Mr Mcghee the seat is all yours.

 

Whilst im not going to get into the "Who was best manager since fergie" debate i do have the following to say.

 

Today is a happy day for stoney, some of you think i didnt have much time for Calderwood, truth is in the past 2 and a bit years you would be correct, but today is a little bit of a sad day too.

 

In Jimmys first year with us he inherited some great young players, backed up with signing experianced players (seve, barry nic and lovell) to bring them on, the perfect mix. Its fair to say after the season before i was fairly excited by the season that was to follow and i wasnt dissapointed. First season in the job is always getting the team to the way you like it and building up a good team  we even had an outside chance of Europe- Passed with flying colours couldnt be happier with him.

 

2nd Season - wasnt the greatest but we were still playing decent football, never left a game early we were unlucky that hearts and hibs were flying that season and had money to spend. Plus we had an excellent team, a natural leader (in anderson) an international standard midfield (seve at the time was playing his best stuff, nicolson after taking a year to settle in was playing well, and we all knew what jamie smith could do on his day)

 

3rd Season - Started off the season like a house on fire, we were flying in the league playing some of the best football i had seen us play, couldnt be happier with calderwood he was doing a fantastic job - we looked a nap to finish 2nd that season, i remember it quite well that we had rangers at pittodrie to go 6 points clear of them, it was like something changed over night and we were scared to get beat in that game, for some reason we changed the whole way we played in that season to accomodate rangers, i have no idea why to this day but we ended up getting beat of a very shite rangers team and i started to think that calderwood didnt have a clue what he was doing.

 

A few weeks later we were playing worse and worse and we got humped badly from hibs (first game i have ever left early at the time) kept hearing calderwood talk more and more about other teams instead of having faith in his own players, we had a great team at that time and i felt that if we had a better manager we could have finished 2nd that season.

 

4th Season was the beggining of the end if you take the euro trips out of that season it was awful we took a massive step backwards in my opinion i cant remember wanting to stay till the end of many games, the last straw for me was the QOTS game think he should have walked after that game, quite dissapointed its taken him so long to jack it in, would have still had some respect for him if he walked last season, altho there isnt a massive differance in the home attendances the away support is well down on what it was and also the supporters are a lot less vocal.

 

Whilst i give Calderwood the credit he deserves for making us hard to beat and very solid i feel in his past two years that we became a team scared to get beat and hence never really had a great run of consistant wins. Too many stupid draws against lesser teams, if he left us at the start of the 07/08 season i honestly think we would have had some success in the cups by now, we put hearts and united in their place and they have crept back on us - i think this season was a wasted season.

 

Im not sure about mcghee he's done a good job with motherwell on a third of our budget and also has worked well with the young players they have, which is what we are going to have to relay on, i dont think the next manager is going to get the backing that calderwood has, and i think a reverse effect of this season on any new manager, i think the JIG will make it very difficult for us to have the chance to rebuild. Whoever comes in he's going to need the same two years that calderwood had to get the show on the road.

 

I dont believe our fans have the patience for this.

 

Good luck Mark - You are going to need.

 

COYR

 

 

I honestly think he won't know shit about most of Scottish fitba.

i understand your concerns - but i'm just worried that only going for someone who has already been in scotland is limiting ourselves and so missing out on potentially very good managers

i understand your concerns - but i'm just worried that only going for someone who has already been in scotland is limiting ourselves and so missing out on potentially very good managers

 

I'd agree with that. I'm sure Laszlo's knowledge of the SPL wasn't too great and he hasn't done too badly. I fear that if Willie goes down the road of a "proven" SPL manager then we'll end up with Jefferies or Hughes.

you really think that any championship manager doesn't know anything about scottish football these days?

 

Yes, I really do.

 

when a good percentage of the top players in that league come from our division on low/no fees? Don't be so blinkered - there isn't a manager around who doesn't have a team in place so he knows what is going on in virtually every division.

 

It's not exactly hard for a Championship manager to cherry-pick SPL players? Anyone who gets a decent write-up in the papers, they can pick up for a nominal fee then offer them 4x the wages, how hard can that be?

 

Surely it is more important for him to know a good standard of player when he sees one and how to get him into his club

 

And what about Mulgrew, Miller & McDonald, thats 3 players who left the SPL for the Championship who clearly set the heather alight down south

 

and more importantly get the best out of a squad that he has inherited.

 

And I don't rate any of these guys being good enough to do this. Numerious players have came to Aberdeen from down south and been surprised by how big and professional the club is, the worst thing we could have right now is a manager who takes a season or 2 to get to grips with the Scottish game, then have a decent season to raise his stock enough to fuck off back to the rich rolling hills of the English lower leagues.

