#aberdeenfc

[moodswingsabz]

It’s been an eventful few days for Aberdeen and the fan base, punctuated by a pair of 2-2 draws that could hardly be any further apart in how they’re being viewed. Firstly came the long awaited first European night of a season in which at least eight are guaranteed, away to BK Hacken in Gothenburg, which offered the chance for something of a pilgrimage for Dons fans and a first  look at Aberdeen on the European stage this year. Even the most optimistic of Aberdeen fans didn’t seem to be taking the challenge of Hacken and Europa league qualification lightly and as the match, which was played at a rip-roaring pace swayed in the favour of the home side, who took a 2-0 lead, the challenge looked even greater. Then came that final 20 minutes. The travelling support and RedTV or dodgy stick faithful were given their first look in red of James McGarry and Jamie McGrath, who both impressed in their respective Dons debuts. As Aberdeen piled the pressure on the hosts, Miovski did what Miovski does and finished brilliantly with his left foot to haul the Dons back into the tie and then Nicky Devlin, finally unleashed in his favoured position of right wing back, did what none of us expected Nicky Devlin to do and latched onto a Miovski ball to dink over an onrushing keeper. The game was level, mayhem ensued in Gothenburg and living rooms and pubs back in the North East and with some top level shithousery from half the Aberdeen team as the icing on the cake, the tie was turned around with it now coming back to Pittodrie finely poised and with a dose of confidence injected firmly into it.

The next couple of days were hugely positive, with social media buzzing over the fight back from the Aberdeen team, plaudits given to Barry Robson for finally utilising his bench, the home leg at Pittodrie swiftly becoming a sell out and the Aberdeen support largely glued to their phones, watching and rewatching the clip of aforementioned shithousery in the wake of Devlin’s equaliser. Excitement levels were building for this coming Thursday but there was unfortunately a trip to perhaps one of the least exciting places possible, Paisley, to come before the Hacken home leg.

Again, not many predicted an easy afternoon for Aberdeen on Sunday, with the home team in good form with two wins in the league and impressive performances noted as they continue to build under Stephen Robinson. It was hoped that with a good performance that the dandies could overcome the spirited home side and build on the excellent momentum from midweek. This was not what followed.

After grabbing an undeserved lead through a Jonny Hayes cross, it seemed that if Aberdeen could be revitalised at half time and replicate the level set in the second half performance in Gothenburg, they might just get out of Paisley with three points. Whilst the second half mirrored the one against Hacken in terms of controversy, the quality was severely lacking and the substitutions this time failed to make the same impact, instead looking like what they were, players which had very recently been added to the squad. In the 99th minute, Aberdeen were presented with the opportunity to rescue, or perhaps, rob a point from the game when a second hand ball incident, this time committed by the hosts, led to a penalty. Even in the closing moments, as Miovski fired home from the spot, the drama wasn’t over as the ominous letters of VAR flashed up on the screen and we were presented with the Scottish football equivalent of the white and gold or blue and black dress conundrum from a few years ago, as the penalty was checked for a double touch. The goal, rightly in my opinion, stood and Aberdeen escaped with a point that they possibly didn’t deserve and which at times looked highly unlikely but which they will very much take.

After a series of tricky matches on the road, we now have two huge games to look forward to at home. Pittodrie has always been absolutely brilliant on big European nights and given how the atmosphere has been ramping up in recent times, I expect Thursday night to be something truly special. The mood around the game seems to one of optimism and enthusiasm and we can only hope this carries on into the game itself, in both the crowd and with the players on the pitch. Come Friday morning, we’ll know where our European futures lie for this season and whichever league we find ourselves anxiously awaiting the draw for, I hope that we’re left feeling proud, of the performance on the pitch and of Pittodrie on what is set to be our biggest game in many years!

