On Yersel Jazzer

[Stoney]

JIM BETT reckons Aberdeen are staring down the barrel of First Division football next season unless they start raising their aspirations.

 

Craig Brown's side slumped to the bottom of the SPL at the weekend after another sorry loss at Kilmarnock.

 

Exactly a year ago this week Mark McGhee was sacked with the Dons second bottom of the SPL. Twelve months on and there has been little, if any, signs of progress with the Pittodrie outfit now one place worse off.

 

Devoid of spirt and fight the Dons find themselves in the grip of a malaise threatening to drag them into the First Division.

 

Bett has closely monitored his former club's failing fortunes over the past three years and he said: "The supporters have just come to accept second best.

 

"I keep hearing players and fans talk about how getting into the top six has to be the aim. Well if that is the extent of Aberdeen's aspirations then no wonder they're in trouble.

 

"A club the size of Aberdeen should have a lot more ambition. Qualifying for Europe should be the very least they're aiming for at the start of every season.

 

"There is a real malaise. The mindset has to improve and it has to improve immediately.

 

"I keep hearing players trotting out all these statistics about how Aberdeen are controlling games without winning, but it's all total bollocks."

 

The only stat that matters to Aberdeen fans at the moment is the fact they have taken 13 points from 16 matches and are last of the 12 teams in the top flight. Under Brown they have amassed one point from their last five games and won three all season.

 

The 71-year-old is the third manager in as many years at Pittodrie and Bett feels removing him from office would be counter-productive.

 

He said: "When results are poor everyone starts to look at the chairman. Stewart Milne has piled a lot of money into the team during his tenure but it hasn't worked out.

 

"The club appear to be going round in circles and it would be too simple to blame the board.

 

"Mark McGhee said recently there was a lot of dead wood dragging the club down. If that's the case then something needs to change quickly.

 

"It's not as easy as just throwing more money at the problem either. I find it amazing that Aberdeen is the oil capital of Europe yet nobody wants to invest money in the club.

 

"What happens on the field is not the fault of Stewart Milne. The buck has to stop with the players and the manager."

 

The party line in the dressing room appears to be Aberdeen are in a false position but if the recent performances are anything to go by then the players are just kidding themselves.

 

Bett said: "The players need to have a hard look at themselves.

 

"I've watched them two or three times in the last few weeks and nobody stands up to be counted when the chips are down. Losing doesn't seem to hurt them enough. They have some talented young players but there is just no character.

 

"Team spirit is non-existent at the moment and that is not helped by the results.

 

"The players have retreated into their shell and confidence is at rock bottom.

 

"Craig Brown did a good job at Motherwell and got off to a flying start at Pittodrie. But the results have tailed off dramatically and they are now bottom of the pile.

 

"The demise is not down to ability - on paper Aberdeen have stronger squads than St Mirren, Dunfermline, Inverness and maybe even Hibs.

 

"But the players are deluding themselves if they genuinely believe they should be higher up the table."

 

Brown has a major job on his hands if he wants to save Aberdeen from the first relegation in their proud history.

 

But having survived the curse of Kilmarnock, Bett believes he should be given the time to turn it around. Losing to Killie saw Mark McGhee, Willie Miller and Alex Miller collect their P45s.

 

Bett added: "Craig and Archie Knox have huge experience and should be given more time It's their responsibility to get the team going again but I think he should be judged at the end of the season.

 

"Craig has a massive job on his hands because the other teams near Aberdeen appear to have more going for them.

 

"Hibs will get a boost from Pat Fenlon taking over as manager while Inverness have plenty of spirit under Terry Butcher.

 

"You would expect both of them to rise up the table quicker than Aberdeen.

 

"Relegation could finish Aberdeen off but it would be a sad day if it ever came to that."

[Dynamo]

JIM BETT reckons Aberdeen are staring down the barrel of First Division football next season unless they start raising their aspirations.

 

Craig Brown's side slumped to the bottom of the SPL at the weekend after another sorry loss at Kilmarnock.

 

Exactly a year ago this week Mark McGhee was sacked with the Dons second bottom of the SPL. Twelve months on and there has been little, if any, signs of progress with the Pittodrie outfit now one place worse off.

 

Devoid of spirt and fight the Dons find themselves in the grip of a malaise threatening to drag them into the First Division.

 

Bett has closely monitored his former club's failing fortunes over the past three years and he said: "The supporters have just come to accept second best.

 

"I keep hearing players and fans talk about how getting into the top six has to be the aim. Well if that is the extent of Aberdeen's aspirations then no wonder they're in trouble.

