ScoRoss

Again, you're treating this like a normal footballing matter. The SFA saw fit to suspend games because of this, so obviously they see it as a serious matter. Obviously not serious enough to have him represent the country next week... If they are so serious about making an example of these players and showing other not to do the same, it's a bit of a farce if he's strolling about the Hampden pitch for Scotland. I never mentioned Northern Ireland, so you've just pulled that out of nowhere.

Suspensions have never been handed out for joining the rest of the city in a bar... It's a bit of a different case. Of course he wasn't on 'national team business', but he was hardly on the clock for Aberdeen either. If the SFA are punishing the players for this, they can't just decide he is free to play for their own team. Seems a bit weak by them, or just convenient.

Think it's the other way around. At least from reading that.

Surely they are going to need more centre backs, or are they going to conveniently not ban McKenna for games until after the internationals... If it ends up with his club being punished for actions outside of football, but not the national team... Maybe it wasn't such a heinous crime in the eyes of the SFA

Livingston looked horrendous against Hibs and completely solid against Rangers. If they are half as good defensively, Aberdeen won't score. Probably won't even play a forward pass. Hoping Kennedy and Hedges start, ditching the 3 at the back and Ojo gets dropped.

Only four Scottish teams in Europe this season, so it's 0.375

Now that there are 5 European spots on offer, should one of them be allocated to the winner of the League Cup? Not that'll probably matter, but on the off chance a club out with the best four teams in the league wins it.

Pirlo to be appointed as Juventus' new manager. Must have worked miracles in his nine days as under 23 manager.

Except now we'll have more diddies in the Europa Conference... Hopefully, just hopefully, Motherwell might be able to not completely be embarrassed and lose to a part time Welsh team. At least then we'll be doing better than last season.

There's also the fact that from next season, barring something ridiculous, Scotland will have five teams in European competition instead of only the four just now. With only Celtic and Rangers making a serious indent, averaging the points over an extra team would bring a lower points total. Obviously with the Europa Conference League, still not entirely sure how the points will be dished out or the real level of competition. It'll also remove some of the complete diddies that our team's would expect to easily overcome in the Europa League qualifiers.

Dates released by UEFA for the qualifying rounds: Preliminary round: August 20 First qualifying round: August 27 Second qualifying round: September 17 Third qualifying round: September 24 Play-offs: October 1 Group stage: October 22 and 29, November 5 and 26, December 3 and 10

Is Curtis Main expected to be fit again for the start of the season? Wasn't long ago since it was announced he required surgery, but doesn't seem to be mentioned in any injury update. If Aberdeen get six million combined for Cosgrove and McKenna, I'd like to think that'll comfortably soften the blow of this entire period. Maybe not in the short term, although with Considine and Main as short term fixes (maybe even Anderson), it could be a lot worse. Other than Motherwell and Hibs, it doesn't look like other Premiership teams have strengthen over this period and financially would come out a lot better than other clubs (although Motherwell could still cash in on Turnbull and their other young players).

Red TV couldn't cover the Scottish Cup replay against Kilmarnock due to the Champions League earlier this year, even for international viewers.

They had better relax those UEFA rules this season. It'll be even more of a farce if they don't.

I'd have him instead of Shinnie in midfield but not Severin. Taking out loan players, since 2000 Lewis Hart - Anderson - Heikkinen - McNaughton Severin - Bisconti McGinn - McLean - Hayes Stavrum (Just looking back at Stavrum, it's amazing to look back now and see how Aberdeen, struggling at the time, just managed to sign the top scorer in Sweden's top division)

Stretching it a little further back and I'd put Markus Heikkinen in for McKenna. Although played more in midfield than defence, he was such a good player wherever he played. Would have loved him to stay a little longer when the team would have had more quality around him.

I'd hope for something like: Hernandez - Taylor - Considine - Hayes Ferguson - McGeouch - Ojo McGinn - Cosgrove - Kennedy McGeough dropping deep when in possession and Hayes and Hernandez pushing wider and further up. Basically morphing into a 3-4-3. Defensively, would rather Ojo was further up the field and look to press earlier than when he sat deeper last year and left Ferguson as the only pressing midfielder. Have basically written off Bryson at this point.

Hopefully it'll be Kennedy at LW and Hayes at LB. Kennedy spends most of his attacking cutting inside, leaving a huge wasted space out wide as Considine was unable to make use of it most of the time. Hayes at left back would have the pace, energy and ability to make far more use there. As long as McInnes hasn't suddenly decided to play like Man City, that pairing should be good enough domestically. Have Ojo or McGeouch in the team should allow a simpler out ball for them, rather than for most of the first half of last season there was no midfield to speak of and ended with McKenna and Taylor trying to launch 50 yard diagonal passes into the stands.

What's the take with Miko Virtanen? Seems to be getting written about as a potential 'breakthrough' player for next season. Seemed to have a good season with Arbroath. But with Bryson, Campbell, Ojo, McGeouch and Ferguson, I'd imagine he'd be more likely for another season on loan somewhere than much game time for Aberdeen next season.

I admire the optimism here that there will be games with any fans next season.

Scott Wright turns 23 this year. Pretty sure if he was going to have progressed significantly enough, he would have down it by now. Would be pretty happy going into the season with Kennedy, Hedges, McLennan as the main options for wide areas. (Assuming Hayes would be regularly playing at left back). Can imagine most other clubs will be running with fairly light squads compared to usual, and the squad is already unbalanced. Would be a time to make some sacrifice of the abundance of attacking players in the squad compared to the defence and central midfield. If Main wasn't injured, would have liked Anderson to go out on loan, as he needs game time and who knows what reserve team football is going to look like next season.

Looks decent so far. Although would rather he played on the right, rather than being put on the left and cutting in from there. Asks too much of Considine, who has played most often, at left back. Think most fans had almost written this season off by the time he arrived, so January signings had basically been given the rest of the season as a freebie to improve the team for next year. Don't think I've heard many complaints about him. At some point, Hayes and McGinn have to be properly replaced. Hopefully him and Hedges can go a little way to doing that.

Ash Taylor was definitely not a popular signing, but he is a better option than playing Devlin (who has just completely fallen off a cliff). Plays better in the games against the better teams when we sit deep and isn't required to play the ball in the opposition half. His passing is inconsistent at best and doesn't help himself with trying to play long balls out wide. There were better options available last summer, so still wouldn't get a high mark. Greg Leigh was injured for long periods of the season, so is a lot more difficult to judge. Think he is as good an option, going forward, as the team has had at left back for a while. Considine is fine, but doesn't have the pace or passing ability that Leigh has. Showed in the Motherwell away match, when he played in midfield, how good a footballer he is. But needs game time to get better as a left back. Funso Ojo showed in spells he could finally be the player required to replace Jack, but again missed such a long period of time with injuries. Only concern is the compatibility with McGeouch, as both of them like to sit deep and a central position. Would like to see him playing a little further up the pitch and supporting Ferguson in pressing the opposition midfield. McGeouch came in, and for a lot of his early League games looked completely off the pace but has steadily improved. Was looking forward to him, Ojo and Ferguson actually getting a run together. The midfield has been patched together for most of the season, and having three good midfielders was a rare sight. Hedges suffered from being played on the right with almost no support from any right back throughout the season. Logan doesn't have the ability to be such an attacking threat anymore, and doesn't allow Hedges the space to cut infield. Not sure he is a better option than McGinn yet, but is a great option to have. Main was an unnecessary signing at the time, especially when the squad was lacking in depth in other areas. There were other players at the club that would have been better suited for the game time that he got. He's a limited player and we've already seen his limit.