[moodswingsabz]

During the closing stages of Friday night’s cup clash, the home support began to sing ‘Europa League - you’re having a laugh’ which whilst being generally quite irritating, may have also been a bit too close to the bone for many of the travelling Aberdeen fans. Whilst for me, Aberdeen did well to navigate what had always looked to be a tricky tie away from home, albeit against a lower league side, there were parts of the performance which do make the upcoming European fixture a tad concerning. At both Livingston and Stirling, we have failed to create and excite and whilst being (mostly) defensively sound, there have been some signs we may still be suffering from the road sickness that has plagued the last several seasons. With two huge away games this week, in Europe and the league respectively, there is some concern that this could cause us to stumble just as we look to get the season properly up and running.

Firstly, the game away to Hacken looks like a preferable tie compared to some of the sides that we could have faced at this stage of Europa league qualification and means a romantic return to Gothenburg for Dons fans. Courtesy of my friends at the ABZ Podcast, their lo-fi counterparts at Red Tinted Glasses and their respective guests on this week’s instalments, I’ve learned that it looks like the Swedish side will be hoping we go there to try and play expansive, free flowing football, with the home team very much fancying their chances in a fast-paced shootout. The supporters of the Gothenburg team seem almost content knowing that their side are likely to concede, such is their confidence in their sides ability to score goals. Barry Robson has talked extensively about results being his main area of concern for his Aberdeen team and I think the majority of Aberdeen fans expect that he will take a pragmatic approach to the tie, particularly the away leg and that tomorrow night we will see a side set up to frustrate and try to grab a goal if the opportunity presents itself. It might not make for the most exhilarating night of RedTV, it might not be what I was dreaming of when urinating in a lay-by on the way back from Stirling last Friday but if this approach can get the tie back to Pittodrie on level terms, with a lead or even a small deficit, it sets up what promises to be a brilliant occasion on home turf next week and it might just be our best chance of reaching the coveted Europa league group stages.

Paisley hasn’t been the happiest hunting ground for Aberdeen, in recent years, or ever as the records show but with the way the fixtures have lined up for this opening period of the season a result here could be invaluable in ensuring we don’t start to drift in the league. St. Mirren have themselves had a great start to the campaign and after their record at home last season, will fancy their chances on Sunday afternoon, as they will against most, if not all, opponents in the league. This will be another opportunity to try and override some of our struggles away from home and a first chance to prove that a European hangover won’t distill our league efforts. Hearts and particularly Hibs, have already shown so far this season that the additional midweek games can stretch a squad, which makes this week’s timely additions even more welcome.

What to say on Jamie McGrath! For someone it feels like we should know plenty about, the jury still seems to be very much out on how to view our newest midfield acquisition. Well regarded during his time at St. Mirren, completely overlooked at Wigan and relegated with Dundee United, albeit seen as relatively well performing within a struggling side, it feels like we could be getting a player with good experience in the Scottish game who offers another good attacking option from midfield or someone slightly out in the wilderness, who has eventually made his way to Aberdeen after much speculation of our interest in him over the past few years. Either way, this looks like one that will need to be proven on the pitch but with our fixtures mounting up and given that Jamie has signed on a permanent contract, this to me looks like a sturdy, if not scintillating, addition to the squad.

I won’t pretend to have an extensive knowledge of Dutch or Polish football, or of Richard Jensen as a player, but considering that we have been crying out for left sided defenders in more windows than this one, I’m delighted to see this deal get done. At 27 and with around 150 senior appearances, he looks to be the kind of experienced of defender we will need this season. It will also come as a relief to some I’m sure, that this deal finally puts to bed the rumours of Liam Scales return, with this now looking highly unlikely. Whilst I rated Scales during his time at Aberdeen last season and will always feel indebted to him for that goal he totally meant, it didn’t sit well with most Aberdeen fans that we’d either be taking him on loan again or being held to ransom by Celtic for a permanent move and with their mounting defensive injuries, it seems for the best that this move can finally be dismissed.

