Friday 9th November 2018

Aberdeen V Hibernian 

19.45

 

Live on BT Sport.

Live on RED TV International.

 

I love Friday night Football.

 

I hate Sunday football.

 

Aberdeen will need all their players on top form for this game.We are more than capable of winning the match but really have to start this game on the front foot unlike the previous two. We won them, but about time we played for 90 minutes.

 

Aberdeen 2 Hibs 1   

 

When we beat them 4-1, I remember walking away from Pittodrie thinking that we were a really good football team after all. GMS had his best game ever, ably assisted by some appalling defending of course and the interchange between him and Stevie May for the second half goal was intelligent and superb.

 

Given that Wednesday was the slickest, most crisp passing I've seen for years and we sandwiched that with two very lucky wins despite pedestrian attacking threats, it's time to put on a show and play great football again. Hibs losing McGinn was always going to catch up with them. I reckon 4-0.

Hibs on a wee bit of a tailspin at the moment so will be coming north with a point to prove.  Could be a very interesting game, the way jobs like to play will leave space at the back. It will be very interesting to see how we line up for this.  May has made a good case for a start, as has Anderson.

Would like to see us going with 2 up top of May and Anderson. Hibs have been poor of late so going after them rather than sitting in is probably way to go. The one thing we should not do is sit back and allow them to settle into the game.

 

Unlike Len I hate Friday night football as it means having to take time off work and expense of staying up overnight. Would much rather a Sunday game over a Friday night one.

 

In

Heading up the road then pub

Y

Pub then hotel

2-0 May and Anderson

 

 

Would like to see us going with 2 up top of May and Anderson.

 

The thing is, 4-4-2 is far too easy to play against in modern fitba unless we intend going very direct. If we lose a player in midfield then Hibs simply overrun us. That is unless we play a 3-5-2, but I'm not convinced that best suits our personnel. If it's May and Anderson, then it'll be May in behind Anderson (probably not vice versa) or a shoe-horned winger approach like we used to see with Rooney. Folk were critical, quite rightly, of McInnes when he did that but it's the logical conclusion when you attempt to play 2 and the other team just starts passing around you and you inevitably drop a player in to cover. For me, it's 4-2-3-1 all the way, although I'd be happy enough to see May in behind Anderson in that setup given the paucity of other options for that role (Wright hasn't performed as well as May in the last few matches unfortunately). I just hope McInnes has learned his lesson and keeps Ferguson and Shinnie as the 2 in midfield. It allows Shinnie to do the Flood role and give Ferguson the space to pass whilst giving the defence an option to come forward with the ball rather than a long distance punt.

Would like to see Stevie May being given a run out tomorrow as well, think he deserves another chance after sitting out the last few games from the start.  Need to find that creative spark, I hope we don't persist with Ball and Shinnie in the middle of the park because it is just not working.

 

I don't get the myth that 4-4-2 does not work in the modern game as Rico suggests.  The way some people make out it's almost as if a 3 man midfield is a modern phenomenon and no one played that way before about 2010.  Fitba is about personnel, not formations.  There are pros and cons to each formation and players move about and fill in the spaces depending on whether the team is attacking or defending whatever formation they play.  No reason why good players playing in 4-4-2 cannot beat similar standard players playing in a different formation, it has happened for years.

 

The only thing I would suggest is that if you put out a team with one striker from the start it surely must put the team in a more negative frame of mind than if you start with two out and out strikers on the pitch.

 

 

Keep May as our super sub ready to spring into action when goals are needed to win the game in the second half. 

 

Here that Willie Collum is the ref.

 

Happy days.

We have won 3 on the trot, they haven't won in their last 3, we are at home and I expect & hope for a more positive line up & approach.

 

I think Wright will come back in for Ball, and Ferguson will sit with Shinnie, and he might stick Considine back in at LB, although I don't feel Lowe deserves to be dropped. Other than that, it'll be as you were.

 

Don't think there will be much in it, I'll plump for a 1-0 Dons win ( Cosgrove after being brought on around the 75th minute ) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lencarl in almost warming to May shock   

 

 

In or oot -  In hopefully,but not confirmed

 

Pre/post - driving

 

Furryboots - mainer

 

Prediction  -  2 -2  May x2

 

Crowd  -  Love a bit of Friday night fitba,but it doesnt seem to have caught on as expected    11'745

Would like to see Stevie May being given a run out tomorrow as well, think he deserves another chance after sitting out the last few games from the start.  Need to find that creative spark, I hope we don't persist with Ball and Shinnie in the middle of the park because it is just not working.

