Another season looms, three good summer signings, no Huns and a real chance of European Football.

Anyway thought I'd bore you all with some stats about opening day fixtures:

 

 

Aberdeen v Celtic / Celtic v Aberdeen Opening Day Matches

 

We have played Celtic on the opening day 6 times, can we take any omens from these games.

 

13 Aug 1932 Celtic 3 - 0 Aberdeen Div 1 (Old) 15,000

1932-33 season saw the Dons finish a creditable 6th (out of 20) and briefly topped the table after 10 wins out of 11 in Sept and Oct.

They also lost out in the Scottish Cup to 2nd Div Hibs.

10 Aug 1935 Aberdeen 3 - 1 Celtic Div 1 (Old) 28,000

1935-36 saw the Dons finish 3rd, scoring 95 goals in the process, while losing just 3 games.

Knocked out the cup in a QF at Ibrox 1-0.

 

12 Aug 1939 Aberdeen 3 - 1 Celtic Div 1 (Old) 35,000

Omens not great from this season, what with the league being suspended  a month later due to the out break of WW2.

 

10 Aug 1996 Aberdeen 2 - 2 Celtic Premier Division 18,595

Fairly average season, finished 6th, out the league cup to Dundee in the QF and out the Scottish to Hibs in the 3rd while getting pumped out the uefa cup by Ebbe's Brondby

 

01 Aug 1999 Aberdeen 0 - 5 Celtic SPL 16,080

Season continued much as started.  Finished bottom, lost 83 goals and saved from play off due to Brockville being a death trap.

But strangely featured two cup finals, a QF win over Rangers after extra time at Pittodrie in the League Cup and a semi win at Hampden vs Hibs, almost makes you feel nostalgic.

 

15 Aug 2009 Aberdeen 1 - 3 Celtic SPL 16,803

Another season to forget, McGhee's first. Destroyed by Sigma, finished 9th, out the league cup to Dundee, out the Scottish to Raith.

Only bright spot were the debuts of Fyvie and Pawlett. Next

 

Well best to concentrate on the games from the 30s rather than more recent matches I think.

 

 

Recent opening day form

2011: St Johnstone (H) 0-0 10,001

2010: Hamilton (H) 4-0 12,005

2009: Celtic (H) 1-3 16,803

2008: ICT (H) 0-2 12,659

2007: United (A) 0-1 12,496

2006: Hibs (A) 1-1 15,046

2005: United (A) 1-1 12,404

2004: Huns (H) 0-0 19,028

2003: Hearts (A) 0-2 14,260

2002: Hibs (A) 2-1 13,340

 

Played 10

Won 2

Drawn 4

Lost 4

 

So nae great reading there.

 

Anyway

 

 

In/Oot: In

Prematcher: Horseshoe for breakfast then probably Turnstiles for one or two while the minks are raising their flag

Match: Unrestricted view so way down the front somewhere, with nae view

Postmatcher: Who knows, a win could see me head over to the Official Home of the Glasgow Aberdeen....whatever they are called, the rock, more likely toon somewhere.

Prediction: Tims telling us how great it is without the huns and trying to be our best friends - fuck off.

 

So far so good.

 

I don't remember the last time an aberdeen side had such a recognisable structure to it. They weren't pulled about in the first half and we look like we're going to be a fantastic side on the counter attack when things gel.

 

The summer signings have improved things a hell of a lot. Having Anderson organising the defence is brilliant too...he actually IS like a new signing!

 

Getting in a right back to allow jack and ozzie to be the 1st choice centre mid, plus back ups for attack/defence and i could almost bring myself to be vaguely optimistic for a change.

 

 

So far so good.

 

I don't remember the last time an aberdeen side had such a recognisable structure to it. They weren't pulled about in the first half and we look like we're going to be a fantastic side on the counter attack when things gel.

 

The summer signings have improved things a hell of a lot. Having Anderson organising the defence is brilliant too...he actually IS like a new signing!

 

Getting in a right back to allow jack and ozzie to be the 1st choice centre mid, plus back ups for attack/defence and i could almost bring myself to be vaguely optimistic for a change.

this

Watched the first half in The Short Mile. Aye, we look like we actually what the fuck we are daen! Haven't created much but for the first time in a long time, we look difficult to break down. Hopefully McGinn, Vernon, Hayes and Hughes can create some chances. So far, so good.

That should see him out for the rest of the season

:hammer: :hammer: :hammer:

clangers bottles it against the tims again

fucking sickener.

 

a good performance counts for nothing because of one total fuck up.

 

I've consistently defended clangers because he saves some things most others can't (i doubt brown's agile enough to have saved the long range shot down at the corner for eg), but that's unforgivable. our main title rivals gifted three points ffs 

 

brown's thrown a few in the net as well but he deserves to be first choice. time for langfield to move on and bring in someone younger we can mould into being our long-term keeper.

Langfield is a cunt. Why the fuck was he number one anyway?!?! Someone who conceded 9 and deems this acceptable. Get the fuck away from my club. You are an imposter. We did not deserve to lose that, even my Tim mates agreed. You fucked it. You cunt. The rest of the team, well played, you were  let down by a fraud.

Langfield is a cunt. Why the fuck was he number one anyway?!?! Someone who conceded 9 and deems this acceptable. Get the fuck away from my club. You are an imposter. We did not deserve to lose that, even my Tim mates agreed. You fucked it. You cunt. The rest of the team, well played, you were  let down by a fraud.

 

I've defended Langfield before but last season he was comfortably overtaken by Brown as no.1.

