What opinions on the Dons have you held which have been generally against the grain within the Dons support?

 

For example, I was never a fan of either Billy Dodds or Brian Irvine, but both had a lot of fans within our ranks.

 

Didn't like Dodds because he frankly wasn't very good. Wasn't quick, not very good in the air, never seemed to strike the ball cleanly.  He scored some very important goals for us which was great, but if he had scored even half the chances he should have scored in his first season, we'd have been challenging for the league not playing off to stay in the division.  One of Willie Miller's biggest mistakes was continually sticking with Dodds, it ultimately went some way to his sacking.  And paying St Johnstone £800,000 for him wasn't too wise either.

 

Irvine - heart in the right place, but a pretty cumbersome player who was an accident waiting to happen - see 1993 Scottish Cup Final, for example.

 

What are yours?

Can't think of anything where my opinion goes against everyone else's but i do agree with not liking Dodds but you canna nae like Dobbin!

 

I must admit when Irvine started making his occasional appearance in the first team as God started to make fewer appearances i was dead against him, but i realised it was only because he was trying to fill the boots of God! Not an easy task i'm sure most would agree?!

 

He did look suspect early on but i think he came ok and i'm delighted for him that he got the winning kick in the 1990 Scottish Cup. It obviously meant the world to him.

 

As for Dodds... i honestly thought he was going to be the 'missing link'. 

After a drunken Sat afternoon watching the huns get pumped by Sampdoria in that Makita pre-season tournament they used to host i left the pub and went to the bookies straight across the road (fatal place for a bookies) and asked for odds on the Dons to win the treble. 80-1 i was quoted so handed over £10 fully expecting to be collecting my £810 in 10 months time. Little did i know at that time we had just singed a fucking Jonah! A fucking jinx! Cost me £10 and a lot of heart ache that wee shite!

I thought Toni Kombouare was OK.

Granted I saw very little of the Dons in the 2 years he was there (about 1 live games, very few highlights or even TV games for some reason) but his goal against Sevco in the 2-2 draw in which Goram decided to throw the ball into his own net  cemented him as OK in my head.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee7oM5gFXuA

 

I note his wikipedia page says he is the only player to ever take a shot that actually went over the RDS roof. That is an achievement in itself.

 

Have yet to meet anyone else who has something positive to say about his time in a Dons shirt.

 

 

I always thought Irvine was terrible, somewhere in the mold of Ash Taylor/Andy Considine. He scored some goals and strong in the air but I cringed when he had to defend. He was a true don, wonderful guy, and die hard for the jersey, but dobbin for a reason. Took me a long time to like Jim Bett even though he was a super player, likewise Davie Dodds. Can't say I ever disliked a player though.

I must admit when Irvine started making his occasional appearance in the first team as God started to make fewer appearances i was dead against him, but i realised it was only because he was trying to fill the boots of God! Not an easy task i'm sure most would agree?!

 

This may be seen as harsh, but I always thought that was a bit of a cop out. 

 

In the run in to the 90-91 season, Irvine was dropped for a large part of that - McKimmie played at centre half with McLeish unless McLeish was suspended/injured (Hearts at Tynecastle springs to mind).  McKimmie would have been a poorer option to Miller at cb as well, but I don't remember people having the same angst with McKimmie in there as with Irvine. 

 

McKimmie was obviously a vastly superior player to Irvine anyway, but it wasn't his natural position, but it was Irvine's.

Foster, thought he had become a pretty decent fullback by the time MM took over and was raging he pushed our only recognisable FB out the door. That he went to the huns was insult to injury.

I said this one before but when Foster was on sportsound for the first time he did their quickfire questions. He had already spoken about his distaste for MM and that he hadn't wanted to leave Aberdeen. When he was asked what his proudest moment in football was I expected playing in the champions league to be the answer. Without any hesitation though he answered "being made cub captain at Aberdeen". Regardless of what you think of him as a player he clearly loves the dons and whilst it's depressingly predictable that he gets boo's I think it's a real shame someone who holds or club in such regard gets treated so badly by our fans.

Foster, thought he had become a pretty decent fullback by the time MM took over and was raging he pushed our only recognisable FB out the door. That he went to the huns was insult to injury.

I said this one before but when Foster was on sportsound for the first time he did their quickfire questions. He had already spoken about his distaste for MM and that he hadn't wanted to leave Aberdeen. When he was asked what his proudest moment in football was I expected playing in the champions league to be the answer. Without any hesitation though he answered "being made cub captain at Aberdeen". Regardless of what you think of him as a player he clearly loves the dons and whilst it's depressingly predictable that he gets boo's I think it's a real shame someone who holds or club in such regard gets treated so badly by our fans.

 

I actually agree with that for the most part. But it's his face. He just looks like a rat faced little cunt. However I do find it weird how every single person - without exception - hates McGhee for his time here as manager, yet refuses to accept that he might have had a significant part to play in Foster going to the huns.

 

On that note, and I know this may seem unpopular, but I didn't think Andrius Velicka was that good at football.

 

 

My other one is that I thought Langfield was better than Brown x 2, Gonzalez, Bossu, Nelson and a screed of other pish, and that he gets unfairly castigated for managers' inability to find a better goalkeeper. Incidentally, I was raging when we signed him.

 

Finally, I think we should have held onto Scott Booth for another season.

John McMaster.  For me the epitome of a player who flattered to deceive.  Elegant, head up, leaning back slightly, struck the ball very well.  Nice guy and popular with the other players.  Fooled most fans into thinking he was a player.  The phrase "Scotland's best uncapped player" got bandied about.  Still fondly remembered by nostalgic Dandys the world over.