 

"A club the size of Aberdeen should have a lot more ambition. Qualifying for Europe should be the very least they're aiming for at the start of every season.

 

"There is a real malaise. The mindset has to improve and it has to improve immediately.

 

"I keep hearing players trotting out all these statistics about how Aberdeen are controlling games without winning, but it's all total bollocks."

 

 

Which is the truth, of some supporters anyway.

 

Well said Jim Bett

[GK55]

Great article from Jim Bett - someone should send this to Pittodrie!!

[essex don]

cant fault him for speaking out, wee said

[ollie1903]

"I keep hearing players and fans talk about how getting into the top six has to be the aim. Well if that is the extent of Aberdeen's aspirations then no wonder they're in trouble".

"The mindset has to improve and it has to improve immediately".

"I keep hearing players trotting out all these statistics about how Aberdeen are controlling games without winning, but it's all total bollocks."

"But the players are deluding themselves if they genuinely believe they should be higher up the table."

"Craig has a massive job on his hands because the other teams near Aberdeen appear to have more going for them.

"Relegation could finish Aberdeen off"

I hope these sentences here, which highlight just how grave our situation is, are heeded by the people that matter.

[muttonhumper]

Stewart Milne has piled a lot of money into the team during his tenure but it hasn't worked out.

Has he?

Never knew that een.

 

What I do know is that under his stewardship and say so we have amassed a gargantuan debt that is crippling the club to the very brink of disaster.

That's if AFC is not already a disaster zone.

[Dandyesque]

Pin it to the dressing room walls, doors, floor and ceiling.

 

And nail it inside the players eyelids for good measure.

[Jazzer_Bett]

I'd actually like Craig Brown to show some real balls and play our ball players

 

-Pawlett on the right

-Fyvie in the middle

-Arnason instead of Considine

-Chalali as a 10

 

He has being playing a safe team for too long now and the robust big cunts like Fallon etc aren't offering any guile whatsoever. We aren't cutting teams open and we need to start pronto.

[Dynamo]

I'd actually like Craig Brown to show some real balls and play our ball players

 

-Pawlett on the right

-Fyvie in the middle

-Arnason instead of Considine

-Chalali as a 10

 

He has being playing a safe team for too long now and the robust big cunts like Fallon etc aren't offering any guile whatsoever. We aren't cutting teams open and we need to start pronto.

 

 

Doesn't deserve to be dropped. Made a howeler at Kilmarnock, I'm sure he's gutted about it as well but to drop him would do no one any favours. If you were to drop a centre back it would be Mawene.

[lazio_don]

Bang on the money Jazzer. If only the clowns that run the club could see it, but cant or dont want too.

 

Milne/Gilbert/Little/Fraser/Gavin/Miller/Brown GTF

[RTYD]

Which is the truth, of some supporters anyway.

 

Well said Jim Bett

 

 

Aye, plenty of them have been on this site as well.

 

 

Top six pish!!!

[RTYD]

I'd actually like Craig Brown to show some real balls and play our ball players

 

-Pawlett on the right

-Fyvie in the middle

-Arnason instead of Considine

-Chalali as a 10

 

He has being playing a safe team for too long now and the robust big cunts like Fallon etc aren't offering any guile whatsoever. We aren't cutting teams open and we need to start pronto.

 

Fuck sake give the boy a fucking break min!

[Stoney]

Dropping consi, hes been our best defender by a fuking distance - starting to wonder about your agenda now jazzer, seems that if brown signed you your as safe as houses in your book.

[Dandyesque]

Aye, plenty of them have been on this site as well.

 

 

Top six pish!!!

 

 

Top 6 was a perfectly acceptable target for this season, given the rebuilding job required.

 

The problem is that it is seen as an acceptable target for the board every season.

 

For me, it should be seen as a bare minimum and only a cup final or two should be able to deflect from not achieving that.

[RUL]

Good article, calls it how it is.

[RTYD]

Top 6 was a perfectly acceptable target for this season, given the rebuilding job required.

 

The problem is that it is seen as an acceptable target for the board every season.

 

For me, it should be seen as a bare minimum and only a cup final or two should be able to deflect from not achieving that.

 

It has never been an acceptable target for me.

 

Rebuilding job? Aye right enough look at how much time Killie and St Mirren needed.

[Dandyesque]

It has never been an acceptable target for me.

 

Rebuilding job? Aye right enough look at how much time Killie and St Mirren needed.

 

Killie & St Mirren were already performing in line with expectations and don't suffer from the perpetual malaise we do.

[K-9]

Killie & St Mirren were already performing in line with expectations and don't suffer from the perpetual malaise we do.