In a week where it feels much has happened with lots yet to come, I’ll wrap up by saying to those in Gothenburg, Aberdeen or wherever else, have faith tomorrow night, that as Jack Mackenzie’s eleventh lumped clearance soars through the air or across your screens it could be just what’s needed to set us up for something very special in one week’s time. Safe travels, happy streaming, stand free!

[moodswingsabz]

After a match like Sunday’s, one of the worst parts is having to explain, particularly to non football fans, how can you have played well in a match and still have lost, which is a scenario I’m sure many of us found ourselves in this week. Recent outings against Celtic have proven to be torrid affairs for Aberdeen, usually finding themselves badly exposed defensively whilst offering very little threat in an attacking sense. Last weekend’s match showed a marked improvement, with the side making a real fist of the game and despite being a goal behind early on, they continued their good attacking play from the early stages to score an equalising goal and looked set to turn the match into a real contest. Unfortunately, this was shortly followed by an unfortunate ‘what if’ moment when Nicky Devlin’s headed back pass fell to possibly the most clinical Celt who fired them ahead once again and left us all wondering what could have been if the game could have remained level for longer and given Aberdeen a chance to build on what they’d worked hard to achieve. The remainder of the match showed more spirited play from Aberdeen who never stopped trying to fight their way back in and despite losing another late goal, the first home crowd of the season left disappointed but not too dismayed by the early afternoon’s proceedings.

Now we switch from wondering what could have been to what might be possible as we enter our first cup match of the season. The League Cup is generally, for whatever reason, viewed as the lesser of the two domestic cups available however given it’s the last silverware that Aberdeen lifted, there is a sentimental element to the competition for Dons fans and let’s be honest, it’s never the lesser cup if it’s the one you end up taking home. Given our recent history in cup competitions against lower league opposition (don’t say the D word) it will have been a relief to all dandies that Barry Robson has made it very clear that he doesn’t intend to rest anyone for the Friday night fixture and that they are taking the game very seriously. Like myself you might have been buoyed by images of Angus MacDonald on the training pitch, the news that Rhys Williams played a reserve game against Peterhead this week and that it appears James McGarry has fought off jet-lag to immediately start integrating with the squad but it seems from what Robson has said that we may have to wait a little longer until we see the sidelined lads come into the team to make up what you would imagine will be our strongest defence. Whilst it’s disappointing that we won’t get our first looks at Rhys or Jimmy or a chance to reacquaint ourselves with the strapping Angus Mac, I am much more confident after Sunday’s showing that the current stand ins playing slightly out of position, will have enough about them to deal with Friday’s challenge. Moreover, and I’d have spat my pint all over The Bobbin had you informed me ahead of Sunday’s game that I’d be saying this, I’m quite looking forward to seeing Ryan Duncan at left wing back again.

Stirling Albion seem to very much be a club on the up and don’t seem expected to struggle in their own league, despite being freshly promoted. Darren Young’s side have won their opening two league fixtures and already seen off top flight side St. Johnstone in the cup group stages but have lost their last match, a 3-0 defeat to East Kilbride on Tuesday evening. Despite this blip, their form still indicates they will be a threat and I personally always find it makes me a little nervy facing a team who are used to winning ways, regardless of what league they compete in.

For the Aberdeen support it’s another two hour trip south, another sold out allocation and a great excuse to take the Friday afternoon off work to extend your weekend, or potentially write it off completely with too many beers before most have even clocked off. Given the level of support headed down the road it seems the fans and the team are in agreement over the severity of this game or maybe for some it’s the sentiment of returning to the ground where we first got a look at Luis ‘DUUUUK’ Lopes. Let’s just hope that on Friday, the team and the man himself, give us a reason to remember his second appearance for the Dons in Stirling!  