 

Given the choices, i'd rather have somebody who has some history with the Dons, which realistically leaves in the frame:

 

- McGhee

- Black

- Richardson?

- Windass?

- Strachan?

He didn't do badly but had a wage budget well above that of the next placed team.

 

Also, our team is 99% Scottish, with our only foreigner being an English/Nigerian kid.

 

We tried doing the foreign manager thing, and look how that went? Bottom of the league, conceding 4 goals at Hampden...

O'Driscoll is probably not a bad shout. Only lost out on automatic promotion last year due to a last minute winner at Cheltenham and went up to the Championship via the play-offs. Have stayed there this season, spending fuck all.

 

The more I think about it the more I'm liking the idea of McInnes, though.

 

Oh, and Dave, Lee Miller failed to set the heather alight in League one, or Division Two as it was then.

I don't like the idea of going for an ex-don legend - hasn't exactly gone to plan in the best with Miller and Duncan Shearer. Plus it is never nice to see a relationship like that sour. Surely it is better to get a fresh approach to create his own piece of history and ditch the ties with the past and all the comparisons that go with it. Maybe O'Driscoll isn't the best shout, but what about Alan Irvine? You mentioned 3 guys who didnt exactly set the heather alight. I know this, but at the same token look at the players we have brought from the lower english leagues. more than half have been shocking, doesnt mean there is no talent there. I will re-iterate the fact he needs to have a good eye for a player. None of the managers i have mentioned have signed Derek Young before!!!!!!

 

Given the choices, i'd rather have somebody who has some history with the Dons, which realistically leaves in the frame:

 

- McGhee

- Black

- Richardson?

- Windass?

- Strachan?

 

Sorry Dave, I really don't see how either Windass or Rico would be realistic candidates. In fact, if Windass was appointed it would be an utter joke.

Sorry Dave, I really don't see how either Windass or Rico would be realistic candidates. In fact, if Windass was appointed it would be an utter joke.

 

Completely agree BB.

well said bb. How could he make a stance on indiscipline within the club for example? I do think he would be good as a coach for the strikers - teach Mackie not to be scared about having a dig, but as a manager for his first club - No chance! Why does it need to be someone with connections with Aberdeen - Fergie didn't and he was ok

Sorry Dave, I really don't see how either Windass or Rico would be realistic candidates. In fact, if Windass was appointed it would be an utter joke.

 

Don't be sorry, I agree with you.

 

I was just saying (badly) that none of these random English managers will understand AFC straight away, so took out all the names of people with a history at the club, and Windass & 'Rico' (who I have no memory of) came under that umbrella.

 

I'd be ok with Deano being part of the management team, but cetainly not as the manager.

well said bb. How could he make a stance on indiscipline within the club for example? I do think he would be good as a coach for the strikers - teach Mackie not to be scared about having a dig, but as a manager for his first club - No chance! Why does it need to be someone with connections with Aberdeen - Fergie didn't and he was ok

 

Useful, comparing our new manager to Sir Alex, no pressure there then

Eion Jess has far more of an aberdeen history than deane windass!?..

 

how about a jess booth dream team?!

 

god, that would make me feel old!

That was partly my point Dave. We are not wanting to keep going on about our history but you seem adamant that the new manager needs to know everything about it. Surely it would be better for the guy just to come in, look at what we have NOW, and improve that! no?

Don't be sorry, I agree with you.

 

I was just saying (badly) that none of these random English managers will understand AFC straight away, so took out all the names of people with a history at the club, and Windass & 'Rico' (who I have no memory of) came under that umbrella.

 

I'd be ok with Deano being part of the management team, but cetainly not as the manager.

 

I can understand that wanting to have a connection to the club, cos that's what I usually think of first, but these days I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.  It's very much changed days from when Black and McGhee were here, it's almost polar opposites in fact.  Even in Rico's days we finished second in all competitions to the huns in his first season.  So I'm not sure if the connection is so relevant, it was also pretty painful seeing Willie Miller get sacked and also, to a lesser extent, Duncan Shearer.  But the flipside of that is that patience isn't afforded to those without Dons connections as much.

 

well said bb. How could he make a stance on indiscipline within the club for example? I do think he would be good as a coach for the strikers - teach Mackie not to be scared about having a dig, but as a manager for his first club - No chance! Why does it need to be someone with connections with Aberdeen - Fergie didn't and he was ok

 

I spoke to Duncan Shearer after he'd worked with our strikers about him coaching them. The things he said about them made me ashamed they were taking a wage out of my club. One of those strikers is still at the club.  

