Transfer Window

[TheDeeDon]

If there is anything to be learned from the last few summer transfer windows it’s that we shouldn’t get too excited. They have had plenty players come and go but hardly been a great product on the pitch when the chips are down.
Let’s see who is brought in but the reality of what they bring are by results on the pitch not future potential.

We should never be in a position of having to sign more than three or four players in a summer and once again are in a situation of needing lots of players.

The damage was done in the last year's of McInnes reign and has carried on under Glass and Goodwin.

Hopefully we can get Scales, Pollock, Shinnie and Clarkson signed up which at least gives us a solid starting 11.

[Auldtoontoby]

Neeps
I would add Hancock to that list of loanees.
He looked good at start of season before he went out on loan and unfortunately suffered a bad injury i think.

[InversneckieDob]

I'm pretty sure Shinnie is coming back.
By all accounts his family are ensconced (or about to be ensconced) in a spacious country pile Neerrrrn way.
Pollock and Clarkson....
Both may well be financially beyond us on permanent deals.
Euro fitba experience may tempt their clubs to re-loan.
Scales is a funny one.
He's benefited from the Robson renaissance but I worry if we sign him permanently we're committing to three at the back permanently.
I think he's in the Consi-zone ......
. nae robust enough to play in the middle of a back four, nae mobile enough to play as a conventional, back four, full back.

[rico94]

I'm pretty sure Shinnie is coming back.
By all accounts his family are ensconced (or about to be ensconced) in a spacious country pile Neerrrrn way.
Pollock and Clarkson....
Both may well be financially beyond us on permanent deals.
Euro fitba experience may tempt their clubs to re-loan.
Scales is a funny one.
He's benefited from the Robson renaissance but I worry if we sign him permanently we're committing to three at the back permanently.
I think he's in the Consi-zone ......
. nae robust enough to play in the middle of a back four, nae mobile enough to play as a conventional, back four, full back.

What’s wrong with playing 3 at the back?

[InversneckieDob]

Nothing, but I prefer a bit more flexibility.
I'm pretty sure Scales will command "week in, week out" money.
When you play a back three your out and out width comes from deeper, your wingbacks.
There will be games you'll want width higher up, I'd reckon quite a few games.
To me, that means a back four.

But I suppose it all comes down to how we recruit generally.

[rico94]

Nothing, but I prefer a bit more flexibility.
I'm pretty sure Scales will command "week in, week out" money.
When you play a back three your out and out width comes from deeper, your wingbacks.
There will be games you'll want width higher up, I'd reckon quite a few games.
To me, that means a back four.

But I suppose it all comes down to how we recruit generally.

If Robson wants to play a back 3 in most games I wouldn’t have a problem with that.

I agree that some games may need us to switch to a back 4 but we don’t know if Pollock and MacDonald would be comfortable in that position either.

I hope we sign Scales and Shinnie and manage to get Clarkson and Pollock on loan again.

On top of that we need to strengthen the squad as the first 11 have been good since Robson has been in charge but the likes of Watkins,Coulson etc coming on as subs haven’t been good enough.

Going to need a bigger squad if we are playing in Europe till Christmas.

[TheDeeDon]

I'd be very happy if we signed Scales and don't have an issue if we are three or four at the back with him.
His confidence was shot come the end of Goodwin's reign, but is a tidy player.

[TheDeeDon]

On top of that we need to strengthen the squad as the first 11 have been good since Robson has been in charge but the likes of Watkins,Coulson etc coming on as subs haven’t been good enough.

Going to need a bigger squad if we are playing in Europe till Christmas.

I'm open to Watkins staying, but I don't think he is.

We're going to need a big squad next season and not a chance we are signing another 11 players like we did last summer and them all working out.

Be very interesting to see if Morris, Richardson and Roberts are here come July. I did here Roberts is away to Chesterfield, but that is probably shyte.
Be good if Robson and Agnew can get them playing to the level required or if we just cut our losses and get rid.

We also need some of our own young loons stepping up to supplement the squad and not just making up the numbers.

[Jupiter]

What’s wrong with playing 3 at the back?

If you have 2 full backs as well, it is really 5 at the back which is too negative against most of the diddy teams in our league.

[LongDistanceRed]

I personally hate a back 3 because it just ends up being a back 5 if the wng backs are pinned back against teams who play possesion with a 4-3-3 as they can overload on the wings

Its a bit of a ****house way to line up if i am being honest, especially if you also play shnnine and Ramandani in the middle you end up with a back 7 which has happened in the last few games barring St Midden and the team has been played off the park as you have nobody either centrally or wide to open up for transitions and you just end up hoofing which is exactly whats happened recently

If Robson signs nicky devlin and uses him as a right wing back that sums up my point, just a flat back 5

[rico94]

Scotland play with 3 at the back and I don’t see many people complaining about that.

