Will Aberdeen Ever Show Any Ambition Again

[Stoneybloke]

Back in the 60s, Aberdeen started to show considerable ambition as a football club, beginning with appointing Eddie Turnbull as a manager. That was continued when he bought Joey Harper from Morton for

[Redstar]

Back in the 60s, Aberdeen started to show considerable ambition as a football club, beginning with appointing Eddie Turnbull as a manager. That was continued when he bought Joey Harper from Morton for

[Ke1t]

So long as Milne is sitting in the Chairman's seat, no. Aberdeen will show no ambition.

[zander]

The whole club is sick.

 

Any bit of ambition will be slowly followed by yet more embarrassment.

 

The whole thing is fucked.

[perthshirered]

Transfer fees are irrelevant, no point in even mentioning them.

Football has changed irreversibly, no point in throwing money around in fees when real ambition is shown by backing judgement and giving a player you believe in a longer term contract on a good contract.

For as long as Aberdeen are happy to give people 1-2 year contracts on "decent" wages then no long term stability or goals will ever be achieved.

Expecting the club/board to actually pay for players in this day and age is ridiculous and is totally unnecessary.

[Dynamo]

Could start by appointing a manager with ambition instead of a doddery old fart more concerned with not getting beat than winning.

 

It all stems from the on the pitch side of things. Play well and win games and crowds come back, more money etc etc. and don't tell me we have shite players because relatively speaking compared to the other SPL teams, we don't. Manager is failing us.

[davieb]

It seems out current esteemed manager, who has won the square root of fuck all in his life, cannot even fathom the training his players to an attacking option until it is too late. Nice guy and all that

[Stoneybloke]

Transfer fees are irrelevant, no point in even mentioning them.

Football has changed irreversibly, no point in throwing money around in fees when real ambition is shown by backing judgement and giving a player you believe in a longer term contract on a good contract.

For as long as Aberdeen are happy to give people 1-2 year contracts on "decent" wages then no long term stability or goals will ever be achieved.

Expecting the club/board to actually pay for players in this day and age is ridiculous and is totally unnecessary.

I used the transfer fee example as an indicator that the board in those days were committed and ambitious. I am not advocating that we should waste excessive amounts of money on acquiring players in a very volatile and dubious marketplace.

 

What length of contract would you suggest is demonstrative of ambition? Isn't there a danger of long term contracts encouraging complacency?

[perthshirered]

I used the transfer fee example as an indicator that the board in those days were committed and ambitious. I am not advocating that we should waste excessive amounts of money on acquiring players in a very volatile and dubious marketplace.

 

What length of contract would you suggest is demonstrative of ambition? Isn't there a danger of long term contracts encouraging complacency?

 

All im saying is that any fees paid would come straight out of the coffers and that would directly influence the wage budget. The days of player loyalty are long gone, the only way to get any control is to tie players down to a longer-term deal.

Bosman has totally fucked the sport at all levels beneath the absolute top-tier. You see the likes of Fraser, who has had a fair degree of time and money invested in him, disappearing to the likes of Bournemouth and it demonstrates how fucked football really is.

 

Signing Mark Reynolds on such a long-term contract is a good piece of business, thats the sorta deals im talking about. He is solid enough, if unspectacular. Im sure he will perform at a reasonable standard and if he performs well and earns a move to a decent club down south then good luck to him. The club has provided himself with stability and a solid base so hopefully it works out well for both Reynolds and Aberdeen. The fact is he is a more than competent SPL standard centre half and i dont think complacency really is an issue. Okay, we have had our share of bell-ends like Diamond who seem happy to go through the motions and dont give a fuck but i dont see him in this category. If you play football, or have played football at any level, then im sure you always want to do your best, to beat the man your up against and to see your team do as best as they can. Ive played Junior for a number of years and even if my team is getting horsed i still want to make sure my opponent doesnt score, its about pride. If you know there is a good chance your going to be playing for the same team for a number of years then surely you are going to try your damnest to make sure the team achieves as much as they can.

