Aberdeen and their Communism Ideology – The Premiership Recap

November 10, 2015

Hayes v UnitedLet’s play bamboozled! Okay, bingo.

We’re just over a third of the way through the season with the latest international break on the horizon, so it is good time to take stock of the season so far. On the site over the next week or so I shall be compiling my team of the season and maybe the worst XI as well. I am looking at you Motherwell and Partick Thistle.

Anyway, 13 games in and all things being equal we are on course to beat ol’ Morag and Margaret at the Bingo. The pair of grippy Fifers are Bingo regulars, professionals. Yet, they are trailing and they do not like it. Especially when I am calling them speccy twats and giein’ it laldy.

Scottish teams getting panned out Europe early on? Check. Rangers, tax, Sevco, soporific tedium? Check. Celtic failing in Europe but blaming the competition despite buying some of their best players? Check. Chris Sutton rivalling Craig Burley for largest cause of self harm among males 16-90? Check. Farfetched but amusing rumours we hope are true (I heard a belter about Sir Paul Hartley)? Check. Fans using Remembrance Day and poppies for their agenda? Check. Sportscene appearing to be produced by the Teletubbies on acid? Check. Heart of Midlothian thriving in the top division where they belong? Check. Tommy Wright and St Johnstone doing a Tommy Wright and St Johnstone? Check. Darian MacKinnon just about killing someone with a standing stamp? Check. Referees coming under intense scrutiny? Check. Talk of a title tilt when we all know Celtic, despite being bobbins, will sail to another victory? Check. Of course I predicted all of these things.

All Morag and Margaret have down is John Sutton confirming he is an absolute huddy? Well played, laides.

Yet, that is not to say it has been a boring and predictable season. There have been a number of cracking games, many involving St Johnstone, goals and defensive howlers. The entertainment we want. Hamilton Academical have surprised as have Dundee United but for differing reasons. While they will fall short of challenging Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts are set for an intriguing battle to finish best of the rest; there is only four points separating six teams in the hunt for the top six; and United will surely pick up in the New Year when Mixu Paatelainen is able to recruit players he actually rates to provoke a fight for the drop.

But what about week 13?


Derek McInnes sprang a surprise or two with the omission of Niall McGinn and Andrew Considine. Graham Shinnie moved to left-back with Willo Flood coming into the centre of midfield. Mixu opted for a flat four in midfield rather than a diamond. Paul Dixon returned to left-back and when Dixon returns to left-back and drastically improves the balance and look of the backline you get the sense that the end is nigh.

If Aberdeen were a political ideology they would be communism; Jonny Hayes Karl Mark and Shinnie Che Guevara. The Dons were solely focused on the left, creating overloads and crossing opportunities. Shinnie and Hayes dominated the wing, dovetailing inside and outside like perfectly choreographed ice dancers – think Robbie Williams and his partner in the video for She’s the One.

Sean Dillon was being exposed to the 2v1 overload. A number of teasing crosses went in, specifically from Hayes, yet the best chance actually fell to Hayes when one of his crosses was over hit but returned by Shay Logan. His instinctive effort brought a great save out of Michal Szromnik with the recently signed Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima watching on. I can’t wait to see the comedic return when he hits the sticks. The greatest Japanese disaster since the second Godzilla film. You read it here first.

Aberdeen are patient building through the centre. There are a lot of wall passes, one-twos in safe areas as they gradually move up the pitch. It is when the ball is shifted out wide where there is an injection of pace. The directness and anarchy which Peter Pawlett brought to the side two seasons ago is missing. From being able to nutmeg a mermaid, Pawlett has diminished to not being able to nutmeg a Sean Dillon.

Apart from a long range John Rankin effort – not a squiggler (remember when Hibs brought out t-shirts of that goal? T-SHIRTS. Anyone that bought one should hand in their (life)* ticket) – United posed no threat. It was only the timely intervention of Ryan Jack which presented United with their first chance. Scott Fraser running at goal but opting to go alone rather than find the better placed Billy Mckay.

