The Famous Aberdeen - Season 2022/23

[G51]

Think the important thing for Aberdeen was getting the contract length right, and two years probably is there or thereabouts. You don't want to be going much longer than that.

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, Merkland Red said:

I don't think Gallagher is much better than Taylor but Taylor has a mental mistake in him every game. 

So does Gallagher tbf, and just wait until Gallaghers "wait until the last second then do a drag back" routine finally gets caught out on a regular basis...

Last Summer this would've been a brilliant capture, now it just feels lazy as hes been nowhere near the level you need for 12 months. You'd have been better spunking 6 figures on McCart (who is infinitely more gettable than Kerr, and also better on the ball) and pairing him with Hoban, to give you some balance in the backline IMO.

[big al]

1 minute ago, Illgresi said:

To be fair to him, he has; relative to normal. But he's always a bawhair away from selling the jerseys, and we won't go anywhere with him as a first 11 player. I'd keep him as a backup, but no more.

I think Hoban at peak form is one of the best defenders in the league. His form has taken a bit of a dip in the second half of the season; no doubt. But then so has the entire team. He clearly needs a good rest, and a solid pre-season. I think if he stays, we'll see him back to his best next season.

That said, I'd be happy with Kerr. Would be nice for him to move to us so he can get some Scotland caps.

I’m going to be a bit controversial here probably, but I am not getting the whole Hoban fanfare.

How good was he prior to injury, I don’t know as not seen enough to judge. How good has he been since recovering, nothing special. For me looks physically limited as an athlete and not particularly comfortable on the ball. His best spell was on the right of the back 3 where he got forward with reasonable success but he isn’t a natural attacking right back. The back 3 seems out of favour now and he has looked awkward at centre half on a flat 4. 
I don’t see all the supposed demand from England based on this season.

[DukDukGoose]

1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said:

So does Gallagher tbf, and just wait until Gallaghers "wait until the last second then do a drag back" routine finally gets caught out on a regular basis...

Last Summer this would've been a brilliant capture, now it just feels lazy as hes been nowhere near the level you need for 12 months. You'd have been better spunking 6 figures on McCart (who is infinitely more gettable than Kerr, and also better on the ball) and pairing him with Hoban, to give you some balance in the backline IMO.

I don't think it's lazy. He's a good player at this level and we're very short there. A no brainer IMO.

I doubt Hoban or Taylor stay. Both are McInnes players who came back because he was the manager and I think they'd need a lot more than we can offer to stay.

[big al]

Just now, Merkland Red said:

I don't think it's lazy. He's a good player at this level and we're very short there. A no brainer IMO.

I doubt Hoban or Taylor stay. Both are McInnes players who came back because he was the manager and I think they'd need a lot more than we can offer to stay.

Correct. It’s a good signing. 
How well it works out is now down to Gallagher but it’s a good move by the club.

[RandomGuy.]

1 minute ago, Merkland Red said:

I don't think it's lazy. He's a good player at this level and we're very short there. A no brainer IMO.

I just meant in terms of improving.

Gallagher will be signed as a starter, and I reckon you could've gotten better, and younger, for that role. It feels like its just an obvious, easy, signing made so you can just tick "starting CB" off the list, when he potentially doesn't deserve that role in your squad.

[tree house tam]

Liam Gordon is a better CB than Kerr and you'd probably save yourselves a Million. Give us 1.2M and we'll throw in Hendry.

[welldaft]

2 minutes ago, big al said:

Correct. It’s a good signing. 
How well it works out is now down to Gallagher but it’s a good move by the club.

Hope he has an extension clause / trigger in his second year.....

[DukDukGoose]

3 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

I just meant in terms of improving.

Gallagher will be signed as a starter, and I reckon you could've gotten better, and younger, for that role. It feels like its just an obvious, easy, signing made so you can just tick "starting CB" off the list, when he potentially doesn't deserve that role in your squad.

That's probably fair. Striker is the position most in need of investment though.

[big al]

2 minutes ago, welldaft said:

Hope he has an extension clause / trigger in his second year.....

I realise he has had issues this season, but can’t see him falling out over getting a bigger move in 2 years time again.

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

13 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

I just meant in terms of improving.

Gallagher will be signed as a starter, and I reckon you could've gotten better, and younger, for that role. It feels like its just an obvious, easy, signing made so you can just tick "starting CB" off the list, when he potentially doesn't deserve that role in your squad.

I'm a big believer in the theory that you rarely get top class central defenders under the age of 30. So many centre halves have the best years of their careers between the ages of 30-33 or so. 

Let's hope this applies to Gallagher.

[d31]

Yes, he wasn't as good this season but it's still a cracking signing.

If anyone wants to be picky then that'd only be valid if we were signing one centre half. We'll be signing 2, 3 or 4.