That was partly my point Dave. We are not wanting to keep going on about our history but you seem adamant that the new manager needs to know everything about it. Surely it would be better for the guy just to come in, look at what we have NOW, and improve that! no?

 

It doesn't matter who we get, fans/media are going to compare him to what was in the past, which is gonna place alot of pressure on whoever gets the job. Personallt I think having somebody who's had to deal with it as a player is a good thing, as second time round he should be able to take it in his stride.

 

When we appointed someone from outwith (Skovdahl) he came out with the suggestion that we should basically give up when we play the OF? Do you really want to go down that route again.

 

Also, whoever comes in is on a pretty shortened timescale, if Marco Van Basten comes and accepts the job tomorrow, the longest he'll possibly have before out first European game is 2 months, hardly enough time to get to grips with the team, source some replacements and get a team out and winning.

 

Whereas somebody who has some sort of connection to the club/Scottish football will have the advantage of having a decent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Darren Mackie and co, something I very much doubt Van Basten does?

Hans Gillhaus then!!!

[quote author=dave_min link=topic=8718.msg142937#msg142937 date=1243366221

 

Whereas somebody who has some sort of connection to the club/Scottish football will have the advantage of having a decent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Darren Mackie and co, something I very much doubt Van Basten does?

 

I'm pretty sure Van Basten would be able to come up with an opinion on Mackie in less than 2 months mate!! I do get your point, but what you are suggesting is a quick fix thing to get through one game - i would much rather the right person coming in who is successful over a long period, and I don't like the fact people want to ignore perfectly valid candidates just cos they haven't played for us.

I'm pretty sure Van Basten would be able to come up with an opinion on Mackie in less than 2 months mate!! I do get your point, but what you are suggesting is a quick fix thing to get through one game - i would much rather the right person coming in who is successful over a long period, and I don't like the fact people want to ignore perfectly valid candidates just cos they haven't played for us.

 

We had a manager who was reasonably successful over a long period, but now we seem to want some sort of flash in the pan now. A lot of the people who have been mentioned like Martinez and Di Matteo just won't get Scottish football, if the candidate has no experience at all of Scottish Football, i'm afraid it's a no from me.

But when has their last experience in Scottish football to have been? It is changed days since 80's early 90's, yet i'm sure you would snap David Moyes hand off if he decided to throw his hat in the ring.  I for one would be delighted if Roy Hodgson wanted a wee bash at Europa League football wi a non London based team!! I'd rather have someone who has had 3 continuous years of success rather than one who does well for 2 seasons then fucks up or jumps ship (Mcghee) or someone who hasnt been tested as a manager in his own right for any lengthy period of time (Black).

But when has their last experience in Scottish football to have been? It is changed days since 80's early 90's, yet i'm sure you would snap David Moyes hand off if he decided to throw his hat in the ring.  I for one would be delighted if Roy Hodgson wanted a wee bash at Europa League football wi a non London based team!! I'd rather have someone who has had 3 continuous years of success rather than one who does well for 2 seasons then fucks up or jumps ship (Mcghee) or someone who hasnt been tested as a manager in his own right for any lengthy period of time (Black).

 

You do realise that Roy Hodgson has qualified for the Europa League?

 

Who then?

yes I do know Hodgson has qualified - hence the "not with a London based team". who then? I'm really struggling too, I just don't think Mcghee is the answer. However, if he does come on board then rest assured i will be 100% behind him. I do think they should at least try and sound out Preston and Doncaster, cos it's worth interviewing these guys if they get the chance to do so.

I'm longing for a new manager to be revealed asap.

 

 

Not for the benefit of the club, just because I can't stand reading any more of this shite.

yes I do know Hodgson has qualified - hence the "not with a London based team". who then? I'm really struggling too, I just don't think Mcghee is the answer. However, if he does come on board then rest assured i will be 100% behind him. I do think they should at least try and sound out Preston and Doncaster, cos it's worth interviewing these guys if they get the chance to do so.

 

Looking over his history it's the first time he's ever qualified with a London based team, so i've no idea where you're going with that?

 

I also agree that McGhee is not the answer, however I still don't think JC should have been sacked, but you can also rest assured that I will also be 100% behind the new manager whoever it may be

Who then?

 

This is why in one of the threads on here today I said I was warming to the idea of McInnes.

 

He's done well with St Johnstone. A bit of an unknown quantity. Young in management terms, I'm assuming ambitious. A knowledge of English lower leagues from playing days. A knowledge of Scottish lower league from this season. Knows what Scottish fotball is about.

 

Only problem would be him being an "ex hun ex jute ned" tm afchat .