stewarty

I feel like a broken record. I've been saying since the ****s were outed that we needed a stronger executive management team and a proper governance structure and business strategy for them to drive forward. We have far too many plates spinning for just an MD and pseudo-finance/ football admin director to manage. And every time one of the plates smashes, we just start spinning another rather than addressing the root causes.

On the final point - absolutely. We've been embarrassed by our PR for too long. And its effectively shooting ourselves in the foot on a regular basis. As for DM stringing us along - I have heard suggestions along those lines - i.e. that all indications were, up until yesterday afternoon, that he was keen to move. What has caused this change of heart? I guess it doesn't really matter but if I was to put myself in his shoes, I can understand why he'd be hesitant.

You can't out-train a bad diet and you can't polish a turd. When you have a weak senior management team that is hamstrung in its decision-making by a controlling (and frequently absent) major shareholder, the net result is a club that has no strategy or plan, let alone any contingency; and is paralysed to the point where otherwise routine decisions take six weeks and more. When you have a pantomime PR "guru" managing your comms [Oh no we don't; oh yes we do!] in the most ad-hoc and reactive manner, thats because there is precious little good news to be had. When said absentee major shareholder tries to defend said PR "guru" at the AGM by saying that he puts out more fires than we know about - THAT ISN'T A GOOD THING! Essentially this means that you are proud that he is covering up the screw ups that come from poor management. I'm done with trying to be positive about this board. They've eroded all confidence I had. They're simply unfit for purpose.

An article on Docherty from the terrace podcast in March http://terracepodcast.net/tony-docherty-the-man-behind-derek-mcinnes/ The Aberdeen support could barely miss the glaring irony when Tony Docherty was called up to the Scotland set-up to replace the outgoing Andy Watson. Complaints of a ‘west coast bias’ might have been forged in the Ferguson era but they certainly haven’t eased with the passing of time. We are convinced, whether rightly or wrongly, that the club is overlooked by the Glasgow-centric press, by players that prefer plying their trade in the comforts of the central belt and, finally, by those in charge of the national team. Despite being the Dons’ finest performer this season, it was a no to Kenny McLean. Similarly, Graeme Shinnie was overlooked, even though his bite and drive would surely be a breath of fresh air for the Scotland team. Ryan Jack’s composure on the ball and ability to transition defence into attack might even have seen him stake a claim but, alas, it was not to be. Instead, it was the club’s assistant manager who was to be given the nod. Tony Docherty is a name that would likely have Scottish football supporters in the central region scratching their heads. But it is a name showing burgeoning progress in the world of coaching. Derek McInnes grew close with Docherty when the former was captain at Dundee United, and the latter was the team’s reserve coach. Upon stepping into management, McInnes would take Docherty to St Johnstone, and then south to Bristol City before they both returned north to Aberdeen in 2013. McInnes clearly trusts his assistant. Docherty leads the pre-match passing exercises, while the manager observes his players. The squad responds to Doch’s shouts to increase the tempo, they laugh at his quips, and they appear fond of his humble demeanour. As his profile has increased, he has taken on more responsibility in press conferences and post-match interviews. He is articulate and insightful. Ayr United manager Ian McCall worked with Docherty at Falkirk before taking him to Dundee United and he hasn’t been at all surprised by his development. “He had something that you can’t learn anywhere at the coaching courses, as much as I think they’re great. He’s got this really infectious personality that brings people to him,” he said. “I’ve only met five or six boys like that in my long time in football. It’s a very special quality and he’s got it in abundance.” McCall cited Docherty’s upbringing in a “fantastic family” in East Kilbride as partly responsible for the path his career has taken. He had a modest playing career in the lower leagues with the likes of Stirling Albion and Albion Rovers. During his time in Coatbridge, he would put his first step on the coaching ladder by joining the SFA as a development officer. But what is he like behind the scenes on the training ground? “He was always very, very well organised, and almost anal in his preparation of things,” McCall admitted. Former Aberdeen midfielder Stuart Duff worked with the pair at Dundee United and shared McCall’s perspective. “He gets very involved in the training,” explained Duff. “He does quite a lot of the drills himself. He’s there early setting them up. He’ll see the weakness of a team that they’ll play on a Saturday and they’ll work on things.” “If they’re poor at defending crosses, Tony will work on getting the ball out wide where they can cause problems. He’s very tactically aware.” But for McCall and Duff, it’s not the technical coaching that has served Docherty so well. It’s his ability to interact almost flawlessly with the players. “I think that’s secondary to what he is,” said McCall. “I genuinely believe that. I think he’s got on because of this quality he has that you can’t teach. You don’t learn it anywhere. You either have it or you haven’t and he has it. He was very reliable and very loyal.” Duff admitted he was impressed with Docherty from day one at Dundee United. “Around the stadium, he demands respect but he’s not arrogant. He’s approachable, he’s well-mannered and well-spoken.” Initially, Docherty’s main role was with young players, because of an ability to cultivate talent. His commitment was reflected in the hours he put in at work with both Falkirk and Dundee United. “He’s more than willing to stay behind after sessions and help out with the younger kids, and he’s definitely got an eye for talent,” said Duff. “He’s very good at nurturing young talent and getting the best out of them.” Footballers of all ages gravitate towards the coach. But, what does the future hold for him? This is the point where two of his biggest supporters disagree. “If I’m brutally honest,” McCall pondered. “I don’t think he’s a manager. I’m not sure he would agree with that. “I think wherever Derek goes, and I think there will come a time when he goes, I don’t think that’ll be in Scotland though, I think Tony will go with him. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.” Duff’s prediction differed significantly. “There will come a time when he wants to push on and do his own thing. It’s been pleasing to see that he’s been given more opportunities to put himself out there because he’s well-respected within the game. “Anyone that knows a lot about football will know how well-regarded he is and it’s no surprise that he’s involved with the national team. “He’s got a very bright future ahead of him.” The Aberdeen faithful are resigned to the notion that Derek McInnes will eventually leave the Pittodrie club. They know to savour the stability, professionalism and sustained success. But perhaps one thing they did not fully expect was that Tony Docherty’s role in creating the culture that currently exists at the club is perhaps more than has been anticipated. If Gordon Strachan survives a little longer, he might well become just as important to the Scotland set-up. Written by Jack Thomson (@jthomsonmedia, @StatsAndSkirts)

