Come on You Redz!

				Fixture List 2002/2003
June
Fri 28				Pre-season training begins
July			F-A
Sat 6	A	Peterhead	3-1	A nice easy opening workout with McGuire and Mackie getting the first two goals and an og making up the trio. Lots of subs used and no signs of serious knocks . The main worry for the traveling fans was the obvious lack of fitness of Leon Mike who didn't play but was struggling in the half time fitness routine that Sharpie put him through along with Bisconti and Preece.
Tue 9	A	Montrose	2-0	Thornley and Mike grabbed the goals to keep the warm up process running in the right direction, but whilst this was a good workout for the Redz it was pretty low key and no indicator of what we'll be like when the season starts. You can detect an undercurrent of confidence about the players though.
Sat 13	A	Brechin City	4-4	When did anybody last see Brechin score 4? Mackie, Anderson, Darren Young and Riza scored for us.
Mon 15	A	Bran Bergen	1-1	A pleasing performance by all accounts and even Ebbe was lifted by it. Darren Young gave us the lead and a mistake by McGuire cost us the equaliser.
Sat 20	A	Ross County	4-1	If this had been a league match everybody would have been delighted with the result but since it was a friendly there were gripes from Ebbe and the press about the performance. Mike, D'Jaffo, Derek Young and Michie sorted out the men from the boys though and the red Army went home happy. C'mon!
Sat 27	H	Rapid Bucharest	1-2	Rapid were better than Everton and certainly better than us on the day. They had slicker passing, better organisation and tighter defending. McGuire took our penalty kick and scored, Anderson had a fine game, other than that there wasn't too much to write home about. Let's hope this was the bad rehearsal presaging a great show.
August
Sat 3	A	Hibs	2-1	Mackie and Clark slapped in the vital goals to ensure that the Red Army departed Easter slope triumphant. After a mixed first half where we looked as likely to fall apart as get it together, the Dandies showed the kind of fighting qualities that will be needed in this SPL campaign. Just as TRF demanded a few days back, the Redz have hit the ground running - now they must strive to keep the pace. PLAYED: 1 POINTS: 3 POSITION: Not yet relevant.
Sat 10	H	celtic	0-4	This was a total disgrace. Where was the motivation? Our players may not be quite as skilled as the Celtic ones but there's no reason why they can't try just as hard. They seemed to be beaten as soon as they stepped on the pitch. There's no doubt that they were well prepared with loads of information about how they should play and what Celtic might do, but the players need to be fired up too. What does the manager do at the pre-match talks? It looked more like he'd sent them to sleep than had them clawing the dressing room door down. Shape UP! PLAYED: 2 POINTS: 3 POSITION: 7
Thu 15	A	UEFA Cup Qualifying Nistru Otaci (Moldova)	1-0	A marginally better performance than against Celtic although hampered by the auto-diving of the Moldovans who were trickier than a sack full of cats. The big question now is can our lads build on that invaluable Darren Mackie goal? They'll need a lot of discipline and energy to hold the Otaci attackers out and shouldn't think too much about going for a win unless they can do it on the break whilst the opposition are caught upfield.
Sun 18	H	Hearts	1-1	Before the match TRF was asking whether Hearts were any good or not. On today's showing they are far from being any good - except when it comes to crocking opposition players. The Dons played much better football today and were a great deal better than the visitors - they deserved to win - but had an unforgiving lesson of how amoral football is when they had a collective aberration to allow an equaliser. D'Jaffo scored the goal and was heavily involved in the match, let's hope he will go from strength to strength. PLAYED: 3 POINTS: 4 POSITION: 8
Sun 25	A	huns	0-2	The sending off of McNaughton was criminal and should be appealed. Our performance was criminal too and so is the ongoing defeatist approach by the manager in Glasgow. Just what does he think will happen if we play two up front and actually have a bit of a go? The earth won't open up and swallow him, he will make our traveling support feel a bit better and who knows, one of these days we might even score a goal. Hey! We might even get a point or a win! Things that won't happen when he leaves his defence with the lion's share of the work to do.
Thu 29	H	UEFA Cup Qualifying Nistru Otaci (Moldova)		After having a lot of possession for a lot of the game, it was backs to the wall in the last few minutes. It could have been so much easier if the Dandies had taken one of their first half chances but a superb result just the same. Well done Redz!