[moodswingsabz]

As I stood drinking a warm can of beer in a car park in Livingston, wondering how long it would be before the traffic would dissipate to a level where it was worth attempting the journey home, I knew one thing - the Cinch was back. Due to some horrendous traffic, it had been a rushed and cramped journey down the road, my arse numb and hips on fire by Stonehaven, only to be treated to a Dons side frustrated by a home team playing a brand of football that really should be illegal. I don’t want to get into criticising oppositions tactics or performances and in some ways I almost respect the siege mentality Livi have adopted in the face of their financial woes but make for an entertaining game, it did not and what was worse, it felt like Aberdeen played into their hands a little too readily. I’ve seen in the days since the match speculation that this was to protect a makeshift defence and to try and force the action on the horrendous Spaghettihad surface but with every long ball, it seemed more like it would inevitably prove to be fruitless and the Dons supported filtered out the Tony Macaroni Arena as frustrated as Lee Johnson when struggling to come up with his latest unhinged analogy.

Let’s look at some positives - a point on the board and a look at some of the new recruits with Slobodan Rubezic looking like the no-nonsense, albeit slightly rash, solid centre back we had hoped for and Nicky Devlin with a committed performance on his return to his old stomping ground, with a little bit of shit-housery thrown in to boot. Had this result come at a different point in the season and without this weekend’s fixture ahead of it, it might well be viewed as a good point on the road but with the first match at Pittodrie as tough as they come in the SPFL, it looks like an opportunity missed. Today’s announcement of the incoming left back James McGarry and Alan Burrows assurances that more deals are being worked on provide some hope but for many may only paper over the notion that the current squad isn’t strong enough to match the aspirations that have been set out, on several different fronts, for the season ahead. For now, we will have to wait and see how the recruitment goes and hope that Angus MacDonald and Rhys Williams make their way back from injury sooner rather than later but it leaves a lot of questions ahead of a huge test this Sunday.

So, let’s look at the Celtic game. There are probably few Dons fans who can attest to this, but it was actually matches against Celtic that first fully sparked my interest in becoming a fully fledged supporter and in fact two of my first ever three Dons matches were victories against Celtic. The first came at Celtic park in the 2014 Scottish Cup with Pawlett and Anderson scoring to give the Dons a 2-1 victory and then the following Tuesday evening I saw Aberdeen, at home this time, again trump Neil Lennon’s Celtic side 2-1 with a blistering Jonny Hayes strike and an Adam Rooney header giving me the belief that everything was going to be totally great forever. In fact, I even got to relive the glory immediately after in Archibald Simpsons where the whole game was shown on a projector courtesy of BBC Alba, with goal celebrations in the bar to rival the ones in the stadium. Needless to say that since then I have shared the frustrations of the Aberdeen support with many difficult games against the Glasgow side, with a stream of Cup semi-finals and finals being particularly agonising.

This weekend we face a Celtic side somewhat in transition. Their opening game saw them concede two goals, looking perhaps slightly less solid in defence than the blistering Ange Postecoglou team of last season, however they now have a familiarly frustrating face at the helm in Brendan Rodgers who’s previous incarnation of Celtic, the Dons (and most other teams in the league) found it incredibly difficult to overcome. We can only hope for more teething problems for the opposition and that a near (or completely by Sunday) sold out Pittodrie crowd can come together along with quality in the home side and see us through to finally getting some sort of result against the league favourites. By midday Sunday there will be a great sense of elation and joy at being back in our home ground after almost three months, nervousness, excitement and a nervous excitement for the next 90+ minutes, a huge queue for macaroni and black pudding pies and a real hope that at this early stage of the season, Aberdeen can put in a performance that reignites the excitement that has been building around this season! 

[moodswingsabz]

We’re here. The start of the new season is less than 24 hours away and it’s felt like an eternity but also in some ways, like no time at all since that last ball was kicked at Pittodrie and the players took their lap of the stadium, some for the final time, and basked in what had been achieved over the last few months. Even the stoic Barry Robson was seen showing some emotion before he headed down the tunnel. These were great scenes to cap off what had, somehow, been a great season. We won’t talk about the Celtic game, it didn’t matter so let’s just say that it doesn’t count.