 

I realise im wafting totally off-topic here, ive had a good few pints the night. But ambition starts from the individual and pride is everything and i think the way to instill pride and heart is to ensure, as much as is possible, that you keep a solid foundation of a squad together as long as you possibly can.

[palmer-eldritch]

I for one do not believe that milne is to blame. Yes he's loaded, and yes, he could put more money in to the club than he already has. Other clubs have less money than we have and achieve more. So the point that Milne could put more money into the club is not valid. We're shite. Completely shite but it's not down to money. Surely there have been enough changes over the years, in so many departments, that there is something more sinister at hand. I am literally going to start blaming the granite. Radiation from granite. Really. Our team has mutated to lesser beings and all we (even as a nation) have left is curling. I, for one, will start following the fucking curling. Let's get the sky rights properly sorted and become the best damn curlers we've ever seen.

[palmer-eldritch]

Nobody has said that Milne needs to dip into his personal wealth.

 

Yes there is something sinister at play.

 

It can't be granite though. It has to be something else.

 

You would rather blame hard rock instead of concrete evidence.

 

How you can absolve Milne of culpability defeats all reason.

 

I guess i don't mean to absolve him of full blame. I'm still on my come down from the result, so any response should be considered as reactionary. I can't help thinking that Milne's biggest flaw, is that he has the money, he just doesn't know how to use it for the club's best interests. Comparatively, how does he REALLY fare with other chairmen? Apart from some of the more obvious decision making, what do people think?

[V for Vendetta]

There's no sign of ambition and hasn't been for years.

 

I'm not even sure the club see themselves as regularly competing with teams like Hibs, Dundee Utd and Hearts any more.

 

Who the fuck knows but it certainly doesn't seem like they plan to do anything other than tread water year on year.

 

I've said a number of times before that football spending to a regular year to year budget doesn't work. Better would be to set a longer budget and spend more up front. You need to build a critical mass first and once you have a tema with an ethic look to carefully manage a reduction if costs to balance things up.

[fine-n-dandy]

I view Aberdeen as a St Mirren type/level team but the difference is, that St midden have the fight/heart in them to make it to the odd final now & again.

 

We are a very low level side now & I have to accept this now to avoid/stop the level of depression that the club has brought me over the last 15 years or so (barring the one wee European blip)

[fine-n-dandy]

and DING DING DING DING...we have a winner!

 

we HAD team who fought...a team who were capable of sharing the stage with bayern, copenhagen et al...

 

however, you lot didnt like it because this was a team under the stewardship of an outspoken glaswegian - jealousy

 

you then drove him out and weve went back to the fucking laughing stock we were before he came in

 

FUCK YOU ALL....YOU HAVE THE TEAM AND THE CLUB YOU NOW DESERVE

 

our team right now epitomises everything about aberdeen - negative, devoid of passion, depressing and out of date

 

 

 

[fine-n-dandy]

where am i wrong you odious cunt

 

show me

 

 

As I said.

 

That was nothing more than a blip.

 

Just as St Midden are now having in getting to a cup final for once in a while.

 

We cannot get cup finals but managed one average game v Dnipro & one fantastic performance from Jamie Smith & you think that was more than it ACTUALLY was

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOOOOOOOM!

[fine-n-dandy]

Thankfully your hooks are barbless.

 

Nighty night

[McginnAgain]

As I said.

 

That was nothing more than a blip.

 

Just as St Midden are now having in getting to a cup final for once in a while.

 

We cannot get cup finals but managed one average game v Dnipro & one fantastic performance from Jamie Smith & you think that was more than it ACTUALLY was

 

 

Smith didn't beat Copenhagen by himself. The draws with Lokomotiv and Bayern were also impressive when you consider the financial disparity involved.

[Frank Butcher]

and DING DING DING DING...we have a winner!