September
Sun 1	H	Partick	0-1	Pathetic, gutless, unmotivated, listless, depressing, banditry. How some of our players have the gall to pick up their wages after games like this is a complete mystery. Where was the fight of two weeks ago? Where was the resolve that got them through in Europe? The players have to carry the can for most of this, but it has to be asked what the manager is saying to them before they take the field. PLAYED: 5 POINTS: 4 POSITION: 10
Wed 11	H	Dundee United	1-2	Another dreadful result. There was a bit more spark in the team than last time but nowhere near enough. They are far too elaborate when they go forward and the midfield plays too deep. Put Pissed-Off Merkie in charge, he surely could gee the players up more than they are right now. Mackie scored with a header. PLAYED: 6 POINTS: 4 POSITION: 11
Sat 14	A	Kilmarnock	2-2	What was that all about? The first half was one of the worst seen from a Dons' side in ages, the midfield played so deep they were just another back four and the lack of movement by most of the players was nothing short of statue impersonation. Was the manager trying out ideas for Tuesday night? The second half got better and in the end we should have one, the Killie equaliser being something of a joke. D'Jaffo and Darren Young scored the (excellent) goals that got us in front. PLAYED:7 POINTS: 5 POSITION:10
Tue 17	H	UEFA Cup 1st Round Hertha Berlin	0-0	Aberdeen played their hearts out and more than avoided the humiliation that everybody had forecast. Hertha weren't at their strongest perhaps, but they were still a solid unit and dangerous in the air. The trip to Berlin will be a difficult one, but European football is a break from the grind of the domestic campaign and the Redz should go out to enjoy it and learn from it and if they happen to get an away goal then who knows?
Sun 22	A	Livingston	2-1	This was a "must win" match and the Dons did just that. The had to fight hard for the three points after Anderson put them ahead within little more than a minute of kick-off. It was a bruising encounter where Livingston managed to scrape back into it then McNaughton whacked us back in front after a scramble. Unlike the Kilmarnock game of last week we held on and deservedly took the points. It's a bit worrying that the goals had to come from defenders and some of the motivation had to come from anger at the opposition, but at least the league position looks a little more respectable. PLAYED: 8 POINTS: 8 POSITION: 8
Sat 28	H	Dunfermline	3-1	An excellent effort by the Redz, despite the forceful attentions of Dunfermline and the wishy-washy performance of the referee (who was in danger of ruining the match). From the moment Billio equalised it looked like a Dandies win all the way and D'Jaffo and Derek Young made sure of it. Young could have had a hat-trick and other chances went a-begging (for both sides). If the Dons play like this in every mach they'll win far more than they lose. PLAYED: 9 POINTS: 11 POSITION: 6
October
Tue 1	A	UEFA Cup 1st Round Hertha Berlin	0-1	Well, the Red Army showed up and set the pace but the Dandies didn't live up to it in the end. After getting it right in the first half and frustrating the Hertha players, they failed to step it up when they had a numerical advantage in the second. The refereeing was a joke, but in the end we blew it. But we'll be back.
Sat 5	A	Motherwell	2-1	The referee did his best to steal the show but couldn't overshadow the superb second half display from the Redz. After the laughable penalty decision and the overlooking of an act on savagery on Mackie, Toner settled into a routine of incompetence that, if we hadn't seen him in action before, would have defied belief. Fortunately, the Dandies came out and strutted their stuff in the last 45 to the delight of the traveling division of the Red Army. Fabiano displacing Darren Young seemed to make all the difference and Derek Young and Eric Deloumeaux scored the necessary goals. Billio was millimeters away from scoring what would surely have been a contender for goal of the season. More please Dons. PLAYED: 10 POINTS:14 POSITION: 5
Sat 19	H	Dundee	0-0	A drab match where the Dandies just didn't get started. It seems that every time the crowd is boosted by well intentioned initiatives the team fail to grasp the importance of sending the punters home happy. The nearest thing top a winner came from Derek Young who hit the post on the half-time whistle. As usual the referee was piss poor - for both sides. PLAYED: 11 POINTS: 15 POSITION: 6
Wed 23	H	CIS League Cup Motherwell		Postponed
Sun 27	H	Hibs	0-1	Playing well and feeling okay about themselves is no substitute for scoring goals as the Dons found out when Hibs snatched the only goal of the game. There were still twenty minutes to go but Ebbe couldn't organise a fightback. Disappointing? Disastrous? Fist one yes, second one - not yet but the rank home form needs to improve pronto. PLAYED: 12 POINTS: 15 POSITION: 7
November
Sun 3	A	celtic	0-7	Another disgrace in Glasgow. It leaves fans desolate and despairing. Where is the self belief? Why are we buying into the mythology that the old farm are invulnerable. It's all hogwash and so is our attitude in Glasgow. It needs to change and the manager has to lead the way or one of these days we'll be slumping into double figures. PLAYED: 13 POINTS: 15 POSITION: 7
Wed 6	H	CIS League Cup Motherwell	3-0	Little compensation for Sunday's latest Glasgow whupping. Mike, Deloumeaux and Michie got the goals so there is something to play for as we face Hearts next week for a chance to progress to the semi-final.
