Dooj

Remember that 'when Saturday comes' feeling? Me neither.

yeah, I can do the maths but where did this idea come from that there was any prospect of Aberdeen winning all their games in hand? This just seems implausible for a team that is clearly struggling for consistency. It's not as if they are coming off the back of 20 consecutive wins.

I may have missed something, but why was so much of the reporting/commentary from last night about Aberdeen now unlikely to get 3rd place? Did anyone think this was realistic? Was there some outrageous claim from Robson? I could understand a narrative around Aberdeen getting into the top 6, but seriously 3rd place??

too soon

There's all sorts of principles like 'custom and practice' and any court would test whether an individual had a reasonable expectation to receive a certain payment. If you have been turning up to work and receiving a certain amount into your bank account every month over a period of time, and then that just changed to a much smaller amount, no-one would suggest that the employer has acted reasonably. Also, I think there may be assumptions about T&Cs continuing when a contract ends but the individual remains in post. And even for fixed term contracts there are processes that an employer must follow to end that individual's employment. [not a lawyer]

Personally, I am not in favour of the 'shouty' model of management, but I can see that for some managers and their teams it works. However, where it works, the manager generally has his shout and then there is an expectation that everyone is back on it in training and that's the end of it - move on and forget about what was said in the heat of the moment. I get the impression that Macca did the shouty bit but then players were isolated or excluded - that isn't how you get the best out of individuals and it isn't how you create team cohesion.

I love it when football banter turns all semantic.

Yeah, in cricket, there is almost a script that they follow as they go through each element of the check, and they reiterate the original decision before confirming/overturning.

If only this thread had reached the giddy heights of 'mundane' - you are really overselling the quality of the pish

Announcement actually says 'net proceeds' - presumably there will be taxes etc to pay but IIRC if bought the club for a tiny amount so even after deductions that should be a fair whack of cash.

O, wad some Power the giftie gie us...

Yes, there's nothing about sticking to your principles that precludes learning and adapting.

Well I guess there is always an argument of when does a tweak become a change, and vice versa. I was more referring to the set-up with wing-backs, Kane up front and the punt it up the park tactic so Kane could win a free-kick. Personnel may have changed but fundamentally CD kept the same set up when plenty were calling for 4-4-2 or something else.

I dont get to many games so I fully appreciate that the regulars/STHs are the ones most likely to be unhappy about the lack of entertainment. Having said that, I hear time and time again that football is a 'results business' so I dont think that the level of entertainment should be a prime consideration in whether the manager should keep his job or not. Also, CD was successful last year because he didn't change his system despite many people calling for him to be sacked pretty early on. He insisted on, and was rewarded/praised for, sticking to his guns. I want 'things' (i.e. results, performance, goals scored) to change but I dont think it's fair for anyone to expect CD to change given that this is his trademark. I do get that this has been a desperate season, but it seems to me that many fans' disappointment, while entirely justified, has resulted in some pretty unfair assessments of CD. Personally, I would be very glad if CD never listened to fans' opinions on what system he should play - he has to have faith in his own abilities as a manager and to stick to his principles through the ups and downs. He might end up getting sacked but he has to have some integrity.

I dont know where I stand. If the news came that he had been sacked I would be really sad but that's maybe because I wanted him to do well, and he clearly hasn't this season. I can see that maybe getting rid would be the best decision, even if there would be a financial hit given the length of his contract. I know there are lots on here and WAP etc who claim to be/are actually ITK, but for me the clincher in whether to get rid of a manager or not, rests massively on factors that we dont know - a team can be performing badly but still be up for the fight. Has CD 'lost the dressing room'? I dont know and it would be a tough call for the chairman to make (and he should definitely be ITK). I do have a lot of sympathy for CD with the players he lost this year and significant injuries. I know he hasn't used that as an excuse (which is good) but I believe it is a valid factor. He got the backing in January, tried to fix that problem, and while not every player has been a success, results have improved. I really dont see the point of backing him in January to then sack him this summer if he keeps us up.