What position is required to be strengthened?  Who is available for transfer?

 

I think we need a creative midfielder - Can't think of any players that are available though.  I would have also liked the strikeforce added to - bit disappointed that we never went for John Sutton.  I have heard a rumour that we were interested in Scott Murray from Bristol City but he got injured.  Also heard a hilarious rumour from celtic fans that we were going to take Balde on a years loan!!!!

I'd take Balde on the loan.  He'd actually fit well into the defensive scheme IMHO.

Still badly need a left sided midfielder. Not sure if this Dutch fella comimg in tomorrow will cut the mustard, but whatever happened to Burton O Brien? Surely, JC will be allowed to bring in one more player on a decent wage, in my opinion, left midfield is an area we are still short.

 

I know De Vischer can play there, but what#s the point in playing a right sided player on the left. Square pegs and round holes and all that..........

I will be happy enough if we sign a keeper. Anything other than that is a bonus.

Here's a thought Talk to Toronto FC about Ronnie O'Brien.  He's an Irish Midfielder who plays on the left side and has looked better every time out.

Murray signed a new deal at Bristol.

 

Sutton is too similar to what we already have in Wheelchair Brewster and Miller.

 

Balde is not required. We do not need any more defenders at the club. We have Hart, Diamond, Considine, Kurrant, Mair, McNamarra, Byrne (haha) Touzani, Seve and Foster can also play in defence with Clark also having played at both left and right back! Thats 11 players if I'm not mistaken. That said I happen to be a fan of Gordon Greer who is available on a free!

 

I still think we should hav moved for Dargo. A free agent with a dam good goalscoring ratio and a very good finisher. Still dont think Leven has been fixed up with a club yet.

Ronnie O'Brien... You mean former Dundee United failure and TIME man of the Century Ronnie O'Brien?

That would be the same Ronnie O'Brien who also played at Middlesborough & Juventus.  The same Ronnie O'Brien who has been capped for Ireland as a U-18 (the team that won the Euro U-18 Cup), a U-19 and U-21 and Senior Teams.

 

The Same Ronnie O'Brien who has been named to the MLS all-stars & best XI in 2004 & 2005.

 

2006 saw him suffer a serious injury but I tell you, every game he plays I see him get better.

Burton O'Brien is leaving Sheffield Wednesday.  Swindon looking to sign him.  Get in quick JC.

That would be the same Ronnie O'Brien who also played at Middlesborough & Juventus.  The same Ronnie O'Brien who has been capped for Ireland as a U-18 (the team that won the Euro U-18 Cup), a U-19 and U-21 and Senior Teams.

 

The Same Ronnie O'Brien who has been named to the MLS all-stars & best XI in 2004 & 2005.

 

2006 saw him suffer a serious injury but I tell you, every game he plays I see him get better.

 

The same Ronnie O'Brien who played AT Juventus and Middlesbrough, but didn't ever actually play a game for them? He may well have been capped at under 18 level, but that was 10 years ago. He doesn't have any full Irish caps. Sorry, but he doesn't inspire me with any sort of confidence and I hope we stay well clear of him. Paul Dalglish will probably make the MLS all star side this season. Simo Valakari has made it in seasons past. No matter how many stars they sign, it will still be a second rate league, with a far lower standard than the SPL.

That would be the same Ronnie O'Brien who also played at Middlesborough & Juventus.  The same Ronnie O'Brien who has been capped for Ireland as a U-18 (the team that won the Euro U-18 Cup), a U-19 and U-21 and Senior Teams.

 

The Same Ronnie O'Brien who has been named to the MLS all-stars & best XI in 2004 & 2005.

 

2006 saw him suffer a serious injury but I tell you, every game he plays I see him get better.

 

The same Ronnie O'Brien who played AT Juventus and Middlesbrough, but didn't ever actually play a game for them? He may well have been capped at under 18 level, but that was 10 years ago. He doesn't have any full Irish caps. Sorry, but he doesn't inspire me with any sort of confidence and I hope we stay well clear of him. Paul Dalglish will probably make the MLS all star side this season. Simo Valakari has made it in seasons past. No matter how many stars they sign, it will still be a second rate league, with a far lower standard than the SPL.

