Pittodrie, SPFL Premier League , 17/12/22
Me still 260 and Wee Man still 132
Aberdeen Football Club
Founded – 1903
Nickname – The Dons
Honours – European Cup Winners Cup – 1982/83. European Super Cup – 1983. Scottish League – 1954/55, 1979/80, 1983/84 and 1984/85. Scottish Cup – 1946/47, 1969/70, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86 and 1989/90. Scottish League Cup -1955/56, 1976/77, 1985/86, 1989/90, 1995/96 and 2013/14. Drybrough Cup – 1980
Random Fact– The club have been saying they will build a new stadium since 2003 and it has never came to fruition. This equates to 1/6 of their existence. Some would say it is a pipe dream.
In the latter days of my season ticket I chose not to attend celtic games as the man in charge at the time was terrified of them and it was a waste of life attending. The last season of my season ticket came in 2018/19 as Wee Man was becoming interested in live fitba, but the lower reaches away from the big crowds and the increased noise. This being a big reason in not renewing, but also I was finding myself attending Pittodrie through chore and not enjoyment. Games versus celtic were faced with trepidation every time. I missed the first home game that year due to work in Angola. Then came the semi at Hampdung where an abject performance surprised nobody. For this weekend I decided to head to Turriff United v Buckie Thistle (3 v 3) and shun the forthcoming hiding on the Sunday. Quelle surprise, more awful futile crap from Aberdeen unfolded and I saved a few quid not heading to Glasgow . Then there was the second home league game v celtic when the Dons lay down meekly and let the Glasgow side stamp a mudhole in them and win the league with ease at Pittodrie. On this day I last minute booked a double header abroad knowing fine goings on at Pittodrie would be a non-event. (Twente v Cambuur and Rot Weiss Oberhausen v Rot Weiss Essen were my destinations). Going into this even the most ardent of McInnes fluffers knew this had the pre mentioned outcome. Another notch on the McInnes and big game shit the bed, bed post inevitably happened. I didn’t even check the score. I was informed by a German on the shuttle back to Oberhausen city centre we had been beaten. I didn’t even fucking care.
Fast forward three and a half years. Wee Man and I were well out of ideas for a game. Plans A, B, C and D were out the window with D, Forfar Albion v Blairgowrie despite being switched to Forfar Athletic’s Station Park still being frozen off early doors in the morning. With a last minute phone call to the Pittodrie ticket office and being met with a really friendly lady on the other end we were off to Pittodrie for the second time this season. When it rains it pours.
After parting with a wedge in the club shop and walking past the Main Stand where we could hear the god awful “beats” emanting from the changing room, I was interested to see how Aberdeen would set up against a celtic team these days. Two managers later after Derek McInnes I imagined things would have changed somewhat. Surely the fear had gone……….
Me of far too much faith. This was a fucking disgrace. This was embarrassing. This was fucking unacceptable. 19% possession at home? I have seen some amount of shit in my time following Aberdeen but this was in the top five. You may think this is hyperbole but it is not. Feeble frightened shit. The white flag was raised before Wee Man and me had taken our frosty seats in section Y. From kick off this was a celtic win and it was clearly obvious. The tactics were suicidal. Aberdeen invited celtic on to them and pinned themselves back. The allowed celtic the freedom of Aberdeen and it seemed every single pass found a green and white shirt in at least five yard space. There were even points in the game where the visitors left two back yet still had two men in space despite 11 red men behind the ball. It was like they had extra players. It looked like an exhibition game. They created chances with a couple of decent efforts with Jota pulling out a decent save from Roos and one where Kyogo rounded Roos but running out of angle springing to mind. But it seemed they got off a lot of shots throughout the half. Aberdeen were clearly scared and set up in a way where they did not want to win the game. It was damage limitation. The Dons have one of the best front two combination in the league, but they are useless when you set your team up not to win. Duk tried but celtic were wise on the rare occasions he tried to make something happen. This and Miovski was totally isolated. This despite the bat shit idiots behind me screaming at the Macedonian that he was “a fucking waste of time” and a “useless cunt”. Clearly never kicked a ball these folk. They also turned on Roos who told a ball boy to slow down when we were under serious pressure. A break in a the onslaught was what we clearly needed. Not for these clueless twats though, “get on with it you fucking dick” , ” My granny is faster than you and shes fucking dead you cunt, get fucking on with it”. The latter was heard by Roos too and the big keeper replied with a death stare. But what was unfolding was Aberdeen not trying to win the game. It was the same shit that infuriated me three and a half years ago. I still find it now, twenty four hours later(as I write) absolutely mad that it was was still 0 v 0 at half time. This should have been done and dusted come 45.
HT 0 v 0
Albert Einstein once said “insanity is doing things over and over again and expecting different results”. Jim Goodwin clearly did not get the message. He continued with his first half tactics where he looked for celtic to pin the Dons back and basically pass around them with ease as the first half played out. No changes, no fuck all. What was unfolding was so inevitable, the Red Shed went completely mute, celtic even subbed off their best players at 0 v 0 knowing they would still win, while the whole of Pittodrie sat awaiting the goal. The man in the Dons dugout was well and truly out his depth and one thing was going to happen. Aberdeen offered nothing. celtic kept forcing. Goodwin kept the same ridiculous tactics until the 75th minute where to be fair Jonny Hayes made a wee bit of a difference but nothing more. The big difference was made by Callum MacGregor in the 86th minute, this when he struck from range past Roos sending the travelling Irish and Palestinians into a frenzy, nothing more than the travelling support deserved. But it was incredible that it took so long to actually happen.
As we walked out of the South Stand my rage I had built up over the previous 90 minutes was intensified listening to the punters around us “ach they are a better team than us”. “They have World Cup players”. “We almost did it”. Hold on, did what? Minked a draw by being beyond negative. Is getting a draw what we aspire to?
As it turns out, a draw is what we do aspire to in the eyes of our manager. I have praised him and genuinely believed he can change the shite we are used to . Unfortunately, if you heard his post match interview, he admitted he did not set up to win the match. He seemed to be on a different planet. I would hope there are words being had post match with him as not trying to win at home and being so meek should really be a dismissal.
Going back to the top of this rant. 2018/19 I walked out of Pittodrie for the last time that season to a chorus of the managers name in that infuriating White Stripes way. They were praising him after a draw with rangers. I hated him. I still do. He was terrified of big games (especially celtic) and installed an acceptance of mediocrity in the fans. He was part of the reason I ditched my season ticket. Now in 2022 heading into 2023 it is more than apparent, the club still have the same problems. Some said to me after the game “you clearly were not there for Patterson, McGhee etc”. That utter dirge served up against celtic today was as bad and on par with any disgraces we have seen in my 30+ years and that includes, Miller(Alex) , Skovdahl,Patterson or McGhee.
Anyone who can take a positive from that needs their head checked
Aberdeen Football Club have an inferiority complex that is not going away. This was more than proof . Its like groundhog day.
Entrance – Me £30, Wee man £10
Attendance – 15567
Pie – £23 , Pie x 3, Yorkie x 2 , Coffee , Juice (Fuck me)
Pint – N/A
Score Prediction – Me 2 v 2, Wee Man 1 v 2
Season Score Prediction Total – Me 1 v 1 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 