Match Thread (Europa League) Cs Fola Esch V Aberdeen (1 - 0)

[Bamber]

no Im not missing the point - the point is that if we had a decent captain in waiting he would be imposing himself onto the game and "taking over" He inst

 

so Shinnie either doesn't have the leadership qualities to be the captain that we think he is

 

or he does have the qulaities and isn't using them so isn't working for the team

 

Its not the second that's for sure

 

And shinnie needs to work at getting back to the player he was in the first half of last season not having an extra responsibility thrown on him

 

Jack may well be a poor captain (and I don't neccesarily disagree on that point) but I am struggling to see better

 

If you want an example of what I mean - when things were going wrong at the end of last season Robson would be going around talking encouraging trying to put a mark on the game - There is NO ONE doing that

 

Either we don't have anyone good enough of they are willing to let the team sink

[Bamber]

Dare i posit we missed mcginn

 

 

We should have been good enough without McGinn - my own view is that we thought the tie was won, Mcinnes letting mcginn away reinforced that in the minds of the players "the gaffer is so chilled about this he is letting mcginn away" and our concentration and preparation went out the window

[red_ordead]

Needs to be a reaction...if Rooney hadn't scored with last kick of the game in home leg we'd be out...on tonight's showing we'll struggle to get thru the next qualifier...

Neilson made a good signing with Gilks...a steady keeper is essential to any winning team...Lewis is an unknown.

Warburton and the huns signed Gilks actually

[CalgaryDon]

Tough result tonight but we are through. We have both Storey and McGinn for the next round which may help. Seems to be a lack of confidence within the squad however I'm confident that this will be addressed next week. Terrible performance but feel there is a massive overreaction - some who'd have you believe we are destined for relegation this coming season. When are we due these 1 or 2 "marquee" signings? We could do with them now.

[Sonoftherock]

Massive wake-up call yesterday.

 

Going to be a long season unless we address some of our glaring weaknesses. Worryingly we look really short in central defence and central midfield. Need at least one addition in both areas - two strong leaders - but we've left things very late in the day! At goalkeeper, I said before that Alexander will end the season as our number one... he's a good goalie but at 38 y/o we're back to square one at the end of the season!

 

We need quality individuals who can move us forward... no more squad fillers please!! Wake-up FFS!

[Panda]

Probably been covered by others but here's my random thoughts.....

 

I want to like Ash Taylor. He comes across as a nice fella, pleased to be at the club, and other gooey shit. But he is horrific. I have watched a lot of shite play for us over the years and yet no-one has ever made me as angry as he does.

 

Hadji header - Taylor lets him beat him in the air.

 

Bensi shot - he shrugs him off the ball.

 

Hadji goal - he's caught out of position, gives Hadji a yard head start.

 

There was another moment, and in fairness I'm not sure if it was Taylor or someone else, where they just bizarrely jumped past the man. I watched the reply and couldn't work out what they were attempting to do.

 

McLean has had two really poor games. Shinnie hasn't done much. Logan twice sat off the striker and let him get a shot at goal. After 80 minutes of Fola hitting shots from distance, did our players still not think it was worth closing them down on the edge of the box in the last ten minutes?

 

 

The team performance overall - like Robbie Neilson said last night, and it applies to us too. , pre-season is usually six weeks. We're only three weeks into it. We can only improve from here, surely?

 

However, that doesn't excuse McInnes' tactics and decision making tonight. The half-time subs made no sense. Neither did Rooney coming on for Stockley.

 

I like Jack. I refuse to jump on the anti-Jack brigade, and I think he was far from the worst out there tonight.

 

I want him in our midfield, but he isn't captain material. I think we need to sign a captain, someone who isn't worried about upsetting his team-mates, because at the moment they're all great pals which is nice, but they're too fucking nice to each other.

 

Andrew Crofts, Welsh international released by Brighton, is still a free agent. Currently on trial with Charlton but fuck them and their mothers. Get him and Greg Stewart in.