Sat 9	A	Hearts	0-0	Lots of fight, lots of effort, no invention, no defeat. The Hearts keeper hardly had what you'd call a torrid afternoon and what was once good away form is beginning to look a bit tarnished - especially with Kilmarnock and Livingston breathing down our necks. PLAYED: 14 POINTS: 16 POSITION: 7
Tue 12	H	CIS League Cup Hearts	0-1	A costly defeat in both financial and footballing terms. Yet again, questions have to be asked about motivation - the Dons just didn't look like they were playing in a cup-tie or that they understood the desperate need to win. The manager has to do something drastic to gee everybody up - players and fans alike. Nothing else to say.
Sat 16 - 12:30 ko	H	huns	2-2	This performance, or at least the second half, was much more like what we need from the Redz. The trigger seemed to be the departure of Bisconti, allowing Deloumeaux and Young much more chance to shine. From then on a win looked on the cards and how sweet that would have been. It took a penalty - unusually a genuine one - to get the huns back to level terms and in the end we should look on this as two points dropped. Now we need the team to produce the goods on the road at Partick next week. Mike and Mackie scored our goals - both with headers. The fans went home happier but the cheer was tempered by the later news that we had dropped another SPL place after other matches.  PLAYED: 15 POINTS: 17 POSITION: 8
Sat 23	A	Partick	1-2	An unconventional formation was forced on us and it took too long for the players to get to grips with it. More points thrown away and qualification for next season's European campaign is beginning to look dodgy. Not good enough Ebbe! PLAYED: 16 POINTS: 17 POSITION: 8
Sat 30	A	Dundee United	1-1	The expression "a game of two halves" must have been invented for the Dons. They started so well and finished so badly. The start was exciting and they deservedly got in front with McGuire's well taken penalty, but then they sunk back into their shell and tried to hold out which they didn't manage. Had they gone for a second goal when United were throwing everything at them they could have secured a worthwhile away win but instead they were lucky to get away with a point. The reward? slipping behind Partick  Thistle in the league. PLAYED: 17 POINTS: 18 POSITION: 9
December
Tue 3	H	Kilmarnock	0-1	This was dire, with the Dons showing no taste for the match whatsoever. If there was a team talk before the game at all, it probably revolved around Ebbe bragging about how many waves to the RDU he'd get in before the end - it definitely wasn't one designed to fire up the team. In fact, the result could have been scripted because it has been the pattern at Pittodrie all season. A team that we should be able to beat all ends up comes along, with problems compounded by a road accident, and we fold up meekly without a hint of putting them under pressure. This is the manager's responsibility. He has most of the players who did the business for him last season and he has signed up new men to cover for the ones who left. Taxi for Skovdahl. PLAYED: 18 POINTS: 18 POSITION; 9
Sat 7	H	Motherwell	1-1	This was a bizarre occasions, with the Beach End babies at the back of the top deck turning Gardner Spiers into a sort of ghost of Ebbe Skovdahl and perpetuating the embarrassing "give us a wave" culture. The performance on the park was not great, if the commitment was a little better, but it was still Skovdahl's team and still Skovdahl's influence on it. Had the players seriously gone for a clinching second goal they'd probably have got it, Motherwell hardly threatened Preece but the limp wristed punch out gave them the lifeline. Darren Young took his goal well but was a bit lucky to get the chance - one benefit of having a chronically bad referee. PLAYED: 19 POINTS: 19 POSITION: 9
Sun 15	A	Dunfermline	0-3	Everybody went to this games with high hopes and low expectations and Ebbe's Dons didn't let us down as they ended up folding easily against this strong Dunfermline side. By the next time we play them let's hope that it's very much Pele's Dons and playing his way so that we can hand them the kind of spanking that Aberdeen should be doling out. Its already a cliché that it was better for Paterson to see us on the receiving end rather than winning but it is true and he has found out the hard way. Let's hope he can start weaving his own, successful, tapestry at Pittodrie next Saturday. PLAYED: 20 POINTS:19 POSITION: 9 (and sliding?).