Much like the season itself, the summer break has been a bit of a rollercoaster with its ups and downs. It can be quite easy for clubs to open themselves up to criticism during a transfer window - sign a bulk of players early in the window and risk being accused of carelessly making up the numbers and bloating the squad instead of looking for quality but tread quietly in the market and more than likely fans will become restless and quite vocally wonder why there’s no news of additions. The dons have somehow managed to find a strange middle-ground but not necessarily to their detriment. The early confirmations that Angus MacDonald, Graeme Shinnie and what I consider to be an incredible signing, Leighton Clarkson would all be returning set the bench mark high and perhaps a little hard to follow. Nicky Devlin had already been confirmed to be coming North, with most agreeing this was a sturdy enough acquisition, the loan deal of Rhys Williams added some youthful promise to the backline and the relatively unknown Ester Sokler showed early in pre-season that he could be capable of what we’re all hoping for. Then it all went quiet. Aside from a back up goalkeeper in the shape of Ross Doohan, there were a few weeks of relatively little transfer action for the Aberdeen support and coupled with murmurings that Rhys Williams and Angus MacDonald had sustained injuries, an anxiety began to grow that we may be leaving ourselves short in numbers ahead of the start of the league campaign. We’ve not seen a great deal of of the defensive reinforcements which have come in over the past 10 days or so, but it shows the good favour that the AFC recruitment team have curried in the previous windows that the arrivals of Or Dadia and Slobodan Rubezic have been met with enthusiasm, with most of us unfamiliar with both players but optimistic at what they can do in Barry Robson’s new look side.

The drama hadn’t ended though and only a few hours ago as I write this, the news many of us had been dreading was confirmed with ‘sweet prince’ and ‘brate’ Ylber Ramadani departing for Lecce. There were few amongst the dons support who were unconvinced by the badge pounding and hard tackling Albanian and he will be sorely missed but it must be considered great business by the club. It leaves us with an intriguing narrative, whilst I personally don’t think either of these players fit the mould of a Ramadani in terms of defensive attributes, there are two young central midfielders who look to be staking a claim to place in the midfield three, in the shape of Dante Polvara and Connor Barron. After a successful loan spell back in the states and a rousing RedTV interview, freshly mulletted Dante seems to be eager to prove himself in the dons midfield and it seems like he may have Barry’s backing given the minutes he has received in pre-season. There was much talk of Connor Barron’s wavering commitment to the dons amongst rumours of deals with other clubs and perhaps an issue with attitude, but given his social media posts and the fact he has not moved on, he also looks ready to take back a position in midfield this season and given the number of games we’re looking at, there will no doubt be room for both of them to prove what they can do and give Barry Robson selection headaches.

There are possibly more redemption arcs to be had with Shayden Morris looking as if he will have a part to play, Jack Mackenzie having a big role in pre season, Vincente Besuijen claiming he’s back with his focus fully on Aberdeen and of course Anthony Stewart still in the squad, there is much intrigue in how the squad could evolve over the season.

Away from the personnel side of things, it seems to just be sheer excitement from the Red Army. Record season ticket sales, record kit sales, a 4000 strong away support for the first game of the season, fans scrapping for every priority point available in anticipation of trips in Europe and a proverbial lapping up of the new transparency coming from the club, spearheaded by Alan Burrows, there is enough excitement to go around. Let’s just hope when that first ball is kicked at 3pm tomorrow we see what we’ve all been getting excited about!

[moodswingsabz]