It’s irrelevant what formation you play anyway,we have played with a back 4 in the past and still been negative with our winger’s consistently tracking back to help out the fullbacks.

If we play with wingers instead of wingbacks I would imagine we would end up playing with 1 upfront so we wouldn’t be playing with Duk and Miovski unless we play Duk as a winger.

[InversneckieDob]

I'm not wedded to a back 3 or back 4 (and there's different types of back 3 and back 4).
Their nature is also largely governed by the type of midfield, in terms of shape, number of bodies and the type of player therein, in front of them.

I like flexibility, I like having a different approach for different teams, and having the players to execute that effectively.

[57vintage]

Today’s Ptarmigan & Juanito:

“Leighton Clarkson says he’ll start thinking about his future after helping Aberdeen secure European football.

The Dons have an agreement in place with Liverpool to bring the midfielder back to Pittodrie, and hope to secure Clarkson on a permanent deal after a successful campaign on loan.

But one of the English clubs battling Aberdeen for Clarkson’s signature has been revealed.

Reading, who have been relegated from the English Championship, are reportedly keen on 21-year-old Clarkson, while other clubs in the English Championship have also been tracking the playmaker’s progress at Pittodrie.

Agreement of personal terms with the player are the last remaining hurdle for Aberdeen, but Clarkson is considering his options.

When asked about the possibility of returning to the Reds, Clarkson said: “I don’t know, I’ve not spoken to many people about it.
“I’ve told agents and stuff don’t even tell me about interest because I just wanted to get Europe for Aberdeen.
“Now we’ve done that I can start thinking while I’m away on holiday.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. If everything was to be right – and a lot of it is out of my control – it’s a really high possibility that I could be (back at Aberdeen)”.”

[neilthedon]

Today’s Ptarmigan & Juanito:

“Leighton Clarkson says he’ll start thinking about his future after helping Aberdeen secure European football.

The Dons have an agreement in place with Liverpool to bring the midfielder back to Pittodrie, and hope to secure Clarkson on a permanent deal after a successful campaign on loan.

But one of the English clubs battling Aberdeen for Clarkson’s signature has been revealed.

Reading, who have been relegated from the English Championship, are reportedly keen on 21-year-old Clarkson, while other clubs in the English Championship have also been tracking the playmaker’s progress at Pittodrie.

Agreement of personal terms with the player are the last remaining hurdle for Aberdeen, but Clarkson is considering his options.

When asked about the possibility of returning to the Reds, Clarkson said: “I don’t know, I’ve not spoken to many people about it.
“I’ve told agents and stuff don’t even tell me about interest because I just wanted to get Europe for Aberdeen.
“Now we’ve done that I can start thinking while I’m away on holiday.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. If everything was to be right – and a lot of it is out of my control – it’s a really high possibility that I could be (back at Aberdeen)”.”

WELL,.... That sounds very promising ?

He's young enough to continue his development at the Dons. Play in Europe , win a cup of two , and get a move to a bigger English club in. A couple of years time. Option is go to Reading or the likes , even another Blackburn sized club , and sink in the quagmire of torpidity that is the English Championship.......... ( Not biased , am I !?)

[RED_JOHN]

Today’s Ptarmigan & Juanito:

“Leighton Clarkson says he’ll start thinking about his future after helping Aberdeen secure European football.

The Dons have an agreement in place with Liverpool to bring the midfielder back to Pittodrie, and hope to secure Clarkson on a permanent deal after a successful campaign on loan.

But one of the English clubs battling Aberdeen for Clarkson’s signature has been revealed.

Reading, who have been relegated from the English Championship, are reportedly keen on 21-year-old Clarkson, while other clubs in the English Championship have also been tracking the playmaker’s progress at Pittodrie.

Agreement of personal terms with the player are the last remaining hurdle for Aberdeen, but Clarkson is considering his options.

When asked about the possibility of returning to the Reds, Clarkson said: “I don’t know, I’ve not spoken to many people about it.
“I’ve told agents and stuff don’t even tell me about interest because I just wanted to get Europe for Aberdeen.
“Now we’ve done that I can start thinking while I’m away on holiday.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. If everything was to be right – and a lot of it is out of my control – it’s a really high possibility that I could be (back at Aberdeen)”.”

He is one player that I quite like that we currently have. He’s only young so has a lot to learn, but his quality at times is far better than the majority of players we have. I would be happy if we got him in on a transfer (proper).