Unsurprisingly the goal which edged Aberdeen ahead came down the left. Dillon wasn’t so much being tormented by Shinnie and Hayes but tortured. Locked up in a dank basement. First he was exposed to verbal threats, then came the water boarding, followed by each finger and toe nail being excruciatingly removed one by one with pliers. Only when Chris Sutton’s commentary was played into the room non-stop did he surrender. It was a simple goal, one which should have been defended better. A lot better. Hayes drove past Blair Spittal with ease before firing in a low cross which Dillon failed to stop. Ryan McGowan (if I say anything negative about him it would be edited out by Craig Fowler because he was once bought a drink by the man don’t you know?) jumped out of the way as if a rat had just scurried past. Perhaps put off by the run of Pawlett, Szromnik let the ball bounce off his legs and into the air for Rooney to head in.

The second goal, again down the left, was excellent. Not just Hayes’s run and finish but the movement by Shinnie to open up the space. Pepe Guardiola’s pet hate is players playing in the same ‘corridor’. Shinnie made a run infield from his left-back position, dragging Dillon, whose legs were now screaming for mercy GIVE ME SUTTON!!!, inside. This opened up space for Hayes, unfollowed by Fraser who now looked to be running through porridge, to make a diagonal run towards goal and thrash a shot into the bottom corner. And that was that.

Once, for a brief period, United were a harmonious band. All in sync. Their first album was thrilling, original, edgy with youthful vibrancy. Cracks then appeared in relationships but when they could all focus they still possessed the capability of blasting out a tune to exhilarate the crowd and make a decent fist of a mediocre second album. Now United are the band that no longer have the hunger, desire and ideas – they’ve skipped the part where they tour the country playing all their hits to intimate sell-outs gigs filled with their hardiest fans. They are now playing in pubs, drunk and indifferent, whose clientele, drunk and indifferent, look on in pity.

In an attacking sense they were shorn of ideas, invention and urgency on Saturday. In the second half Fraser went closest with a header over the bar after another sloppy pass from Jack in a dangerous area before trundling a volley wide. We won’t see the best of United until the middle of January/February – similar to Ross County last season under Jim McIntyre. Mixu has a job on his hands at the moment, but one which will be made easier with a transfer window- it is unlikely he won’t have been given assurances regarding transfer activity.

It was apparent from the way United set up and the way Mixu spoke after the match that they would have been delighted with a point. The Finn is strategically rebuilding United, solidifying the foundations and making them hard to beat first and foremost. In general they looked organised, they simply didn’t have the legs to stop the indefatigable duo of Shinnie and Hayes. Having witnessed Motherwell and Partick Thistle as well as United in person they are no worse than their current relegation rivals.

*That’s parentheses within parentheses within parentheses. Parentheses inception.


Away up in Gorgie at Tynecastle Park, there’s a wee fitbaw team that would aye make its mark.

Hector Nicol would be proud he lent his voice to such a song to celebrate such a team. Four league wins on the bounce and the Famous are riding high. To quote Robert Borthwick on Monday’s podcast: the JAMBO JUGGERNAUT. It may sound like a Wacky Races outfit but there is nothing wacky about team. Just wack, yo.

It was Hamilton who brought about the end to Hearts’ winning streak in the reverse fixture, that infamous Willie Collum game. That acted as the start of Robbie Neilson’s toughest spell in management since taking charge at Tynecastle. Up until that point the biggest criticism that could be labelled at him was his tinkering, bordering on over-thinking, in big matches. Defeats to Aberdeen and Inverness followed to the Hamilton reverse, complete with defensive organisation that would have made Ossie Ardiles’s Spurs wince. But Neilson’s title came to prominence. He isn’t a manager but a head coach. He got to work on the training ground and improved the team’s defensive shape. Constant drilling of the defence brought about a stability against Celtic and Dundee United. The attack may have suffered but the back four were finally working in unison.