[rossafc92]

McLean has had two really poor games. Shinnie hasn't done much. Logan twice sat off the striker and let him get a shot at goal. After 80 minutes of Fola hitting shots from distance, did our players still not think it was worth closing them down on the edge of the box in the last ten minutes?

 

Failing to close down players outside the box was one of our biggest problems last season. We conceded a lot of goals because of it: Christie away at Inverness, two Patrick Roberts goals at the end of the season v Celtic, Ozturk at Tynecastle (Juanma with the rebound), Rijeka's second goal at Pittodrie, the long range screamer by Islamakhan in Almaty. There were a few more than that as well.

 

 

It's worrying that, in both games so far this season, we seem to have done nothing to rectify this.

[King Street Loon]

We are going to win 4-0

i fucking wish.

I lumped on that shite.

Fucking make believe, charlatan arseholes.

Cunts to a man

[King Street Loon]

O'Connor and MacLean about the only players who look interested at the moment.

Really?.one hooked at haLf time.

The other was hung out to dry by a manager Who reverted to the easy life

[King Street Loon]

Will be looking for a marked improvement from McLean as the only thing I can remember he did (positively) in the first leg was that long through ball to Rooney.

 

Be good to get a look at O'Conner, and I hope that Wright gets a run.

 

 

Only so many names can go on the sheet, and it looks as if he's third choice today, behind Willo.

He was horseshit today. Utter garnafe3

[King Street Loon]

ref's a fkn homer by the looks so far.

 

Is it the same one as last week? Other than the two chopped off goals he was decent then.

.

He wasnt

[Chewie37]

"Des" making his competitive debut .

 

@@Chewie37

Just home, missed the game and pages of chat! Sounds like we were guff. Oh dear. Hope Des played okay........

[Singapore Steve]

Incredibly lucky to get away with that tonight. Thought we were going out of Europe as our defence was the worst i have seen it in many a year. Although this team were average at best we seemed to shite it every attack they had.

Thought Lewis was OK, fierce shot from the Fola boy but although Lewis was well positioned it did seem he reached it and it went over his arm rather than him not being able to stretch to reach it. Maybe could have done better but as said it was a fierce shot. Other than that he held on to everything else and let nothing bounce off his body back into play.

Taylor looked like he was petrified tonight.

Everyone else looked like strangers who had never played together. Really struggling to understand what went so badly wrong tonight. did we underestimate them, we should not have as from the first game they proved they could score and obviously hit the post aswell.

Last night and the first game could so easily have seen us out of Europe, so i think we were very very lucky to go through.......Really hope we have not used up all our luck for the season on this two games.

[Panda]

We weren't the only ones who found QR1 tough.

 

Norway and Poland are both above us in the coefficients, and both had teams knocked out.

 

Stabaek lost to Welsh side Connah's Quay. At home to boot.

 

And Shkendija, remember them, knocked out some Polish mob.

[Guest]

I'm usually quite optimistic but Taylor and Jack have to be dropped for the next game - performances simply not good enough. Also, fingers crossed the Flood to Utd Rumours are true.

 

^ This

 

By far the two weakest links in our team are the 'backbone' positions of CH and CM. We saw Jack subbed quite a few times last season, and rightly so. However, since he came back from his injury, DM seems to have showed him great loyalty - far too much if you ask me. Similarly, Taylor, who was dropped a few times, is picked more than his ability justifies. Given that we still have the same pairing, or trio for what is a very important part of the season for us, I'm alarmed at the signings, or lack thereof, to date.

 

Few points to make.....

 

- "Taylor and Reynolds will play better with a better keeper in front of him" quote that someone hit me with. Well, I think you could the great bandy legs himself in goals, and it wouldn't make a difference to these guys. Early days for Lewis - I think he looks better organised than Langfield and Brown, but by god, he's going to have his work cut out as Taylor and Reynolds will leave him exposed more often than not.