Here's me thinking St Mirren finished below us last season aswell.

[vanderark14]

Dropping consi, hes been our best defender by a fuking distance - starting to wonder about your agenda now jazzer, seems that if brown signed you your as safe as houses in your book.

 

from the limited stuff I have seen from AFC this season it's been Considine that's covered Mawene on numerous occasions.

[Dandyesque]

Here's me thinking St Mirren finished below us last season aswell.

 

And?

[K-9]

It has never been an acceptable target for me.

 

Rebuilding job? Aye right enough look at how much time Killie and St Mirren needed.

 

 

Killie & St Mirren were already performing in line with expectations and don't suffer from the perpetual malaise we do.

 

 

Here's me thinking St Mirren finished below us last season aswell.

 

 

And?

Does it really need explaining?

[King Street Loon]

Settling for top 6 is unacepptable.

 

Our aim every season should be European qualification & a Cup final / win every season.

It's entiely possible with the right tools.

Build on it and you can begin to get other ideas on the go.

[Tommy]

Does it really need explaining?

 

 

 

You have to make allowances.

[Dandyesque]

Does it really need explaining?

 

Yes, it does as you have clearly not understood my point.

 

Killie and St Mirren were achieving about what was expected of them- or even better, given financial constraints and so on.

 

They also did not have a hardcore of players who didn't give a flying fuck.

 

And fans that don't boo their own team at every given opportunity.

 

Realistically, I'm not sure there is anyone else out there you could compare us with for pure crapness as a football club and support

[Crossbow]

Settling for top 6 is unacepptable.

 

Our aim every season should be European qualification & a Cup final / win every season.

It's entiely possible with the right tools.

Build on it and you can begin to get other ideas on the go.

 

This is entirely true and Jim Bett is spot on in the article - I wonder how many have read it in the confines of Pittodrie?

 

Kille, St Mirren and St Johnstone have shown what organisation and a very modest investment can produce. That we have failed is simply a testament to our clubs lazy attitude that top 6 is an achievement which brings out the mediocre in the mediocre. With a little drive you can get up this league in no time at all - it does not take 5 years to get us off the bottom and whilst top 6 this year might be acceptable (even desirable) given where we now are it represents nothing in any real definition of football success.

[Stoney]

Yes, it does as you have clearly not understood my point.

 

Killie and St Mirren were achieving about what was expected of them- or even better, given financial constraints and so on.

 

They also did not have a hardcore of players who didn't give a flying fuck.

 

And fans that don't boo their own team at every given opportunity.

 

Realistically, I'm not sure there is anyone else out there you could compare us with for pure crapness as a football club and support

 

Dunfermline home game shows the fans will support the team when they apply themselves, AFC make it very hard for the fans to give them any support.

[Dynamo]

Only been to 2 away games but from the home games I've been at I don't think the support has been negative at all.

 

it's easy to have a pop at the fans, but I don't think it's warranted from this season.

[Dandyesque]

Only been to 2 away games but from the home games I've been at I don't think the support has been negative at all.

 

it's easy to have a pop at the fans, but I don't think it's warranted from this season.

 

 

The last time I remember a positive support at home (and by this I mean a support actually willing to spur the team on, rather than just cheer when we're winning) was against Falkirk when we needed to win.

 

And it was pretty pathetic even then

 

Compare that to what can be achieved (against Hearts last day of Calderwood's 1st season) Dnipro, Copenhagen etc and it is clear the support are not doing enough.

 

Boos because we're only drawing 0-0 at half time is not what supporting a club should be about - and that is the norm at Pittodrie.

[Dynamo]

The last time I remember a positive support at home (and by this I mean a support actually willing to spur the team on, rather than just cheer when we're winning) was against Falkirk when we needed to win.

 

And it was pretty pathetic even then

 

Compare that to what can be achieved (against Hearts last day of Calderwood's 1st season) Dnipro, Copenhagen etc and it is clear the support are not doing enough.

 

Boos because we're only drawing 0-0 at half time is not what supporting a club should be about - and that is the norm at Pittodrie.

 

 

Not at the Dunfermline game then?

 

it's maybe not been a positive support, but it's not been negative either. Sign of the times maybe. Apathy rules.

[Dandyesque]

Not at the Dunfermline game then?

 

 

Nope - went to the Cale and only realised I'd forgotten to bring cash when it was too late - would have missed most of the first half.

 

And were we not winning that game comfortably in any event? I seem to remember 3-0 at half time, which makes it somewhat less than representative of AFC matches over the last 15 years.