Bogbrush1903

Calderwood & McInnes cover about 12 seasons though. Milne withdrew all financial backing for Paterson and McGhee which pretty much tied their hands behind their backs from the off, although both would bring shame to the club in their own peculiar ways so it was probably a wise move to keep them away from the family silver. Skovdahl did have at least one good season although in his case one swallow definitely didn't make a summer. Glass & Alex Miller were both shambles and should've never have been appointed in the first place... although the same could be said for Skovdahl*, Paterson and McGhee. *I was going to say Skovdahl to a lesser extent but he could've easily got us relegated. Just proof reading that makes me think that our main problem stems from a bad habit of choosing the wrong manager.

Aye, but I can't see them cycling back to part-time status as they were when we were dominate against them. However, it's a good point, if the Danish DBU can develop from an amateur farce to 11th in the world and, in 1992, Euro champions then surely there is hope for the SFA. Maybe then Scottish fans can dare to have a bit more ambition than celebrating a play-off place in the World Cup qualifiers as a success.

Oh you're a clever lad young Vincent, your English exams should be a cakewalk. Well rest assured that we Aberdeen supporters are, in general, very supportive of our upcoming League Cup campaign. Maybe if Hearts had the same dedication to this tournament as us Dons, you would've won it again yourselves since your 1962 triumph

That post has a very childlike tone...I'm always suspicious of people that use am instead of I'm

Indeed, I'm aware of how a messageboard works, and you have typed things, and I'm replying to them

Indeed, and that one poster is the only one to make precisely that point...but you want to start coming away with "The Giants of Aberdeen" patter like, as a support, we think we're too good the League Cup group stages. Aberdeen supporters will turn out in healthy numbers for these games.

Only one person has claimed the group stages are irrelevant. It's doesn't seem to be a widespread opinion among Aberdeen fans but maybe @VincentGuerin wants to believe it is

But we made it into Europe last season too, and Hibs didn't make the Top 6 this season let alone Europe, just like us. So we've got four figure attendance teams in Dundee Untied and Motherwell in Europe. I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility that Aberdeen fans should be expecting to finish above both? But lets see how the Hearts juggernaut cope with two games a week up until the World Cup break...

But we didn't need to be one of the Top 13 to qualify for the Play-Offs. We had in our group: Denmark 11th Austria 34th Scotland 39th Israel 76th Faroes 124th Moldova 180th ...Denmark won at a canter as expected only losing (to us) in their last game having won their previous nine. We only really had to top Austria (although we've had problems with Israel in the past), and Austria and Scotland are pretty similar in leagues, population etc etc, so that could go either way. Austria are the 18th ranked UEFA team in the FIFA rankings. We were then humped by the 27th ranked nation (or 16th in Europe) at home in a one-legged semi-final. Clarke guided us to second. Well done but a 'success'? I think, at very best, he achieved the minimum acceptable performance. As I said previously though, even if we had got past Ukraine, I think last night was a taste of what would've happened if we played in Cardiff. I read a lot of nonsense before the Ukraine match that we had the best squad of the three nations. The rankings suggested we were the weakest and so it proved.

Never truer words spoken judging by those performances against Ukraine & Ireland. If you're using the FIFA rankings as your guide then we (39th in the world) shouldn't be collapsing against the Irish (47th). We're actually the 20th placed UEFA team in those rankings so we really should be qualifying for a 24 team Euros given a fair wind. I maintain that success in the Euros would be reaching the 2nd round which we were miles off at Euro20 despite playing two of the matches at Hampden. However, lets see how we get on against the 92nd placed Armenia in Yerevan.

I'm not suggesting he should be sacked at present. However, if this form continues over the next four games then his position will need to be reviewed at the end of September.

Each country has its own aims what constitutes success. For example, if San Marino finished second bottom of a qualifying group then that would be a successful campaign for them. Scotland's aim has to be qualifying from the first round of both the Euros and the WC. That's our golden fleece. However, due to our long list of failed campaigns, just qualifying for a tournament now can be considered a success. Clarke reached the semi-finals of the play-off where we were knocked out at home in a one-legged match against a team of roughly the same quality. If, in your world, the constitutes success then fill your boots, but you'll have a hard time defending that position in a football forum.

No it's not, it's like saying that getting to the World Cup and then being knocked out in the first round is a failure, which it is? Bertie Vogts reached the play-offs and nobody classed that as "success".

I read that and instantly thought of Saddam Hussein. However, he also struggled against Iran just like Ally McLeod so probably not the answer.

I think we got taste this evening of what would've happened if we had somehow managed to get past Ukraine and make it to Cardiff. With that in mind, it was probably best from a Scottish viewpoint that we were humbled in Glasgow against Ukraine rather in Cardiff against Wales. They would've especially enjoyed it after 1977 & 1985. I don't think Clarke should go at the moment. However, the way things are going, it perhaps needs another review at the end of September. The manner of this defeat is particularly galling because it happened so soon after the World Cup play-off capitulation. The buck stops with Clarke. He really needs a win in Yerevan and that feels like it's going to be a tough assignment for us. He's improved us to a degree but then he's had a better squad to pick from than was the case with the last few of his predecessors. His inability to make tactical changes swiftly enough during game time is really killing us. The Ukraine game was a perfect example. I was about 15 minutes late getting into Hampden but within a couple of minutes it was clear we were waiting for Ukraine to open the scoring.

Alan Hansen in a Scotland shirt deserved every bit of criticism that came his way, he was a disaster from first cap to last...

You'll soon start paying attention if we're losing matches in these upcoming group stage games.

And, in a separate incident, Willie Johnston.

Oh so that's where Oldco dumped the invoices to all their creditors...

Well you must be an exception to the rule then...most think it's more than just a football club, it's a worldwide Protestant institution and the pride of the Masonic Brotherhood. Although, I do agree that Tweedledee are just as bad ..

I don't think there's any doubt it was financial doping. Your own Oldco manager said you were building a squad that you couldn't afford without your cheating tax avoidance schemes. Off the top of my head, the 2003 Scottish Cup Final and the 2006 Scottish Cup Finals (and this didn't include Oldco) should be annulled because of the financial doping that all four final participants were engaged in at the time. It's the financial equivalent of Armstrong's cheating in the Tour de France and I believe he had his titles removed.

That's missing a badge...I wonder, if they sewed a Sevco badge on and charged £80, the gullible Sevconians would snap them up? Their club loves ripping off the moronic hordes...

I get the feeling that they haven't spent too much time apart from each other

Is that the 150 months celebration?

I only had the 1983/84 one (that I can recall) with the orange (or was it tangerine because United had won the League?). I loved it and spent many an evening in its company. Do you have the Aberdeen main picture from 1983/84? I think it was from the old Rugby Park