inspirational figure. he really is.

 

looking at the way he talks to our players throughout the game.

 

the way he barracks the opposition

 

the way he generally just struts about with his chest out, its great to see.

 

HOWEVER...i think weve been so starved of proper professionals over the years that its actually a little sad how we - i included - have latched onto this guy as being some kind of messiah

 

i want to hammer home that im happy hes at our club and that hes our captain, but...im sorry to say, he looks like a shadow of a player out on the park

 

the game seems to continually pass him by and my question is....can we afford that?

this is fucking embarrassing. 

 

Zerouali isn't even in the 50 greatest ever Dons never mind comparing him to Larsson and Laudrup and Moravcik (a real genius, by the way).

 

Zero couldn't lace Stevie Gray's boots, another former AFC player who died recently and who also never made the most of his talent.  I think I'll start banging on about Stevie in every thread, seems the in thing...

 

Genuis. Stevie Gray even had a better tan than Zero and looked better in slip-on loafers.

Heard of Stevie Gray before, but don't what like a player he was.

Was he a good prospect??

Heard of Stevie Gray before, but don't what like a player he was.

Was he a good prospect??

 

Aye, he was a good player. One game I remember in particular he ripped Maurice Malpas to pieces at Pittodrie as we pumped them (4-2  I think it was, Hewitt got a couple).  He also started the 85 League Cup Final for us, Fergie really rated him.  Liked the good life too much though.  He went to Airdrie after us, a mate of mine is an Airdrie fan and he couldn't believe we let Gray leave, he was that skillful.

 

Said the same thing BB to no avail. Seems being incredibly perceptive means you are terminally thick too.

im not touching this post with a barge pole

 

i like you SOTR, a lot as it happens so im leaving this be

 

my love for Zerouali, my ill-feeling towards speaking ill of the dead and my general acceptance that i sometimes let my passion for circumstances close to my heart, take over my brain and result in a vitriolic spiel towards the OP, leads me to my conclusion

 

I wasn't having a go at you or Zerouali...  just my honest assessment.  That's all.  As you alluded to earlier, different people are going to have different opinions.

This has gone so far, it's not even funny anymore. If this thread is not locked, I'm going to have send my eye transplant bill to Reekie Red.

 

Reekie is hard up so I'll save him the bill

If all our midfielders were fit (specifically Jack, Milson, Fyvie, Folly) then I wouldn't have him starting.  He is so off the pace it is unreal.  He might be a good "captain" but what use is he if the game is sailing past him?

 

Maybe Brown should consider him as Centre Half?  Can't be any worse than Diamond.

Been having the same thoughts tonight.

 

The game just seemed to pass him by today.

can't argue with you there, wasn't In the game at all, admittedly he wasn't the only one though

Was an absolute joke on that park today

If all our midfielders were fit (specifically Jack, Milson, Fyvie, Folly) then I wouldn't have him starting.  He is so off the pace it is unreal.  He might be a good "captain" but what use is he if the game is sailing past him?

 

Maybe Brown should consider him as Centre Half?  Can't be any worse than Diamond.

 

Suggested this a couple of months ago.  He's not up to it. there's no shame in that, he's had a good career but he's chasing shadows these days.

He's not good enough in the air to play at centre half.

Right now first choice midfield would be:

 

 

Aluko, Jack/Folly, Milsom, Pawlett if everyone was fit.

 

Milsom offers so much more attacking than Hartley nowadays.  Think Folly and Jack offer more defensively too...

Hartley is good against the lesser teams that dont play at the pace Celtic did yesterday. It might be time to offer him a coaching role

It's clear the Hartley requires a lot more time on the ball these days to do anything with it. The game passed him by in the first half. In the second half when he was given slightly longer on the ball he started pinging a few decent passes about but on the whole he wasn't up to it on Saturday. 

i take no pleasure in being vindicated in my initial assessment

 

well, ok, maybe i do, a little

Hartley is good against the lesser teams that dont play at the pace Celtic did yesterday. It might be time to offer him a coaching role

 

Why, is he a good coach?

He looks so past it. He doesn't even look fit anymore.

 

If you've ever played 5's with somebody who's in the 50's or so who clearly have the football head, but not the leg to match it anymore - that's what he looked like tonight.

 

Also, what he did for his Red Card is unforgiveable for any player, made even worse by the fact he's the captain.

 

2 Straight red cards for the captain when he makes a complete cunt of it is well below the standard I expect from the captain of AFC

millertime was right all along

 

Can't believe folk actually clapped him off tonight.

 

Ridiculous thing to do, especially when you're the captain.

3 match ban for Hartley......well done Hartley, you're showing the youngsters how to play proper football and behave like a team member. . . . NOT

 

3 match ban for Hartley......well done Hartley, you're showing the youngsters how to play proper football and behave like a team member. . . . NOT

 

 

Could be a blessing in disguise.

Begining to think it might be best for all concerned if Hartley were to call it a day at the end of the season.

The cynic in me imagines that old tart Hartley is probably quite relieved to be missing the next 3 games , a wee break from what is obviously becoming too much for an old man.

 

The initial euphoria has turned to disillusionment , as is always the case with euphoria and intoxication. It disnae last.

 

Let us hope the rest will do him good.

 

 

 

 

My mate had a go at me for having a go at Hartley