How Will History Judge This Season?

[Jocky Balboa]

As I don't live in Aberdeen anymore, I haven't been to Pittodrie this season, but have watched from afar, like many on here. I also still read the forum regularly with interest and see good arguments, both positive and negative, regarding our progress (or lack thereof) this season. That said, those of us over 35 in particular will be all too aware of how the ghost of 1991 still looms over our Club and it is with this in mind that I see this season as the best chance we have had since THAT fateful day at Castle Greyskull, to banish that one forever, or at least be able to place it in the dustbin of history where it belongs. Whether or not we ever get ANOTHER chance, who knows, but we will surely never get a BETTER chance.

 

I am not going to say we should part company with McInnes, not for a minute, for he has undoubtedly been a marked improvement on all the managers we have had since the late 90's. That said, many are alluding to the fact that he has been, if not "found out" then at least "found wanting" in many areas, key areas which if not drastically improved next season, will surely see us stagnate further. His often one-dimensional tactics are a contrast to the tombola of Balsawood, yet I challenge anyone to say with certainty that, had the SPL playing been as strong the last 3 seasons as it was between 2004-09, we would have been more successful than the orange buffoon. In fairness, the football is more pleasing on the eye, but the above Daily Rectum sharticle isn't far off the mark here, much as it pains me to admit.

 

I still stand by my long-held view that AFC's problems lie with one man (the Wig Wam Bam) more than any other contributary factor and as long as he remains at the helm, we will always underachieve. That said however, I think next season will be the last with McInnes at the helm (if indeed he completes the whole season) for he is surely aware that, without significant investment from the Board AND with no new stadium (this saga is laughable - the Chinese Democracy of fitba) or even the long-promised training facilities, he can take us no further. With Hearts improving and the Frankenminkers now in the top division - possibly Hibs too - we won't even be frontrunners for a place in Europe anymore. Without the papering-over-the-cracks that a few away days on the continent brings, who knows what we will be facing in a year's time...?

 

Am I alone in thinking that not only did we just squander an amazing opportunity to finally banish the ghost of Castle Grayskull 1991 (wasn't this the perfect storm? I ask you all rhetorically, when it came to the crunch, did anyone believe - I mean REALLY believe - that we would be champions?) we are in danger of showing echoes of 2008 all over again? If McInnes walks or is poached by the Frankenminkers, I shudder to think where we could go next. I don't want Hughes as AFC manager any more than most of you, nor am I convinced that Wright is the answer.... BUT how St. Johnstone and Caley have continually been bogey teams for McInnes, despite having a fraction of our budgets, is frustrating. Furthermore, with this being the worst Celtic team since at least 1994-95, it's no longer good enough to say after 3 years that "aye, but ye ken, we're better than we wiz afore, min!" and pretend this season has been anything other than a gigantic wasted opportunity.

 

To answer my question posed in the title, I think that McInnes has earned our backing to see what he can do with rebuilding the squad for next season, but let's not kid ourselves on, future generations of AFC fan will look back on this season and curse both the Board and Manager for their timidity and abject failure in January's window and in squandering the one golden opportunity we had to smash not only the curse of 1991, but the stranglehold the two arse cheeks have on Scottish football. Had we been bolder and gone on to win the SPL, the possibilities for us next year and beyond could have been massive, but instead this season will end up a footnote in history, as future generations will lament how AFC meekly accepted business as usual.

 

[DelMonte]

To answer the thread title....

 

A failure.

[Dynamo]

Failure in the cups.

 

A missed opportunity in the league. The January window was a time to crack on and strengthen to close the gap to Celtic. They are poor but unfortunately we are worse.

[Tommy]

Castle Grayskull was where the good guys hung out.

We won nothing so I'll agree with DelMonte.

[StandFree1982]

Any season where we win nothing will be buried alongside the W.Miller to C.Brown era.

[BWG]

Any season where we win nothing will be buried alongside the W.Miller to C.Brown era.

Correct

[Lang Bar]

I'd prefer to see it as confirming that we are aspiring to be consistently at the top end of the League.

2nd 2 seasons on the trot a springboard to being Champions.

We are not far away, just need to find someone on the park that can kick arses when they need to be kicked.

Oh and a keeper.

As for the stadium, well it fell through because of the recession when the council pulled out of the project.

Its been a prolonged economic downturn, and Aberdeen now suffering the double whammy of oil and gas hitting the skids.

I still believe it will happen but think it wise now to wait until the bypass is built.

Once the bypass built it will be easier accessed from all points north south and west.

[Dynamo]

The highlights of the season all came in the first few months bar the win vs. Celtic at Pittodrie in Feb/Mar.

 

Rijeka away, winning the first 8 games on the bounce (Celtic at home with 10 men, Hearts away 3-0 half time) all seem a distant memory now.

 

We're definitely finishing the season on a downer.

 

Not ideal for season ticket sales either.

[ebbe]

Best opportunity of a lifetime. Blown. 3/10

[the_shrimp]

Worst season ever.

Shit football.

Captain is Joke.

Not renewing my season ticket - especially now Rangers are back.

Bring Langfield home.

McGhee will win manager of the year and Mcinnes will be left wanting.

[ab24_5qh]

Worse than last season and the season before that.

[The Oxford Don]

Best opportunity of a lifetime. Blown. 3/10

Agreed. Massive fucking frustration.