The Hope that Kills you

As I trudged out of Easter Road, having seen a dismal dons side ship four goals I wondered two things, if I would ever be able to bring myself to enjoy football again and why I had ever allowed my love of Irvine Welsh and Trainspotting, in particular, to let me to garner affections for Leith. Safe to say that for me personally that this was my lowest moment as an Aberdeen supporter, certainly this season, possibly ever and with what we’ve had to endure since the turn of the year, that’s saying something. There were still two goals against, Jim Goodwin clambering his way out of the managers job and Easter Road, a security guard at Summerhall telling my friend to hide his Aberdeen scarf and a dismayed James Graham sarcastically proclaiming that it was ‘a great day to be an Aberdeen fan’ half way through the The Twilight Sad stripped back performance which was supposed to be the most emotionally crippling part of the trip to the capital, left to go before the day was out.   Luckily, it wasn’t too long before I had had my first question answered, a turnaround in form and fortune saw Aberdeen deliver points, performances and passion all of which had been lacking or lacklustre in the first half of the season. The enjoyment of football returned possibly fiercer than before, perhaps boosted by having suffered those lowest of lows but also by a revitalised and jubilant dons support who, particularly away from home, have made those good moments feel really good. My point being that we’ve been through the emotional ringer this season and if I was to bank on anything during this crazy season, it would be that there will be more twists and turns yet. I’ll be honest, I have always found it difficult to really enjoy matches against Rangers, whether it be the incredibly tense atmosphere, officiating that often raises both questions and pulses or simply the fact that wins in this fixture are much rarer than we’d all like and that the fallout in a loss can be almost as painful as the game itself, I’ve always found the fixture is one to be endured rather than enjoyed, unless of course, the win does come. Like the game, I find the build up can be a tetchy affair and there has been no shortage of narratives this week going into tomorrow’s game. The main one, of course, has been the Graeme Shinnie red card and subsequent suspension, the appeal, the appeal of the appeal and the controversial outcome of a four match ban. It’s certainly been a talking point and a divisive issue right across Scottish football this week and with Jeggo seeing red for a similar challenge for Hibs today, I can imagine the debate will rumble on. The outside noise has really cranked up around this, with Kris Boyd claiming that Aberdeen knew they’d lose the appeal and it served only to ‘whip up a storm’ around the Rangers game and Stuart Kettlewell and bafflingly Michael Beale (even more baffling he claims to have not seen a challenge that occurred in his next opponents last game which may have been worth taking a look at for the old analytics) stating they felt Aberdeen should have been able to appeal without an additional ban being issued and calling into question the integrity of the SFA. The other main narrative coming into play ahead of tomorrow’s match is the events of the last time out against Rangers at Pittodrie, which no one wants or needs reminding of but feels very much like a factor in the build up and could be playing on the minds of the players but hopefully in the right way, that it spurs them into ensuring a different result this time around. From a personnel and form point of view, Aberdeen have a new manager, basically a new defence and are six unbeaten, whereas Rangers have injury concerns with a few key players out and arguably not much left to play for the in the league, with their semi-final the following weekend their last chance at silverware and a somewhat successful(ish) season by their standards. It’s almost enough to give you hope but it’s the hope that kills you. Regardless of the outcome tomorrow, I feel like after the split there’s a likelihood that we won’t have everything our own way as we’ve enjoyed (in terms of results) over the past few weeks. With the top six now confirmed but fixtures yet to be released we can only speculate on exactly what we’ll face but undoubtedly two tough fixtures against the old firm sides, wherever they take place, a match against St. Mirren most likely in Paisley where they have proven to be a handful for anyone this season, a Hibs side who remain wildly unpredictable and a game against Hearts that now, after their seeming resurgence today, looks like it could the be the pivotal game of the season for both sides. Post-split looks to me like it could be a total rollercoaster and one we’ll certainly need to strap ourselves in for but given what we’ve seen from Robson and the team of late, I’m much more confident that I won’t be left throwing up my pre match pints and macaroni pie at the other end. There seems to be a lot left in store for us dons fans at the business end of the season. Let’s get down to business.