 

Taylor for me, is a total bomb scare. Reynolds doesn't appear to have improved from last season - at least, in terms of attitude and concentration. Taylor just doesn't seem to be at that level that we need, although when he's on top of his game, he's good. But we need players who even performing at 50% and having an 'off night' still manage to do the very basics.

 

Jack - well, I have said my bit on him, but for me, the glaringly obvious position we need to address is CM. I just don't think McInnes has been ruthless enough and potentially is cutting off his nose to spite his face.

 

McLean - ok, good potential he may have, but I got fired into him after he arrived for being mediocre and I just haven't seen enough in him to justify his place in the team. Is he better than Storie, Flood etc? Yes, probably. But is he making a positive impact on our team? Nope, not in my opinion.

 

Stockely I will give time. I think he's only starting right now as Rooney is being nursed back to full fitness, and I don't think this helps him any. He's having to learn our style of play and get to know his team mates, in live football action.

 

Overall, for those who say our transfer window has been a raring success, I'd go back to what I said (and for what was shot down for a week or so ago) and say that DM has so far, failed to make any difference whatsoever with the signings. It's the players who have been ambling through last season and costing points at vital games, that we need to replace. Jack, Reynolds, Taylor, McLean..... but even then, Shinnie whom I don't think we are providing enough competition for and who seems to be coasting along. He started on fire, but someone has thrown a bucket of water over him.

 

I think it's safe to say that the squad has lost it's mojo. There no longer exists, that burning desire to win. Taylor had it for a spell, Shinnie had it when he arrived. The entire team had it in DM's first full season. But as with a number of games last season and before it, the team, at times, when the chips are down and it's not going their way, lose belief and lose fight. Hearts cup defeat a shining example of that last season. I never saw that coming as I truly believed in DM's man management skills and ability to motivate from within. But we rely on Hayes and McGinn to bail us out and that's too much to both ask of them, and realistically expect from a team. We need more strength in depth. We need a ball winning and play maker in midfield who can open up defences with telling passes. We need someone who can deliver a set piece!! We need confident defenders.

 

Have we seen the hay day of McInnes' era? Time will tell, but on last night's showing and some of the abject displays from last season, I think the only thing that would turn it around is 5/6 really good signings. Not stocking fillers like we've just taken in. Milne said he'd back him.... but depends on your definition of backing. We are, as I said, at a crossroads in this squad's development or regression. I'm worried we just stood still on it for too long and have been hit by a runaway lorry!

[Dynamo]

I expect us to improve but last night was relegation form. And that's not being dramatic.

 

But we will get better.

 

Jack was shit but so was everyone else. Literally everyone.

 

Shinnie's loss of form from last season seems to have continued. Hayes never in the game bar one run in the second half. McLean was anaonymous and Pawlett...so shit. Couldn't pass, couldn't shoot, couldn't beat his man.

 

Defence - zero composure. Taylor a complete bombscare, Considine was shit and Logan was not his usual composed self.

 

Stockley way too isolated. he's going to win headers but that's pointless if the header is going straight to a defender because there is no attacker in sight.

 

Fola were first to every ball and beat us to the 50:50s in general.

[King Street Loon]

 

^ This

 

By far the two weakest links in our team are the 'backbone' positions of CH and CM. We saw Jack subbed quite a few times last season, and rightly so. However, since he came back from his injury, DM seems to have showed him great loyalty - far too much if you ask me. Similarly, Taylor, who was dropped a few times, is picked more than his ability justifies. Given that we still have the same pairing, or trio for what is a very important part of the season for us, I'm alarmed at the signings, or lack thereof, to date.

 

Few points to make.....

 

- "Taylor and Reynolds will play better with a better keeper in front of him" quote that someone hit me with. Well, I think you could the great bandy legs himself in goals, and it wouldn't make a difference to these guys. Early days for Lewis - I think he looks better organised than Langfield and Brown, but by god, he's going to have his work cut out as Taylor and Reynolds will leave him exposed more often than not.

