JIMMY CALDERWOOD returned to Pittodrie a couple of months ago and was met by an atmosphere so sterile it was if he'd just walked into Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Gone were the smiles. Gone was the laughter. And gone was the banter.
It wasn't, he claims, the same place where he had worked for five successful years.
Instead, it was like someone had just died. And on Wednesday night metaphorically speaking it seemed like someone did.
The man who replaced Jimmy Calderwood was axed just like Caldo was in May, 2009.
Only this time, Mark McGhee left the club in disgrace.
McGhee couldn't walk out of the old stadium with his head held high.
McGhee hadnt secured a top-six place for every season he was at the club. McGhee hadn't just returned the Dons to Europe. And McGhee didn't have the fans again believing their club was Scotland's third choice.
But Calderwood received the same brutal outcome. And he knew right there and then that chairman Stewart Milne was making a massive mistake.
The 55-year-old said: "I certainly feel I was sacked unfairly and it gnaws away at me all the time that I was never told why I was being sacked.
"I'm proud of my record at Pittodrie. Sure there were defeats to lesser sides we should have beaten in the cups, but overall, our achievements far outweighed the disappointments. In my last week there, people avoided me or wouldn't look me in the eye and you have been long enough in the game and streetwise enough to realise that something was going on.
"I demanded a meeting with the chairman and asked him straight out, 'Are you planning to sack me?' When he never answered for about 45 seconds which seemed like an eternity I knew at that moment it was all over.
"The day my sacking was announced was emotional, with me, office staff and players all in tears.
"I think the reaction to the news of my sacking took Stewart by surprise. He didn't realise we were just one big, happy family. I told him he had made a mistake and it is for him to judge whether he did or not."
Was it one, big happy family under McGhee? More like a dysfunctional one as Calderwood was to discover in October.
He said: "I was up at the Hearts game as corporate guest and the change in the atmosphere about the place was noticeable.
"There wasn't the same warmth or friendliness but I don't know the reason. You must go to work with a smile, if you have a frown then you have no chance.
"Apart from when I first arrived at Pittodrie, I've never been at a club where the negative outweighed the positive and where I didn't want to stay. Aberdeen are now in a difficult position with half the season almost gone.
"Fighting relegation is a new experience for most of the players and it is vital they start picking up points immediately because the longer this run goes, the more the pressure will intensify."
The atmosphere wasnt the only change Calderwood noticed.
He didn't utter McGhees name as he outlined just how far Aberdeen have fallen. But then again, he didn't have to.
Calderwood said: "What was my legacy? I left Aberdeen a much stronger club than when I took control. There was a balanced, happy squad which had come from bottom of the league to qualify for Europe which took character and ability.
"We'd made top six in the SPL every year, qualified for Europe three times and reached the last 32 in the UEFA and that is something which will never be done again by any club outwith the Old Firm.
"Apart from results, every manager is judged by his signings. We got Scott Severin, Jamie Langfield, Craig Brewster, Lee Miller, Mark Kerr, Jamie Smith, Stevie Crawford, Jackie McNamara, Alan Maybury, Derek Young, Gary McDonald, Jeffrey de Visser all for nothing. Dundee United must have been sick at the sight of us for taking their best players north.
"If I could have picked a select from that lot along with the best squad I had, it would have been good enough to win the championship.
"I can hold my head up with pride but it's sad to see Aberdeen in this plight because I still view them as Scotlands third biggest club.
"I bumped into one of my old players a few days ago and he brought up the fact that it was only a couple of years ago they were playing Bayern Munich in Germany.
"That's how far the club has fallen recently, which is quite staggering."
Calderwood rubbished the reasons that were put forward for his axeing.
He added: "I told Stewart Milne to sort out the contracts for myself, Jimmy Nicholl and Sandy Clark although he did say he'd put the matter before the other directors.
"I asked Willie Miller what his take on it was. He muttered that he didn't know if I was the right man to introduce youth into the team, which was crap.
"I'd coached these kids, knew their ability and gave Peter Pawlett his debut at Ibrox and Chris Maguire and Sone Aluko were part of the squad, so that didn't wear with me. It was only an excuse because they wanted me out to bring in Mark."
Bitter ?? Hell yeah, p.s it must be easy for someone THIS good to get a job, no ??
