Got a feeling that next season could be our best one in so many years. Just with so many players out of contract, we could be on for players playing above themselves as so often happens when they need a new contract. See Darren Mackie as your most perfect example.

 

The list of players out of contract next season include Anderson, Hart, Clark, Nicholson, Lovell, Miller, Byrne, Diamond from my reckoning.

 

Anyone else on the same thinking as me or have I gone off the rails?

OK so at least you aren't saying "We're Skint so Funk It, why bother trying".

 

The answer is to build upon success one step at a time.  Make sure that the guys you bring in are the "right guys" and plan your path.  Avocaat blew the financial load when he was at the helm for Rangers and that's why PLuG had nothing to work with.  Smith is just getting results because the players like & respect him.  I don't think LeGuen ever had that and certainly didn't do anything to foster it.

 

Remember that the OF set themselves up to have more £££ when the TV contracts came in.  Taking the lion's share of the revenue and not spreading it throughout the league has left the SPL 10 to fend for themselves and thus not be able to sign the players they'd like.  This is actually one advantage that MLS has over other places when it comes to being able to offer a competitive product throughout the league.  The Salary Cap essentially makes each team closer to equal.  But that issue has been beat to death.

 

In Aberdeen you have a potential perennial challenger.  Always capable of jumping out to the Fantastic and winning the unexpected match or getting hot at the right time and doing something amazing in a specific competition (a la Europe, a cup, or the league).  There are conditions that have to be met for us to attain that level though.  Mostly an attitude adjustment in management that some of an increased revenue needs to be spent on players while keeping an eye on the team debt.

 

JC is doing the right things in adding depth slowly and putting together a team that will move forward at a pace that will keep the fans watching.  We as fans need to accept that rapid incline means rapid decline.  Let the team be built for the long haul.

If we can stick within budget we should never be in the position of HAVING to sell players. Obviously they all have a price, but we should be able to keep most (if not all) the current squad and, if we can generate some extra income from europe, cups and increased crowds we can really mount a consistent challenge.

 

Bear in mind that though the infirm can effectively buy at will (well compared to the rest of Scotland) this does lead to de-stabilisation and we saw that with the huun this season. Teams do take time to "gel" and if you're constantly "tinkering" with formations it can be detrimental.......unless you really have the best of the world as your squad.

 

I am confident for next season and, if finances and personal situation allow I will be at as many games as possible (be warned!)

Exactly!  Everything has to be done with planning.

 

That said, if we are looking to fill needs, it may be wize to look at teams who are about to be relegated from the Premiership, Ligue Un, Serie A, La Liga, the Eredivisie, Superliga, & Bundesligue to see if there is a player that those teams won't be able to afford than fits.

I don't really know about the other leagues you mentioned but to be honest, we'd struggle to afford players who have been relegated from the Premiership.

Gotta be the right one - I agree the prices are stiff but for the right player it can be magic

I like to be optimisitc but whoever said that we should be trading punches with the old firm is a bit carried away, i prefer to be realistic and for the next two or three seasons if we finish 3rd consistently and qualify for Europe that will be further progress to me, only then should we start thinking about challenging the OF. Look at the way Hearts were, even before Romanov came in, they finished 3rd most seasons, were never out of the TOP 6 and then last season could have challenged for the title, ok it's all gone tits up now but the foundations were in place before Vlad came and ruined them.

 

We need to have that sort of consistency to continue finishing in a European spot and then, only then, can we start thinking about moving on to challenge the OF, we can do this by finishing in a Euro slot and maybe making some progress on that front and having more income from cup runs etc. NO point in us trying to run before we can walk.

Think we may well get 3rd and European spot to get crowds interested again but next season will be much more difficult to do the same.  At many times we have pushed our luck which thankfully has held out and is unlikely to do so to same extent again.  Expectation will be much higher aswell.

Never mind next season - our luck most certainly ran out today!!

I like to be optimisitc but whoever said that we should be trading punches with the old firm is a bit carried away, i prefer to be realistic and for the next two or three seasons if we finish 3rd consistently and qualify for Europe that will be further progress to me, only then should we start thinking about challenging the OF. Look at the way Hearts were, even before Romanov came in, they finished 3rd most seasons, were never out of the TOP 6 and then last season could have challenged for the title, ok it's all gone tits up now but the foundations were in place before Vlad came and ruined them.

 

We need to have that sort of consistency to continue finishing in a European spot and then, only then, can we start thinking about moving on to challenge the OF, we can do this by finishing in a Euro slot and maybe making some progress on that front and having more income from cup runs etc. NO point in us trying to run before we can walk.

 

Agree 100% with post. Too many people are expecting us to improve too quicky. Remember it wasn't so long ago when we were struggling to get into the top 6. Let's just steady the ship with some 3rd place finishes before we think about challenging the OF.

I like to be optimisitc but whoever said that we should be trading punches with the old firm is a bit carried away, i prefer to be realistic and for the next two or three seasons if we finish 3rd consistently and qualify for Europe that will be further progress to me, only then should we start thinking about challenging the OF. Look at the way Hearts were, even before Romanov came in, they finished 3rd most seasons, were never out of the TOP 6 and then last season could have challenged for the title, ok it's all gone tits up now but the foundations were in place before Vlad came and ruined them.

 

We need to have that sort of consistency to continue finishing in a European spot and then, only then, can we start thinking about moving on to challenge the OF, we can do this by finishing in a Euro slot and maybe making some progress on that front and having more income from cup runs etc. NO point in us trying to run before we can walk.

Agree 100% with post. Too many people are expecting us to improve too quicky. Remember it wasn't so long ago when we were struggling to get into the top 6. Let's just steady the ship with some 3rd place finishes before we think about challenging the OF.

 

Alright, I agree with your realistic approaches.  But, as I am the guy who said we should be trading punches with the OF, I have been taken out of context.  When you read my post where that is said, it is in a developmental train of thought.  To be able to deal with the OF on a consistent basis is a goal in itself.