v. Aberdeen | Page 5 | Vital Football

v. Aberdeen

Should have killed the game off! Johansen with the break, beats his man in the box but saved by the keeper, so he passes to Forrest who blasts it towards goal and the keeper saves again!

We've not been clinical enough today!
 
Ah, a scrappy 1-0 won. They fought hard and their keeper was great. Not our best but I'll take the three points. Tempers flaring a bit on both sides. It was a very physical game, which is what they went for. The better team finished in the end.
 
That's pretty much my feelings welch! Not a great game, scrappy and we didn't play our best football....but we won so we can be happy about that!

It will be interesting to see how Aberdeen do next season. It's typically been difficult for Scottish teams to keep hold of their best players and to be consistent from 1 season to the next. I don't see too many offers coming in for the Aberdeen players this summer so they should have a pretty similar team next season, but can they do as well again next season?
 
We return from the international break this weekend to play Aberdeen with an early afternoon kick-off in Aberdeen!

With some players being away on international duty, some playing through the pain barriers or not quite being 100% fit, I think we'll see quite a changed team this weekend.

For example Izzy was away playing in Honduras on Tuesday, I think he'll be at least on the bench if not missing out altogether!
Johansen admitted playing through the pain barrier to help Norway qualify.
Brown has apparently been playing despite not being 100% fit.

Will Simunovic start? Not had much time to meet his new team mates so will he be thrown straight in? I think he will, if he's considered to be that good a player, he'll be playing.

I think we'll see:

Gordon
Janko - Boyata - Simunovic - Blackett
Bitton - Mulgrew
Forrest - Commons/Rogic - GMS
Griffiths

Subs: Bailly, Ambrose, McGregor, Ciftci, Stokes, Rogic/Commons, Allan

Not 100% about Mulgrew starting but if he's fit and Brown and Johansen aren't ready, then he'll play. The worry is that our midfield will be made up of 2 players who have both played in 2 big European Qualifiers and may tire a lot quicker. If Brown and Johansen aren't fit to play, we're going to have a real shortage in that position! McGregor has been used there recently as a sub and actually did very well so I would expect him to come off the bench and fill in there.
 
I'll bet Allan starts over Mulgrew. The rest looks right to me. I think Commons starts over Rogic, too.
 
I think you could be right about Commons and Rogic, Rogic did a lot of travelling with going to Australia so he might be feeling a bit tired.
Allan hasn't been used in CM like that so far for us so not sure whether he will start over Mulgrew or not, but it did come into my mind as well, it might be a possibility!

Stokes, Ciftci, McGregor and Allan all played for the Development Squad against Dundee during the week. Either McGregor or Allan must have played CM.
 
Deila says Brown is 100% fit.......it seems what I'd been hearing was that some people were claiming Brown's form had dipped and questioned whether it was a fitness problem.

So he will play in CM for us. The question will be who partners him, who's the fittest out of Mulgrew, Bitton, Rogic, Johansen.
 
Today's team:

Gordon
Lustig - Boyata - Mulgrew - Blackett
Brown - Bitton
Johansen - Rogic - GMS
Griffiths

Subs: Bailly, Ambrose, Ciftci, Commons, Janko, McGregor, Forrest
 
I didn't realise Johansen was fit. I honestly thought Simunovic would have started or at least been on the bench today. Perhaps Deila thought it best to allow him to ease into the SPFL, perhaps a home game first rather than a very difficult away trip to Aberdeen first.

That should be a pretty strong team. Just need to hope Mulgrew doesn't have an off day!
 
Blackett starts but Vic not risked? How that defence performs will likely be the deciding factor today. They better've fixed that glaring back post deficiency in our zonal marking system anaw.


Hope Johansen finds some badly needed form!

Need to be right up for the fight.

 
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