Thenorthernlight Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 12 minutes ago, bpdon said: I hate to be a bit of a doomer, but I am starting the season with similar anxieties. Albeit against lower league oposition, the central midfield has looked like it could be more effective than a lot of last season (although Barron and Polvara are obviously unfortunate depth deficits in that area). The new central defence and keeper combo is untested. Question marks remain over all our full backs. We have zero wingers/width that we can rely on. Sokler is alright, but nowhere near Miovski's levels - more concerning is the current alternatives to Sokler. So, aye. Lots of holes to fill in this squad and we probably have to endure the irritating annual test of our patience through to late August to see any meaningful transfer business progressing. Aye, we’re well short IMO. The squad as it stands might struggle to be top 6, & another couple of injuries and we’d be in bother. Time yet of course, I’m just a bit disappointed if this is the squad to start the league campaign. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dons_1988 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Being lazy and summarising my thoughts briefly. The squad is unquestionably well short in a few areas. I think we will strengthen with a few more by the end of the window, but we will still be short of where we want to be, certainly on paper. I am comfortable with that, we piled bodies in last summer that we ended up not using because we rushed into recruitment, partly because we felt we needed to with Europe. I’d rather we got it right, trusted some of the younger guys here and build steadily again in January. Im not expecting us to be serious contenders for 3rd. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukDukGoose Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 13 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said: Being lazy and summarising my thoughts briefly. The squad is unquestionably well short in a few areas. I think we will strengthen with a few more by the end of the window, but we will still be short of where we want to be, certainly on paper. I am comfortable with that, we piled bodies in last summer that we ended up not using because we rushed into recruitment, partly because we felt we needed to with Europe. I’d rather we got it right, trusted some of the younger guys here and build steadily again in January. Im not expecting us to be serious contenders for 3rd. Agree with this apart from the last sentence. Not really fussed by Hearts summer business at all. I'm more impressed that the manager was willing to see if he could get a tune out of what he had than the Goodwin and Robson scattergun approach. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thenorthernlight Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 22 minutes ago, DukDukGoose said: Agree with this apart from the last sentence. Not really fussed by Hearts summer business at all. I'm more impressed that the manager was willing to see if he could get a tune out of what he had than the Goodwin and Robson scattergun approach. If the answer is Shayden Morris, we should be asking a different question. He can’t ever be a first pick player. Zero fitba intelligence. Maybe Bojan not being sold is holding things up, who knows? I don’t expect us to be 100% right in one window. There are some must haves & some nice to haves. The nice to haves can wait. This squad for a league campaign would be a worry, but I’m hoping & optimistic it won’t be 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thenorthernlight Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 26 minutes ago, DukDukGoose said: Agree with this apart from the last sentence. Not really fussed by Hearts summer business at all. I'm more impressed that the manager was willing to see if he could get a tune out of what he had than the Goodwin and Robson scattergun approach. The issue is that the recruitment strategy is unchanged from the Goodwin/Robson eras. We have the same process in place (albeit different individuals). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dons_1988 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 41 minutes ago, DukDukGoose said: Agree with this apart from the last sentence. Not really fussed by Hearts summer business at all. I'm more impressed that the manager was willing to see if he could get a tune out of what he had than the Goodwin and Robson scattergun approach. No im not thinking hearts have recruited amazingly, but if we accept they have a head start, I don’t think we’ve made up the ground. 13 minutes ago, Thenorthernlight said: The issue is that the recruitment strategy is unchanged from the Goodwin/Robson eras. We have the same process in place (albeit different individuals). The structure is the same in terms of scouting networks etc, but where and who we execute deals on doesn’t have to be the same. That will vary by manager. I would expect us to learn the lessons of last seasons scattergun approach too. It’s still evolving. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thenorthernlight Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 11 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said: No im not thinking hearts have recruited amazingly, but if we accept they have a head start, I don’t think we’ve made up the ground. The structure is the same in terms of scouting networks etc, but where and who we execute deals on doesn’t have to be the same. That will vary by manager. I would expect us to learn the lessons of last seasons scattergun approach too. It’s still evolving. Aye, possibly. I also think our incomings are affected by Bojan still being here. I imagine the same positions will be strengthened regardless if he’s here or not, but having his millions in the bank might free us to go a bit higher up on the targets (albeit we”ll rightly bank the majority of any fee) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naegoodinthedark Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 5 hours ago, bennett said: Aberdeen has signed the 80s TV icon Manimal. Can’t be many of us on P&B that remember that programme! