Statement of intent

[afc_1983]

Nice work done by Aberdeen in recent times in the transfer market - bringing in two of the best players in the league in McLean yesterday and Shinnie (albeit on pre-contract).

Add that to signing almost all our best players on long term contracts til 2017/2018 and we're in good shape to kick on.

Couple of things still outstanding - new contract for Jack needed and a new goalkeeper.

[afc_1983]

One more point worth mentioning regarding the Kenny McLean transfer...

This is the first time in about 7 years Aberdeen have paid a transfer fee for a player. So it's noteworthy to say the least.

I think it's indicative of the extra opportunities and revenues that Aberdeen (and others) have had access to in the absence of Rangers from any semblance of order and respectability that has, in the round, made Aberdeen an attractive place for good players to play their football once again.

Not long ago guys like Shinnie and McLean would have gone down south to bang average English sides and got lost in the lower leagues like so many others.

Now there appears to be a genuine re-positioning in the Scottish game, with the so-called 'second tier' of clubs signing players that either Celtic or Rangers or an English team would have signed previously. United signing Muirhead and Telfer previously shows this isn't reserved to just Aberdeen.

It's got to be good news that more of the league's bet

[GFLower]

[quote="afc_1983"]One more point worth mentioning regarding the Kenny McLean transfer...

This is the first time in about 7 years Aberdeen have paid a transfer fee for a player. So it's noteworthy to say the least.

I think it's indicative of the extra opportunities and revenues that Aberdeen (and others) have had access to in the absence of Rangers from any semblance of order and respectability that has, in the round, made Aberdeen an attractive place for good players to play their football once again.

Not long ago guys like Shinnie and McLean would have gone down south to bang average English sides and got lost in the lower leagues like so many others.

Now there appears to be a genuine re-positioning in the Scottish game, with the so-called 'second tier' of clubs signing players that either Celtic or Rangers or an English team would have signed previously. United signing Muirhead and Telfer previously shows this isn't reserved to just Aberdeen.

[b]It's

[afc_1983]

[quote="GFLower"]One more point worth mentioning regarding the Kenny McLean transfer...

This is the first time in about 7 years Aberdeen have paid a transfer fee for a player. So it's noteworthy to say the least.

I think it's indicative of the extra opportunities and revenues that Aberdeen (and others) have had access to in the absence of Rangers from any semblance of order and respectability that has, in the round, made Aberdeen an attractive place for good players to play their football once again.

Not long ago guys like Shinnie and McLean would have gone down south to bang average English sides and got lost in the lower leagues like so many others.

Now there appears to be a genuine re-positioning in the Scottish game, with the so-called 'second tier' of clubs signing players that either Celtic or Rangers or an English team would have signed previously. United signing Muirhead and Telfer previously shows th

[HB]

English football, once the natural place to end up for decent Scottish players has also moved onto a level way beyond the SPL in all respects. Their big clubs buy big and nurture a couple of their own rather than spending their time scouting the Scottish leagues. The standard of Scottish football has also gone down in the last 20 years (long before the hvns armageddon predictions).

Those two factors, along with the hvns not being in a position to buy up the talent, and consequently Celtic not needing to spend so much to stay tpo also contribute to seeing a lot more players remain in Scotland.

[shedka]

And it's no coincidence that this is all happening as Rangers toil - having a significant buyer out of the market, and equally having them in a division where they cannot influence the performances and revenues of others is having a positive affect on competition.

Spot on

Rangers demise has been nothing but good for Scottish Football