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[Diesel]

Got dragged along to Pittodrie by my Aberdeen-supporting daughter today.

Not a clacsic.

Semolina
Norman Wisdom
Flumps
Mother Theresa....

...all things that carry more threat than Steve Lovell.

[Shaki]

Lovell did fuck all today so can't complain about being hooked. I appreciate the service wasn't great but he didn't look to get himself involved. Mackie's incompetence beggars belief though. Severin was great at the back again, I would think he'll play there all season.

All in all it was a shite game nobody deserved to win.

[Jim Stax]

Both goalies could have had a book with them for most of the game...

Lovell got in a few times but when he laid the ball off there was no one there or Mackie was in the completely wrong place, even when he was in the right place he wasn't much cope. He can fair get up to the ball though and gave the big Hearts lads a leap for there money. Not that he did much with it. And what's with the long high balls against a team of giants? The only times Aberdeen seemed to threaten was when the kept the ball down and went wide, which is another factor that Jimmy has forgotten he was going to be playing this season. Thought Zander played a stormer though. Back four looked better today. Something to be slightly encouraged by I suppose...
Two teams as bad as one another today. Boooooooooo

[Marsh]

Originally Posted by Shaki

Lovell did fuck all today so can't complain about being hooked. I appreciate the service wasn't great but he didn't look to get himself involved. Mackie's incompetence beggars belief though. Severin was great at the back again, I would think he'll play there all season.

Tell me how you can get involved when your only strike partner is making a claim for the right back role or not even in the vicinity and the only passes you are getting are floaty balls over the top against two giant centre halfs? Lovell couldn't have got himslef involved any more without withdrawing to a midfield position which would have left us with No attack whatsoever. We could have had Drogba playing for us today and he wouldn't have been able to do any better.

So I reckon he can complain about being hooked over Mackie.

Yep, Seve's the new super centre back. He's great. The downside is we're missing him something chronic in midfield after two games. It's nae much of a trade - off, really as we've lost our most industrious player.

Jim - Zander was indeed brill today. A really assured performance which should lead to a game next week, although I've no idea what jimmy's gonna come up with against Celtic. probably 5 up front and 2 at the back or something wacky.

[Murrr]

Took the trip down to Pittodrie today, which was a pretty shoddy decision. It's been a while since I witnessed such a limp, lifeless performance from an Aberdeen side. I just can't believe how bloody negative our play was... I mean, playing long ball is fine if you have a bloody target man to take the ball down, hold it up and bring others into play, but lumping it up to Steve Lovell and Darren Mackie? Come on, that's ridiculous...

I rate Jimmy as a decent SPL manager but his tactics have been absolute rank so far this season. Severin and McNamara should have swapped positions, and if he insists on playing this long ball stuff then we need Miller or Brewster up front to take the ball down.

We just never really took the game to Hearts at all, it was incredibly frustrating to watch. Their goal was avoidable too (good finish mind).

Diamond did have a very good game though.

To top it off, I ended up getting stuck in front of a couple of absolute neeps... "BREWSTER MIN! YER SLOW AS FUCK!"... what you expect you fucking idiot? He's 41...

[Scorge]

Originally Posted by Murrr

I just can't believe how bloody negative our play was...

The sad thing is that negative play is poisoning every level of football, just look at Reading playing 9-1-0 at Old Trafford this afternoon! Managers of not-all-that-much-cop sides are having to do it to cover their arses, it might be in the best interest of grabbing a point from a 0-0 draw against the Mould Firm or such like, but it's horrible to watch, especially when you're forking out in excess of 20 notes in the case of the SPL.

Mini-rant over.

[Mr.Mike]

Originally Posted by Clav Divs

The sad thing is that negative play is poisoning every level of football, just look at Reading playing 9-1-0 at Old Trafford this afternoon! Managers of not-all-that-much-cop sides are having to do it to cover their arses, it might be in the best interest of grabbing a point from a 0-0 draw against the Mould Firm or such like, but it's horrible to watch, especially when you're forking out in excess of 20 notes in the case of the SPL.

Mini-rant over.

couldn't agree more. utd vs reading was shite today but i dont blame reading. managers are so scared of being publicly criticised then sacked after only a few bad games that they'd now rather put all their men behind the ball and scrape a 0-0 than risk having a couple guys up front and pulling off a victory. In fairness it's not just small teams though, Liverpool tried to pack the midfield against milan in the CL final in order to stop MIlan playing and that game was pretty shite too.

fans need to start voting with their feet and wallets but i dont see it happening any time soon sadly...


should probably add that, much to my dismay, Chelsea certainly looked to be playing much more exciting footy today. Malouda looks like the best signing mourinho's made since Essien but they're looking a little less solid at the back. should hopefully make things at the top of the PL a bit more exciting.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Murrr

To top it off, I ended up getting stuck in front of a couple of absolute neeps... "BREWSTER MIN! YER SLOW AS FUCK!"... what you expect you fucking idiot? He's 41...

As I pointed out earlier in this thread, I watched the Dons 1st team train at Strikers before our game on Tuesday and Brewster outlasted all but Chris MacGuire on the Beep Testing.

I bet neither of those two pricks could keep up with Brewster, even if he had both legs tied together.

[calum]

Oh dear.

1. Second to absolutely fucking everything - first ball, second ball, you name it, they reacted sluggishly to it. Anyone else think they're unfit as well as unarsed?

2. HORRIFIC movement/lack thereof. No wonder Diamond and Severin were forced into so many long balls. OK, MacNamara was generally there offering a short option, but he kept getting forced back because the players in front of him were nowhere to be seen, so it's really no wonder Diamond and Severin were forced into so many long balls. Nicholson and Smith totally failed to show for the ball time and again, and Clark and Hart (Hart especially) just charged forward into unreachable positions out wide every time Aberdeen got the ball.

3. CALDERWOOD. How the fuck does that man do it? I agree that Severin looks good at the back, but we all know he's a competent, versatile player. I reckon MacNamara could offer just as much composure and nous as he does at the back as long as they played him as a spare man with Diamond or Considine picking up. MacNamara, similarly, looks comfortable in midfield and does well enough in a solid, plodding, Makelele sort of way; but there's no chance of really taking charge of games, and that's what we desperately need Severin in there for.

Lastly, anyone else think Foster seemed to be in the huff when he came on?

[calum]

Originally Posted by Mr.Mike

couldn't agree more. utd vs reading was shite today but i dont blame reading. managers are so scared of being publicly criticised then sacked after only a few bad games that they'd now rather put all their men behind the ball and scrape a 0-0 than risk having a couple guys up front and pulling off a victory. In fairness it's not just small teams though, Liverpool tried to pack the midfield against milan in the CL final in order to stop MIlan playing and that game was pretty shite too.

fans need to start voting with their feet and wallets but i dont see it happening any time soon sadly...

Speaking as a fan, I'd rather see my team be negative and well organised and grind out results than see them lose 4-3 every week for the sake of neutrals watching at home, most of whom seem to have no appreciation of the fact that it takes a hell of a lot of skill, commitment and organisation to pull of something like what Reading did today.