Absolutely 100% back on form Saints v Stevie May’s Invitational XI

[Dons_1988]

Post Match, McInnes said he instructed the team at half time to go out and kill the game and make it as boring as possible. I must admit, this doesn't sit well with me. It is pragmatic and no one at Aberdeen think we are world beaters that can roll over teams like Saints at a whim. However, I think it might subconsciously affect the players in games we are the underdogs. If the manager lacks confidence to tell the players to continue to attack and push forward in a game they are two nil up and dominating, what does that say about his belief in their abilities?
I know DM would say getting  the three points from a tricky fixture and keeping a clean sheet were the all important thing, and he would be right, for the level we are at. But to go the extra distance, to where we want to be, winning cups, getting into the Europa league groups, regularly beating Rangers and getting better results against Celtic, I think this might be the barrier to us achieving that level. 
Fergie's Dons, the current Celtic or EBT Rangers, 2 nil up at Perth at half time would expect to go on and win by 3, 4 or 5. The idea Saints would peg them back would not even enter their heads. This is a winning mentality when you genuinely believe you are superior to your opponent and play like it. At 3-0 they would be taking on a youngster or a fringe player to give them game minutes, not a striker off for a defender.
This game may be a bit of an epiphany for me. This could be why we are labelled bottle merchants and have come close, but ultimately failed (so far) under DM to get to that next level. 
 

I'm sorry, I really can't get on board with this sentiment.

We were 3-0 up and cruising, whether or not we went onto win by 5 or 6 has absolutely no bearing on where we will end up in the league.

It also has absolutely no bearing on our big game mentality (which I agree, is questionable).

Changing our tactics to 5 at the back at ibrox? Yeah, that was a mistake and put fear in the team. Shutting up shop at 3-0 up away from home? Who really gives a f**k. You're also forgetting we stuck 7 past 2 different sides last season, and gave out a few other doings.

[gkneil]

20 minutes ago, Kneetrembler said:

Post Match, McInnes said he instructed the team at half time to go out and kill the game and make it as boring as possible. I must admit, this doesn't sit well with me. It is pragmatic and no one at Aberdeen think we are world beaters that can roll over teams like Saints at a whim. However, I think it might subconsciously affect the players in games we are the underdogs. If the manager lacks confidence to tell the players to continue to attack and push forward in a game they are two nil up and dominating, what does that say about his belief in their abilities?

I know DM would say getting  the three points from a tricky fixture and keeping a clean sheet were the all important thing, and he would be right, for the level we are at. But to go the extra distance, to where we want to be, winning cups, getting into the Europa league groups, regularly beating Rangers and getting better results against Celtic, I think this might be the barrier to us achieving that level. 

Fergie's Dons, the current Celtic or EBT Rangers, 2 nil up at Perth at half time would expect to go on and win by 3, 4 or 5. The idea Saints would peg them back would not even enter their heads. This is a winning mentality when you genuinely believe you are superior to your opponent and play like it. At 3-0 they would be taking on a youngster or a fringe player to give them game minutes, not a striker off for a defender.

This game may be a bit of an epiphany for me. This could be why we are labelled bottle merchants and have come close, but ultimately failed (so far) under DM to get to that next level. 

 

I can't see how you've come to this conclusion.

Come Saturday at 12:30, we'll be playing our 6th game in 20 days. That works out as a game every 3.3 days for almost 3 weeks. I have no issue whatsoever with McInnes saying to the guys, while 2-0 up at half time away to Saints, to kill the game.

There are a number of players who have played every or almost every minute in this run of games. Hibs at home will be tough given the run they've been on and being given the opportunity to take the sting out of the game should always be taken.

We've been labelled bottle merchants for failing in the BIG games (semi's, finals & Celtic matches). McInnes' record in the day-to-day league matches is superb and managing the team during these periods of congestion with games like last night is a big part of it.

[betting competition]

4 hours ago, Kyle said:

I don't think anyone is complaining about the league position. The football on display from us is absolutely rancid though, and has been for the last 18 months. We've always been a bit behind the rest in terms of technique but our commitment levels were an equaliser and we were able to do the basics well enough to catapult us up the league but that effort has evaporated and anyone at the game would agree that some of our once reliable players don't look so reliable any more.

We need a clear out over the next couple of windows as we certainly look like a team in a bit of a terminal decline. I don't think it'll cost us our place in the league this season, but if the issues aren't addressed (and there are a lot of them) I think we could be in a bit of trouble next year.

 

 

Sounds like your manager is a bit like Jimmy Calderwood for us who got results but the football was so bad that some fans stop going. 

 

33 minutes ago, Kneetrembler said:

Post Match, McInnes said he instructed the team at half time to go out and kill the game and make it as boring as possible. I must admit, this doesn't sit well with me. It is pragmatic and no one at Aberdeen think we are world beaters that can roll over teams like Saints at a whim. However, I think it might subconsciously affect the players in games we are the underdogs. If the manager lacks confidence to tell the players to continue to attack and push forward in a game they are two nil up and dominating, what does that say about his belief in their abilities?