[DrewDon]

17 minutes ago, big al said:

I’m going to be a bit controversial here probably, but I am not getting the whole Hoban fanfare.

How good was he prior to injury, I don’t know as not seen enough to judge. How good has he been since recovering, nothing special. For me looks physically limited as an athlete and not particularly comfortable on the ball. His best spell was on the right of the back 3 where he got forward with reasonable success but he isn’t a natural attacking right back. The back 3 seems out of favour now and he has looked awkward at centre half on a flat 4. 
I don’t see all the supposed demand from England based on this season.

Agree with this, unfortunately. I think part of his downturn in form might be to do with slowing down because he just isn't accustomed to playing this many games in a season, but he has been very poor in 2021. At the beginning of the season, I thought he looked really comfortable on the right of the three, but I'm not sure that he suits a two and his distribution has certainly regressed. I would have bitten your hand off in the opening weeks of the season to get him on a longer contract, but now that would be a gamble (and not just because of his injury history). 

To be honest, and this isn't a particularly popular opinion, I probably think Taylor is our best centre-back. And even then I don't really think he's quite good enough. 

[Illgresi]

30 minutes ago, big al said:

I’m going to be a bit controversial here probably, but I am not getting the whole Hoban fanfare.

How good was he prior to injury, I don’t know as not seen enough to judge. How good has he been since recovering, nothing special. For me looks physically limited as an athlete and not particularly comfortable on the ball. His best spell was on the right of the back 3 where he got forward with reasonable success but he isn’t a natural attacking right back. The back 3 seems out of favour now and he has looked awkward at centre half on a flat 4. 
I don’t see all the supposed demand from England based on this season.

You've got to remember that this is Hoban's first full season in years, if not his entire career. He was originally going to be played sparingly, and has ended up playing near enough every game since he got 'fit'. His positional sense, and reading of the game is a level above this league. He needs to get his body right, and if he does he'll be comfortably the best CB in the league outside the old firm and Rangers (and probably including them too).

That said, he does have flaws. He's not ultra fast, built quite slightly for a CB in this league, and perhaps not the best leader/communicator.

[highland_mechanic]

What particularly pleases me about our first two signings of the summer is they are captains. We have really lacked leaders in our team recently.

[Dons_1988]

get Tommie a holiday and a pre season and he’ll be a fine player again. If he signs on, if he doesn’t he’s an absolute diddy. 

Welcome Declan. 

[big al]

2 minutes ago, Illgresi said:

You've got to remember that this is Hoban's first full season in years, if not his entire career. He was originally going to be played sparingly, and has ended up playing near enough every game since he got 'fit'. His positional sense, and reading of the game is a level above this league. He needs to get his body right, and if he does he'll be comfortably the best CB in the league outside the old firm and Rangers (and probably including them too).

That said, he does have flaws. He's not ultra fast, built quite slightly for a CB in this league, and perhaps not the best leader/communicator.

He does have good positional sense, agree with you there. Unfortunately what tends to happen once he reads it and gets the ball is an awkward lump into the stand. Of course there’s a time and a place for safety first, but he doesn’t seem to have the ability to do much else, whether that’s physically restricted or lack of technique I’m not sure.

If he does stay, really hope he thrives next season. Comes across as likeable if a little quiet on the pitch though. 

[Illgresi]

18 minutes ago, big al said:

He does have good positional sense, agree with you there. Unfortunately what tends to happen once he reads it and gets the ball is an awkward lump into the stand. Of course there’s a time and a place for safety first, but he doesn’t seem to have the ability to do much else, whether that’s physically restricted or lack of technique I’m not sure.

If he does stay, really hope he thrives next season. Comes across as likeable if a little quiet on the pitch though. 

It's a strange one, and I don't disagree. We've seen the quality of his crossing from when he gets up the park, and his ability on the ball. There's two things I can think of, a mental thing, i.e. when he's close to his own goal he freezes a bit. Or it's been coached into him by McInnes.

[Doctor Manhattan]

43 minutes ago, highland_mechanic said:

What particularly pleases me about our first two signings of the summer is they are captains. We have really lacked leaders in our team recently.

If you get anything close to his 19/20 levels out of Gallagher you'll have done really well on the "player" front, but I'm afraid he is perhaps the worst "captain" ever seen at Fir Park, and that's a high bar to get over. A leader he is not.

[Marinello]

Agree his strengths are not as a Captain but the depth of criticisms from fellow 'Well fans is way over the top. This largely stems from a complex contract situation---- which despite no one having the exact details about--- hasn't stopped some of our fans adding 2 + 2 and getting 19!!!!

 

Aberdeen are getting an accomplished player way superior to any of the central defenders you have had of late ( Mc Kenna included).

 

Yup, not as effective this season as last but note must be made of the fact that he had to ' nurse' 2 (let me say ) unconvincing central defenders in Mugabi and Lamie .

 

You have a player.