 

I don't get the myth that 4-4-2 does not work in the modern game as Rico suggests.  The way some people make out it's almost as if a 3 man midfield is a modern phenomenon and no one played that way before about 2010.  Fitba is about personnel, not formations.  There are pros and cons to each formation and players move about and fill in the spaces depending on whether the team is attacking or defending whatever formation they play.  No reason why good players playing in 4-4-2 cannot beat similar standard players playing in a different formation, it has happened for years.

 

The only thing I would suggest is that if you put out a team with one striker from the start it surely must put the team in a more negative frame of mind than if you start with two out and out strikers on the pitch.

 

Aye, that probably lacked a little in explanation. I meant that you need to play direct with a 4-4-2 in the modern game as every other chunt is setup with a 3 man midfield. You can do it the Tims under O'Neill way like Motherwell have done recently with Bowman and Moult/Main with two big guys or the old school way of big striker knocking down to the little guy as used to happen. What I meant when I said "modern fitba" is that teams are nearly always setup with a midfield 3 these days and with the personnel to suit. You play a two man midfield against a three and you lose control of the ball. They play 2 up front and you can too. The problem is one of catch 22 in that you can't really play 2 up front (unless you have the big man/men) unless the oppponent sets up similarly and they won't do it cause you won't do it. 4-2-3-1 or similar has been the fashion since about 2006 now and I don't see it changing (I'm not talking the big teams in world fitba, they have options not open to the rest). As mentioned, you could play 3-5-2 (ala McLeish) but that wouldn't get the best out of our personnel.

 

Put it this way, we play 2 up front against hibs and we get slaughtered in midfield (you mention it's about personnel - do you think that Shinnie and Ferguson will be a match for a Hibs midfield 3?). That doesn't preclude May and Anderson playing together, but expect one of them to be tracking back like a high-lying midfielder (which is fine by me, preferably May).

I like the Friday night games too and this one has the potential to be a cracker.

 

I just hope we go for them and expose their defensive frailties and not try and sit back and defend, as never comfortable when we play that style.

 

I'm going for 3-2 us, May, GMS and Anderson with a last minute winner.

 

I would also expect a reasonably big crowd.

Hoping there is a good crowd for this one.  I personally love Friday night football, even more so now as I can watch it whilst having my breakfast 

 

Not sure where the big scores are coming from, hibs aren't in great form at the moment, but we're not creating let alone scoring lots so expect it to be a tight game. From memory, Consi had a stinker against them last time around so I don't want to see Lowe dropped. It would be ludicrous and no reason for it. Keep him as a sub if we need him.

 

Oot

Bed

sofa

Probably sofa given the weather forecast

2-1 Dons, McGinn and Anderson

I didn't think Lowe was up to much against Killie 2bh but with the pace on the wing hibs have i wouldn't be dropping him. 

 

I feel sorry for Cosgrove, he's not had a sniff since tynecastle. I would still go with May and Anderson for this one though. 

Lencarl in almost warming to May shock   

 

 

In or oot -  In hopefully,but not confirmed

 

Pre/post - driving

 

Furryboots - mainer

 

Prediction  -  2 -2  May x2

 

Crowd  -  Love a bit of Friday night fitba,but it doesnt seem to have caught on as expected    11'745

 

Crowd prediction a bit low there mate i.m.o you can add another 3,000 on to that.

 

Wee Stuartie probably will 

Aye, that probably lacked a little in explanation. I meant that you need to play direct with a 4-4-2 in the modern game as every other chunt is setup with a 3 man midfield. You can do it the Tims under O'Neill way like Motherwell have done recently with Bowman and Moult/Main with two big guys or the old school way of big striker knocking down to the little guy as used to happen. What I meant when I said "modern fitba" is that teams are nearly always setup with a midfield 3 these days and with the personnel to suit. You play a two man midfield against a three and you lose control of the ball. They play 2 up front and you can too. The problem is one of catch 22 in that you can't really play 2 up front (unless you have the big man/men) unless the oppponent sets up similarly and they won't do it cause you won't do it. 4-2-3-1 or similar has been the fashion since about 2006 now and I don't see it changing (I'm not talking the big teams in world fitba, they have options not open to the rest). As mentioned, you could play 3-5-2 (ala McLeish) but that wouldn't get the best out of our personnel.

 

Put it this way, we play 2 up front against hibs and we get slaughtered in midfield (you mention it's about personnel - do you think that Shinnie and Ferguson will be a match for a Hibs midfield 3?). That doesn't preclude May and Anderson playing together, but expect one of them to be tracking back like a high-lying midfielder (which is fine by me, preferably May).