 

we HAD team who fought...a team who were capable of sharing the stage with bayern, copenhagen et al...

 

however, you lot didnt like it because this was a team under the stewardship of an outspoken glaswegian - jealousy

 

you then drove him out and weve went back to the fucking laughing stock we were before he came in

 

FUCK YOU ALL....YOU HAVE THE TEAM AND THE CLUB YOU NOW DESERVE

 

our team right now epitomises everything about aberdeen - negative, devoid of passion, depressing and out of date

 

Nobody should doubt the fantastic effort that team put into that Euro run, a team playing well above any of us thought possible, and for that Jimmy and the team deserves immense credit

 

But that team could never be described as a team that fought. They where spineless cowards. Teams that fight give the same effort week in weekout, no matter who the opposition, they do not get raped constantly by lower league teams. Fighters take a bit of pride in themselves, have a bit of self respect, always looking to improve and so on.

 

Lovell, Foster, Kerr, Miller, MacManara, McDonald etc do not fall into that catagory.

 

with the odd exception that group of players where the biggest bunch of overrated workshy cunts that I have ever had the misfortune of watching trotting around Pittodrie.

 

The fans never drove Jimmy out of his job, his loyalty to that bunch of players cost him his job.

 

And Jimmy was not Outspoken, sure he liked the sound of his own voice, but he never said anything critical/controversial about anyone, he just came out with the same lines as everyone does. No different from Craig Brown in that respect.

 

He was maybe a mumbling incoherent Weegie, certainly nae an outpoken one.

[Ke1t]

hang on a second

 

Certainly.

 

lets look at this, bottom line

 

Sure thing.

 

milne has consistently brought in managers with good reputations

 

He's brought in managers with decidedly mixed reputations, such as McGhee (who has suffered relegations as well as promotions), Paterson, who was doing well with Caley but had allegedly known problems with his boozing, Ebbe, who did well in Denmark with Brondby... the biggest club in Denmark... but no track record with smaller clubs. Brown, who was doing well with Motherwell, but left PNE after doing nothing. Calderwood, your mate, was, I believe, Willie Miller's candidate.

 

hes then given them one of the biggest budgets in the league

 

I'd be interested to see a comparison of those budgets in terms of purely first team wages. The 'Budget' pertains to more than just the first team squad.

 

so how the FUCK is this milnes fault?

 

Milne is the Chairman.

 

He, as you said, has appointed most of the managers, Managers who have succeeded in winning not one single trophy in all that time. Nothing. Not even close.

 

Under Milne'stenure...

 

Debt has spiralled to around 16 million quid.

We've won 0 Scottish Cups

We've won 0 League Cups

We've won 0 Titles

We've suffered the highest league defeat in our history

We've suffered the highest European defeat in our history

We've suffered the highest aggregate European defeat in our history

We've gone from concrete 3rd force in Scottish Football to a team that routinely (aside from the JC years) routinely finishes in the bottom 6

We've invested nothing in training facilities

We've destroyed any scouting network we had.

We've pissed millions away sacking Milne's appointments

We've pissed 600k away on a feasibility study for a project that never stood a chance of seeing the light of day

We've lost tens of thousands of fans, to the point we're now 5th in terms of support

We've suffered countless humiliations at the hands of 'lesser' teams

 

This is just the stuff I remember off the top of my head. There's a litany of lies, incompetent decisions and broken promises.

 

 

If Milne's appointments have failed to bring success to the club then Milne takes responsibility for employing the wrong men to do the job. And that blame is magnified if he's giving them 'one of the biggest budgets' with which to bring success to the club and they STILL fail to do so.

 

It's all very well blaming incompetent subordinates, but if you're the one who's employing those subordinates...

[zander]

and DING DING DING DING...we have a winner!

 

we HAD team who fought...a team who were capable of sharing the stage with bayern, copenhagen et al...

