http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5i6_pBdKe2J3bAUgwsWHb_WYqVCBw?docId=N0645331317223356088A

 

Jimmy Calderwood feels former club Aberdeen have struggled to replace the experienced professionals that have followed him out of Pittodrie.

 

Calderwood lost his job as Dons boss in May 2009 despite taking the club to the last 32 of the UEFA Cup and always achieving top-six status in the SPL in five years at the helm. The Dons have mostly been in the bottom half since with Craig Brown and Archie Knox struggling to improve the poor results under predecessor Mark McGhee.

 

He said: "I`ve not seen them but looking from the outside, which is always dangerous, I don`t think the quality of player they have brought in are as good as the quality of the ones who have left. A lot of experienced players, and winners, have left the club."

 

The second-bottom Dons, who have failed to score in seven out of nine SPL games this season, host Dunfermline on Friday night.

 

Calderwood said: "It`s a massive game for them now on Friday. They have Dundee United, Rangers and Celtic after that. The expectation would be top six at least and probably higher. If they do lose, it could be very difficult."

 

Calderwood appeared to pay the price for the high expectations at Pittodrie after failing to achieve cup success, but he does not believe the club`s past glory under Sir Alex Ferguson weigh down those now at the club.

 

He said: "I had that in the beginning but not in the end. But they do expect to get in finals and be high up in the league. And financially-wise, even though everyone is struggling, they are probably the fourth biggest team in Scotland.

 

"I think they should be doing better than they are but it`s easy to blame the manager all the time."

 

When asked if he would ever return to Pittodrie if asked to go back at any stage, he said: "I don`t think I would be asked.

 

"It broke my heart leaving, I love the club, I love the city.I would need to talk to a few people first and get a few truths from people."

 

 

I would have liked him to have been allowed to keep the squad together after we had our European jaunt.

I don't know, would've liked to have seen him given until Christmas the following season. See what he could've done in the Summer.

 

Ditto. He deserved at least that.

 

as has been said, the downward spiral was well underway while he was in charge.

 

He could have and should have done better than he did at Pittodrie. The fact the next two in the job have been disasters does not change that one bit.

 

So are we saying sacking Jimmy was the one thing Milne has got right during his time in charge?

Ditto. He deserved at least that.

 

So are we saying sacking Jimmy was the one thing Milne has got right during his time in charge?

 

 

Sacking him would only have been right if the next man did a better job.

Ditto. He deserved at least that.

 

So are we saying sacking Jimmy was the one thing Milne has got right during his time in charge?

 

I don't know, are we? Do you actually mean "So are you saying...."?

I don't know, are we? Do you actually mean "So are you saying...."?

 

Yeah, that's what I actually mean.

Yeah, that's what I actually mean.

 

I'm sure Milne has got other things right over the years, but at that moment in time, I do think JC had to go.  I wasn't particularly vociferous in wanting his removal at the time, had he stayed beyond that point I'd have been only moderately pissed off and slightly wary of what was going to come under his stewardship.

 

His record in the cups was utterly abysmal, moreso for the team he had and the resources he had used to get his side together - a lot of free transfers but a lot spent on wages when you look at players like Seve, Nicholson, Smith, Lovell, Whelan, Miller etc.  And good on him for getting those players, and good on him for getting out of the UEFA group and consistent league finishes etc, I do think the guy is mainly a good manager but we were on the slide and I really don't know how people can overlook that.

 

You say yourself he should have been given til Christmas. Why just Christmas if you are that unwavering in your support?

Do you not think the club stood by him and he got the loyalty he deserved after QotS?

 

I can appreciate why people like the guy etc and I don't necessarily dislike him, I just felt at the time we weren't going to progress with him in charge. The money was being cut and I really doubted his ability to get decent players in for cheap rather than the obvious signings on big wages I mentioned earlier.

 

Jimmy had given us our respectability back and I'll be forever grateful for it, but we had long stopped progressing and he wasn't able to address that or so it seemed to me.  Of course you can say "lack of money" etc and of course that's a major issue, but if he isn't able to do the job on the budget set then he should stand aside. 

 

People can only react to things at the time, and because the last two managers have not done  (or are not doing) the job properly doesn't mean we shouldn't have let him go, should we not have sacked Roy Aitken because Alex Miller was a monumental disaster?