[moodswingsabz]

Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes: a not-so-local legend in the making

As I sat in the South Stand, watching our new unknown quantity look like he was absolutely killing himself to chase a ball down the channel, I was finding myself asking more questions, rather than finding any answers to the ones that had arrived with Luis Lopes. How would a player without any real senior football adjust to life in the Scottish Premier League? Is a striker or a winger? Why is he called ‘Duk’? And now I found myself wondering if this guy was up to match fitness? Did he have the ability and flare that been stated when he signed? Whenever he reached the ball he looked as if he needed to catch his breath before he could do anything with it. Not long after this I remember being in The Bobbin beer garden, catching the last of summer, when my Celtic-supporting pal told me that he thought Duk was a real player. I was non-committal, I still wasn’t sure either way I told him. Thankfully, the answers the to these questions and a certainty of feeling, for myself and surely all Dons fans, weren’t long in the post. The likability of Duk as a character and the sheer joy of shouting ‘DUUUUUUUK’ whenever he scored, created something, put in a tackle or simply ran close enough to the Red Shed gave him an instant rapport with the Dons support during matches but in the initial stages it did still feel like the jury was very much out on what we were going to see from Duk across the season. He was prone to perhaps overplaying slightly and losing the ball too often and Jim Goodwin was only too happy to remind the media and fans that he wasn’t yet up to match fitness, often accompanied by a random percentile. Then came the goal against Ross County, a sublime touch and finish that lit up an afternoon that would end in frustration for Aberdeen. After this, Duk began starting games and it was in only his second start at Pittodrie, against Hearts, that the all the scraps of talent and desire that had been seen in previous performances came to fruition, with a cool finish through the legs of Craig Gordon followed by an assist, where whilst down injured, he managed to receive the ball, work his way past the Hearts defence and the lay the ball on a plate for Vincente Besuijen. For me it was then that we really knew what kind of player we had on our hands. Last time out I spoke of the affections that can be garnered for a hometown hero but it can be just as enjoyable, even if very different, seeing a player come from the relative unknown and really find their feet for your team. We’ve been lucky enough to see it a few times recently at Aberdeen with the likes of a James Maddison, Danny Ward or Sam Cosgrove (arguing this is probably a tougher sell than it was getting him off to Birmingham) and this season we could be seeing this scenario for two or three in the squad with Bojan Miovski, Leighton Clarkson and of course, Duk. It’s quite a rare phenomenon and no one would argue that we haven’t had to endure our fair share of duds, players who landed with plenty of promise that really never took off, who left Aberdeen with not much more than the knowledge safely secured that you can put pasta in a pie, but when it works, it works. It’s simply a great feeling as a fan to see a player come in from parts unknown and really take to Aberdeen as both a place to develop their football and a city as a whole. Reading what Luis had to say about his time at the club and city this week, how at times it almost felt like he’d been in born in Aberdeen, had me feeling a bit more emotion than I’d usually like to admit on a football blog. There were a very tough few months for Aberdeen post the World Cup break and Duk wasn’t immune to this but with the recent turnaround in performances under Barry Robson, he is back to his blistering best. The back heel at Tannadice felt like the springboard for what is hopefully a huge turnaround in our away form this season and the brilliant early double against Hearts confirmed that with the resurgent Dons, comes a resurgent Duk. Inevitably the conversation has already started about how long we’ll get to enjoy seeing Duk’s moments of magic in an Aberdeen shirt, his brilliant and passionate celebrations after scoring and the general ‘scenes’ he seems to be able to create at Pittodrie. There is already talk of other, more financially fruitful clubs coming knocking and that we should enjoy Luis whilst he’s here. However, as a football fan, it could be said that there is no certainty of enjoyment in the future and quite often the present can be too stressful to be fully enjoyed (other than those magical times where ball hits net) and it’s really the past we look to, to find our satisfaction. Despite everything that has happened this season, Duk has delivered many brilliant moments , some mentioned in this article but also many more. So of course, we’ll need to enjoy him whilst he’s here but no matter what happens next, no matter what happens with the young lad from Benfica B, Duk has given us memories to look back on and enjoy for many years to come.

[moodswingsabz]

Barry Robson: faith and stomach churning optimism restored

“I don’t know how but he looks very Aberdonian”.