 

Potential for greatness blown by two key decisions / moments of incompetence:

 

- not strengthening sufficiently in January;

- apparently failing to double-check Danny Ward's loan documentation... only AFC could get themselves into a farcical situation whereby a season-long loan turns out not to be for an entire season.

 

We've played some good stuff, scored some great goals and had a couple of extremely consistent runs. We've also been thrashed by St Johnstone and Inverness, been dumped out of both cups without scoring a goal and suffered an utterly inexplicable collapse in October, the full reasons for which may never be revealed.

 

As I've said elsewhere it's weird to be sitting 2nd and feeling despondent, but that's where I'm at with the Dons right now.

[dave_min]

Instantly forgettable season.

 

Will be completely overshadowed by next seasons title win.

[Poodler]

Instantly forgettable season.

 

Will be completely overshadowed by next seasons title win.

Take your optimism elsewhere

 

Idiot

[muttonhumper]

Answering the thread title:

 

Made a cunt of it.

[Dal Riata Don]

It won't mean much to those who in the future will get their knowledge from google & the like but for those who were there, looking back in say 20 years time - the winning streak, the spell in Europe and our final standing will be fondly remembered.

[ericblack4boss]

This will be the one that got away, yes we may be consolidating after two runners up spots, but next season like it or not hearts and sevco are going to be in the mix, add to that st Johnstone, Dundee and Motherwell, who can take points off all the top sides including us, it is unlikely we will beat this season points haul.

And indeed when Celtic finish the winning points total will be as low as its been,

 

Yep, I agree next season is mcinnes last( if he sees out the whole campaign).

 

He has made some poor signings, zola, wylde, McLaughlin, Parker, Goodwillie, Brown,

And the good ones are outnumbered by the poor ones.

 

His appointment of that fucking sap as captain was shocking, carried out to keep him at the club a move that has backfired, he can't dremove the armband now as that would make matters worse.

 

His failure to have plan b, the default setting is to throw ash Taylor up top, meaning we lose a defender and gain very little upfront, would it have been any worse keeping magennis, or Vernon,

 

Mcinnes has shown to be very loyal perhaps to a fault,

 

Us fans contribute to the youth development system, yet the fruits being borne are very few and far between, and I would like to see more coming through for the amount being ploughed in.

 

Finally managers have shelf lives, and I feel that come the end of 2016-17 mcinnes will have reached his.

[Daz the Don]

An opportunity missed in the league.

 

Poor return in the cups to mirror how most have responded in their own way.

[Patty]

AND with no new stadium (this saga is laughable - the Chinese Democracy of fitba)

 

 

Pfft. It don't really matter!

 

[Ke1t]

Won nothing, showed a breathtaking lack of ambition in the transfer window, bottled the league, pumped out of the cups.

 

Still, compared to The McGhee/Broon/Paterson years it was a glorious romp through sun-blessed uplands.

 

So that's nice.

 

[tup]

Same as all the other seasons where we won nothing.

[The Hulk]

Agree tup. Considerable amount of melodrama here.

Disappointed we're now unlikely to win the league in the circumstances, but that's it, we were simply just second best.

History won't judge this season at all, it will be forgotten.

[Lencarl]

If Celtic lose their next two games and Aberdeen win on Saturday this thread may become a different beast. Apart from that not being likely Aberdeen built up our hopes only to fall at the final hurdle. As said this was our best chance for the Title and we blew it.

[King Street Loon]

Same as all the other seasons where we won nothing.

Pretty much this.

 

The poor showings in the cups been a huge disappointment to me.

[Tord31]

If this season has taught us anything there is still time for us to bottle it again so expect Celtic to drop more points

[Red Ram]

Depends who "history" is being judged by and possibly even how far from now eg

 

A Dons fan might look at it as a strange season in exiting both cups with no goals scored and looking at good wins over Celtic, some losses to teams with much lower points than us and would perhaps ask someone around at the time why the name Ward disappeared from team sheet and then be amazed we had someone who went on to be a Liverpool legend play for a brief spell but still got pumped by St Johnstone and be amused that the name Robson who appeared on bench most weeks really is old Barry who sits at end of Edwards Bar in Inverurie and tells everyone he was a player back in the day before managing Inverurie Locos.

 

An interested historian might compare the league table with current participants and conclude this was indeed the season where the final demise of a once great club called Dundee United started before they eventually joined the names of Third Lanark and Rangers FC in list of Scottish clubs who have went out of existence. Some amusement may be found in fact that the manager for part of season left to go on and see his new team fall out of English Football League but was financially sound due to a cracking scam he had going in getting a cut of all monies received by punting as many players as he could but with quite a few to Celtic.

 

Your average Celtic historian would struggle to read the league table but may get some enjoyment from looking at pictures of team with League trophy but think that the boy Delia must have been a right useless dick if they only won one trophy

 

etc etc

[Chewie37]

It's okay kids, it's like the 70's all over again, we'll win the league soon.........

[KidCreole]

I wonder had we not been fucked on the Tansey deal and if we went with the boy from Reggiana would we be in such a shite position, Also is the budget we didn't spend in January added in full to the summer, If so perhaps things will pan out, I think Sevco and Celtic kicking lumps out of each other will be good for us as well

 

and who here isn't looking realistically at a win at mordor.

[Mr John]

There's fixtures left and last season we had 75 points, so I'm biding my time before I ramble.

[Andy_123]

The history books will simply say we won nothing this season. So it's been a bit of a failure in my eyes.