 

We can't be frightened of progression or at least trying to progress; unfortunately those at the top made the wrong choices which followed what I personally think was the right decision at the time.

If we were still shite after a summer window and a new season then that's when alarm bells should ring. Less of a lump sum to pay out too.

 

If we were still shite after a summer window and a new season then that's when alarm bells should ring. Less of a lump sum to pay out too.

 

 

But you've also just bought new players a new manager may not want, so more money wasted there. Swings and roundabouts.

But you've also just bought new players a new manager may not want, so more money wasted there. Swings and roundabouts.

 

Of course, all conjecture.

 

However, it was all a massive waste of money.

A lot more money than McGhee got to spend, that's fo' shizzle.

 

Bobby - you keep banging on about how JC was on the slide and his team hadn't won X games in Y matches but the fact remains, we qualifed for Europe during that slide.

 

I for one don't doubt that the slide was largely down to rumblings in and around Pittodrie at that time that his coat was on a shoogly peg.

 

You've also mentioned the amount he spent on players but you've got to remember during his time he was selling players, and for big money.  Something that the club have failed to do for long spells before or since JC's spell there.  Couple that with the money he brought in for the European run(s) then I think he more than returned what he spent.

FFS, surely it's getting a bit old now. The media seem to wheel out JC for the same fucking interview every time we are struggling.

 

"I love the club, the city etc"

"I don't know why I was sacked"

"Top six every season"

 

That's the point though we have been far crapier since he left. So maybe it goes to prove that when he was here he knew what he was about given the backing he received .

I pray we can reach top six this season but likelihood right now from performance so far is were going to be relegated unless they change the league .

And no I do not think it's too early to start saying relegation battle .

He definately deserved more time in my opinion.

 

I think Jimmy did the best with team and  money he had.  IF Milne had backed him up financially and perhaps taken a wee gamble to invest in the team at that time, well who knows . . .

 

I dont remember the auld firm being exceptional that year and certainly both havent gotten any better since.  Listen I aint saying without his sacking and good investment we would have been SPL champions but it certainly could have made us be up there challenging.  How much money would have been needed, well i just dont know.  As usual no commitment fae wiggy to try and make us something! Speculate to accumulate and all that.

 

I know Hearts tried it with Romanovs money and nearly succeeded (well until Xmas) until they sacked the manager.  But surely even Milne wouldnt start messing about with the team like that idiot did/does!!

 

Ach you can only dream

 

Probably talking shite again

I don't want JC to come back, generally true in fitba to say never go back.

 

I didn't want him bagged either and I think it is pretty evident he was ice skating uphill with that fucking club, he had us punching above our weight, McGhee, and the cost of signing him, meant we had one hand tied behind our fucking back.

 

But I do agree with others who say it doesn't feel like a "team" anymore, despite the tombola appearance at times under Calderwood.

When asked if he would ever return to Pittodrie, he said "I would need to talk to a few people first and get a few truths from people".

 

It is beyond pathos that he even answers the question, obviously rhetorical. The fact he considers it even possible, however remote, is tragic.

 

You shouldn't have insulted us so frequently you thick fat cunt. You thought you were Erchie. 

When asked if he would ever return to Pittodrie, he said "I would need to talk to a few people first and get a few truths from people".

 

It is beyond pathos that he even answers the question, obviously rhetorical. The fact he considers it even possible, however remote, is tragic.

 

You shouldn't have insulted us so frequently you thick fat cunt. You thought you were Erchie.

 

Move on FFS! 

Point 1 - the use of "scotch" in the 1st sentence upset me too much to agree with the article.

 

Point 2 - why haven't job offers been pouring in for a guy who can ( in his opinion) guarantee a top 6 finish. If anyone vaguely rated him he'd have a decent job by now. Alex Miller was no2 at Liverpool FFS.

 

 

Bobby - you keep banging on about how JC was on the slide and his team hadn't won X games in Y matches but the fact remains, we qualifed for Europe during that slide.

 

 

Yeah, that's good, but it could and should have been better. What's so wrong with wanting more, wanting what's the best for the club?

 

That run included another dismal exit from the Scottish Cup... we couldn't put Dunfermline out over 220 mins of football, the majority of that at our home stadium for goodness sake.  Or is it now just a case of us not having any sort of ambition whatsoever?

