Handsome_Devil

A million times no.

I have massive mood swings over it, on one hand being right in the hunt for Europe is always great and the fact I happen to be back for the final two games is incredibly exciting personally. But after a second's thought the performances of the last three months are remembered and you just think time to dampen that excitement because there's every chance we'll get pumped off Rangers, chuck it in the away games again and then those games I'm back for are suddenly friendlies. I do think everyone should make a conscious effort to be positive and enjoy the next weeks despite the obvious concerns though...why the hell not? It's been years since we were here in a genuine fight for Europe (arguably a decade to the CL battle with United in 2012 - Aberdeen in 2014 was great but like 2013 barring an utter collapse we were always getting in regardless of whether we got the cherry on top or not). You never know when it'll come again and from next season there's every chance we'll have serious worries....Not enjoying a rare bit of positive drama because you're mentally preparing for the worse just seems a very sad approach to me. Get the beers in, enjoy cheering against the rivals, enjoy the important games to come....you'll miss it when we're nowhere again.

County are clearly exceptionally solid - it's one thing saying they've been a little fortunate with three 1-0 wins, for us to count three clean sheets you have to go back to November...and in Hungbo/RCC they have a couple of guys you'd back to find a goal. United are basically just as fragile as us with a marginally better 'recent' record. Logically - current form, away record, KVV being out etc - we're favourites for sixth. We'll lose to Rangers but a result at Tannadice is not beyond us, nick that and I have a sneaky feeling we'll do it. Somehow.

True though I don't think there's any way the OF won't drop points somewhere and you wouldn't bet on us being the ones who benefit most given Rangers still have something at stake at FP.

Lose to Rangers, draw at United, win the next two, lose at Celtic, fifth. Maybe.

You've got to be in it to win it so I'm going to be positive and enjoy it after this post... because current form, away form all season and the approach of the boss all says to me we're not finishing higher than sixth. But we'll have enough real reasons to moan soon enough, so time to dig out the sombrero, inflatable palm tree, Lithuanian phrase book and my 'European tour' scarf once more as far as I'm concerned until confirmed otherwise!

That seems a pretty fair summation of the rest of our lot tbh.

He got injured, did he not? He was in the team pretty regularly till he went off at ER in early December...but who knows how long he was actually unavailable for. We need the stereotypical leader type at the back to hold the hand of SSJ/Lamie/Mugabi. If Ojala could be fit for more than 10 minutes at a time I think he'd do it well but it's a mental gamble putting our eggs in that fragile basket. Pairing two of the first three might work for the odd game but it's certainly not a viable plan long-term.

Bad news given we'd probably consider him first pick at left back right now. But him missing Scotland in summer is probably good for us long-term, he can get his break and make a fresh start next season hopefully.

I'd be amazed if any Dundee fans are offended...would they want Rickie Lamie on the wages they reportedly offered to tempt him away from FP if they go down? Highly unlikely. His honesty is completely fine.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ricki-lamie-admits-motherwell-dundee-26681132 The sound of a screeching U-turn.

I think that's the issue, most folk do it out of loyalty or obligation but eventually there comes a point where you just go nah...and the risk is that the intention to pay in most weeks goes too. How many PATG home fans would we have had at the United, Hibs and county home games for example?

Does anyone know if our 40 points is the lowest tally to make sixth at the split?

I certainly hope so but it's been mentioned on the forums by some it's a consideration. We're asking folk for X hundred for the first normal season in three years when money is tight. Put it this way, the saving of an ST compared to paying in is basically wiped out if you decide to skip the OF games (a misery on and off the pitch) for a couple pints watching in the pub and think life will get in the way on one occasion out the other 15. I think without a decent end to the campaign it'll be tighter than we'd like...hope I'm wrong.

We'll never know but on the basis of his career prior to FP and reported relationship with GA, I'm happy to trust the manager on this one and say quack yes.

