Dons manager is ready to take flight to clinch signing of Amiens defender Johnson

 

By Paul Third

 

Published: 22/07/2009

 

Mark McGhee is ready to fly to Paris today to make Reda Johnson his first signing at Aberdeen.

 

The Dons manager is keen to complete the move for the Amiens defender, who impressed while on trial with the club in Austria last week, and stave off interest from other clubs in the 21-year-old.

 

He said yesterday: “I will try to sign Johnson tomorrow. There has been good progress but it will require a face-to-face to nail it. It will mean going to Paris to do it. We have been pushing his agent but the club has been slow to react. I will have to go there personally to try and finalise the deal and, hopefully, get it done before Friday.

 

“There are other ones bubbling away, these are pretty exciting times. Some will come to fruition, others won't. What worries me is that by saying how good Johnson is and his name has been in the papers, we have alerted other clubs to him. That's why I'm reticent to talk about other deals.

 

“If it's not done in time for Europe, there is nothing more I can do. I have been working on this player since we got to Austria last week.â€

 

McGhee is also considering signing a goalkeeper on loan before Friday’s deadline for the Europa League qualifier next week against Fram Reykjavik or Sigma Olomouc.

 

He said: “Bertrand Bossu is struggling with a hamstring injury and I am now considering bringing in another goalkeeper on loan before Friday as it is a worry.â€

 

If McGhee flies out to Paris, he hopes to head out to Iceland tomorrow to watch next week’s Europa League opponents face off in the second leg, meaning he will miss tonight’s friendly at Peterhead, but he has arranged for a DVD of the game to be made so he can analyse the Balmoor Stadium performance.

 

Tommy Wright will miss the game and is facing a scan on the knee injury which kept him out of the second half of the training camp in Austria.

 

McGhee said: “I’m trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. I’m trying to establish in my head what my strongest team will be for Europe. The players I have available now are probably the players I will have available for the game and I need to know what the best combination of players is.

 

“I was pleased the players took on board what I wanted them to do but they took it a bit literally. I made a comment about concentrating on possession, but we were so determined to execute my ideas we did not go forward enough. It was a starting point and I want to develop it as we go forward.

 

“We won’t try to change everything overnight. There will be a lot of aspects of our approach next week which will be the same as what they have done here in the past.â€

How long can it take to sign a free player from a French first division club? The Franz Fox Glacier moves faster than this transfer saga!

 

Not a free. He has two years of his contract to run at his current club. We are now looking at getting him in on loan but looks like his club are digging their heels in on this as they want to sell.

We would have equally have been fucked without plenty of other players in that case. That said, it is true he is our best centre half, but he should have developed into that before now anyway, bearing in mind he's now probably one of, if not THE highest paid player at the club.

 

Those points aren't necessarily untrue but then neither is my initial thought of us being fucked without Zander last season. We wouldn't have finished 4th without him.

 

 

Not a free. He has two years of his contract to run at his current club. We are now looking at getting him in on loan but looks like his club are digging their heels in on this as they want to sell.

 

FFS sake! I liked the sound of this guy as well but we're just not going to get him!

 

Our squad is only wafer thin Mr Creosote...

 

I've just read that Johnson turned out as a trialist on Saturday for Plymouth Argyle.

 

I tell you, Plymouth must surely be able to outbid any Scottish club for whoever they want simply off the fact that they don't seem to have any sort of scouting system. Looks like they've saved a fortune by simply hiring someone to read the Sunday Mail once a week. Whoever Aberdeen are looking at, Plymouth decide to go for too.

 

Get yer own fuckin signing targets, you wanks!

 

"Wants to be in Scotland, Paul Sturrock wants to be in Scotland, wants to be in Scooooooootland"

I've just read that Johnson turned out as a trialist on Saturday for Plymouth Argyle.

 

I tell you, Plymouth must surely be able to outbid any Scottish club for whoever they want simply off the fact that they don't seem to have any sort of scouting system. Looks like they've saved a fortune by simply hiring someone to read the Sunday Mail once a week. Whoever Aberdeen are looking at, Plymouth decide to go for too.

 

Get yer own fuckin signing targets, you wanks!