 

however, you lot didnt like it because this was a team under the stewardship of an outspoken glaswegian - jealousy

you then drove him out and weve went back to the fucking laughing stock we were before he came in

 

FUCK YOU ALL....YOU HAVE THE TEAM AND THE CLUB YOU NOW DESERVE

 

our team right now epitomises everything about aberdeen - negative, devoid of passion, depressing and out of date

 

 

Calderwood made us consistent in the league nothing more, no trophies not even a final.

 

The realistic expectation of Aberdeen fans should be to win the league cup or Scottish cup at least once in a 5-10 year spell.

 

Calderwood had 5 years to do so in that time he spunked transfer fees and wages on players that couldn't get him that.

 

 

You keep making these statements of Aberdonians being jealous of the weegie. Why do you think this?

[super_al]

Certainly.

 

 

 

Sure thing.

 

 

 

He's brought in managers with decidedly mixed reputations, such as McGhee (who has suffered relegations as well as promotions), Paterson, who was doing well with Caley but had allegedly known problems with his boozing, Ebbe, who did well in Denmark with Brondby... the biggest club in Denmark... but no track record with smaller clubs. Brown, who was doing well with Motherwell, but left PNE after doing nothing. Calderwood, your mate, was, I believe, Willie Miller's candidate.

 

 

 

I'd be interested to see a comparison of those budgets in terms of purely first team wages. The 'Budget' pertains to more than just the first team squad.

 

 

 

Milne is the Chairman.

 

He, as you said, has appointed most of the managers, Managers who have succeeded in winning not one single trophy in all that time. Nothing. Not even close.

 

Under Milne'stenure...

 

Debt has spiralled to around 16 million quid.

We've won 0 Scottish Cups

We've won 0 League Cups

We've won 0 Titles

We've suffered the highest league defeat in our history

We've suffered the highest European defeat in our history

We've suffered the highest aggregate European defeat in our history

We've gone from concrete 3rd force in Scottish Football to a team that routinely (aside from the JC years) routinely finishes in the bottom 6

We've invested nothing in training facilities

We've destroyed any scouting network we had.

We've pissed millions away sacking Milne's appointments

We've pissed 600k away on a feasibility study for a project that never stood a chance of seeing the light of day

We've lost tens of thousands of fans, to the point we're now 5th in terms of support

We've suffered countless humiliations at the hands of 'lesser' teams

 

This is just the stuff I remember off the top of my head. There's a litany of lies, incompetent decisions and broken promises.

 

 

If Milne's appointments have failed to bring success to the club then Milne takes responsibility for employing the wrong men to do the job. And that blame is magnified if he's giving them 'one of the biggest budgets' with which to bring success to the club and they STILL fail to do so.

It's all very well blaming incompetent subordinates, but if you're the one who's employing those subordinates...

 

 

Yes!!!!! Finally someone has captured the problem.

 

I am fed up of people saying lets change the manager. Its not going to have any impact with Milne in charge. Everything the man touches turns to sh*t.

 

We need Milne to drop everything he is doing right now and find someone else to run the club.

[super_al]

Certainly.

 

 

 

Sure thing.

 

 

 

He's brought in managers with decidedly mixed reputations, such as McGhee (who has suffered relegations as well as promotions), Paterson, who was doing well with Caley but had allegedly known problems with his boozing, Ebbe, who did well in Denmark with Brondby... the biggest club in Denmark... but no track record with smaller clubs. Brown, who was doing well with Motherwell, but left PNE after doing nothing. Calderwood, your mate, was, I believe, Willie Miller's candidate.

 

 

 

I'd be interested to see a comparison of those budgets in terms of purely first team wages. The 'Budget' pertains to more than just the first team squad.

 

 

 

Milne is the Chairman.

 

He, as you said, has appointed most of the managers, Managers who have succeeded in winning not one single trophy in all that time. Nothing. Not even close.