Now the goals have returned. Eight in the last three games without a concession. And teams should be worried. This Hearts squad has still got space to improve. Igor Rossi is slowly turning into a leader of the backline, which will only improve as he gets a better grasp of English and the Callum Paterson moan/growl. Against Hamilton there were one or two nervy moments in the second half where Rossi failed to understand the shouts of Alexander. In the end it was fine and they hugged it out. Man hugs.

With Arnaud Djoum, Prince Buaben and Morgaro Gomis all playing there was speculation as to what the formation would be. Djoum originally started at the point of a 4-2-3-1 but it soon melted into a lop-sided 4-4-2. Djoum taking an inside right position to allow Paterson to motor up and down the flank.

The first goal came from a long-range blast from Prince Buaben. Many in the crowd would have expected the end product to be the ball slamming into the hoarding between the six yard box and corner flag. But the fizzing effort skidded up and past Michael McGovern. The Hamilton number 1 has looked fallible of late. One of the better keepers in the league, he has played his way to Northern Ireland’s number 1 spot. Yet, since then errors have started to creep in.

In an article for the SPFL Craig Cairns pointed out that Hearts’ wide players are not consigned to a solely wide role. That was seen with the second when Djoum drifted across to the left, combining with Sam Nicholson. Osman Sow took down the latter’s cross and with cigar hanging from mouth and apathy almost tangible the Swede floored McGovern and then a defender before sliding the ball to Djoum to slot home.

Sow continues to improve each passing game, lasting longer and becoming a more consistent threat. He is an attacking hybrid; tall, quick with dazzling feet, he can run in behind, run the channels, bully defenders, take the ball into feet, drop off into a second striker role plus he has the vision to dissect defences with his passing. He rocked and rolled Lucas Tagliapietra numerous times. The duo played together in Moldova for FC Dacia Chisinau and it was the forward who had the upperhand. Drawing in the defender, putting him in a blender and swirling him into a daze.

It was Lucas who was Hamilton’s dangerman, corners and free-kicks continuing to find his head. The Accies lacked a threat from open play with Ali Crawford missing. The midfield triangle was flipped and they were energetic and robust leading to spells of scrappy play. Martin Canning bemoaned Bobby Madden’s decision to book Carlton Morris for taking a tumble in the box. Madden was correct in his assertion that Morris left his leg hanging to make contact. Canning also claimed that if it wasn’t for the two goals conceded they would have got something from the game. And the 2015 Nobel price for discovery goes to . . .

Anyway, take it away, Hector!

This is my story, this is my song! Follow the Hearts and you can’t go wrong . . .

Except that game where we got beat by Inverness Caledonian Thistle when Graham Bayne scored a last minute winner into Lee Wallace. I definitely had a sense of going wrong there.


Celtic. Too good for domestic football. Too inadequate for European football. Answer? Fold them. Most reasonable solution. Although that would mean Scottish football would be lacking Palestinian, Basque and Che Guevara flags. Now we can’t have that.

Sunday’s game finished 4-1 but anyone who watched the game, even those with the greenest tinted specs, will admit that the score line flattered the Hoops. Before I get hate mail (ha! Like anyone reads your pish, Joel I hear you say), Celtic deserved the three points. They had the quality at the right moments; ruthless, productive and efficient.

Yet, in the first half County created the two most presentable chances with Liam Boyce heading wide and Jackson Irvine having an outer body experience. County lined up in 4-1-4-1, like they did at Celtic Park but offered a more potent threat. They were compact and funnelled Celtic wide, preventing any intricate play around the box. Instead happy for Celtic to cross the ball.

Martin Woods was afforded the responsibility of protecting the backline. He did a decent job until that moment of quality. I have been a critic of Tom Rogic but he did well to drag Woods up the pitch to create space to receive the ball and have time to weigh up a splendid strike into the top corner. Then in the second half, enter Leigh Griffiths with two fine strikes. Although he was aided by Scott Boyd for the first and excellent and COMPOSED wing play from James Forrest for the second.

County rallied and continued to trouble the Celtic backline. Many, more talented, teams would wilt but this County side, even in defeat are made of stern stuff but the result was never in doubt.

