[SCO] Scottish Premier league 2013/2014 (29 Viewers)

[Red]

Hayes and Langfield extend to 2016 and Pawlett to 2017

http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20131121/dons-trio-believe-the-future-is-red_2212158_3544642

Great news about Hayes and Pawlett. Fairly indifferent rwith regards to Langfield's extension.

Hayes was top assister by miles last season and is leading the way again this year.

Pawlett has been great since he's finally got fit and found a coach who knows how to use him. No-one in the SPL has managed to figure out how to stop him carrying the ball at pace through the middle of the pitch.

The great thing about both of them is that they make a full defensive contribution - not just tracking back, but actively defending - and that makes it infinitely easier to field a properly balanced side.

Those players being signed up also mean we are in the unusual situation for an SPL club of having some stability and the chance to really build something.

Langfield

Shaughnessy-Considine-Reynolds-Robertson

Flood---Jack

Hayes-Pawlett-McGinn

Zola​

That entire team is now under contract until the end of next season at least.

 

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[Scottish]

Always liked Jamie Langfield. I can't really say why, he's just one of those players I have an inexplicable soft spot for

 

[Red]

I don't have anything personal against him and I rate him far more highly that most Dons fans, but I wouldn't have been rushing to get him signed up.

Feel it's one that could have waited until nearer the end of the season, by which time McInnes could have had a better idea of what other keepers were going to be out of contract and may have been interested in coming here.

 

[Red]

Really terrible game, but can't complain too much about getting an away win against SPL opposition in the Cup.

Partick were terrified of opening up against us after the 3-0 and 4-0 thrashings we'd given them already this season. They didn't press, they didn't commit men ahead of the ball and just focused on clogging up the middle of the pitch for about the first eighty minutes.

We got the early goal, so didn't have any great inclination to take risks to try and get the second goal and finish the game off. If Partick had opened up earlier we probably would have got the second goal on the break, but we'd dozed off by the time they mounted their feeble effort to equalise.

First half hour was decent enough, with Aberdeen making a few chances, but then the game just died.

Total lack of energy, intensity and aggression in the game - not at all uncommon for lunchtime games.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/25179640

First highlight in second half comes in the 80th minutes.

 

[Cuti]

Hearts got absolutely bollocked by Celtic

 

[Red]

Scottish Cup fifth-round draw

Alloa Athletic v Dumbarton

Clyde or Stranraer v Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Hibernian v Raith Rovers

Albion Rovers v Stenhousemuir

Brechin City or Forfar Athletic v St Johnstone

Celtic v Aberdeen

Dundee United v Queen of the South or St Mirren

Rangers v Ayr United or Dunfermline Athletic

Ties to be played on the weekend of 8/9 February.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25182906

Whoop-di-fucking-do.

Still, last time we played them there in the Cup was fun:

 

[Red]

Yeah, we could very easily have won the game at Parkhead last week.

Problem is that the Scottish Cup is now Celtic's whole season, so there isn't going to be the chance to catch them resting players or not being fully concentrated.

 

[Red]

Another good away win today against a St Johnstone team that aren't in the habit of losing at home.

Aberdeen were clearly concerned about the pace of May and Hasselbaink on the counter attack, so had no intention of committing men ahead of the ball. This made for some terrible play in possession, but it had the desired effect of deny counter attacks and generally making it very hard for them to find space.

And having got the early goal on the break there was no need to open up and take risks at any point.

In the second half the midfield was a little more aggressive and Aberdeen really took control of the game - even before Fallon's (hilarious) red card (lasted 51 seconds, apparently).

Second goal almost came by accident as Aberdeen had settled for the 1-0 win and weren't really trying to score again.

Anyway, away win, two good goals and a clean sheet.

Splendid display from Russell Anderson as well.

 

[Red]

 

[Red]

Decent win in crap conditions on Saturday.

Don't like that McInnes tried to force Flood and Robson into the same midfield. It upsets the balance by removing the midfielder who has the energy and ability to get up in close support of the striker, not to mention that Pawlett has been excellent in that role and there is no reason to shunt him wide.