 

"Wants to be in Scotland, Paul Sturrock wants to be in Scotland, wants to be in Scooooooootland"

 

Team lines for Plymouth on Saturday:

 

Argyle (4-4-2): 27 Lloyd Saxton; 22 Zoltan Szélesi (David McNamee half-time), 5 Krisztián Timár (capt), 11 Bryan Spring (19 Marcel Seip 61), 15 Chris Barker (Gary Sawyer half-time); 6 Chris Clark (20 Luke Summerfield 73), 3 Jim Paterson, 7 Jason Puncheon, 8 Jamie Mackie (14 Rory Fallon 86); 24 Ashley Barnes (10 Bradley Wright-Phillips 81), 9 Steve MacLean (4 Carl Fletcher half-time). Substitute (not used): 1 Romain Larrieu (gk).

 

So no Johnson but both Paterson (who scored) and McLean started.

Also note on their website that it says Paterson has "probably been on the pitch for more pre-season minutes than any other outfield Pilgrim"

 

So those two will be staying put then.

I reckon Luggy is doing it on purpose, still holding a grudge against us from the 80s

Looks like he did play for Plymouth on sat. Sturrock in race to sign Johnson.

 

www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/argyle/STURROCK-RACE-SIGN-DEFENDER/article-1196336

 

Another bites the dust think we will be struggling to sign any decent players to improve our team.

Astounding. Back to the proverbial drawing board.

The lad Holm is about to have the steepest learning curve, ever.

I have every confidence in him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or do we try to re-register Willie

 

We'd be fecked without him.

 

 

 

Complete nonsense

 

 

 

 

I hate to say I told you so...

 

 

 

I hate to say I told you so...

 

I think it would be a bit unfair to suggest we're fucked without Diamond on the back of one match.  I reckon we'd still have been given a doing had Diamond played.

I think it would be a bit unfair to suggest we're fucked without Diamond on the back of one match.  I reckon we'd still have been given a doing had Diamond played.

 

I don't think the score would have been as bad as it was. At least Diamond is able to make a defensive header. That back 4 all season long = No top 6 finish!

That back 4 all season long and we will be favourites for next seasons title, in Division 1

That back 4 all season long and we will be favourites for next seasons title, in Division 1

 

2nd favourites. You're overlooking Dundee.

I don't think the score would have been as bad as it was. At least Diamond is able to make a defensive header. That back 4 all season long = No top 6 finish!

 

Perhaps not but we would still have been as bad. If you think one players absence created that doing last night try thinking a bit harder.

Perhaps not but we would still have been as bad. If you think one players absence created that doing last night try thinking a bit harder.

 

Created, no; contributed, aye.

 

To go into a season with only two centre halves who have amassed at least one senior appearance just beggars belief. The fact is we are relying on the often erratic Zander to a staggerring extent, especially as Considine looked no better than any of the other clueless fuckers playing in the back four last night.

 

Say what you want about Young for example...honest...heid never goes doon etc...he looked paralytic in the first half, small wonder the Czechs got their act together and pounced on our obvious frailties. Its been a good while since we've been burdened with a defence as poor as this one, and it needs shaping up quickly.

 

Last night we demonstrated a combination of:

 

Lack of character, which has been evident for some time

Underestimation of the oppo, particularly from McGhee (although his hands are tied to some extent)

Lack of an established centre-half, right-back or left-back. Zander is only part of this solution.

 

 

The lack of such defenders however, will write off this season pretty quickly if it isn't sorted. You can have the prettiest fucking passing triangles or the most oscillating waves of attack you want, but if there isn't a big bastard at the back to show some kind of leadership, defensive ability or even evidence of brain activity, then you're gonna be screwed over like last night more times than you'd care for.

Perhaps not but we would still have been as bad. If you think one players absence created that doing last night try thinking a bit harder.

 

 

I don't think the score would have been as bad as it was. At least Diamond is able to make a defensive header. That back 4 all season long = No top 6 finish!

Aye, maybe just the 4 then.

Which would mean we need one less goal in the return leg. But I firmly believe that it would have been 2 or 3 - 1 at the most if Zander had played and played well.

if Zander had played and played well.

 

Not taking anything for granted there at all, no siree.

Aye well let's get him tae fuck then and see where we end up.

Aye well let's get him tae fuck then and see where we end up.

 

Deary me.