 

why cant you accept that side of the argument? Or is qualification for Europe now the pinnacle of things as far as we're concerned and to hang with silverware?

 

 

I for one don't doubt that the slide was largely down to rumblings in and around Pittodrie at that time that his coat was on a shoogly peg.

 

Pure conjecture. Calderwood said no-one knew anything of it until about 3 weeks at most before it happened.

We'd be as well saying it was down to him saying that he had now outgrown our club after beating Celtic and hinting he'd likely be off to something he perceived as being better.

 

Could have had something to do with a marked downturn in the standard of player we had in the squad by then.

 

 

You've also mentioned the amount he spent on players but you've got to remember during his time he was selling players, and for big money.  Something that the club have failed to do for long spells before or since JC's spell there.  Couple that with the money he brought in for the European run(s) then I think he more than returned what he spent.

 

Who? Anderson. Who else? Genuine question, I don't remember anyone else going for big money. Are you now saying we only got money for Anderson because JC was manager?

 

You've also completely misunderstood the point i was making.  My point was not that he shouldn't be spending that money, it was that he was able to assemble a squad of good quality on good money... the rewards - as in cups and regular European trips should have been forthcoming.  I'm not having a go at the guy for spending money the board sanctioned him to spend. I think he could have got more out of the squad, he should have brought a cup home for us with that squad of players, had he done that he could have done as he liked forever near enough as far as I'm concerned.

 

But he didn't.

Move on FFS! 

You need to read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Or maybe not. You wouldn't understand.

 

Being in the minority on here that wanted rid of him is paradoxically not a minority view in the real world. The majority of AFC fans wanted rid.

 

Your pedantactile nature is already bristling with calls for proof etc. but if you read the book, and were comprehension-capable, you would recognise the truth.

 

Sorry for not having the majority view. Sorry for provoking a real and present danger for debate. 

You need to read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Or maybe not. You wouldn't understand.

 

Being in the minority on here that wanted rid of him is paradoxically not a minority view in the real world. The majority of AFC fans wanted rid.

 

Your pedantactile nature is already bristling with calls for proof etc. but if you read the book, and were comprehension-capable, you would recognise the truth.

 

Sorry for not having the majority view. Sorry for provoking a real and present danger for debate.

 

Dear fuck.

You need to read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Or maybe not. You wouldn't understand.

 

Being in the minority on here that wanted rid of him is paradoxically not a minority view in the real world. The majority of AFC fans wanted rid.

 

Your pedantactile nature is already bristling with calls for proof etc. but if you read the book, and were comprehension-capable, you would recognise the truth.

 

Sorry for not having the majority view. Sorry for provoking a real and present danger for debate.

 

Jesus wept.

You need to read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Or maybe not. You wouldn't understand.

 

Being in the minority on here that wanted rid of him is paradoxically not a minority view in the real world. The majority of AFC fans wanted rid.

 

Your pedantactile nature is already bristling with calls for proof etc. but if you read the book, and were comprehension-capable, you would recognise the truth.

 

Sorry for not having the majority view. Sorry for provoking a real and present danger for debate.

 

Blimey Charlie.

Sorry. I just hate that Kow cunt. His brand of motr shite turns my stomach.

I don't want JC to come back, generally true in fitba to say never go back.

 

I didn't want him bagged either and I think it is pretty evident he was ice skating uphill with that fucking club, he had us punching above our weight, McGhee, and the cost of signing him, meant we had one hand tied behind our fucking back.

 

But I do agree with others who say it doesn't feel like a "team" anymore, despite the tombola appearance at times under Calderwood.

 

Pretty much my feelings too.

 

Exactly actually.

You didn't want the fat cunt sacked? You found his reign acceptable? You found him acceptable? Jesus Christ. We have the club you deserve. 

You didn't want the fat cunt sacked? You found his reign acceptable? You found him acceptable? Jesus Christ. We have the club you deserve.

 

Your hatred is so OTT the top! Were you the one he was scrapping with on Union Street that night? Did he lay you out and you've struggled to come to terms with it?

 

Whilst Jimmy was no Fergie he's easily the best appointment we've made for the last 15 years. Aye he got some poor results but a lot of good ones. How someone can hate him so vociferously is beyond me.

 

Maybe I hinna read the right books to understand.