Sat 21	H	Livingston	0-0	Second game for the new boss and already he's achieved an improvement - from defeat to draw, there's a trend developing and now all he's got to do is win at Dens park and he'll be stepping on the right road. There was effort and commitment from most of our players here, even some better organisation, but the sorrowful lack of finishing or follow through from midfield made it unlikely that we were going to win this. PLAYED: 21 POINTS: 20 POSITION: 9 C'mon Redz, pull yourselves up and back into the race for the top six.
Thu 26	A	Dundee	2-1	In the face of ultra-soggy conditions and a card happy referee, the Dandies maintained Steve Paterson's improvement curve with a decent win at our favourite away venue. McGuire not only scored the opener but had a penalty saved whilst Smith added an own goal to secure the points. We still have a rocky road ahead of us but the manager has got the players showing much more enthusiasm than of late and the confidence will be boosted a bit by the win. Now for Easter Road. PLAYED: 22 POINTS: 23 POSITION: 8
Sun 29	A	Hibs	0-2	Derek Young might be right in claiming that had we scored first we'd have won this, but it is easier to claim than to prove. The Dons set about the game in the right spirit and opened well, although the aforesaid DY didn't take long to sin in front of the Hibs goal. Overall though, Hibs were stronger and more dangerous and the boss will be desperate to get on with finding new players during the break before we slide further down the league table. PLAYED: 23 POINTS: 23 POSITION: 10
January 2003
Thu 2	H	celtic	1-1	This was a performance that deserved a win and set standards that the Dons should play to in every game from now on. Once again our weaknesses in front of goal cost us, but this time it was a victory missed instead of another tim pounding. There's plenty to do to make the Redz a killer team, but if they keep this approach they'll soon swell the ranks of the Red Army. PLAYED: 24 POINTS: 24 POSITION: 9
Sat 25	A	Scottish Cup - 3rd Round Queen of the South	0-0	Queens made it hard for the Redz but a bit of application and composure in front of goal could well have secured it. We live to fight another day.
Tue 28	H	Hearts	0-1	Played in dreadful conditions, this match was a lottery and the Dons lost it. Again they might have won but for a lack of scoring power. PLAYED: 25 POINTS: 24 POSITION: 10
February
Sat 1	A	huns	1-2	Great performance (not something we've been able to say about a visit to Ibrox in ages) still a defeat. Now we need to see the positive signs from matches against the old farm turned into solid results against other teams. The Dons need to sweep aside opponents like QOS and Partick in the next few days to show that they really are turning a corner. Still, it was great to see them give the huns a hard time through strong , positive play, more please. Tosh scored the equaliser with a great effort and its a shame that concentration immediately went out the window to let them back into it. We should have left with more to show. PLAYED: 26 POINTS: 24 POSITION: 10
Tue 4	H	Scottish Cup - 3rd Round Replay - Queen of the South		Postponed
Sat 8	H	Partick	0-1	Another shocking effort against a team that we should be able to turn over at any time. Where do we go from here? PLAYED: 27 POINTS: 24 POSITION: 10
Sun 16 1:05 ko	H	Dundee United	3-0	When was the last time we scored three without reply? Nope, we can't remember either. Still, it was great and very timely to pick up three points today and great to see some players put in worthy performances. Sheerin got two with McGuire grabbing the third, but Payne, Deloumeaux and Anderson were the standouts with Preece, Tosh, O'Donoghue and Hinds also doing very well. Don't forget that it was only our second home league win though. PLAYED: 28 POINTS: 27 POSITION: 9
Tue 18	H	Scottish Cup - 3rd Round Replay - Queen of the South	4-1	Hooray! A second victory in 3 days! The first half was good value too, with Derek Young, D'Jaffo and Anderson getting the necessary. The second half was disrupted by a lengthy break whilst a QOS player got treatment for a nasty, self-inflicted, injury. D'Jaffo managed to send the punters home with a late effort after QOS had gathered in their consolation goal with a penalty. A wee bit of progress then.
Sat 22	A	Scottish Cup - 4th Round Dundee	0-2	One step forward, two steps back. Too many players had an off day here and the formation didn't work against Dundee's excellent counter-attacking. Going out of the cup so early is a bitter pill to swallow and we have little left to look forward to in the league.