I share the concerns about McInnes in terms of his default approach which is pretty physical, direct and set piece focused. Will that be enough to challenge THEM, or in Europe? I have concerns. Also his record in big games isn't great. That said, I think he's shown enough as a manager that hes mostly learned and improved over time. He's also turned around his squad over the summer and managed to mostly maintain their position, last couple of results aside So whilst not being overly excited at the prospect, I think he will help us solidify second. The key tests will come after that. But where we've been via Warburton and Caixinha, I'm happy with a more incremental approach

Exactly. Although there was some chat about someone in the stand providing feedback to Murty, relayed via JJ. Although I think folk are reading into things that aren't there.

Sounds great - hope you have a good day out.

Seeing is believing.

As much as I'm pained to say this, I think fitness has to be a factor too. You always get moans when teams are not playing well that they're lacking a bit in terms of fitness. Sometimes this is the case, and at other times I'm sceptical. However, far too often in the last 2 seasons particularly, we've seen guys coming into the team who are searching for fitness. They end up being passengers for long spells which undermines confidence in their ability due to the inevitable lack of form. Thats not to say that the whole squad is lacking fitness, but it does make me wonder why players that are below par fitness-wise are able to get starts when patently they're not ready. That suggests to me that the gulf between the rest of the squad that is supposedly match-sharp, isn't as wide as it should be.

Off topic, but this point brings me round to my hobby horse which is around the strength and depth of the executive management team and their ability to keep on top of all the different plates that are spinning. Its been glaringly obvious for some time - and now we can start to pinpoint to areas where it has cost us money.

Yes, but its pretty clear that any possibility of him staying was undermined by Pedro. Barrie strikes me as the kind of guy that needs an arm round the shoulder. Pedro seemed to provide that only when the mood took him. And there's plenty of evidence of that in terms of how he dealt with other players.

Pedro was full of these contradictions. And I'm not sure that the language barrier quite explains it. Particularly disappointing to see that a) Barrie could well have stayed had he been made the right offer; and b) that we undersold him quite significantly. Perhaps even as much as to pay McInnes' severance....

The mental gymnastics is not really a surprise. Which is why dipping into SSB is fine for a few minutes at most, before the stupidity of the panel kicks in and you are ready to crash the car rather that listen any more. I mean, do they expect us to approach Aberdeen before we've gone through a process and interviewed other candidates? We don't do that unless he is the man we want.

The point has been made already, but looking back, its pretty clear that Pedro's man management was a clear weakness. For whatever reason, he seemed to alienate most of our senior squad members, to the point where it was not only limiting the players who he would select, but it was having a detrimental impact on performances. We can dress that up however you like and point to indiscipline or unprofessional conduct on behalf of the players, but the bottom line is he wasn't getting results and thats when these problems become more and more prominent. I for one quite liked the public persona of Pedro, but for whatever reason that wasn't translated into the dressing room and any trust and backing he had just eroded over time. One of the reasons for that could be communication and whether English as his 3rd (?) language, limited the message or made it difficult to translate. And another sign that it was not player discipline at the heart of the issue was the way they pulled together and put in a performance for Murty at Murrayfield.

