The Famous Aberdeen - Season 2022/23

[betting competition]

1 hour ago, DukDukGoose said:

What's he done to deserve the seven games?

Took us to the group stages of European Football last season when it looked unlikely. He also got us to a final. Deserves a bit of time to sort it out - no point we keep sacking managers! 

Schedule was always going to hurt us. We have played Celtic, Rangers and Hibs twice now in the league but I did expect more points then where we are at. 

[DukDukGoose]

2 minutes ago, betting competition said:

Took us to the group stages of European Football last season when it looked unlikely. He also got us to a final. Deserves a bit of time to sort it out - no point we keep sacking managers! 

Schedule was always going to hurt us. We have played Celtic, Rangers and Hibs twice now in the league but I did expect more points then where we are at. 

All the stats (that folk are saying don't matter in the match thread) showed we were going to struggle long term.

[HarleyQuinn]

17 minutes ago, DukDukGoose said:

What's he done to deserve the seven games?

I'm admittedly delusional as I'm fairly optimistic that our fortunes will change in the next 7 league fixtures. We've had an incredibly unfortunate fixture schedule resulting in 7 of the last 8 matches been played away from home. We've seen some strong performances in Europe against opposition that are considerably better than what we typical face domestically. I also wish (like Hearts) we'd drawn the likes of Riga instead of Helsinki as I'm sure we'd also have picked up 6 points at this stage. And If it hadn't been for VAR been used inappropriately we'd be going into this final European fixture with a chance of reaching the latter stages of the conference league.

However the truth is we as a club aren't equipped to take on European exertions and then follow that up with domestic fixtures. It's clearly taken its toll on some of the players. The results, performances and current league table standings show that to be the case. We'd need to consistently qualify for European group stage football and continue to be successful with players sales in order to fund a squad capable of coping with the demands to perform on all fronts. The good thing is Europe is essentially over which should result in a marked improvement on our domestic results.

Robson and the players have done remarkably well to make the league cup final and I firmly believe we have a great chance to win the cup this season. 5 of our next 6 league matches are at home. I feel Robson deserves the opportunity to build some momentum from those fixtures plus the opportunity to win the league cup.

What's frustrating is we actually have a really good group of players and I don't feel the current position the club is in is a true reflection of their abilities. Capitalise on results whilst the others are playing the Ugly sisters, win our games in hand and ensure we win our home games and we could even find ourselves in the elusive third spot after only the next 7 games. We know it's possible because Robson did exactly that last season. 

[betting competition]

12 hours ago, kingjoey said:

A reasonable fan will give him December with all the home games to come, plus the Cup Final, then see where we are. I am that reasonable fan. We might end up with no points from the seven games, who knows.

I'm maybe willing to give him longer unless results in December are really bad. Schedule is horrendous but I hope we win enough games to try and keep in touch with Hearts/Hibs. 

[Dons_1988]

I have to say I think the impact of Europe is being overstated. I can’t back that up with anything, just what I believe I’m seeing. 

Not that it hasn’t impacted us but I don’t think it’s the heart of the issue. If we’d had more performances like yesterday with a similar points total I’d be more comfortable. 

[1GregStewart]

1 hour ago, DukDukGoose said:

What's he done to deserve the seven games?

If the club is going to hire a manager with Robsons lack of experience, they must be prepared to accept that he has a lot to learn and mistakes will be made so it’s a long game strategy they are taking. 
 

[DukDukGoose]

1 minute ago, 1GregStewart said:

If the club is going to hire a manager with Robsons lack of experience, they must be prepared to accept that he has a lot to learn and mistakes will be made so it’s a long game strategy they are taking. 
 

I don't disagree.

This is why most of the posts at the time of the appointment were along the lines of "I understand why they've given it to him but I don't think it's going to work out".

He's stubborn and doesn't look willing to learn from his mistakes at all. Too quick to make an excuse rather than accept he got it wrong.

[anotherchance]

Regardless of performances, if we're only 5/6 points off 3rd come the winter break then that'll be seen as ok and means Robson will get the window. Last season Robson fixed what needed to be fixed in January and oversaw a strong run to the split, which I'd imagine Cormack and Burrows are also aware of.

I still think there's enough contributing factors (Europe, games in hand, the final, lack of time on the training pitch, potentially the failure from above to replace Ramadani in the window) which will keep him in a job if we pick up a couple of results. Key factor for me is his lack of experience and inability to see and fix what everybody else sees, but think those above him will give him time.

If we lose to Killie then the above very possibly goes out the window though.

 

[kingjoey]

2 hours ago, DukDukGoose said:

What's he done to deserve the seven games?

Like it or not, he has shown on a number of occasions this season that he can get a performance out of these players. He deserves a run of home games in the league.

[kingjoey]

2 hours ago, Jacksgranda said:

That seems more likely than 21, imvho

Possibly, but who knows. Have you been introduced to @Thenorthernlight?

[AngusTheBull]

1 hour ago, HarleyQuinn said:

However the truth is we as a club aren't equipped to take on European exertions and then follow that up with domestic fixtures. It's clearly taken its toll on some of the players. 

I don’t think this is necessarily true - we have a large (and imo very good) squad, we just have barely utilised it.

You’re right in the toll playing Thursday/Sunday every week is having on some players - I just don’t think it would be if the squad was being utilised more effectively.

[DrewDon]

Whatever we think of Robson and the job he is doing, Cormack, who is/was our DoF in all but name, boxed himself into this situation because he didn't have a plan for Goodwin failing. It was clear after Glass, too: we just didn't know what type of manager we were wanting. I remember hearing an utterly ludicrous story that someone from the club was actually asking fans if they preferred Goodwin or Jack Ross after Glass was sacked. I am minded not to believe it, but with the clear lack of succession planning internally maybe it isn't so far-fetched after all.

