Senior non-triers hurt Dons youth

 

Published: 17/04/2010

 

Former Aberdeen captain Ally Shewan, who skippered the club from 1963 to 1966, leads the disillusioned Dons supporters in today’s letters column

 

SIR, – I have endured a season of disappointment and embarrassment with the current Aberdeen FC set-up.

 

What have we got? A bunch of underachievers and I would go as far to say non-triers in the more experienced players.

 

I feel sorry for the young lads the manager is trying to introduce to the side as they are looking for guidance from the so-called experienced players.

 

What has happened to playing for the jersey? The club signed them in good faith hoping they would want to play for Aberdeen, but instead we have a bunch of footballers who want the salary but do not want the responsibility of getting Aberdeen back on track.

 

The manager is trying and I have no doubt he will be a good manager. But if he cannot get the effort from his players he may as well call it a day.

 

Come on players, give yourselves a shake and earn the money that the faithful supporters put over the turnstiles weekly.

 

Ally Shewan,

SIR, – I have endured a season of disappointment and embarrassment with the current Aberdeen FC set-up.

 

What have we got? A bunch of underachievers and I would go as far to say non-triers in the more experienced players.

 

I feel sorry for the young lads the manager is trying to introduce to the side as they are looking for guidance from the so-called experienced players.

 

What has happened to playing for the jersey? The club signed them in good faith hoping they would want to play for Aberdeen, but instead we have a bunch of footballers who want the salary but do not want the responsibility of getting Aberdeen back on track.

 

The manager is trying and I have no doubt he will be a good manager. But if he cannot get the effort from his players he may as well call it a day.

 

Come on players, give yourselves a shake and earn the money that the faithful supporters put over the turnstiles weekly.

 

Ally Shewan,

 

in other words

GET YOUR FINGER OOT OR F*$K OFF!

or something to that effect

Pity this season appears to be down to all the players and nae the manager 

 

Apart from McDonald on occasion I cannae really think of players who could be classed as 'non trying' (would also add Aluko however he cannae really be classed as 'experienced' shirley?)

 

In the whole I'd say our problems are mair down to zero creativity, no tactical nous, baffling formations, poor substitutions and a lack of a plan B when its all going pearshaped.

 

 

 

Pity this season appears to be down to all the players and nae the manager 

 

But if he cannot get the effort from his players he may as well call it a day

 

I think he made his thoughts of the manager clear.....

 

I don't see how anyone could disagree with anything he's saying, the players effort levels are for the most part non existant.

I don't see how anyone could disagree with anything he's saying, the players effort levels are for the most part non existant.

 

Excellent man-management then?

I don't know, personally I look at the players and regardless of who the manager is you'd expect them to put effort in. In a lot of games the effort hasn't been there. I don't know the cause of it but I blame the players for not trying for a lot of our problems.

I don't know, personally I look at the players and regardless of who the manager is you'd expect them to put effort in. In a lot of games the effort hasn't been there. I don't know the cause of it but I blame the players for not trying for a lot of our problems.

 

What players in your opinion don't try?, as mentioned earlier I defo reckon McDonald and Aluko however that's the only 2 I can think off just noo.....I suppose Miller can also be added when he was here.

Grassi, Mulgrew and maybe MacLean kinda look like they're at half pace but I assume that's their style

A'body else, i.e. Kerr, Young, Diamond, Ifil, Fyvie, Pawlett, Foster, Mackie, Considine, Duff etc are usually always bombing aboot, albeit with zero impact the majority of the time

Its difficult to look at it like that, but more on an individual game basis, I would say Raith Rovers at home, I can't remember the team that night but that is one example of a collective team not trying a leg. I seem to recall Diamond being exempt but the other 10 did not try a feck and i'm including Langfield in it.

 

I know what your saying above though, I just think a lot of the players are good kidders in terms of looking like they are working but not really are.

It is all very well saying they "aren't trying", maybe they aren't, but why? And why can't the manager get them to try?

 

He clearly can't convince them to try. However you want to paint it, that is a bad situation.

It is all very well saying they "aren't trying", maybe they aren't, but why? And why can't the manager get them to try?

 

He clearly can't convince them to try. However you want to paint it, that is a bad situation.

 

The manager shouldn't have to convince any player to "try".  They are being paid to do a job, a job which can have different extremes from week to week and I think most people can accept bad performances, but not trying?  The manager in that situation has a problem, of course, but these guys are adults. There's only so much you can do if they are stubborn enough to act like children and choose to continue to act like that.

The manager shouldn't have to convince any player to "try".  They are being paid to do a job, a job which can have different extremes from week to week and I think most people can accept bad performances, but not trying?  The manager in that situation has a problem, of course, but these guys are adults. There's only so much you can do if they are stubborn enough to act like children and choose to continue to act like that.

 

A good manager WILL get players to try. What is the hardship with that?

 

Unprofessionalism from footballers? Whatever next? Mizer's gay?

A good manager WILL get players to try. What is the hardship with that?

 

Unprofessionalism from footballers? Whatever next? Mizer's gay?

 

Well, I thought towards the end of last season it certainly looked as though the team didn't have the same desire to play for JC, is JC not a good manager?

 

By the way, I'm not sticking up for McGhee here, if players are not trying they deserve every single piece of criticism going in my book. By all means, give stick to the manager as well if that's what you want, but trying to absolve the players in any of this is nonsense in my opinion.

Come on min, Bobby. If, as is being suggested, the players aren't trying no manager or scout is going to recommend or sign these players in the hope that they can make them play!

