Flammable sheep

He seems to be! The timing with O'Neill wouldn't really make sense to me. Why put out the video today if we were so close to getting a manager over the line? Why would we even need to wait for the NI friendly to be done before making an approach? I also just don't see us spending so big on a manager like him. Especially after the consultation and the stated aim to hire a technical director too

Part time as technical director and we hire a different (better) first team manager?

I can understand O'Neill being a decent (unexciting) candidate, if compensation was low to non-existent. But I don't get why we'd break the bank for him, if his salary with NI is really so high.

Probably absolute shite but Uwe Rösler is the latest name in running for manager on Twitter

Talking about using the midfield more, having technical players, not having a long ball striker. Having a better chance to win by playing football (as opposed to hoofball, I assume)

So 75yo retiree took on a job that was much harder and much less fun than he expected, far from his home, and decided "f**k this". Not that surprising in hindsight, but I also sympathise with the board who obviously expected to get a bit more from him. Left us a little unprepared but we'll be OK with Leven in the meantime. Dons twitter overreaction to the statement is predictable, there's nothing the club can do right now that won't have people raging. Interesting that it's a German company doing the review - hopefully the restructure will be a step towards the German model. Think it's good that a Technical Director will be brought in and hopefully the first team manager candidates fit the profile that will work together with that role. Obviously they don't want to fire Gunn but I imagine his role will be (and probably has been) more admin-y than a real DoF. Now go and get a good, forward-thinking coach please

I assume there's a little more detail than just a conclusion.

Nary a pant left unpished on twitter today. I think it's ok we didn't bring anyone in, we've a large enough squad and we do have quality there. Better to focus on getting a capable manager in than saddling them with last minute loans or an overpriced buy that might be unwanted by the new boss in a couple of months. January is generally a crap time to get anyone in. I'm just delighted we kept Miovski, Duk and Barron tbh. I'd have liked a winger but we should still have enough to be flexible - Duk belongs on the left, McGrath/Morris/Duncan can cover the right wing. How long is Gartenmann out for? Ruby is out 6-8 weeks but we have 3 other CBs + Milne + Devlin/MacKenzie in a pinch. Looks like we're back in the "club is rotten from top to bottom, need to rip everything up and start again" discourse spiral. We were there before McInnes too, but as was shown then a decent manager and some good form in the league fairly quiets all the Milne/Cormack/Gunn/insert name here oot chatter. Remember how rosy everything looked in the summer - 3rd place, a new CEO, record shirt and ticket sales, making bank on developing and selling players each year. I imagine the next two games are only going to add to folk's pessimism but I don't think things are necessarily as rotten as all that. We've a decent squad to work with and changing manager was the most important thing to take care of.

Good, was concerned they would drag it on until after the cup tie. Must hire someone experienced this time. And please don't let Duk or Barron leave yet... let a proper coach play them

I hope you're right. It would be almost cruel to keep him in for the OF games, we look a mess and as @Dons_1988 says we look like spiralling. We could all do (Robson included) without a 5/6/more-0 on our record

Hard to tell with Robson's rollercoaster Dons... usually when I'm most pessimistic we go and put 4 past a team, or beat Frankfurt, or win at Ibrox. This could be anything from a lacklustre defeat in front of a toxic home crowd, to a classy win that buys Barry another few weeks. If Tony Doc has done any homework at all, we're in for a tough game. Prediction: draw, BR limps on

I was buzzing after the first half because that was the best we've been in the league for a long time, so that should tell you something. We were actually passing the ball, what a treat.

More of a Polvara type? Was mentioned as being "good in both boxes" whatever that means. Edit to add: Tall. It probably just means he's tall.

https://twitter.com/AberdeenFC/status/1751545952442200395?t=LJ0WUlMHCrJGl1kB4Wwe4A&s=19 Another central midfielder. Maybe so Robson can go back to freezing out Barron on the bench? Not sure how this signing helps us but hopefully he's decent anyway

I can see us getting zero points from the next four games

Could be quite likely. I don't think any of them are enjoying the way Robson is setting us up to play this season. We'd have a much better chance to do something this season if we get a new manager in during the next 2 week break. Edit to add, it's weird for there to be a game on while I'm working! Will have to have redtv on in one browser window

We all know that "Football Monitoring Board" is some absolute bullshit, so we should, as a support, stop dignifying it by using the phrase. When we hit spells like this I always see folk coming out with the dramatic takes "the club needs shaken up from top to bottom / club is rotten to the core" etc. Same was said in the McGhee era and then we hired a competent manager in McInnes all that talk disappeared. Sometimes it just takes the right person in the job. I don't believe it's too hard to get a replacement, whatever was said at the Hearts AGM. We can all see the problems in the team and tactics, I don't believe it's a big task to get this squad playing some decent football.

To turn up with the same formation again, with the same line up again, and the same hopeless long ball tactics again, regardless of the opposition, the weather, the fact we've been garbage 99% of the times we've tried it - and lose, of course - should be the final straw. He won't turn things around if he won't change anything. Begging the board to find a manager with an actual CV this time. Doubt they've even started looking yet

Wishlist: Drop the back 5, MacDonald in defence, Dante in midfield, attacking football, 3 points. Expectations: 5-3-2, hoofball, Shinnie and Clarkson toiling away fruitlessly, no subs until 75 mins, losing 0-1 from a late corner, Robson is "frustrated" but still employed

This is the plan in every game, it seems - doesn't matter if it's PAOK or Hibs. When it comes off and we take our chance, it feels good and there's no regrets, but the rest of the time it's absolutely awful and you come away thinking "what if we'd just tried to pass the ball and play with more control?". There's not a feeling of "well, at least we gave it a good go", it just feels like we didn't turn up. It's also completely against every point in that "football philosophy" document they came out with. Betting on fine margins like a long ball breaking our way or a set piece isn't playing attractive, attacking football with an identity. Is our philosophy now just "poor us, the bigger teams are better"?

Rumours are pre-contract with the **** but then who knows, it's exactly the week a rumour like that would appear. Maybe we'll be lucky and a new agent will look at Lewis Ferguson as an example and get Connor on a new deal pronto

AGM highlights from twitter seem to be Dave would bin VAR Working at an operating loss and counting on player sales to make profit No bank debt "Including manager Barry Robson and the senior players, we all agree that our league form has not been good enough. As with every manager we employ, Barry will be judged on results over the coming weeks, months, and, as we sincerely hope, seasons" Barron contract talks "ongoing" (imo more likely going nowhere, hence him being dropped recently) Vinnie working hard to impress in training but not getting a game because everyone in front of him is performing well (aye right)

@DrewDon that could be a description of the first game of the season vs Livi. Nothing has changed, it went exactly the same way. Only this time we couldn't even keep a clean sheet

Agree with the above, our midfield is often just a hole when we play this formation. Shinnie was obviously told to charge about and press high in the first half, while the other two (very much not defensive midfielders) were pretty far apart. I don't know what the thinking is there. The other huge gaps you mentioned in the wide channels are easy to exploit by a team like Hibs, and would be less exposed if we had a more flat back four. It's not that 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 never works, but it only works in some games and we need another approach. I'm as pessimistic as I've been for a while, so conversely part of me expects a 4-0 masterclass out of nowhere tonight

If the pattern continues though we'll get something like 9 points, way off 21. I don't see him changing anything enough to break that pattern. He really has to find a more possession based, midfield focused tactic. The performances have come in Europe and against Rangers, playing the 5-4-1 counter that doesn't work against the other 10 teams in the league.