 

I know what you're saying Rico and agree to a certain extent.  Whatever formation you play the team is reliant on players filling in gaps to cover, whether it is pushing men forward to help a lone striker or wingers tracking back to help the fulls backs and the same applies if you play two in central midfield. 

 

Our midfield certainly needs something or someone different because I can't really recall us dominating a game against a decent side since McLean left.  Based on some of Shinnie's recent showings would we would struggle to dominate Hibs even if he had Andrea Pirlo or Lothar Matthaus alongside him.

I know what you're saying Rico and agree to a certain extent.  Whatever formation you play the team is reliant on players filling in gaps to cover, whether it is pushing men forward to help a lone striker or wingers tracking back to help the fulls backs and the same applies if you play two in central midfield. 

 

Our midfield certainly needs something or someone different because I can't really recall us dominating a game against a decent side since McLean left.  Based on some of Shinnie's recent showings would we would struggle to dominate Hibs even if he had Andrea Pirlo or Lothar Matthaus alongside him.

 

I totally disagree about Shinnie. He's had a handful of poor games and a handful of exceptional ones (he held his own against Burnley home and away against some top class midfielders), he was excellent against Hamilton when alongside Ferguson too. The things about Shinnie this season is that he's being asked to do the work of his previous role last season plus the huge gap in work rate left by McLean leaving. He's covering more ground and putting in more effort, which obviously has an effect in some games on his passing (if you're tired you make more mistakes). I think that's why we're seeing an inconsistency. To me, it's more noticeable in the games where Ball is in the deep role than when Ferguson is there, and that correlates with Ferguson being the more suitable/like-for-like replacement of McLean in terms of positional play and work. Ball gets stuck in but his lack of pace means the coverage isn't there. When Ferguson(McLean) is in the role, he does the dropping deep part and take the ball off the centre backs. When Ball is there, that is often left to Shinnie or the centre backs just launch it to the smallest available player on the park.

 

In terms of the two up front, I think that it would happen on paper only for the dons (if it was Anderson and May) because - as you mention - the fluidity of formations during the game would result in one of the strikers actually being forced back into the attacking midfield (central of the three in a 4-2-3-1) for the majority of the time rendering a 4-2-3-1 as the actual formation despite having two named forwards. I just don't think a 4-4-2 can be maintained in an SPL game with the dons' personnel. The only question for me is whether May is a better person to have as the centre of the 3 in a 4-2-3-1 that occasionally flows into a 4-4-2, or whether Wright (or another) would be a better player to have as a more natural attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1. Because that's what will end up happening either way. There is plenty of evidence last season when we tried to shoe-horn Rooney and May into the team together. Rooney nearly always ended up out wide as the opposition simply widened the pitch and forced us to move a player wide because it's really easy to play against.

Wee Stuartie probably will 

 

every club does it for League games, they count the ST holders whether they are there or not.

Thing I dinna like why don't ST holders nae give there ticket to somebody if they are nae gan?

 

At the Hamilton game there were loads of empty seats around me in the Main, yet C & D are always showing sold out or close to sold oot every game.

 

 

Onyways:

 

In: RDL, as C & D sections in Main Stand sold oot !!!!!

 

 

1-1 GMS penalty

Aye,was slightly tongue in cheek about Stuartie. I was trying to buy tickets for the Mainer the other week,and it was showing sold out.Came to the day of the game,and some of the sections were more than half empty.

  Must have ST holders putting something into the club but dont go very often

 

 

Re the game,looking forward to it but hope Deeks identified how poor weve been from midfiled to attack,let alone sore on the eyes,and we attack with a bit more swagger and intent than of late. COYR

Wee Stuartie probably will 

 

 

Just seen the BBC weather forecast for Fri.night, absolutely horrendous, think your original prediction is more likely

 

Just seen the BBC weather forecast for Fri.night, absolutely horrendous, think your original prediction is more likely

 

  Happy to be proved wrong crowdwise,but doesnt look like a night for hoofball   

By all account should be a fair crowd for Friday.

 

Estimates around 17.000.

 

Not bad for a Friday night game live on TV.

 

 

GAME DAY

 

Willie Collum should have taken charge of the Premiership clash between Aberdeen and Hibernian at Pittodrie but is out with a groin injury suffered in the midweek Champions League meeting of Schalke and Galatasaray.

 

 

The Rangers have a dispute with him and he is out injured.

Willie Collum not refereeing? Gift horses, mouth etc.

For any London based dandies reading, game is on at Philomenas sports bar in covent Garden. 

Gollum pulls out from reffing, purportedly to be a groin strain. However in light of the sevco accusations against him, his head could surely not have been in the right place anyway....

 

Replaced by Alan Muir