A huge game now. Never mind Hearts, we are five points behind a now on-form Hibs, four behind St Mirren, and currently three behind sixth-placed Livingston who have a game in hand (against bottom of the table Dundee United). Losing to them is simply not an option.

I would go four at the back. People talking about Scales as if he was a miss v Celtic but not sure he was. 

McCrorie at right-back, Mackenzie at left-back. 

If we are sticking with three at the back, then I'd actually keep Mackenzie in there and play Coulson and McCrorie ahead of Hayes and Kennedy.

Robson has been trying to play Clarkson deep with Shinnie and Ramadani doing the dog work. Problem is, Ramadani needs dropped but there's a lack of similar players to replace him if you want to stick with that tactic. Barron isn't that type of player (possibly injured anyway on account he wasn't in yesterday's squad). 

Myslovic, are we playing him or is he another Polvara? He's an inverted winger. You could try him with Coulson on the other side in a midfield role. There's also Roberts and Markanday. 

This game will tell us more than the Celtic game if Robson has it in him to be Dons boss. It might also be his last if it doesn't go well.

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

That's not even a formation.

It is, it's known as a 4-3-3. 

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

m(why didn't you play it safe with a 4-1-4-1?).

If you look again it could be a 4-1-4-1, as Coulson probably wouldn't be that far advanced.

 

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

That's why I think Robson will stick with the three at the back.

It'll be interesting for sure, because he was hamstrung in his first three games by personnel missing. This is the first time he has the options to actually decide how he wants to set his team up.

2 hours ago, tom_widdows said:

Red pitch??

Have 'powerleague' taken over groundsman duties?

It's part of the new Barry Robson era.

34 minutes ago, Panda said:

It is, it's known as a 4-3-3. 

If you look again it could be a 4-1-4-1, as Coulson probably wouldn't be that far advanced.

You bloody post-modernists will say that anything looks like anything. Is nothing sacred anymore? Can't even draw a 4-3-3 these days without it being being gender fluidised into a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-1-2-2-1. There'll be kids seeing this filth online and going home to tell their parents that they're no longer a midfielder, but a false 8.

4 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

You bloody post-modernists will say that anything looks like anything. Is nothing sacred anymore? Can't even draw a 4-3-3 these days without it being being gender fluidised into a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-1-2-2-1. There'll be kids seeing this filth online and going home to tell their parents that they're no longer a midfielder, but a false 8.

You've given me great idea for an article (clickbait).

 

Talking of false 8s, I see Connor Barron is out for a month with a groin strain. Not ideal.

51 goals conceded in 26 games. Our defence is mince no matter what formation comes out of the tombola. May as well just stick three up top and take our chance trying to score more goals than Livi.

4-3 to the Dons. Duk with a last minute winner after being 3-0 down. 

40 minutes ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

May as well just stick three up top and take our chance trying to score more goals than Livi

The problem with that is two of our players don't play particularly well as two parts of a three! Maybe a four?

5 hours ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

51 goals conceded in 26 games. Our defence is mince no matter what formation comes out of the tombola.

To be fair, 50% of the defenders playing tomorrow are only culpable for a handful of those 51 goals.

Edited February 24, 20233 yr by Panda

 

Is Duk playing wide right? 

If that is a 4-4-2 diamond, the king of formations, then Robson should be given the job now.

If it's 4-3-3 then let's wait until half-time at least.

Looks like a 4-3-3, Duncan very advanced on the right.

Got a feeling we're gonna pump them.

In the top 6.  Woohoo.

Enjoyed that. Played at a good pace, matched Livingston's physicality, got bodies in the way to defend.

A lot of good individual performances, in particular MacDonald, Mackenzie, Shinnie, McCrorie and Duk. Also Ramadani - who I criticise a lot - was much improved today too.

Could have created more clear cut chances I guess if you're looking for areas to improve on, but today was about getting the basics right and getting the three points.

30 minutes ago, Panda said:

Enjoyed that. Played at a good pace, matched Livingston's physicality, got bodies in the way to defend.