The mask has slipped big time. But thats what happens when you are an irrelevance and are over-reaching.

Thats pretty disengenuous. Miller, Sarver, Kennedy - all of them tried to persuade D&P to engage with them meaningfully, yet they proscratinated, deflected and ultimately went with Charles Green. Regardless what the authorities have determined regarding D&P's actions over the period, I will take a helluva lot of persuasion to believe that something nefarious was not going on there. And given what we know now about the way Ashley stitched us up, you cannot possibly be serious that he is a viable investor that has our long term interests at heart. In the real world, people don't look gift horses in the mouth. In the real world, people look at actions rather than words. In the real world, people look at all sides of an argument. Unless you're peddling an agenda of course. But at least be honest about it if you are!

Full back areas continue to be a concern. Elton has done okay in patches but is only on loan for the season. Tav's performances have drawn praise and criticism. We miss him when he's not there and Hodson can do a job but isn't at the same level. Central Midfield - once you take out the perennially injured Rossiter and Niko, we aren't left with enough options. Wings - Windass is unconvincing despite his goal on Saturday. Candeias has been okay, pretty consistent but Nemane looks like a lost boy. Striker - I think we're one light in that area. E.g. take Morelos out the team and we are weakened. Hardie came off the bench and if the rationale is that he's 4th (ish) choice then he needs to get more minutes so we can see if he'll develop into a player for us. Miller is capable of Saturday performance levels but question marks about his age and whether he can do that consistently. Herrera - only seen glimpses of what he's about but so far certainly no better than likes of Waghorn and Garner.

I say an FD in terms of complementing the existing team. Completely agree regarding the appointment of a manager. There is no magic formula or set of rules - we need to make sure those who's judgement is the most reliable to be making the decisions and hope they get it right more often than not. But we also need to make sure that we have the right management team in place and as I say, I think we're a bit light at senior level.

The question of "how" we raise funds is one thing, but can we trust the Board to sanction the spending of it wisely? Two failed managerial appointments suggest they are perhaps too trusting in some respects, or lacking judgement. We all want guys with the club's best interests at the helm, but we shouldn't be blind to their failings. For me, this is most stark in terms of the (still) light Exec Team. I'd say we need a strong FD to complement Andrew Dickson and Stewart Robertson. There's just too much we need to be progressing as a club, and I'm not convinced the catch-all excuses that I've used myself around legal wranglings and previous regimes are the full story any more.

it was pretty clear at the end that yes Pedro had lost the plot. He seemed to alienate himself from key members of the squad continually, wit the final straw being guys like Miller, Wallace, Niko... guys who everyone looks up to given their status and careers. Whether that means that the players were not acting professionally, i don't know. Unless you are in the dressing room, its hard to tell exactly why things went wrong. It wouldn't surprise me to hear that some players were not pulling their weight, or didn't embrace change as much as they could... but as others have said, its the Manager that needs to bridge that gap and make sure the squad is pulling in the right direction. nice guy or not, Pedro was just unable to do that. my immediate reaction to THAT press conference was 'oh oh, he's hit the nuclear button... he doesn't have any space to move after that as you can only use that move once' And so it proved. I think one of the reasons I'm slightly coming round to the idea of McInnes is the way he's turned around his squad from last season. He lost Hayes and McGinn who really were the lynchpins of this team.. he's retained Christie who has been in excellent form and is really developing into a player.... he's invested wisely you to admit. Compare the reaction to Pedro's comments about Aberdeen coming to the end of a cycle. You could see exactly what Pedro meant... And Mcinnes has stuck two fingers up to them and started this season better than the last.

In fairness, that smacks of self-publicity rather than anything else.

One factor I've not heard mentioned is JJ. I assume he is still with the club as there's been no mention of him going. Given his positive impact in terms of helping to bring in Morelos I'd hope that he is someone that the new manager works with. As their playing careers overlapped at rangers, perhaps thats something that gives another indicator that McInnes is the main target?

I think its absolutely guaranteed that they will attempt to rough us up from very early on. We will need to stand up to that and win the physical battle before anything else. Who among the squad is up for it though?

This i think was ultimately one of Pedro's main failings. He was marmite to some of our most influential players, ones who could have helped pull him through some of the more indifferent results we have experienced had he been able to get them pulling for him and what he was trying to achieve. Would another manager been able to put an arm round Barrie McKay and persuade him to stay? Did we really need to sell Waghorn and Garner who at the very least are no worse than the (so far) lacklustre Herrera? That equation alone could have saved enough cash to bring in Walker and Moult in my view.