 

2nd rate league?  by what criteria? from appearances I can say that the Stadia are the same or bigger so Attendances are about equal.  I could try to compare salaries but don't have access to numbers; I would guess though that the OF salaries skew the figures.  Every MLS team has $1.5 Million US and are allowed 1 player not to be counted in the cap.  That would seem to be on par with the average SPL team salary.

 

 

I'd say MLS is probably very similar to the SPL with the exception of Rangers and Celtic. There are plenty of players in MLS who I think would make it in the Dons first team squad, and a number who would be starting players. I also think there are plenty of diddies who play(ed) in the SPL. last season i.e Richie Byrne, Dan Smith, Jamie Langfield, Gary Dempsey, Jamie Winter etc., and I'd say Chris Clark and Darren Mackie are easily MLS standard and we are the 3rd best team in Scotland right now.

 

Having lived in the USA for 12 years now, being heavily involved in coaching, and watching the growth of US football and MLS there is plenty of talent here. The perception of US fotball is not great but the talent is certainly here, but the SPL isn't that great either (unfortunately).

That would be the same Ronnie O'Brien who also played at Middlesborough & Juventus.  The same Ronnie O'Brien who has been capped for Ireland as a U-18 (the team that won the Euro U-18 Cup), a U-19 and U-21 and Senior Teams.

 

Knowing the Dons' history of signing goofs, we'll probably end up going for the wrong person and will end up signing Ronnie O'Sullivan or Richard O'Brien

That would be the same Ronnie O'Brien who also played at Middlesborough & Juventus.  The same Ronnie O'Brien who has been capped for Ireland as a U-18 (the team that won the Euro U-18 Cup), a U-19 and U-21 and Senior Teams.

 

Knowing the Dons' history of signing goofs, we'll probably end up going for the wrong person and will end up signing Ronnie O'Sullivan or Richard O'Brien

 

Aberdeen Footbal club are proud to announce their latest signing...

 

 

Ronnie Corbett!

 

Holy Cow!  I was going for funny and went to Corbett's Wikipedia page.

He's from Edinburgh and had a trial with Hearts!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Corbett

Haha! What a joke! Boom boom!

 

Rather have Ronnie Barker. Surely he'd be a better goalie than Clanger.

 

 

Having watched DC United (when they were the best side in the league) I can wholeheartedly say that the standard of the MLS is far worse than the SPL. Some of the players would struggle in Division 1. Paul Dalglish won the league their last season, alongside former Dundee United benchwarmer (1 game in 2 seasons) Pat Onstad. The league features such luminaries as Terry Cooke, Carl Robinson and Danny Dichio. The man who will be aiming to get on the end of David Beckham's crosses at LA Galaxy is Turks and Caicos Islands international Gavin Glinton. Yes, that is the Turks and Caicos Islands, who were beaten 14-0 in regional World Cup qualifying by St Kitts and Nevis.

 

I went to DC United games to watch Freddy Adu (the greatest player ever ever ever apparently). He was fast, he had a good first touch, but I honestly think he would struggle in the SPL, let alone the Premiership.

 

The salaries and attendences may be the same, they might even be more in the MLS, but I am judging the league by the standard of the players. On average players are paid more in Denmark and Norway than they are in Argentina and Brazil, but I know what I would rather watch.

On average players are paid more in Denmark and Norway than they are in Argentina and Brazil, but I know what I would rather watch.

 

Damn straight! I'd easily give up pogo-jumping with 60,000 Gremio fans to enjoy the one-man-and-his-dog effort that is Køge and Farum

Haha! What a joke! Boom boom!

 

Rather have Ronnie Barker. Surely he'd be a better goalie than Clanger.

 

Ye ken Ronnie Barker died in 2005 right?

JC says on AFC.co.uk that he has been getting bombarded with agents offering centre halfs and goalkeepers but he doesnt need anymore centre halfs or goalkeepers.  I guess that means Langfield is staying afterall.  What a fcukn joke!  The rest of the squad must be thinking now that they can do what they like becasue if Langfield can get away with it then so can we!!!