March
Sat 1	A	Kilmarnock	0-2	It could make you weep. This was a game where a decent result was possible, likely even. Suddenly, one of our best players gets himself needlessly sent off and it all turns to rat shit. Not much else to say really. PLAYED: 29 POINTS: 27 POSITION: 9
Sat 8	A	Motherwell	1-0	Not a great game, but a great result thanks to Paul Sheerin's penalty. This was a game of graft and determination and when Motherwell lost their discipline it was also a bit of a spectacle. Now let's sort out Dundee and get a bit of revenge for the cup exit. PLAYED: 30 POINTS: 30 POSITION: 8
Sat 15	H	Dundee	3-3	This was a good game of football. Any neutral at the game must have loved it and even fro frustrated Dandies it reminded us of what a decent match should look like. part of any game is the mistakes and unfortunately for us, our defence managed to make a few and cost us goals, but the fighting qualities carried over from last Saturday and the two goals from Paul Sheerin were gems. McGuire got the third and brought his personal first team tally to seven. The referee was dreadful with a capital pish. PLAYED: 31 POINTS: 31 POSITION: 9
April
Sat 5	A	Livingston	2-1	Steve Paterson's success rate with the Dons continues to improve and so does the spirit within the team. After losing such an early goal it would have been easy for heads to go down, but yet again it was quite the reverse - the attitude was more "plenty of time to get back into it". The Redz dominated the first half, and the goals from Young and Sheerin were well deserved after loads of pressure was exerted on Main's goal. The effort from Sheerin was a gem worthy of any video collection and it made a nice change to see a forward getting a goal for us. It's a shame that the improving form comes too late to get in the top six, but if the Dons keep on improving they'll at least be offering us hope for next season. PLAYED: 32 POINTS: 34 POSITION: 8
Sat 12	H	Dunfermline	1-0	Is Paul Sheerin a handy guy to have around or what? Not only did he show terrific aggression in midfield to win the ball in the first place, he then scored probably his most spectacular goal so far and could have had another later in the game. In fact the Dons scorned a few chances here and this was one that they could have won by three or for. All that and a fantastic half time when we had so many of the 54/55 championship winning squad introduced to us too - championes! present season squad - PLAYED: 33 POINTS: 37 POSITION: 8
				Big Break time...
Sat 26	H	Livingston	1-0	Another win at Pittodrie! Could it be a new habit beginning to form? The main problem with this match was that the Dandies seemed to take their collective foot off the gas after Lee Hinds scored the opener and at the same time broke his scoring duck. Now the Redz need to target Hibs and 7th place, for the bit of extra cash it will earn from the SPL pot and to keep on a winning roll that will help set us up for next season. PLAYED: 34 POINTS: 40 POSITION: 8
May
Sat 3	A	Hibernian	1-3	The consolation goal from Fergus Tiernan was barely that. The defence let us down badly in this game and it looked pretty much like the Dandies were already thinking about their summer break although they were well in the game in the first half. Perhaps the most significant thing about the outcome of this game is that it left Hibs with the potential to finish with more points than two teams above them, something that makes a farce of the tops six/bottom six split. PLAYED: 35 POINTS: 40 POSITION: 8
Sat 10	H	Partick Thistle	2-1	The improvement in home form continues despite Thistle getting in front thanks to a dodgy penalty. Their dodgy keeper let us back in when Hinds got by him and netted easily and Phil McGuire's winner came as a huge relief after the Dandies had made heavy weather of the first half. Steve Paterson clearly knows how to speak to the players at half time in a way that will gee them up for the rest of the game. It would have been nice, though, to bang in a couple more goals - just to remind us all that it is possible. PLAYED: 36 POINTS: 43 POSITION: 8
Sat 17	A	Motherwell	3-2	Take the field without your two main central defenders, go a goal down, fight back, go ahead, stretch the lead, get pressurised and survive to clinch the points, thus underlining the steady improvement in the Dons since Steve Paterson and Co took over. Goals from Hinds, Deloumeaux and Sheerin suddenly leave us wishing that the season was longer so we could really get up ahead of steam. PLAYED: 37 POINTS: 46 POSITION: 8
Sat 24	A	Dundee United	2-0	A decent end to a poor season, with the evidence of improvements under Pele's management there for all to see. Aberdeen looked like a team interested in winning a game of football and made plenty of chances that they didn't take. The first one that the did was a peach, with Morrison slinging over a great cross for Mackie to head in past the flailing keeper. The keeper featured again when Stevie Tosh put the ball through the dodgiest pair of hands in the SPL. PLAYED: 38 POINTS: 49 POSITION: 8 and looking like moving on up next season.
				Fixtures Archive

Anybody care to predict what happens next?