Cormack kind of lucked out on Robson last season. Robson doing so well basically allowed him to pause the search process indefinitely, which seemed like the sensible thing to do at the time - and probably was - but is also a consequence of not having prepared properly. But eventually he was in a position where he basically had no choice but to appoint a guy who was always a bit unlikely to be the answer in the long-term. 

[kingjoey]

2 hours ago, HarleyQuinn said:

I'm admittedly delusional as I'm fairly optimistic that our fortunes will change in the next 7 league fixtures. We've had an incredibly unfortunate fixture schedule resulting in 7 of the last 8 matches been played away from home. We've seen some strong performances in Europe against opposition that are considerably better than what we typical face domestically. I also wish (like Hearts) we'd drawn the likes of Riga instead of Helsinki as I'm sure we'd also have picked up 6 points at this stage. And If it hadn't been for VAR been used inappropriately we'd be going into this final European fixture with a chance of reaching the latter stages of the conference league.

However the truth is we as a club aren't equipped to take on European exertions and then follow that up with domestic fixtures. It's clearly taken its toll on some of the players. The results, performances and current league table standings show that to be the case. 

I'm of the mind that if you tell players that they will be tired after European matches, a lot of them will be. It's a bit bloody late now, but don't let that happen again. Do all teams throughout Europe have awful weekend league performances after the midweek Euro games? I'm sure they don't. Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth. 

[Jacksgranda]

36 minutes ago, kingjoey said:

Possibly, but who knows. Have you been introduced to @Thenorthernlight?

I think he might be my nephew...

[kingjoey]

3 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said:

I think he might be my nephew...

There's definitely some connection. 

[tarapoa]

6 minutes ago, kingjoey said:

I'm of the mind that if you tell players that they will be tired after European matches, a lot of them will be. It's a bit bloody late now, but don't let that happen again. Do all teams throughout Europe have awful weekend league performances after the midweek Euro games? I'm sure they don't. Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth. 

Apparently all the English sides that played on Thursday produced 'very flat' performances yesterday.  Burrows also mentioned in a recent interview that there was research on the 'medium sized' clubs from all over European leagues that had to play Thursday-Sunday and an obvious pattern of detrimental league form was evident across the board.

Maybe the fact that for once Barry actually rotated his squad between the two fixtures was the reason we were significantly less lacklustre yesterday than Paisley, Parkheid, Rugby Park and Hibs/St J at home.

Sadly that cannot explain the schoolboy defending. Plus, as well as we played later in the match, it still looked like Hibs were the side who started yesterday on the front foot. The fact we failed to exploit a side that take so many risks in playing out from the back actually means that was a significant missed opportunity.  

[HarleyQuinn]

1 hour ago, kingjoey said:

I'm of the mind that if you tell players that they will be tired after European matches, a lot of them will be. It's a bit bloody late now, but don't let that happen again. Do all teams throughout Europe have awful weekend league performances after the midweek Euro games? I'm sure they don't. Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth. 

 

1 hour ago, AngusTheBull said:

I don’t think this is necessarily true - we have a large (and imo very good) squad, we just have barely utilised it.

You’re right in the toll playing Thursday/Sunday every week is having on some players - I just don’t think it would be if the squad was being utilised more effectively.

Robson has certainly neglected his bench and that's played a major role in some truly lacklustre performances on Sunday afternoons. He clearly doesn't rate a number of those who are occupying the bench. Vinnie, Williams and Dadia haven't played a single minute and will all be gone come January. The lack of minutes MacDonald has seen is somewhat perplexing given his performances last season. Sokler is only just getting a chance in the team now. I'd also argue some of our fringe players are just simply not good enough for where we'd like to be.

Like others have suggested, Robson will have identified where improvements need to be made in the squad and no doubt he'll be given the funding needed to make those changes in January.

I have a strong inkling that things will look a lot brighter after a run of home fixtures and the removal of European fixtures.

Edited December 4, 2023 by HarleyQuinn

[Donte Polvara]

I feel for Robson in a way, group stage football and the squad turnover we had in the summer wouldn't be easy to manage even for someone with experience. I'd like to see him see out the season to break the pattern of sacking a manager every winter if nothing else. But for that to happen results need to turn around very soon. Win the next two games and we're likely 4/5 points off 3rd with a game or two in hand, throw in the league cup and we're laughing. Lose them however and things start to look very grim. You'd hope that the FMB have learned from their past mistakes and have a plan in place for if things do continue to go poorly but I'm hopeful that we can get a couple wins on the board at home and get some momentum going.

[DukDukGoose]

3 hours ago, kingjoey said:

Like it or not, he has shown on a number of occasions this season that he can get a performance out of these players. He deserves a run of home games in the league.

There's only a couple of those performances that gained us any points. Rangers away and Motherwell away.

We beat Ross County but rode our luck before that goal. Credit to Robson for taking us to the final but that was a honking performance.

I would be delighted if he turned it around but I can't see it.

[kingjoey]

22 minutes ago, DukDukGoose said:

There's only a couple of those performances that gained us any points. Rangers away and Motherwell away.

We beat Ross County but rode our luck before that goal. Credit to Robson for taking us to the final but that was a honking performance.

I would be delighted if he turned it around but I can't see it.

Some of our performances, without getting as many points as we should have, have been excellent. I've no idea if he'll turn it round, he may not, all I'm saying is that he deserves a chance to try.