 

It isn't, for whatever reason, working.

 

Irrespective of whatever happened in the past, both in terms of Calderwood and his mid-level managerial achievements and Magoo and his fantastic achievements as a player for us, his lower to mid-level managerial achievements for other clubs and his atrocious performance now, we are nowhere near where we should be. The team is better than 8th at best and 11th at worst.

 

I can remember using the original forum at the time of Alex Miller, and there were several advocating his presence right to the end.

 

We need to start again this summer. A board that can allegedly afford to punt a manger who finishes fourth can afford to punt a manager who finishes 8th to 11th.

Come on min, Bobby. If, as is being suggested, the players aren't trying no manager or scout is going to recommend or sign these players in the hope that they can make them play!

 

It isn't, for whatever reason, working.

 

Irrespective of whatever happened in the past, both in terms of Calderwood and his mid-level managerial achievements and Magoo and his fantastic achievements as a player for us, his lower to mid-level managerial achievements for other clubs and his atrocious performance now, we are nowhere near where we should be. The team is better than 8th at best and 11th at worst.

 

I can remember using the original forum at the time of Alex Miller, and there were several advocating his presence right to the end.

 

We need to start again this summer. A board that can allegedly afford to punt a manger who finishes fourth can afford to punt a manager who finishes 8th to 11th.

WTF!!!

Come on min, Bobby. If, as is being suggested, the players aren't trying no manager or scout is going to recommend or sign these players in the hope that they can make them play!

 

It isn't, for whatever reason, working.

 

Irrespective of whatever happened in the past, both in terms of Calderwood and his mid-level managerial achievements and Magoo and his fantastic achievements as a player for us, his lower to mid-level managerial achievements for other clubs and his atrocious performance now, we are nowhere near where we should be. The team is better than 8th at best and 11th at worst.

 

I can remember using the original forum at the time of Alex Miller, and there were several advocating his presence right to the end.

 

We need to start again this summer. A board that can allegedly afford to punt a manger who finishes fourth can afford to punt a manager who finishes 8th to 11th.

 

Do you know something we don't? As far as I have heard so far despite being able to sign terms with clubs since January none of our players have signed a contract elsewhere therefore supporting the view that other clubs are looking at these players and judging that they are a) shite or b) lazy cants

Come on min, Bobby. If, as is being suggested, the players aren't trying no manager or scout is going to recommend or sign these players in the hope that they can make them play!

 

It isn't, for whatever reason, working.

 

Irrespective of whatever happened in the past, both in terms of Calderwood and his mid-level managerial achievements and Magoo and his fantastic achievements as a player for us, his lower to mid-level managerial achievements for other clubs and his atrocious performance now, we are nowhere near where we should be. The team is better than 8th at best and 11th at worst.

 

I can remember using the original forum at the time of Alex Miller, and there were several advocating his presence right to the end.

 

We need to start again this summer. A board that can allegedly afford to punt a manger who finishes fourth can afford to punt a manager who finishes 8th to 11th.

 

And? I'm not disputing any of that, my point is that you can not absolve the players of blame if they are not trying, in the same way you can not absolve McGhee of blame for an utter abortion of a season.  To say it's ok these players are not trying because it's well known that pro footballers have a reputation of being unprofessional is changing the tune to suit your own argument.

 

A lack of effort on their part is never acceptable whether they like the manager or not.

Do you know something we don't? As far as I have heard so far despite being able to sign terms with clubs since January none of our players have signed a contract elsewhere therefore supporting the view that other clubs are looking at these players and judging that they are a) shite or b) lazy cants

 

I can't quite remember what the point I was trying to make was , I'm going to guess that it was; surely the players are aware of your point and they'd have to be terminally stupid to deliberately not try or even give that impression. Especially those coming to the end of their contracts that would be hopeful of a bumper pay day in englandshire.

 

If they genuinely are going out to deliberately not try questions need to be asked as to why that is and what exactly the current set up will do to make a new set of players not, not try. Especially as in recent times financial constraints have meant an overall reduction in quality as a team is dismantled and rebuilt.

 

Either way I think I'm past trying to blame anyone, this summer should have always been the point at which things should have been ripped up to start again, and nothing that has happened over the last 12 months has altered that.

 

Thanks and good luck to players who may or may not have been trying over the last 12 to 18 months and are out of contract.

 

Thanks and good luck to the management team whether the players you inherited tried for you or not I think it's evident that things haven't worked out out and I doubt if any manager has ever turned things round from having the worst ever managerial record at a club to having one of the best.

It is probably not simply down to lack of effort though that certainly seems to form part of the problem. There's no doubt some players have no intention of remaining at the club and the attendant lack of interest is obvious from some.

 

Folk have been giving Kerr pelters for not signing a contract (though not just for that!) as that doesn't set the correct example as captain. Anderson and Severin didn't either and I didn't question either of their commitments. His, to me anyway, is a problem of playing shite, very, very shite.

 

I do not give the players any credit for their effort this season but players have always been and always will be a squad of cosseted, temperamental fairies requiring pretty close supervision and preparation. I just don't see the respect for the manager, an essential at any club, nor do I see much focus on the park suggesting poor preparation or an complete inability to translate what the manager wants from the team.

 

They seem to play when they want to, not when needed and whilst there is responsibility individually that pales into utter insignificance when, collectively, the manager can't get it out of them.

 

So the question is, do you throw your lot in and finance a manager who cannot get even nearly the best out of a squad of players to give him another squad of players?