I know DM would say getting  the three points from a tricky fixture and keeping a clean sheet were the all important thing, and he would be right, for the level we are at. But to go the extra distance, to where we want to be, winning cups, getting into the Europa league groups, regularly beating Rangers and getting better results against Celtic, I think this might be the barrier to us achieving that level. 

Fergie's Dons, the current Celtic or EBT Rangers, 2 nil up at Perth at half time would expect to go on and win by 3, 4 or 5. The idea Saints would peg them back would not even enter their heads. This is a winning mentality when you genuinely believe you are superior to your opponent and play like it. At 3-0 they would be taking on a youngster or a fringe player to give them game minutes, not a striker off for a defender.

This game may be a bit of an epiphany for me. This could be why we are labelled bottle merchants and have come close, but ultimately failed (so far) under DM to get to that next level. 

 

That comment doesn't sit well with me either

The teams you have mentioned have all took their foot off the gas during a game and it should be mentioned that last season we murdered teams like Dundee but also bottled bigger games so don't agree with your comment. 

 

[betting competition]

7 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

We were 3-0 up and cruising, whether or not we went onto win by 5 or 6 has absolutely no bearing on where we will end up in the league.

It also has absolutely no bearing on our big game mentality (which I agree, is questionable).

Changing our tactics to 5 at the back at ibrox? Yeah, that was a mistake and put fear in the team. Shutting up shop at 3-0 up away from home? Who really gives a f**k. You're also forgetting we stuck 7 past 2 different sides last season, and gave out a few other doings.

 

Going to state the obvious as always

It could come down to goal difference so it might have a bearing on the league - I would hate to see us not qualify for Europe because we finished behind hibs by a goal. 

[Menzel]

True, but it's baffling that we're looking for criticism when we've convincingly beat a team that's caused us loads of problems before. 

[Dons_1988]

Going to state the obvious as always [emoji4]
It could come down to goal difference so it might have a bearing on the league - I would hate to see us not qualify for Europe because we finished behind hibs by a goal. 

Ha, well ok fair enough. I'll concede that.

Let's just say if we beat hibs on Saturday I won't be lamenting the fact we didn't entertain RG by sticking 6 past st Johnstone

[Kyle]

To be fair to McInnes, we actually created a fair few chances in the first half, probably more than Aberdeen managed. An early goal in the second half, our tails are up and we might've grabbed something from the game (as unlikely as it would have been).

The Considine change was ready before the third goal went in as well. I thought Aberdeen kept roughly the same shape, just moving Shinnie into the middle (where he was far more effective) and Rooney through the middle (felt he certainly started on the left last night with a license to move inside)

Thought he got it spot on, although perhaps the wording he used in his interview was ill advised. No shame in protecting a 2-0 away lead at half time though, especially after a first half which wasn't as one sided as the score suggested.

 

[Kneetrembler]

2 minutes ago, Menzel said:

True, but it's baffling that we're looking for criticism when we've convincingly beat a team that's caused us loads of problems before. 

I am really not looking for criticism. I genuinely feel we have a lack of self belief in big games and it must come from somewhere.  

2 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

 

Ha, well ok fair enough. I'll concede that.

Let's just say if we beat hibs on Saturday I won't be lamenting the fact we didn't entertain RG by sticking 6 past st Johnstone

 

I agree, a 3 nil win away from home is a great result and going on to beat hibs for 3 wins in a row will be magic.

 

My issue is not in any way about overall league position. I am looking at why we can't seem to get over the finish line in big games. DM is a fine manager, I don't know of anyone I would rather have in charge. However, I stand by my belief that saying to the players when dominating a game to shut up shop wont build self confidence in the players.

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

1 hour ago, Kneetrembler said:

Fergie's Dons, the current Celtic or EBT Rangers, 2 nil up at Perth at half time would expect to go on and win by 3, 4 or 5. The idea Saints would peg them back would not even enter their heads. This is a winning mentality when you genuinely believe you are superior to your opponent and play like it. At 3-0 they would be taking on a youngster or a fringe player to give them game minutes, not a striker off for a defender.

 

 

Fergie's Dons were hard-headed professionals who knew when a game was dead. We didn't win every game (or many games) by 5 goals when we were on top.

We scored 7 goals in a game twice last season, and 6 once. Fergie's Dons never managed anything like that, so to say that McInnes sides don't have a winning mentality is patently wrong.

If you want to say that the players we currently have aren't as good as Fergie's Dons, or the current Celtic side, then yes, you'd be correct.

 

[betting competition]

3 hours ago, Kyle said:

To be fair to McInnes, we actually created a fair few chances in the first half, probably more than Aberdeen managed. An early goal in the second half, our tails are up and we might've grabbed something from the game (as unlikely as it would have been).

I would agree for the last 10-15 minutes in the first half Aberdeen was very poor and gave the ball away a lot which your team had a wonderful chance.  McInnes basically said in his interview on RedTV did mention we didn't finish the first half that well so we decided to make the game boring in the 2nd half.