Anyway, it meant that there was a lack of movement ahead of the ball and that resulted in lots of nothingy possession.

Still, enough chances were created to win the game comfortably, even if the two goals came about more because of the wind than anything else.

Three wins in a row now and we haven't conceded at home when we've had eleven players on the pitch since the opening day of the season.


- - - Updated - - -

Dons allocation of ~3,300 sold out for the game at Tannadice at New Year.

Apparently Utd have sold a lot of tickets as well, so might actually be a sell out.

 

[Red]

Aberdeen FC is this morning delighted to announce Cammy Smith has signed a new contract that will now see him remain with the Club until the summer of 2017

http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20131219/cammy-smith-signs-new-deal_2212158_3584021

Chuffed.

Dons fan from Aberdeen and the only player resembling a genuine number ten that I can recall Aberdeen producing.

Don't see many youngsters around with his level of awareness and understanding of space.

 

[Red]

30 years ago today that Aberdeen won the Super Cup and became the only Scottish club to win two European trophies.

http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20131220/30th-anniversary-of-super-cup-win_2212158_3583029

 

[Red]

Big win on Saturday, even if the second half made it feel deeply unsatisfying.

Slow start, could easily have gone behind early, but gradually took control of the game and then really took ICT apart once we got the first goal.

Semi-understandable loss of concentration in the second half, but goals still coming from really bad errors that shouldn't happen at any time.

Langfield

Shaughnessy-Anderson-Hector-Reynolds

Jack--Flood

Robson--Pawlett--McGinn

Vernon​

 

[Red]

A thoroughly acceptable return of nine points from twelve over the festive fixtures. I thought getting seven would have been pretty good.

Okay-ish performances against Motherwell and Ross Co., but poor finishing in both (and an odd decision to play a sort of 3-4-3 against Motherwell).

Then a really good win a Tannadice.

Langfield

Hector-Anderson-Reynolds-Hayes

Jack
Flood---Pawlett
Robson--------------------

--------Vernon------McGinn​

And then a more normal 4-2-3-1 in the second half.

Utd rested eight players for their game before this one (which they lost, amusingly), so were really targetting this game, but we dominated for long periods and really ought to have won more comfortably.

Our midfield is just so much better than Utd's that we were able to control that area of the pitch, which resulted in us being able to get the ball to our creative players far more than Utd were able to get the ball to their much-vaunted attackers.


Interesting seeing Hayes playing at left back in the last couple of games. Wouldn't necessarily want to play him there too much in hard games, but in games where we are likely to dominate the extra width he could provide may prove useful in balancing out McGinn's and Robson's inclination to always move inside.

 

[Red]

Another really good win today, even if the game was crap.

Not about to be picky given our lousy record at Kilmarnock.

Still, win was deserved given that we created more clear chances than them.

 

[AFL_ITALIA]

How the fuck is this gap even possible? Jesus.

http://espnfc.com/tables/_/league/sco.1/scottish-premiership?cc=5901

Celtic to lose all the remaining games

 

[Red]

Gap would be a fair bit smaller (comparable to Juve's gap at the top of Serie A) had things gone differently in our two games against Celtic.

Both have been even games where we've had chances and ended up losing narrowly.

 

[Red]

Always enormously enjoyable to score a late winner against a team that has just shown up to try and nick a draw and made little effort to actually play.

Still, as much as I think fitness is a huge factor in scoring late goals, have to feel we are burning through our quota of late winners.

Last three games:

Dundee Utd 1-2 Aberdeen (winner 90mins)
Kilmarnock 0-1 Aberdeen (winner 83mins)
Aberdeen 1-0 Hibs (winner 86mins)


We really need to develop a plan for how to play against these packed defences, because that goal came with pretty much our only shot on target and you couldn't even call it a real chance.

 

[Red]

Regan admits to an Armageddon no-show

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport...an-admits-to-an-armageddon-no-show.1389790318

Who'd've thunk it...

 

[Red]

The Rangers squad was asked on Thursday to consider pay cuts of around 15% until summer 2015 as cost-cutting begins in earnest at Ibrox.

The request, put to the players as a possible alternative to some having to be sold, was widely rejected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25769725