I didn't think he would let Langfield go for one minute but I do think Soutar will be No.1 in the pre-season friendlies although Langfield will probably win his place back for start of season.

I've been saying that Langfield will be here still.  Not so sure his numbers will be as good without Anderson in front of him but I'll give Jackie Mac a chance first.

I'm not saying MLS is a high standard but neither is watching the majority of SPL teams. Go and watch Caley Falkirk and tell me the quality on display. I'd say Eddie Johnson is as good if not better than Darren Mackie, Justin Mapp on par or better than Chris Clark, I'd take Chris Albright in a heartbeat, and as for Freddy Adu, while he has been so overly hyped up, I'd take him any day as we seriously lack creativity and flair. Ricardo Clark is a good player too and would probably take a starting spot.

 

Agreed the league has its duffers but for every Terry Cooke, Carl Robinson, Danny Dichio and Gavin Glinton I think you've got an equally good Richie Byrne, Densill Theobald, Markus Paatelainen and Steven McGarry. And as for Pat Onstad, how good are Langfield and Soutar?

Well Said OrlandoDon! 

Ye ken Ronnie Barker died in 2005 right?

 

Aye. But he'd still be better than Clanger ... even though he's 6ft under!

 

If nothing else, he'd be fantastic entertainment value. I'd just get him to recite the "Four Candles / Fork Handles" sketch and that'd be me entertained for an hour and a half. Much better than watching Clanger for an hour and a half (stag night, or not).

Having watched the MLS a lot... I would take Souter and Langfield over Pat Onstad ANY day of the week. The problem with the MLS was I was pointing out the better players, rather than the crap ones like the Paatelainens or any of the Hibs goalkeepers. Paul Dalglish won the MLS last season. Daniel Dichio isn't just 'another joke of a player' over there. He is the top scorer in the league.

 

Go and watch Caley vs Falkirk and I guarantee you a better game than DC United vs Houton Dynamo. Players like Stuart McAffrey or Roy McBain could play for any side in that league. Richie Byrne likewise. Freddy Adu hasn't just been 'hyped up', he has been turned into something he never was. Considering he has been one of The Greatest Players On The Planet (according to the Nike shop in DC) for 2-3 years now, why does he only have 1 cap for the USA?

 

Comparing Mackie for Eddie Johnson hardly makes the league seem stronger. The best player in their league (by a mile) is as good a player as a decent SPL striker? Like I say, the majority of those teams would struggle to cope in Division 1.

I'm certainly not saying Onstad is a great keeper, but I don't rate Langfield or Soutar at all and the SPL isn't full of quality keepers, and you weren't pointing out better players if you look into who you commented upon (maybe the exception is Robinson who has a number of Welsh caps and could probably play in the dons starting eleven). You pointed out average players in MLS as did I, guys who play most games. Would you take a 32 yr old Dichio or a 40 yr old Brewster in your squad? They are comparible if you ask me. Paul Dalglish won the MLS = Bob Malcolm winning the premier league. There are plenty of mediocre Scottish players would get overly recognized too - look at the Rangers and Celtic diddies who have been selected for Scotland before quality and more deserving players (i.e. the clowns that play instead of Russell Anderson.)

 

I'm not arguing MLS is better but I think they are comparible leagues. I've seen terrible dons games in the past and great MLS games and vice versa. Freddy Adu is a decent player with plenty of talent but remember he's only 18. He's been overly hyped up by MLS to get attention to the league but that is American sports - the world series, world champion San Antonio Spurs etc. It's not the world but that's America.

 

Johnson isn't the best player in MLS and I'd say Angel, Donovan, Albright, Johnson, Mapp, Ching, Mastroeni for example could all start for an SPL team plus there are loads of good up and coming players. I heard Danny Szetela is being linked with Rangers being one. It's a very new league and will only get stronger as players develop and gain experience. MLS will just get stronger (as will American 'soccer' in general) - It pains me to say but I'm not as confident about Scottish football.