 

Taylor for me, is a total bomb scare. Reynolds doesn't appear to have improved from last season - at least, in terms of attitude and concentration. Taylor just doesn't seem to be at that level that we need, although when he's on top of his game, he's good. But we need players who even performing at 50% and having an 'off night' still manage to do the very basics.

 

Jack - well, I have said my bit on him, but for me, the glaringly obvious position we need to address is CM. I just don't think McInnes has been ruthless enough and potentially is cutting off his nose to spite his face.

 

McLean - ok, good potential he may have, but I got fired into him after he arrived for being mediocre and I just haven't seen enough in him to justify his place in the team. Is he better than Storie, Flood etc? Yes, probably. But is he making a positive impact on our team? Nope, not in my opinion.

 

Stockely I will give time. I think he's only starting right now as Rooney is being nursed back to full fitness, and I don't think this helps him any. He's having to learn our style of play and get to know his team mates, in live football action.

 

Overall, for those who say our transfer window has been a raring success, I'd go back to what I said (and for what was shot down for a week or so ago) and say that DM has so far, failed to make any difference whatsoever with the signings. It's the players who have been ambling through last season and costing points at vital games, that we need to replace. Jack, Reynolds, Taylor, McLean..... but even then, Shinnie whom I don't think we are providing enough competition for and who seems to be coasting along. He started on fire, but someone has thrown a bucket of water over him.

 

I think it's safe to say that the squad has lost it's mojo. There no longer exists, that burning desire to win. Taylor had it for a spell, Shinnie had it when he arrived. The entire team had it in DM's first full season. But as with a number of games last season and before it, the team, at times, when the chips are down and it's not going their way, lose belief and lose fight. Hearts cup defeat a shining example of that last season. I never saw that coming as I truly believed in DM's man management skills and ability to motivate from within. But we rely on Hayes and McGinn to bail us out and that's too much to both ask of them, and realistically expect from a team. We need more strength in depth. We need a ball winning and play maker in midfield who can open up defences with telling passes. We need someone who can deliver a set piece!! We need confident defenders.

 

Have we seen the hay day of McInnes' era? Time will tell, but on last night's showing and some of the abject displays from last season, I think the only thing that would turn it around is 5/6 really good signings. Not stocking fillers like we've just taken in. Milne said he'd back him.... but depends on your definition of backing. We are, as I said, at a crossroads in this squad's development or regression. I'm worried we just stood still on it for too long and have been hit by a runaway lorry!

Pretty spot on with your assessment there.

[BWG]

"We should be good enough to win without McGinn". Well we fucking aren't, Derek. Just as are our defenders aren't good enough to defend leads and "manage games". This is something that has been apparent to the fans for ages and you're only now realising it? Worrying and baffling.

[Dynamo]

Too many kilts on show at this game IMO.

[Clydeside_Sheep]

Too many kilts on show at this game IMO.

 

One would be too many!

[StandFree1982]

The only positive we can take, other than the fact we've progressed despite last night, is that McInnes will have learnt far more about his side and the work that needs done than if we had won this game comfortably.

[Clydeside_Sheep]

We shouldn't over-react, yes it was a piss-poor performance but we don't need the melodrama / theatrics.

 

We (and chiefly the team) just need to recognise that this standard is unacceptable.

 

We have obviously been very complacent and gone into a game against a team playing our their skin on behalf of their bereaved keeper and his family.

 

Lets be honest, before the game we (and doubtless the team) were all speculating how many goals we would rack up to their nil.

 

At the end of the day, every game should be prepared for with the utmost seriousness as though we could well lose the game, regardless if we are playing Real Madrid or Shotts Bon Accord.

 

I don't think anyone thought for a second we would struggle last night, let alone actually lose the game, and that blase attitude is at the root of what happened.