It deserves a longer article but to answer the complex question surrounding Ronny Deila, Celtic and Europe with a quick generalised answer. Celtic give up chances in both domestic and European games and unsurprisingly it is the teams of better quality who take greater advantage of Celtic’s defensive frailties. I think it would be fair to call Deila naive in Europe. A greater pragmatism is perhaps required as is better organisation. But one aspect I don’t think we can fault Deila is player development. Those at Celtic Park will become better players, but will they become a better team, greater than the sum of their parts?


A great result for Inverness considering the players they were missing, the players who came in and the injury to Ryan Christie which brought Dani Lopez from the bench. You should be ashamed, Motherwell.

The Steelmen were unfortunate with the penalty in my eyes. Okay, Stephen McManus’s hand was in an unnatural position but three things should be taken into consideration: it wasn’t deliberate; there was a matter of inches between the players involved; and McManus wasn’t even looking at the ball. I hold my hands up, the handball rule still flummoxes me, and going by comments from managers, players and fans this season I am not the only one. Someone help me!

What was a great decision from esteemed Craig Thomson (no ‘p’ people) was ordering the penalty to be retaken. Josh Law was past Thomson when he headers the ball out for a corner.

Kudos to Motherwell and their media team. Fifteen minutes of highlights were uploaded on the same day of the game. That is excellent and puts everyone else to shame. Not only do they give you a good idea of how the game went, they are also free to view. From the highlights I could gleam that Motherwell were positive in their play, especially down the right with Law and Lionel Ainsworth. However, the quality of delivery or end product was very poor until it was too late.

Even after the appointment of Mark McGhee, Well are still a soft touch as shown in the defending for the second goal. A ball played in behind the defence caused McManus to hesitate thinking Connor Ripley would come to clear or collect. But with the ball barely rolling into the box McManus had to take evasive action. Instead of clearing into the stand he tried to keep the ball alive, only giving it back to ICT with the defence positioned like points on a Richter scale. Pearson was weak in the challenge with the intimidating (sarcasm) Miles Storey before both Kieran Kennedy and McManus turned their backs on the shot rather than standing tall, the former deflecting the ball past Ripley.

Then Iain Vigurs.

Vigurs

Or if you prefer. Mr McManus.

mcManus


Tommy Wright was beaming in his post-match interview, like Papa Bear laying his eyes on a big bowl of porridge. But instead of porridge it was goals, three points and five wins from six. Does that make Gary Locke Goldilocks? I really don’t know. The metaphor, like life, has got away from me.

Slowly the St Johnstone defence is beginning to look like a St Johnstone defence. But I am still unsure on Tam Scobbie. I mean he is one change of letter way from being Tam Scabbie. While most of the Saintees backline, Steven Anderson, Dave Mackay and Brian Easton, are consistent 7/10 performers, Scobbie is one that fluctuates, with the 5s and 6s more common than the 8s and 9s.

For Killie’s goal Murray Davidson failed to match the run of Stevie ‘Frank Lampard’ Smith, Scobbie’s body position to stop the cross from Kallum Higginbotham was all wrong. Not only did he go with the wrong leg to stop the cross going into the box it also meant his body became contorted.

Even with the inform Graham Cummins leaving the field with an injury, Saints still had the in-form Steven MacLean and Michael O’Halloran. The equalising goal was splendid with MacLean and Chris Kane playing one of the greatest one-twos witnessed before MacLean sent Kevin McHattie to Dundee with a fake to shoot and set up O’Halloran for a lovely toe poke.

If McHattie was rinsed for the first goal, Craig Slater and Rory McKenzie were put in the washing machine then the tumble dryer by David Wotherspoon who executed not one but two Cruyff turns. Music could have been playing in the background as the Killie duo fell for both feints in perfect synchronicity as Witherspoon created to space to cross for MacLean to set up Kane.


We’ve reached the end. Well, if we exclude Dundee 1 Partick Thistle 1. A fleeting mention of that game, the teams each got a point. I have turned into the written version of Sportscene (actually the BBC’s Scottish football website does a fine job of that). Oh, the hypocrisy. I don’t care.


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