 

Brown made a complete cunt of that game, took Naysmith off and a corner almost instantly isn't closed down, leading to a thoroughly innocuous ball making it through a keeper who isn't there on merit.

 

Vernon was a total waste of a jersey today, now whether this is because he genuinely stank is debatable, I thought he was badly used.

 

A decent performance at a tough place and in SPL terms a tough team but hamstrung by bad performances and, I think, poor tactics.  I'd love to take some positives out of it but the choices made by the manager mean I just can't.

I've defended Langfield before but last season he was comfortably overtaken by Brown as no.1.

 

Brown made a complete cunt of that game, took Naysmith off and a corner almost instantly isn't closed down, leading to a thoroughly innocuous ball making it through a keeper who isn't there on merit.

 

Vernon was a total waste of a jersey today, now whether this is because he genuinely stank is debatable, I thought he was badly used.

 

A decent performance at a tough place and in SPL terms a tough team but hamstrung by bad performances and, I think, poor tactics.  I'd love to take some positives out of it but the choices made by the manager mean I just can't.

 

I still think the positives I mentioned at half time apply, but Brown's big choices did backfire. And Vernon got the only genuine chance of the game and missed the target. He'll still score a similar number to last year but he's not gifted.

 

The main positive for me is that for the first time in ages we played the 'football team' formation as opposed to the usual 'run about randomly like fannies' formation.

Suggestion for Clangers replacement. Swiss international Stefan Frei. Glut of keepers in Toronto at the moment.

Wee side note, Russell and Consi at the back,  :thumbsup:

I'd love to take some positives out of it but the choices made by the manager mean I just can't.

 

That sums up our post match discussion.

Agree with all the sentiments on here about Langfield. A credible point ruined by a moment of complete idiocracy by our woeful goal-keeper. How many chances does this guy get?! Brown took over last season and generally did well. What was the reasons behind this change?! I've been saying for 18 months now that Langfield is a natural bottler and should have gotten shipped out of the club years ago yet he still continues to get a place in the team. If pulling out the odd good save is enough to get you a starting berth at Aberdeen, then I could go in goals. He can't kick, he bottles it, his command of the box is atrocious and his kicking is even worse.

Although I agree with all the negative points, I'm a bit surprised no one else seems to see the positives I mentioned. Take out that one individual error and Vernon's poor game and I thought we looked in good nick.

 

One thing worth noting is Celtic have the same team as last year, whereas we had 3 new signings, plus Ozzie and Anderson who haven't really played much in a long time. We'll get better when we gel and I think we'll be in the european places...maybe even win a game at hampden! Whereas the tims are just shit. Still jammy as fuck tho. Cunts.

 

What really is a kick in the tits is the fact that Celtic being so pish and the huns no longer existing, Aberdeen could really challenge again if the ambition and investment was there to do it.

Aberdeen could really challenge again if the ambition and investment was there to do it.

 

Gutted for Russell Anderson and Gavin Rae in particular. Marshalled that side brilliantly and didn't deserve to lose. Langfield has never been good enough. it's not news or a quirk in life. He has consistently cost us points over years. and yet we still employ him. it's embarrassing as it is shocking.

 

We can have as good a team outfield as we wish...as long as we have a shite goalkeeper we'll be shite. If that keeper is langfield.... we are shite.

Just read the match report and the stats, we had two shots on target???

Just read the match report and the stats, we had two shots on target???

 

Not in the game I watched.

Just read the match report and the stats, we had two shots on target???

 

We also had the only real goalscoring chance, but Vernon blew it.

We also had the only real goalscoring chance, but Vernon blew it.

 

Langfield had to make a couple of excellent saves from Commons...before he fucked up on the easy one.

Langfield had to make a couple of excellent saves from Commons...before he fucked up on the easy one.

 

Fuck langfield. Completely cunted us, despite anything he did earlier he completely fucked us with his stupidity, why is he even wearing our number one jersey? Fuck you langfield.

In/Oot: Oot (well unless I can get to the Celtic Club in Scarborough then in sort of)

Prematcher: Breakfast (part of the $20 I pay to watch the game @ the Celtic Club).

Match: Giant Screen TV

Postmatcher: Pint at My local

Prediction: 2-1 Us.

Nice to see you back mate! 

Gutted for Russell Anderson and Gavin Rae in particular. Marshalled that side brilliantly and didn't deserve to lose. Langfield has never been good enough. it's not news or a quirk in life. He has consistently cost us points over years. and yet we still employ him. it's embarrassing as it is shocking.

 

We can have as good a team outfield as we wish...as long as we have a shite goalkeeper we'll be shite. If that keeper is langfield.... we are shite.

 

Agreed. Anderson was steady as a rock, Osborne was in the thick of pretty much everything. I felt Rae struggled with Celtic's pace a bit, but really showed his experience in some situations ... he conceded a free-kick on the edge of the area when Celtic were charging through to a three-on-one situation, giving us a chance to defend the freekick with our entire team than commit suicide with just one player.

 

Vernon did nothing. McGinn was smothered by the Celtic defence, and I thought Hayes showed in glimpses what he is capable of.

 

But  no amount of tricky saves can make up for that calamity by Langfield. Must be Brown in goals next week!

No need to repost the negatives as the are fairly obvious but I take confidence from that game.  We will do better this season I think and if Anderson stays fit we have a chance of competing at the right end of t he table for a change for the european places.

Roll on County

 

Oh and as an aside I can see where the financial Armageddon stories were coming from.  Terrible home support for their biggest game of the season till they win the title.  We'll be seeing crowds of 30,000 at parkhead before long if they carry on playing like that, and more worryingly for them looked like a lot of empty corporate seats and boxes yesterday