Alexander's done a tremendous job, it's there in black and white no matter what you think of the football. I think a fair amount of shine is taken off by the fact even competence since January would have us in Europe already but the fact remains he saved a sinking ship and got us into the top half. The big but, however, is that managers and players are retained/recruited not on what they've done but what they might do next. We (and others on occasion) have seen that ignoring a collapse in the second half of the season can be hugely dangerous at the start of the next term and in the worst case can't be salvaged. I think everyone can live with poor football when winning. Most of us, aware of our status in the food chain, will also tolerate poor football when losing if it seems to be building towards something or part of some kind of development plan. Alexander's issue (or one of them, beyond the seemingly inexplicable selections and tactics at times) which complicates things is he is secretive to a pathological extent when it comes to the team. In fact, let's be honest, he tells lies in his pre-match pressers. This might be out of tactical reasons or whatever but the effect on the fan base is almost entirely negative. It means there's no understanding for the decisions he makes, no semblance of philosophy for how he sees the team progressing and keeps him distant from the support. Accordingly he gets judged on his own sole yardstick, winning games, and whether there is any confidence this will keep happening. And when we've won 1 in 13 in the league it's no wonder there is massive concern. To repeat my previous view, I think Alexander could be a good manager for us if he is willing to adapt his approach slightly in a couple of areas. But there is little indication this is the case and with diminishing returns on the pitch (Jan-May has a much bigger bearing on what comes next than August-Dec 2021 and Jan-May 2021 has fallen off the radar almost completely) and folk seriously considering their ST renewals, anyone who isn't nervous about our immediate prospects has much tougher guts than me.

From what I hear there might be a second coming. Which I'm not unhappy with per se but if Ojala isn't fit enough to be a regular pick, we need a new leader at the back. Lamie, Mugabi and even SSJ, despite his form doing a SOD, all strike me as being fine as the second CB if they have someone talking them through it - combining two of the three isn't working though.

Daylight robbery... always very pleasing but Christ we're absolutely rotten. Table doesn't lie mind as much as Livingston will be kicking themselves.

Bizarre end to a bizarre season so far. Don't really know what to make of it. Sixth and a point of fourth is excellent, on the other hand...well, we've all seen us. Remarkably we could be preparing for both European and relegation battles next season. I doubt we will be mind, you'd back County for fourth and while there's little between us and United, them starting 1.5 points ahead with GD should see them fifth.

Pathetic beyond words. Never mind being top six at full time, being top 12 come the start of 2023/24 is a much bigger concern.

You wonder what Alexander's thought process was this week. Having finally seen us play well and win by being a bit more positive and playing football, I suppose a return to passivity and aimless long balls we inevitable. We're lucky it's only 1-0.

I'm very meh about finishing sixth in general. It's obviously objectively a good season and there are financial benefits but being midtable and sixth as opposed to midtable and seventh doesn't do much for me in sporting terms either way. Indeed, if you're the worst of the top half there's a decent chance the end of the season is rather dull in comparison to potentially some light-hearted wins over the dross on sunny days. The annoyance this season isn't potentially missing sixth, it's that even a moderate start to the year would have had us safe as no worse than fifth - which given that's likely Europe would have been something worth having. Not making Europe is never a disaster for us but these opportunities don't come around all the time and throwing one away through our own caution in the window and inexplicable team selections - coming on top of two farcical cup exits - means this season will likely have a huge 'chance missed' stamped on it.

The short answer is yes, absolutely. It's obviously frustrating if we don't see our best youths play for us before we leave. But: - there is all kinds of cash available for running a proper academy. I forget the what, why, when etc but it's in the accounts - producing good players who get moves that are probably life-altering at 15/16, if not setting them up for life, is a brilliant recruitment advert for the level below them to join us - some players will choose to hang around for the first team path, others will develop a little later - having a Maguire, Cornelius etc in the squad (on peanuts, at least at first) saves wages that would go to a senior back-up - we're protected to an extent by the rules, should McKinstry, McAlear etc eventually go for big bucks we get a percentage The trend of big clubs hoovering up even more talent than usual is highly annoying but we should still be funding the academy as much as possible.

It's a shame a loyal player leaves on bad terms but having read the club statement - assuming it's true - it's a real wtf moment...you know players are well paid, particularly up there, but the guy - 35 and after serious injury - has turned down a minimum hundred grand a year (!) plus basically a path to having a job for life at Pittodrie if he wants it. Does he really think he'll do better elsewhere? Am I just so wildly out of touch with football salaries that this was a really insulting offer? On the face of it he's insane.

I was surprised we weren't mentioned in those sniffing around...can't say I've seen that much of him for ICT but he seems to get decent reviews and there'd certainly be some logic in him coming back. If you're making things overly simple and saying we have Maguire and Donnelly/new guy as holding players, Tierney as a potential 10, there's only Cornelius, Slattery and Goss competing for probably two spots going up and down. Which while not on the same priority as a new left back etc, isn't really enough.