Derek McInnes

[StandfreeFM]

Word on donstalk of a new 4 year deal being offered.

Hope so. Strong and stable leadership is just what this club needs. You moany (unts dinna know yer born

[donsdaft]

Does he wear leopardskin shoes?

[InversneckieDob]

I'm neither a happy clapper or a pants p!sher when it comes to MacInnes.

I'm a part timer these days, I'm nae sure if I've been to half a dozen games this season, so on one level I dinna feel qualified to comment (in terms of entertainment etc.).

I think back to when Jimmy C came in, I was still going regular then.
He had this reputation for silky smooth, free flowing, attacking, Dutch total fitba.

We soon discovered that was nae strictly true.
He liked players that could run really fast, a target man and a goalie that could lump the ball two thirds of the park to said target man.

His long term strategy was to see what the next transfer window threw up and was relatively successful when he was allowed to spend big on good players, Severin, Nicholson etc.

But JC came in on the back of the darkness of Alex Miller, the slapstick of Ebbe and the absolute carnage of Pele, so the stability that JC brought was good and most of us, certainly me, wernae that bothered about the aesthetic.

But the eye bleeding fitba and the cup shocks took their toll two or three seasons in, as did Calderwod's functional illiteracy when dealing with the media and his wholesale inability to self censor when indulging in onanism about the cheeks and their "wunnerful" rivalry.

His time was well and truly up and, in truth, he should never have survived QoS.

It was after he left that the problems really started.

There was obviously never any kind of post Jimmy plan, "let's see what comes up" was the approach, so we had the Alex Miller-esque McGhee era.

That's the main thing we need to avoid post-Del, whenever that may be, the lack of a cogent strategy.

I kind of get the feeling that the theory is that Robson and Peanut are being groomed as a succession plan, but they wouldnae be an option just now I dinna think.

This coming season would be Del's, what, sixth full?

That's a long time in modern day fitba.

We have the training ground and the white elephant in the works and I reckon Wiggy wants Del around for that whole shooting match.

Del's tenure overall would have to viewed as a 6.5 to 7/10 ish I'd say.

Positives, we've won a trophy, we've stabilised in the top echelons of the league, we finally seem to have a youth set up that's getting guys into the first team, we're on a relatively (seemingly) stable financial footing (albit that's only peripherally down to Del).

Negatives, we've only won one trophy, our recruitment has been scattergun and recently pretty unsuccessful, we seem parochial in said recruitment (nae desire to go full-jambo and pick up Carols Kickball here there and everywhere, but let's look beyond the British Isles once in a while), the over-cautious, and ultimately bed-sh1tting, approach in too many big games, the feeling of a huge opportunity missed during the Delia era at raselickbyrawaybutbigman and, of course, the Sevco affair.

On balance, my thinking is Del stays meantime, largely down to the stability and the now productive (on the face of it) youth development, but I fully understand and respect guys going mair regular than me having a different viewpoint.

But this is a massive summer window coming up, huge, and Del, Richardson and co must get it right otherwise there will be issues early doors next season.

It's moot anyway as I think Del's here as long as there's nae a complete collapse or a "bigger" club comes in for him, which doesnae seem to be in the immediate offing.

The important thing is that if/when we move on from him there is a strategy and we avoid another Calderwood to McGhee debacle.

[BogBrush1903]

People mention Sheerin and Robson as possible replacements for McInnes but I've seen no evidence that they're willing to put their heads above the parapet.

That would certainly be the case with Robson. Presumably, he could've got a managerial job, especially below the top league, quite easily after he retired. However, as the years tick by and his footballing career fades from memory, he's going to find it increasingly difficult to get a start.

The same applies to Sheerin. It's been many years since he was his own man at Arbroath, and that was just a brief two year spell. I find it unlikely that the Aberdeen board are going to choose managerial novices as their next managers. I can only think of us doing that once in the recent past, with Billy McNeill.

Milne took a chance on Paterson, who hadn't managed at the top level in Scotland previously, and that experience worked out horrendously, both in terms of results (although he had a minimal budget), team performance and the conduct of the novice manager.

[Pacman1903]

. I find it unlikely that the Aberdeen board are going to choose managerial novices as their next managers. I can only think of us doing that once in the recent past, with Billy McNeill.

.

Sir William Ferguson Miller being an obvious one

His replacement Roy Aitken being another one

[InversneckieDob]

You could be right, maybe they're part of "Del's team" and Peanut sees himself as a specialist youth coach therin.

What made me think their might be "internal grooming" going on is - 1) Robson, as I recall.....stand to be corrected, came in when there wasnae a role for him i.e. he didnae replace anyone, just came in; and
2) Peanut seems really quite proactive in the dugout match days.

Mebbe I'm putting two and two together and getting five, but it's a theory.

[Aldo1983]

To be fair to Calderwood, he did the professional thing and built from the back. The problem was he didn't build further than that and he had a horrendous record in the cups.

He did have it easier though. Calderwood would have had the same record as McInnes if he was managing us now.

We've never been in the position since Fergie where a new manager is coming in where the clubs in a good position.

[rico94]

To be fair to Calderwood, he did the professional thing and built from the back. The problem was he didn't build further than that and he had a horrendous record in the cups.

He did have it easier though. Calderwood would have had the same record as McInnes if he was managing us now.

We've never been in the position since Fergie where a new manager is coming in where the clubs in a good position.

Every manager since Fergie has been sacked (expect Craig Brown who got pushed into the boardroom).

You could say that is because all of the managers appointed were the wrong choices,personally I would say it shows how badly the club has been run by the board.

[BogBrush1903]

Sir William Ferguson Miller being an obvious one

His replacement Roy Aitken being another one

True but Miller was a special case, Aitken a massive error of judgement... And it shouldn't be forgotten that we were a baw's hair away from being relegated during this period...

[Aldo1983]

Every manager since Fergie has been sacked (expect Craig Brown who got pushed into the boardroom).

You could say that is because all of the managers appointed were the wrong choices,personally I would say it shows how badly the club has been run by the board.

Mcinnes and Calderwood weren't necessarily the wrong choices. Just hung about too long in my opinion.