This is the reply from my girlfriend when I had sent her, without explanation, a screenshot of the Instagram announcement of Barry Robson continuing in the managers role at Aberdeen until the end of the season. She has little interest in football and but was polite enough to humour me and not mention that I’d interrupted the conversation about what was for dinner. I tend to agree, with his light ginger hair, discerning grin (or impossible to read stare) and general look of a man who’s spent some time in the hail and a few nights on the ale, Barry Robson definitely looks unmistakably Scottish, if not exclusively Aberdonian.

The support of possibly every football club across the world, loves a hometown hero, whether it’s a player on the pitch or someone working off it, there’s always an added sweetness to someone performing their role well and bringing success when they hail from the area the club is based in and it could certainly be argued that it often curries them extra favour when things aren’t going so well - Graeme Shinnie being a prime example.

Despite being a Dons supporter for most of my life through familial allegiances, I didn’t become a fully fledged fan (of either Aberdeen or football in general) until the 2013/14 season, coinciding with Barry Robson’s arrival as a player and it became clear even to me, that he was a footballer who was willing to give it all on the pitch and it took him no time to endear himself to me or the majority of the Aberdeen support. For his relatively short spell as a player at Aberdeen, there were some great moments, not just of quality and fight but of an unassuming charisma, from a shrug of the shoulders and cheeky smile after scoring directly from a corner to deciding to leave the pitch without explanation at Tynecastle to be greeted upon his return to chants of ‘he shits when wants, he shits when he wants, Barry Robson he shits when he wants’ , with Barry donning a grin afterwards that did nothing to deny these claims. Another moment that can’t go without mention, is after being sent off for an elbow against Dundee United, Barry appeared on the episode of Sportscene showing highlights of this game and tried a meek explanation of not realising how short the opposition player was, which meant he accidentally caught him in the face.

There’s something about his recent management role that really reaffirms Barry’s connection with the North East. Whether it’s the talk in the media of reinforcing to the players what it means to play for a club like Aberdeen, handing Graeme Shinnie the captaincy or maybe his claims after every win that it was ‘a real Aberdeen performance’, something is really connecting Barry to the Dons support.

However, being an Inverurie man is only a small part of the picture. With 4 wins out of 6 and pushing Aberdeen right back up the table,shockingly back into contention for 3rd place and European football, is the real plaudit and one that is certainly being given. Additions to the squad have certainly helped (does anyone not love Mattie Pollock yet?) but it’s hard to know much of this was really Robson’s doing, but what we do know is that he’s got them gelling, off the pitch and more importantly on it.

I remember before the divisive sacking of Derek McInnes, some fans complaining that the steady, reliable management that they’d seen over the years prior was no longer enough, that football was about ‘moments’ and that these were no longer being delivered. Again, on this, Barry Robson and this current Aberdeen team are succeeding and I’d argue that I’ve enjoyed more great moments in Barry Robson’s six games than I did under the previous tenure’s of Stephen Glass and Jim Goodwin (I think I enjoyed the Dundee United video of Jim prancing about the golf course more than I enjoyed the bulk of his time in charge) combined. Perhaps it’s worth arguing that this is all relative, that Stephen Glass followed a manager who’d certainly left a legacy and similarly Goodwin walked in with a great deal of expectation (some of his own making) which came with much more pressure than Barry was faced with, especially given where the team was when he arrived. However, it’s Barry Robson’s Aberdeen that have had me almost hanging off the stands at Tannadice and shredding my vocal chords in the Red Shed against Hearts and this is what I and the majority of fans, will remember. Moments.

With the position now being given to Barry until the end of the season and with the seemingly cursed ‘Manager of the Month’ award arriving at Pittodrie also, it could be said that there is now pressure on Barry Robson, that we will now really see how he handles first team management. With the position that Aberdeen find themselves in and with what is still possible, both good and bad, every game is huge and squeeky bum time never seems to end. But somehow despite this, and despite some of the horrors that Aberdeen fans have suffered this season, there seems to be some real optimism building. After all, who better to handle squeeky bum time, than the man who shits when he wants.