Goggles & Flippers

We're gonna get spanked unless Wigan come in at the 11th hour to buy McGinn too.

Off the back of Cup and financial success, the repeat evidence of our players moving on to bigger and better things then you'd expect the Base/Datum (call it what you will) level of recruitment to increase. So the step up on quality argument does have merit. Imagine Celtic didn't qualify for the champions league last year, they would have less money and less of draw, therefore the quality of the player they could attract would be less. People could see Cedric was naive and but could also see he had something about him. Dunne wasn't helped by his clumsiness that only dissipated come January. Bigi plays a couple of games near the end of the season and puts his foot on the ball in the Cup Final and people exclaim he's the solution to our midfield issues.

Maybe so but for the first time for ages I find myself aligning with their argument. Knowing what we do now about how we are conducting our business, I feel confident we have players waiting in the wings, already identified, only waiting on the ink to be dry on a sale to have them snapped up. Issue with that is agents know this and I think we all know anything with the prefix "English" in it seems to demand a multiplyer. There is also no guarantee we won't be gazumped or some of our targets have been secured because it's taken other teams until now to progress their interest. Repeating Andy_P's assessment, you would have thought with a strong track record from Moult, Heneghan, Marvin and now Cedric there may have been a few more courting us than us courting them. However we can only control our side of things and there is a proven track record of self improvement and using us as a stepping stone. What is a fact, the players we have secured at present don't appear to be a real step up in quality or versatility. With the 2 cup runs and extra revenue I think we all expected a better base level of recruitment. We have been surprised in the past with some unfancied players who turned out revelations. We all appreciate that we have to find hidden gems, those with a point to prove or a player with a couple aspects of his game lacking. As a few have also pointed out, Dunne only started to look like a player in January and Higdon took till October so maybe Gorrin will be up for SPFL payer of the year by the winter break for all we know at present. Hibs have started well but do ship goals, unless Robinson has decided to try and nullify their midfield .... I don't think we'll have the personnel to do on Sunday, I think it's an easy win for them and a naysayer frenzy for us.

League - 10th League Cup* - Quarter Final Scottish Cup* - Quarter Final PoTY - Carl McHugh YPoTY - Allan Campbell Wishes - I don't think we've recruited enough quality to build on last year despite the increased exposure and revenue we generated. I normally have a go at the naysayers but this team at present doesn't have enough for me to sustain the season and push on. I predicted 12 months ago when I thought it would be a consolidating season to do something this year and that turned out to exceed all expectations beyond belief so what do I know. Relegate Accies is the best I think we can hope for sadly.

Ojamaa and Faddy had great initial spells with us and fell away. It's just a thing that happens. As for the summer business, I know we've lost out to English clubs here and there but as I've conveyed, the success both financial and exposure doesn't seems to have worked in us securing known quality .... yet. If we look back to when Moult signed, the Wrexham fans were genuinely gutted. A lot of the business we've done is followed by smug waves goodbye.

Not wanting to rain on your parade there Sherlock ..... you may want to review the dates on those posts. Otherwise we're in the Matrix or Micheal J Fox is my da

The signing of Sammon endorses my apathy. However I hope I'm wrong and he's a revelation. Just see it as a tad lazy and lack of ambition going for him. I'm glad Frear is putting 2017/18 behind him and Tanner can't get back quick enough. Too many strikers of a similar mould unless there's confidence in movement out.

If you see this prick, don't ask him for directions, he Disney have a clue

Not really, I was buzzing after acquisition of Bigi, Rose and Tanner. Just so far, nobody has had the same effect to inspire from their pedigree alone.

I'm sure there is a degree of self awareness about him, he doesn't exist in a vacuum and knows himself his form dropped and despite what Robinson said (I guess for face saving) he did get extra minutes on the park than his form demanded. As conveyed if he didn't jump he may have been pushed. This way the club and McHugh come out of it smelling of roses. I'm sure our polished and savvy media department managed this very well. I've always favoured a defender as a captain as they tend to be facing the action for more of the game. No doubt Harley has the presence and charisma to carry the rest of the team with him. With respect to the summer business. I know we still are 6-7 weeks away from the door closing but it's been a tad underwhelming for me so far. Maybe the players we have brought in will be revelations or the youth players promoted have something about them. I also appreciate Robinson has form of sourcing and bringing in unknowns and by an large more success' that disappointments. I appreciate signings may be dependant on some of our team leaving for pastures new and until that happens, then interest has cooled.

The Stone Island Brigade have oddly turned very "Queer Eye" on us

You're welcome ....

I heard it was a Spanish guy who we hoped to get last summer and we've redoubled our efforts this summer to secure

And I'm sure you're personally on 250+ on FIFA

Joint top European goal scorer is he not?

Dilemma for Robinson is do you retain McHugh as club captain as open spaces in our midfield are diminishing fast. Don't think anyone would disagree that he got more game time last season than his form demanded.

Motherwell > Sheffield Wednesday > Aberdeen (146 appearances) Motherwell > Ross County > Dumbarton > New Saints > Livingston (newly promoted, 0 appearances) Yeah they're in the same league, however you could have brought up the semantics of that in your "mainstay" post, but you elected not to. However, your premise is watertight. I'll shut up now.

Nah you're right then .... same level .......

Best no run with any patter, Andy P will shut it down

Yeah mainstay of the Aberdeen defence for the past few years vs. new purchase by newly promoted team .......same level

Good post Andy and a lot to consider. As I said I just feel like it's turning into F1, just a procession and in a competitive industry you have to have some form of hope. I've started threads on here with enthusiasm and rightly directed appreciation of both playing and backroom staff at the club last season. I've just lost that, maybe it's the mid season blues and 10 days to consider a final we didn't really fight like I hoped. I don't think we can win the league but I also don't think anyone can outside the OF can either at present, you'd hope someone else could at least challenge. 25ish years and counting. Totally over it. We've kinda hijacked this Scotland thread but I don't get the Celtic fans, its must be like buying pay-per-view boxing, staying up all night for it, and it lasts 30 seconds, but all these morons celebrate like it's something meaningful. Crags summed it up well here talking about Scott Brown winning POTY:

More would be gained from asking the Currants and Gypsies to leave the league so we can rock up in early August with some hope we have a chance of competing for the league title a possibility opposed to it being crazy talk. Unfortunately the gulf just widens, something that UEFA has failed to address with the Champions League. As great as this season has been for us, I still find myself apathetic about 2018-19. Take heed from Formula 1, when it becomes a precession then it loses any attraction. It's evident by how many of the world's best supporters show up for a game midweek in February against Accies. It's an expensive season ticket when all you buy it for is 2 OF matches and first dibs on Euro tickets.

Two questions: Paint you with what exactly? You naughty boy I can stump up 2 empty ginger bottles, is that enough? Otherwise its a crowdfunder.

There was a medical the day after the final planned (don't know if that happened) and Robinson shared on the podcast that he didn't notice the banners and bunting when being driven through Motherwell by Las because he was on his phone trying to secure players. Flow pretty much said the same. I can only think the strips were delayed for new sponsor logo's (apparently still in negotiation) and maybe roll out the new players off the back of that. Otherwise you have to find someone photogenic who's in the area to go for a shoot.

I blame Lallana's Nivea cream, slippy