 

Under Milne'stenure...

 

Debt has spiralled to around 16 million quid.

We've won 0 Scottish Cups

We've won 0 League Cups

We've won 0 Titles

We've suffered the highest league defeat in our history

We've suffered the highest European defeat in our history

We've suffered the highest aggregate European defeat in our history

We've gone from concrete 3rd force in Scottish Football to a team that routinely (aside from the JC years) routinely finishes in the bottom 6

We've invested nothing in training facilities

We've destroyed any scouting network we had.

We've pissed millions away sacking Milne's appointments

We've pissed 600k away on a feasibility study for a project that never stood a chance of seeing the light of day

We've lost tens of thousands of fans, to the point we're now 5th in terms of support

We've suffered countless humiliations at the hands of 'lesser' teams

 

This is just the stuff I remember off the top of my head. There's a litany of lies, incompetent decisions and broken promises.

 

 

If Milne's appointments have failed to bring success to the club then Milne takes responsibility for employing the wrong men to do the job. And that blame is magnified if he's giving them 'one of the biggest budgets' with which to bring success to the club and they STILL fail to do so.

It's all very well blaming incompetent subordinates, but if you're the one who's employing those subordinates...

 

 

Yes!!!!! Finally someone has captured the problem.

 

I am fed up of people saying lets change the manager. Its not going to have any impact with Milne in charge. Everything the man touches turns to sh*t.

 

We need Milne to drop everything he is doing right now and find someone else to run the club.

[super_al]

Certainly.

 

 

 

Sure thing.

 

 

 

He's brought in managers with decidedly mixed reputations, such as McGhee (who has suffered relegations as well as promotions), Paterson, who was doing well with Caley but had allegedly known problems with his boozing, Ebbe, who did well in Denmark with Brondby... the biggest club in Denmark... but no track record with smaller clubs. Brown, who was doing well with Motherwell, but left PNE after doing nothing. Calderwood, your mate, was, I believe, Willie Miller's candidate.

 

 

 

I'd be interested to see a comparison of those budgets in terms of purely first team wages. The 'Budget' pertains to more than just the first team squad.

 

 

 

Milne is the Chairman.

 

He, as you said, has appointed most of the managers, Managers who have succeeded in winning not one single trophy in all that time. Nothing. Not even close.

 

Under Milne'stenure...

 

Debt has spiralled to around 16 million quid.

We've won 0 Scottish Cups

We've won 0 League Cups

We've won 0 Titles

We've suffered the highest league defeat in our history

We've suffered the highest European defeat in our history

We've suffered the highest aggregate European defeat in our history

We've gone from concrete 3rd force in Scottish Football to a team that routinely (aside from the JC years) routinely finishes in the bottom 6

We've invested nothing in training facilities

We've destroyed any scouting network we had.

We've pissed millions away sacking Milne's appointments

We've pissed 600k away on a feasibility study for a project that never stood a chance of seeing the light of day

We've lost tens of thousands of fans, to the point we're now 5th in terms of support

We've suffered countless humiliations at the hands of 'lesser' teams

 

This is just the stuff I remember off the top of my head. There's a litany of lies, incompetent decisions and broken promises.

 

 

If Milne's appointments have failed to bring success to the club then Milne takes responsibility for employing the wrong men to do the job. And that blame is magnified if he's giving them 'one of the biggest budgets' with which to bring success to the club and they STILL fail to do so.

It's all very well blaming incompetent subordinates, but if you're the one who's employing those subordinates...

 

 

Yes!!!!! Finally someone has captured the problem.

 

I am fed up of people saying lets change the manager. Its not going to have any impact with Milne in charge. Everything the man touches turns to sh*t.

 

We need Milne to drop everything he is doing right now and find someone else to run the club.

[THE GRIM SHEEPER]

See below

[Huntlysheep]

We lost all ambition when Milne came in as chairman & we appointed at feel al cunt Broon.