A lot of good individual performances, in particular MacDonald, Mackenzie, Shinnie, McCrorie and Duk. Also Ramadani - who I criticise a lot - was much improved today too.

Could have created more clear cut chances I guess if you're looking for areas to improve on, but today was about getting the basics right and getting the three points.

Agree with most of that. Duk had some brilliant moments - that back heel in the first half was insane - but out wide he just holds the team back in my opinion. Everything gets slowed down and he rarely produces anything at the end of the move. Similarly, Duncan on the right (the goal aside) was quite ineffective due to the inverted wingers pish. McRorie has an abundance of energy with no direction and I suspect he is difficult to play ahead of. MacDonald would be a fantastic signing if we can get him and McKenzie was very good as you say. Good to see Shinnie getting stuck in to his brother too.

This feels very much like a cautious McInnes side, with caution and structure very much the priority and attacking football second. I'm fine with that, but it'd take a fair turnaround from the chairman to accept I expect.

Livi are horrible to play against, we’ve got a team of “limited” ability in some positions - not to mention zero confidence - and a caretaker manager.

A 1-0 win under those circumstances is a great result so well done to Robson and the players.

Seeing a lot of plaudits for our new centre back pairing, justified? A few folk on Twitter saying what if we’d had them from the start? 

25 minutes ago, manc_don said:

Seeing a lot of plaudits for our new centre back pairing, justified? A few folk on Twitter saying what if we’d had them from the start? 

Thought they were pretty good today - cleared it quickly whenever Livi threatened, were up against a big brute of a forward but didn't get bullied..  Also thought McKenzie had a good game and hopefully he keeps his place next week - Scales isn't better and he isn't ours, so develop our own.  

Why do we pull everyone back into the box when defending a corner or shy?.  Leave Duk up front - he's totally lost when we're defending and keeps looking towards to bench to ask where he should be - oppo will leave at least 2 but probably 3 against him which means we've that better chance of clearing the ball and it not coming straight back.

Really folk enjoyed that? Thought it was a poor game between two very limited sides. Miovski took his goal well and thought Duncan did well getting the cross into the box. Really don’t like the inverted wingers. Just slows us down and Lopes especially struggled with it. McDonald looked good at the back and as long as he is just sticking to basics looks like he might be worth signing in the summer. However if we are going back to the passing from back I don’t think he copes.

6 hours ago, Jute said:

Really folk enjoyed that? Thought it was a poor game between two very limited sides. 

Considering the poor run we've been on, Robson clearly asked the players to focus on the basics - up the tempo, get fired into challenges, defend and show some desire. 

They did that and won.

It'll take a lot longer to mould them into a more attractive style, and it might be a new man in a week or two tasked with doing that anyway.

8 hours ago, Jute said:

Really folk enjoyed that? Thought it was a poor game between two very limited sides. Miovski took his goal well and thought Duncan did well getting the cross into the box. Really don’t like the inverted wingers. Just slows us down and Lopes especially struggled with it. McDonald looked good at the back and as long as he is just sticking to basics looks like he might be worth signing in the summer. However if we are going back to the passing from back I don’t think he copes.

Enjoy?  No but given where we are coming from I'll take a gutsy win over a very tricky livingston quite happily. We needed a win today and we were probably worth it in the end.  

 

Summer my feelings about it all perfectly TLG.

This is not a time for free flowing entertaining fitba.

Results are everything right now.

2 hours ago, BigAl said:

Summer my feelings about it all perfectly TLG.

This is not a time for free flowing entertaining fitba.

Results are everything right now.

"Summer", not yesterday it wasn't!   But, yes, the main aim from here on it is to make sure we're in the top 6 come the split.

47 minutes ago, dons8321 said:

"Summer", not yesterday it wasn't!   But, yes, the main aim from here on it is to make sure we're in the top 6 come the split.

Main aim from here should still be third imo. Not likely but not unachievable either, especially since hertz have dipped a bit.  

1 hour ago, dons8321 said:

"Summer", not yesterday it wasn't!   But, yes, the main aim from here on it is to make sure we're in the top 6 come the split.

Fucking predictive text and didnt look at it before posting