tarapoa

In 2017, McInnes told us that having a relatively fully fit squad was no accident. So who is accountable for this deterioration over recent seasons? You can’t proclaim this and then play the bad luck card.

That's fair enough given the monkey on your back with the 1902 thing - but probably the Scottish equivalent of a Wigan fan saying they're glad they don't have to watch Spurs each week. The 38-game league season is really the gauge of how good a side you're watching.

Slight correction, twice. In both 2016/17 and 2017/18, Sevco came 3rd - behind both Celtic and Aberdeen each time.

We have finished fourth twice in a row. Once on goal-difference to Kilmarnock’s best league season in 50 years, with Clarke as their manager - the other by a point in a curtailed season. Is that “several”?

A new Dons-related discussion that isn’t a match thread - this has thrown me.

When trying to look at the pros and cons of the current regime, this kind of things puts the pendulum into the case for change. A couple of things have been clearly evident in recent matches. (i) The three at the back system, that worked for a period of time early season, is creaking badly - it has been getting worse and was a complete mess against Sevco and for the first 25 mins or so yesterday. The stubborn refusal to move away from it other than due red card or injury necessity was not a good look. That tactical genius Yogi Hughes put three up front yesterday, and they completely wiped the floor with us. (ii) Cosgrove and Main together is horrendous - almost a crime against football..............yet, he keeps reverting to it, week after week. If the injuries to Taylor, McCrorie and Hayes are lengthy, and McGeouch, Leigh, Devlin remain out of the picture - this will almost necessitate additions to the squad - will Cormack allow this and trust the manager to use any leverage he does get wisely? From what I saw yesterday, the last thing we need right now is Wright going anywhere. I wouldn't necessarily think that if there were fans in the ground to get on his back - but if he is to leave, the moves made to mitigate that will likely determine if 3rd (and all the likely rewards) is still on or whether we're likely to plummet down the table in the weeks to come.

Every time we beat Hibs, their forums are full of losing to “mediocre Aberdeen”. Sometimes they were right, but I didn’t realise that constituted manufacturing derbies. Aberdeen isn’t a big enough city for a derby (f**k Cove) and we are comfortable with that - most of the past 50 years has us generally stronger than the Edinburgh and Dundee clubs. Think it’s eight seasons since we finished below any of them. Last thing we need is a divided city - enough other things divide our support right now.

Why is stating a belief that Hibs are mediocre trying to ‘manufacture a derby’ ?

An alternative.

It feels a bit 5-0 at St Johnstone (before my birth) or a lesser version of 9-0 at Celtic in terms of era ending. I was advocating changing coaching staff but I am struggling to see how McInnes turns this round when our budget will have to be cut in summer in response to the lack of fans in the ground and no hospitality money. Suspect I may be on the opposite side of the argument to some posters I like on here but I think time may finally be up. I was at the 5-0 in Perth 1990 - we obviously recovered from that to take it to the last game of the season...................and Scott leaving in the summer, and Smith's own team slipping to 6th (unheard of for decades) did for him. As for McGhee, his very first game vs Sigma convinced me we'd made a massive mistake. This possibly didn't quite have that complete end feel to it - as the middle chunk of the match we were the better side - but it definitely puts things into Defcon 4, and with McCrorie, Taylor and Hayes all injured now.

Better get down to Pittodrie and smash a few cars then.

Well done Ross County - huge pressure on McInnes now. EDIT oh dear, another one

Even though not much was coming off for Hayes, we have completely fallen out of this since he came off. Now looking like County will see this out easily.

Finally a decent ball from Kennedy, and shocking control from Cosgrove.

Amazing the difference a few months makes - a 5-0 lead at HT wouldn’t have flattered us in the September game in Dingwall. This has been a complete reversal of that.