 

In fact an absolute responsibility shirker who knew the more ambitious the pass or shot the less you'd be held responsible if it didn't come off, especially if you looked good doing it.  Developed the elegant long ping into space behind the defence into a fine art. The fact that there was practically never anybody in a red shirt close enough to get on the end of it mysteriously overlooked by most fans.  Also mastered the art of putting the ball 6 inches over the bar from 25 yards.  Unlucky!

 

I lived in fear of a good chance coming to him in the box, because you knew he might put float one in from 20 yards once in a blue moon, but if he was in a position where he was expected to score he'd be like a rabbit in the headlights.

 

Especially remember a game against Dundee Utd at Pittodrie.  Not that long to go, 1-1 iirc, and we got a pen.  Yesss!  A couple of likely takers were out for some reason, so we weren't sure who was going to take it.  I literally could not believe my fucking eyes when I saw McMaster lining up.  I totally knew he would miss it, and of course he did. "He always puts them away in training" said Fergie in his post match interview.  I thought, how could he not have worked out what the guy's like by now?  Pretty sure he never took another pen.

 

To be fair, he has one stonker of a game against Oldco that will live long in the memory.  Not yet a first team regular, he ran the midfield and passed them to death, and we won 4-0.  I really thought we'd found a player.

 

Was McMaster not supposed to be more akin to a 'European type player' therefore was probably too good for us really and his team mates weren't on his wave length which was the reason why he was a sub more often than not? Kept him back for our big Euro nights when he'd come into his own?

 

That was all pretty much tongue in cheek but the sort of thing i remember listening to regarding McMaster.

Agree with the comments about foster.He was getting booed at an early age,17/18? If he'd built up some resentment i think it was pretty understandable

 

Ash Taylor - I like him.Think with the right guidance he could be a very good player.Only thing Im not sure about is if he's at the stage where he would take any advice on board,or whether he's reached a level he's happy with,and unlikely to change.

  Just needs to back off a bit,and watch the game/anticipate things more

 

Darren Mackie - When I first saw him,i thought he had something about him.Had the potential to be a Riordan type player(IMO, nae sniggering),but it was his ego that got the better of him,and in the end,i dont think Ive ever disliked a Dons player as much

 

Late addition - Doug Rougvie,we all loved him,but he got away with being a carthorse because of a good team

 

Was never a fan of Bobby Connor for his woosing out of tackles.

Was never a fan of Bobby Connor for his woosing out of tackles.

 

Wasnt called the blouse for nothing..

Wasnt called the blouse for nothing..

 

Thing was, he was tidy on the ball, but by christ he was soft.

I dont think Taylor is as bad as some folk think, some fans hate Considine, something else i cant understand.

I think Rooney has been really poor so far this season & looks extremely unfit.

I dont think Taylor is as bad as some folk think, some fans hate Considine, something else i cant understand.

I think Rooney has been really poor so far this season & looks extremely unfit.

 

I agree with this 100%.

 

Tin hat on here but... i wasn't that big a fan of Zero! 

Was never a fan of Bobby Connor for his woosing out of tackles.

 

Same.  Although that was a pretty popular opinion of the time!

 

I agree with this 100%.

 

Tin hat on here but... i wasn't that big a fan of Zero! 

 

Zero was a talented player but didn't show it often enough for me.  Was beginning to get a bit of a run going when he broke his leg. But yeah, I think people are a tad OTT about him.

Same.  Although that was a pretty popular opinion of the time!

 

Zero was a talented player but didn't show it often enough for me.  Was beginning to get a bit of a run going when he broke his leg. But yeah, I think people are a tad OTT about him.

 

Probably because he was one of the only entertaining players we had during that era, completely flattered to deceive but was exciting when he turned it on.

 

Had a sausage named after him in the butchers in Turriff too, no idea if it was any good though!

  Late addition - Doug Rougvie,we all loved him,but he got away with being a carthorse because of a good team

 

I don't think even DOug would disagree with that, but we would have been a poorer side without him and what he lacked in overall playing skills he made up with a fighting spirit which enabled us to go down to Glasgow and not be intimidated.

Aye most teams feared playing us anyway,and his mere presence would have been intimidating too.

  Warm ups in front of the jungle were an extra bonus.Got each other at the right time though

Aye most teams feared playing us anyway,and his extra presence would have been intimidating.

  Warm ups in front of the jungle were an extra bonus.Got each other at the right time

 

I heard he used to do that at Mordor as well.  I actually saw Rougvie in the golf club before a home game a year or so ago.  Not an ounce of fat on him, not a man to be fucked with still.

Havnt seen him for a few years,but last time I did,he was in Somerfield,Torry,trying to chat up a nae particularly attractive lass at the deli. Not sure what he said to her,but as I walked away I just heard a startled "Noooooooo!!" from the girl,and seen him walking sheepishly away.....

 

 

 

 

* Am reading into that what I want to believe

 

 

 

I flew in the face of conventional wisdom by rating Derek Whyte very highly.

 

I never liked Billy Stark, though at the time he wasn't rated very highly amongst the support at large.

 

Hindsight seems to have rendered him some kind of cross between Brian Robson and Jim Bett, but my line at the time stands today - "You can maybe carry a striker because he scores goals, but you canna carry a midfielder".

 

I rate Bobby Clark as a better all round goal keeper than Jim Leighton.

So was Theo and Kjaer imo

Bobby Clark was the best keeper we've ever had (Didn't play behind Miller and McLeish)

 

Joe Harper was better than Zerouali

 

Drew Jarvie was one of our most influential players ever and didn't need Fergie to be such

I'm gonna keep it relevant to our team now.

 

James Maddison is not that good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's fucking ace!  ?

So was Theo and Kjaer imo

 

Sorry bud but you're getting a Durrant for that comment!

 

Take it with pride as it's the first i've administered.