balance is Europe.  The Group Stages would be a remarkable achievement given the likely opposition we will face in the 1st round and would be a huge financial boost and help reduce the debt a wee bit.  More likely we'll be knocked out at the first time of asking so a draw against a German, English, Spanish, Italian or French side should be hoped for from a money point of view.

 

So in my wildest dreams we'll finish 2nd, win a cup or two and progress to the UEFA Group stages.

I expect, maybe demand, Top4 and Euro qualification, Cup Final and Good trip to europe.

I just hope we don't miss out in europe in the league, get pumped by Partick Thistle in the cup and get humiliated in europe

Well Said GS.

"I can't believe it's only been a couple of years since we were cheering on folk like Paul Sheerin, Leon Mike "

Reeks I seem to remember you having a soft spot for Leon Mike right, the poor lad will be heartbroken after reading that  ?

 

 

"JC's cup record doesn't need repeated here"

Gs did Jimmy not get dunfermline to the cup final in his last season with them ? I'm not trying to be a prick there, I'm generally wondering.

 

Rp

Aye, I did like Leon Mike. I think it was more for the cult following he attracted. And this cult following has fuckall to do with his ability ... it was more the fact that he was our first signing  in about 18 months or something like that. He was a very powerfully built striker too, and I reckon he could've been quite handy given the right coaching.

 

But, as is the case with many Dons fans, I think my vision was blurred and I believed we had an okay team back then. In actualy fact, we had an absolute rank-rotten team back then, and Mike was a mediocre player in a shite team.

"I can't believe it's only been a couple of years since we were cheering on folk like Paul Sheerin, Leon Mike "

Reeks I seem to remember you having a soft spot for Leon Mike right, the poor lad will be heartbroken after reading that  ?

 

 

"JC's cup record doesn't need repeated here"

Gs did Jimmy not get dunfermline to the cup final in his last season with them ? I'm not trying to be a prick there, I'm generally wondering.

 

Rp

 

Yeah he did but I was talking about his cup record with afc, which doesn't need repeating as there isn't one.

 

Having seen the fixture list looks like this season is going to be even more of a challenge for JC.  United, killie, hibs and the huns away and the tims and hearts at home in our first 7 could set us up brilliantly for a great season or see us out of europe out of the cis cup and down near the bottom of the league before the clocks go back.  It'll be a hell of a ride what ever.

Let's hope for the former!

Aye, I did like Leon Mike. I think it was more for the cult following he attracted. And this cult following has fuckall to do with his ability ... it was more the fact that he was our first signing  in about 18 months or something like that. He was a very powerfully built striker too, and I reckon he could've been quite handy given the right coaching.

 

But, as is the case with many Dons fans, I think my vision was blurred and I believed we had an okay team back then. In actualy fact, we had an absolute rank-rotten team back then, and Mike was a mediocre player in a shite team.

 

I remember being at Mike's debut against the Arabs and he scored a cracking goal (fourth in a 4-0 or 4-1 win, I think) which made me think we'd signed a decent player. I still believe that back then (perhaps a similar case of blurry vision) we were actually a reasonable wee side, and it all went downhill when I moved to Korea a month or two later and we went down the Paterson, Sheerin, McQuilken road.. glad I wasn't around for that period 

 

Incidentally, since we're reminiscing on players who were a bit shit, I turned up this player profile yesterday, now playing down in the French fourth division... where's Cooney when you need him? 

 

http://www.allezredstar.com/fr_penp.php?nom=FABIANO&prenom=Nicolas&add_photo=images2006/a91_fabiano01.jpg&periode=2006-&position=3&birthday=1981-02-08&birth_place=Courbevoie%20(92)&clubs=

Haha! Nicolas Fabiano!!! I actually thought he was a decent player who never got the chance he deserved. I thought he was a bloody effective winger. We started to see what he was capable in a match at Fir Park ... it may well have been his final match for us, I can't remember. Eric Deloumeaux stole the show with two goals and an amazing performance, and Roberto Bisconti was nailing every player that dared to steal possession from him. Shit, even Patricio Billio was rattling the woodwork from what seemed like 84 yards out!

 

But Fabiano played the first half, and I thought he was a bloody effective winger. Skipped past Motherwell's band of hackers, bullies and tykes with ease, until some unknown wanker in an amber'n'claret strip, who clearly learned all his demolition skills from the master (Terry Butcher), brought him down and he had to limp off.

 

I liked Fabiano, and reckon he just didn't really fit in with the AFC clique that was evident in those days.