Leaderboard

Whenever Jimmy goes - hopefully in 5+ years after managing to pull off the unlikely and turn this thing around but even if it's next week - the new manager simply cannot be appointed until the technical director position is filled.

Almost same team that finished the United game, with a few changes. If Clarkson fit, him in for Nilsen, simply because he's a better player. If not, I would give the nod to Palaversa, more just because I don't think Nilsen's histrionics are helpful. Karlsson central (where he looked okay at Tannadice), another chance for Milanovic, Lazetic (if fit) to see if he can be more involved than Nisbet. The good news is there are options here for Thelin and so many other things to try before we give up.

Bit in bold has to be done quickly whether we are getting a new manager or not.

I certainly think that the stats hide a lot, because we look nowhere near fifth place, but do look good enough to finish eighth. The stats will be inflated by the chances we created last night after we'd already thrown the game away for example, which weren't testament to our ability really. One thing in our favour, though, is that our defence probably isn't as bad as it seems. They are being put under a lot of pressure because of our failure at the other end. It's relentless for them, and there's that inevitability that we'll concede simply because we haven't scored. It's a psychological issue, and one that can be targeted, especially at set pieces. There's zero breathing space for them.

For what they're worth, "the stats" show we're a bit better than the league position suggests - if we could only get the ball in the fucking goal! Possibly still clinging to false hope but maybe a bit reminiscent of Hibs last season? BTW I detest xAnything when it comes to football but I'll clutch at any straw I can find right now.

Fuck me, if you're known to their police, then I guess I'd be better off being myself

Stats don’t need to prove it, but consistent teams have settled teams. On our best run last year we didn’t change much. We didn’t have depth and we over ran some players last year. there is no settled team this year. No solid consistent group to build around. Nine games in, how many different midfield pairings and 10 have we had. Midfield is the key, do well we attack and create, poorly and we go on this type of run. Until we find a consistent 3 players to lean on in there, with the odd rest/ rotation, I think we continue to struggle. So far the only one of the three I think merits the start is Armstrong.

I'm struggling to see why we bought Nisbet. He doesn't fit Thelin's system at all, until you add in the second striker. I knew that when we signed him, so why the fuck did nobody at the club not know that? A director of football would have known that. If we've got stats like "touches per game", and to the extent that you can use that to measure a player's performance, surely we're looking at those and seeing that he had lots more touches when Gueye was in the side than when he wasn't? Or do we only use stats when we're signing European duds? Cowan, as insufferable as he is, did make a good point about Nisbet's lack of running the channels. He does stay very central, and must be a dream to mark.

Yeh it did look like that. It was clearly designed to get more movement and link-up between the midfielder, winger and full back, and *at times* you could see that, but every combination seemed to have at least one player letting them down, and it never really quite clicked. It also meant Nisbet wasn't involved at all. Apparently he had only 13 touches in the game.

The only positives were the team that finished the game (minus Yengi, obviously) looked like it is at least capable of creating some chances. But too slow and passive for most of the game. Thelin called Aouchiche up to the bench, got him stripped, then changed his mind and left it for 10 minutes. Aouchiche responded by being stroppy little child on the touch line, spending 20 minutes throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head at the dugout, doing it right in front of the fans hoping for some support for it. Then at the end stayed extra long to 'applaud' the Aberdeen fans, standing himself, letting everyone know how much it hurt him and that, you know, if only he had been on earlier. Listen pal, you've done fuck all in an Aberdeen shirt so far. You can maybe act up to the fans when you actually do.

Except he did change the formation tonight and changed it again in the second half. He's not fit and has been carrying an injury for most of the season. Did he? What did he say to them? He certainly didn't upset them from his play. Yeah it was a nonsense that some fans booed Nilsen off as he got subbed. Didn't really see what happened for the second goal (he was adamant he was fouled) but generally he did the job he was asked. Others due a lot more stick than him.

I like the Clarkson/Palaversa combo. I hope Clarkson was injured and he wasn’t just dropped from the whole squad for tonight. I would stick Armstrong in the number 10 role. Anyway just win the next game or fuck off Jimmy.

Scandalously, I'd say. Four years of not learning our lesson on giving a manager carte blanche (after saying that we were doing the exact opposite). It's a serious lesson in shite squad building.

But crucially, it is his.

I agree with all of the previous posts, but by Christ its getting harder with every game.