JIMMY CALDERWOOD returned to Pittodrie a couple of months ago and was met by an atmosphere so sterile it was if he'd just walked into Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Gone were the smiles. Gone was the laughter. And gone was the banter.
It wasn't, he claims, the same place where he had worked for five successful years.
Instead, it was like someone had just died. And on Wednesday night metaphorically speaking it seemed like someone did.
The man who replaced Jimmy Calderwood was axed just like Caldo was in May, 2009.
Only this time, Mark McGhee left the club in disgrace.
McGhee couldn't walk out of the old stadium with his head held high.
McGhee hadnt secured a top-six place for every season he was at the club. McGhee hadn't just returned the Dons to Europe. And McGhee didn't have the fans again believing their club was Scotland's third choice.
But Calderwood received the same brutal outcome. And he knew right there and then that chairman Stewart Milne was making a massive mistake.
The 55-year-old said: "I certainly feel I was sacked unfairly and it gnaws away at me all the time that I was never told why I was being sacked.
"I'm proud of my record at Pittodrie. Sure there were defeats to lesser sides we should have beaten in the cups, but overall, our achievements far outweighed the disappointments. In my last week there, people avoided me or wouldn't look me in the eye and you have been long enough in the game and streetwise enough to realise that something was going on.
"I demanded a meeting with the chairman and asked him straight out, 'Are you planning to sack me?' When he never answered for about 45 seconds which seemed like an eternity I knew at that moment it was all over.
"The day my sacking was announced was emotional, with me, office staff and players all in tears.
"I think the reaction to the news of my sacking took Stewart by surprise. He didn't realise we were just one big, happy family. I told him he had made a mistake and it is for him to judge whether he did or not."
Was it one, big happy family under McGhee? More like a dysfunctional one as Calderwood was to discover in October.
He said: "I was up at the Hearts game as corporate guest and the change in the atmosphere about the place was noticeable.
"There wasn't the same warmth or friendliness but I don't know the reason. You must go to work with a smile, if you have a frown then you have no chance.
"Apart from when I first arrived at Pittodrie, I've never been at a club where the negative outweighed the positive and where I didn't want to stay. Aberdeen are now in a difficult position with half the season almost gone.
"Fighting relegation is a new experience for most of the players and it is vital they start picking up points immediately because the longer this run goes, the more the pressure will intensify."
The atmosphere wasnt the only change Calderwood noticed.
He didn't utter McGhees name as he outlined just how far Aberdeen have fallen. But then again, he didn't have to.
Calderwood said: "What was my legacy? I left Aberdeen a much stronger club than when I took control. There was a balanced, happy squad which had come from bottom of the league to qualify for Europe which took character and ability.
"We'd made top six in the SPL every year, qualified for Europe three times and reached the last 32 in the UEFA and that is something which will never be done again by any club outwith the Old Firm.
"Apart from results, every manager is judged by his signings. We got Scott Severin, Jamie Langfield, Craig Brewster, Lee Miller, Mark Kerr, Jamie Smith, Stevie Crawford, Jackie McNamara, Alan Maybury, Derek Young, Gary McDonald, Jeffrey de Visser all for nothing. Dundee United must have been sick at the sight of us for taking their best players north.
"If I could have picked a select from that lot along with the best squad I had, it would have been good enough to win the championship.
"I can hold my head up with pride but it's sad to see Aberdeen in this plight because I still view them as Scotlands third biggest club.
"I bumped into one of my old players a few days ago and he brought up the fact that it was only a couple of years ago they were playing Bayern Munich in Germany.
"That's how far the club has fallen recently, which is quite staggering."
Calderwood rubbished the reasons that were put forward for his axeing.
He added: "I told Stewart Milne to sort out the contracts for myself, Jimmy Nicholl and Sandy Clark although he did say he'd put the matter before the other directors.
"I asked Willie Miller what his take on it was. He muttered that he didn't know if I was the right man to introduce youth into the team, which was crap.
"I'd coached these kids, knew their ability and gave Peter Pawlett his debut at Ibrox and Chris Maguire and Sone Aluko were part of the squad, so that didn't wear with me. It was only an excuse because they wanted me out to bring in Mark."
Bitter ?? Hell yeah, p.s it must be easy for someone THIS good to get a job, no ??