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 2 hours ago, Thenorthernlight said: Aye, we’re well short IMO. The squad as it stands might struggle to be top 6, & another couple of injuries and we’d be in bother. Time yet of course, I’m just a bit disappointed if this is the squad to start the league campaign. Injuries might happen but i reckon we'll need to get through a fair few suspensions too. Nilse, Shinnie and rubesic are nailed on for at least two each. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukDukGoose Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 1 hour ago, Thenorthernlight said: If the answer is Shayden Morris, we should be asking a different question. He can’t ever be a first pick player. Zero fitba intelligence. Maybe Bojan not being sold is holding things up, who knows? I don’t expect us to be 100% right in one window. There are some must haves & some nice to haves. The nice to haves can wait. This squad for a league campaign would be a worry, but I’m hoping & optimistic it won’t be I agree that Morris is not the answer but the manager is not wanting to throw cash at it and backs himself. Changed days from Goodwin and Robson spending cash on positions we are overstocked in. Hopefully. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarapoa Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 4 hours ago, Moorie said: My mate was saying that the hawk won’t be used mid august due to how many baby gulls going about apparently What kind of woke pish is this? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thenorthernlight Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 19 minutes ago, coprolite said: Injuries might happen but i reckon we'll need to get through a fair few suspensions too. Nilse, Shinnie and rubesic are nailed on for at least two each. Yip. Even more need to beef up the midfield. Alan Campbell anyone? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thenorthernlight Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 15 minutes ago, DukDukGoose said: I agree that Morris is not the answer but the manager is not wanting to throw cash at it and backs himself. Changed days from Goodwin and Robson spending cash on positions we are overstocked in. Hopefully. Backing yourself is an admirable trait. But he’s a football manager, not Paul Daniels. There has to be a modicum of football intelligence to work with. Morris has none. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thenorthernlight Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 22 minutes ago, coprolite said: Injuries might happen but i reckon we'll need to get through a fair few suspensions too. Nilse, Shinnie and rubesic are nailed on for at least two each. I wouldn’t have Ruby in my full strength X1. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 1 minute ago, Thenorthernlight said: I wouldn’t have Ruby in my full strength X1. I’d say he’s first pick at cb. Do you reckon we’ll recruit more or do you prefer someone else we already have? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thenorthernlight Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 5 minutes ago, coprolite said: I’d say he’s first pick at cb. Do you reckon we’ll recruit more or do you prefer someone else we already have? MacDonald Ruby gives me the fear with his rashness. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 1 minute ago, Thenorthernlight said: MacDonald Ruby gives me the fear with his rashness. Don’t see it myself. Rubi can learn to be less stupid (although not very fast apparently) but he’s aggressive and wins stuff. MacDonald can be a bit of a bombscare too, just less spectacularly. He’s a solid squad player but a bottom six starter, imho 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrewDon Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 I am concerned about a lot of different areas of the squad, although accept that we can't solve them all in one window. We are maybe paying the price for bad - and, crucially, relatively expensive - recruitment failures basically since McInnes departed, to be honest. We have had a couple of notable big hits in Miovski and to a lesser extent Ramadani, and a couple of more moderate ones in the likes of Clarkson and even Duk, but we have thrown away really good money on too many duds like Morris, Jensen, McGarry, Gueye, Besuijen and probably a couple of others too. We now have too many of those guys parked on medium to long term contracts, and the phones aren't going to be ringing at Cormack Park to take them off our hands. They won't be rushing themselves out the door, either. I am still concerned about the defence, too. I thought the centre of defence was a major area of weakness last season, although Gartenmann came onto a bit of form under Leven. But the only change there has been Molloy in for Gartenmann, which is definitely another one to file under 'gamble'. There are problems elsewhere, especially with the forward players (when Miovski is absent/away) not really fitting each other's strengths, but it's going to be very difficult for Thelin to build something sustainable if the most basic fundamentals are being neglected. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dons_1988 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 I quite like macdonald but I think he’s a classic case of his absence from the side helping peoples opinion of him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der Panzer Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 2 hours ago, DukDukGoose said: Agree with this apart from the last sentence. Not really fussed by Hearts summer business at all. I'm more impressed that the manager was willing to see if he could get a tune out of what he had than the Goodwin and Robson scattergun approach. Why are you comparing Hearts transfer business to your own? You aren’t even close to direct rivals at the moment as evidenced by last seasons league table. Maybe keep an eye on the Ross county/St Johnstone etc business - the teams around you. Then when you’ve overhauled them you can start looking up at the next tier of teams before you then try and bridge the still significant gap to Hearts in 3rd. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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