[buchanskii]

Just how hot was it out there? That could be a reason why the performance was so poor - flood in particular looks like he'd wilt in anything above 10 degrees

[HairyPie]

We shouldn't over-react, yes it was a piss-poor performance but we don't need the melodrama / theatrics.

 

We (and chiefly the team) just need to recognise that this standard is unacceptable.

 

We have obviously been very complacent and gone into a game against a team playing our their skin on behalf of their bereaved keeper and his family.

 

Lets be honest, before the game we (and doubtless the team) were all speculating how many goals we would rack up to their nil.

 

At the end of the day, every game should be prepared for with the utmost seriousness as though we could well lose the game, regardless if we are playing Real Madrid or Shotts Bon Accord.

 

I don't think anyone thought for a second we would struggle last night, let alone actually lose the game, and that blase attitude is at the root of what happened.

 

Would like to think Aberdeen wouldn't stoop to that level.

[boboisared]

Won't say too much as I doubt anything hasn't been said that I would say. We're in to the next round and surely that will be a kick up the arse to the players.

 

O'Connor always seemed to be in the right place to break up play, but he looked so slow. Hopefully it was the hot conditions and the fact it was his first competitive game that contributed to that.

 

The main worry for me was McInnes using all his subs pretty early and it back firing. One of the biggest grumbles with the manager is that he takes too long to make a change. He shoots his load last night and sods law it causes us problems.

[strachanmcgheegoal]

I could see why he changed it the way he did. Changing 3 and then picking up an injury was always the risk.

 

He'd clearly gambled on Pawlett to try and get him back to game sharp. He was treating this game as a pre season practise match and that was the biggest failing of all. So Flood for Pawlett to tighten up the middle was a no brainer. (Incidentally at least Flood had the decency to take out Klapp who at that point seemed to be running the game).

 

O'Conner for Reynolds? Meh. Never liked this back 5 idea as it smacks of the aforementioned managing out games. I could see why he did it - thinking he'd keep them out. It just exposed how shite our middle three (four if you include Jack sitting in front of them) are.

 

Rooney for Stockley. No real surprise and no insult to either player. Biggest failing in that respect was the complete and utter lack of service from Hayes. And why on the right Derek, why why why? If McGinn wasn't a certain starter with a superiority complex before he's going to be fucking insufferable now if he decides he can't be arsed.

 

Onwards and upwards.

 

Edit: Oh and a free ticket and a pie for the next round for the poor hoors who travelled to witness that would be perfectly in order!

[dejanflapovic]

I know he has to, for obvious rule abiding reasons, but seriously, what is the point in McInnes naming a full bench when he only EVER uses the same players off the bench in pretty much every game? as someone said earlier, when you see the team and bench named you can pretty much predict who is going to come on in the game. His decision making and team selections are so utterly predictable and for me that is part of the problem.

 

Why does his complete contempt for giving opportunities to younger players on a more regular basis not come under more scrutiny? Calderwood was sacked for it was he not? Yeh hes played the odd young player now and again but as soon they have had a chance he is shoehorning one of his favoured 13/14 back in as usual. Could the likes of Storie, Wright, McKenna and Smith have done any worse last night?

[Bamber]

do you really think that was a second half to bring on an untried (at European level) youngster?

 

We really needed experience and know how to try and drag us up by the coat tails and get us through. The team and the subs were all good last night there was very little wrong with the selection of the subs

 

A really bad attitude that the game was won and an unfortunate injury on 62 mins about 2 mins after we made our final substitution was the cause

 

so answering your question

 

Could the likes of Storie, Wright, McKenna and Smith have done any worse last night?

 

 

my answer would be yes they could

[RTYD]

Abysmal. For Kenny McLean to return to form Jack must be dropped to get out of his fucking way. Taylor out also.

[strachanmcgheegoal]

Could the likes of Storie, Wright, McKenna and Smith have done any worse last night?

 

Yes and been hung out to dry on the back of it. As would Mcinness to be fair and not without some justification.