Half Time Report Card

[Andy_K_97]

Season so far:  Started abysmally with arguably the worst defeat in the club's history.  Things did steady up a bit afterwards but the football was absolutely dire to watch at times. Even in games where we won such as the 3-0 win over Hearts we had scored 3 in 16 minutes and could have gone for double figures if we wanted to but didn't. In the past month things have really dried up and we need to lose our deadline day signings and bring in new players. A new manager is also of the utmost importance if we don't want to get sucked into a relegation dogfight. 3.5/10

Manager -  Angelo Alessio: I always maintain that when a manager has to apologise to the fans their time is up. This happened after two games. It's amazing that he managed to steady the ship but in all honesty I don't think most Killie fans ever really got 100% behind him after the Welsh debacle. The tactics were poor and although I'm sure he's a likeable guy his issues with the board and playing staff ultimately cost him his job after 5 months. 3/10

Alex Dyer: Only in temporary charge but has lost all 3 of his games 1-0. It's clear that he's a decent coach but not a manager and he's getting shown up. Seemed to have a gameplan unlike Angelo for two of his three games and we were unlucky to lose to Rangers when a draw wasn't too far off, but it's clear that he isn't right for the role full-time now. Would absolutely keep him on as an assistant though. 4/10

Best Player - Alan Power: Still an absolute workhorse and a great player to have in the team. Does everything well and his absence in today's game showed as Gary Dicker looked lost without his pal. Were he not suspended we'd have stood a better chance in the midfield battle which we ultimately lost. 8/10

Transfers: Oh dear. Right, positives out the way first - Mo El Makrini is good and looks to be an upgrade on Aaron Tshibola from last year, but not as good as Youssouf Mulumbu. At times he looks like the game is passing him by but at other times when he's on his game he slots in very well - 7/10. Lary Branescu looked decent at first but he's absolutely chucking the goals in now, how he's a Juventus player is beyond me - 3/10. Dario Del Fabro looks good and looks like he actually cares about trying hard and playing well but he needs to improve his communication. He's better when partnered in central defence with Stuart Findlay rather than Alex Bruce - 7/10. Liam Millar coming back from Liverpool on loan looked like it would be a good bit of business but without Steve Clarke's coaching he's been less effective as a whole - 5/10. Connor Johnson looks like he's not up to playing at Premiership level yet but did reasonably well in his last game against Motherwell - 3/10. Osman Sow looks like he can do the basics well but has been ineffective as a striker - not half the player he was at Hearts, 2/10. Finally Simeon Jackson hasn't really played enough to get a proper rating but didn't look like doing too much, 1/10. Average rating:  4/10.

What next? Top priority has to be a new manager, and pronto so as he can identify players along with James Fowler in his new role at the club to get guys in that can improve things massively.  Who that is I have no idea, nor do I know who I want at this moment in time. The board also need to up their game as they failed to back Alessio sufficiently and if they do the same with the new boss a similar result may be achieved. Up until the past few days the board have got away with a lot and I think the fans are starting to turn on them and demand more. The most disappointing thing about this season is after last year ended on such a massive high which none of us ever really thought could be achieved, it all came crashing down quickly and the squad is returning to a base level of mediocrity that has endured since Kenny Shiels left in 2013. 

Edited December 29, 2019 by Andy_K_97

[Snifter Pee Rot]

1 hour ago, Pet Jeden said:

We've been floating like something a lot more unpleasant than pack ice.

Hearts are a turd that will flush. 

[DrewDon]

Season so far: I mean, we are only three points behind our tally at this stage last season, but it's not been particularly good. We have been a difficult watch, with moments of high quality mostly fleeting and dependent on individual players. We have suffered some bruising defeats, both to Celtic and Rangers but more recently to a mediocre Hibs team. We have had some decent results and performances, such as the win at Fir Park and the comeback against Rangers, but they haven't been as regular as most would have hoped at the start of the season. We exited Europe to a superior team, but the nature of the defeat was pathetically meek. We were also knocked out of the Betfred Cup by a dismal Hearts team. I still think we have to be favourites to finish third, though. 5/10. 

Manager: I've never been an advocate for sacking McInnes, and deep down I'm still not there yet, but even I've begun to question whether his time is running out this season. It just feels like it's gone a bit stale. Some baffling team selections haven't helped matters, with the product mostly poor, occasionally dire, and the recruitment again underwhelming. 4.5/10.

Best player - Niall McGinn (and Sam Cosgrove): These are only two serious contenders. I'd go for McGinn because I don't think he gets enough recognition, basically. I too often hear people, both Aberdeen fans and not, making lazy comments about him being 'finished'. He doesn't have the pace he had in his peak, granted, but he is intelligent and technical enough to almost always be carrying some sort of attacking threat, even if he is having a relatively quiet game. At his best, he can look like he is playing a different sport to some of his teammates. I'm sure I read about a month ago that he had been directly involved in 40% of Aberdeen's league goals this season, and it wouldn't surprise me if this figure has increased since then - he has genuine quality with the ball at his feet in the final third. As for Cosgrove, what a transformation from 12-18 months ago; a genuine goalscorer, with real presence and good hold-up play - kind of like Adam Rooney, but a fundamentally better football player. I dread to think where we would be without those two, or even one of them. 

Transfers: Hmm. Bryson was the marquee signing, but he has hardly played due to injury - he hasn't managed to complete a full 90 minutes yet, which is a bit of a disaster for a guy who was clearly signed with the intention of being a mainstay in the middle of the park and essentially to replace many of the qualities lost with Shinnie's departure. I quite like Hedges, and he has had his share of goals and assists, but I'm not sure McInnes trusts him fully yet. Leigh has had good games and moments but is quite rough round the edges, Ojo has been mostly adequate without being outstanding but has missed a fair chunk of the season to injury, Taylor and Wilson have been Gatusso's 'sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit', Vyner has been mediocre in more than one position, Main has gone pretty much exactly how most of us expected, and Gallagher will give me a stroke by the time the season is over. 4.5/10.

[PauloPerth]

2 hours ago, DrewDon said:

Gallagher will give me a stroke by the time the season is over

Fair play, the best we can hope for is usually just an autograph.

[coprolite]

This season's AFC does remind me of school. 

"Obviously has some ability but could do with showing some application and common sense" 

 

[Poet of the Macabre]

12 hours ago, kingjoey said:

Well past “half time”. Most teams have played 21 games of a 38 game season.

Would you not agree the winter break is the ideal time to have this thread?

Haven't been following the top flight very closely so was shocked to see Livingston 5th.

Aberdeen will finish 3rd or 4th like they always do, despite the fans wanting them to somehow challenge the far bigger budgets and better sides of OF. Is finishing 3rd with a few more points really that big a deal?

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

3 hours ago, Poet of the Macabre said:

Would you not agree the winter break is the ideal time to have this thread?

Haven't been following the top flight very closely so was shocked to see Livingston 5th.

Aberdeen will finish 3rd or 4th like they always do, despite the fans wanting them to somehow challenge the far bigger budgets and better sides of OF. Is finishing 3rd with a few more points really that big a deal?

No, it isn't. One thing an Aberdeen team under McInnes (no matter how mediocre) can do, is accumulate points against teams like Livi, Hamilton, Ross County etc. And I've no doubt we'll be there or there abouts in 3rd or 4th place this season with roughly the same points as last. 

It's the style of football that has been brutal over the last year, and particularly the last 4 months. It's awful.