Aberdeen Save 2022

[Mr_Grieves]

Champions League Final 2045


From Signal Iduna Park

Thats right! Dortmund qualified for their first final in 34 years and it happens to be at their own stadium, 3rd final in a row without an English team involved too



Aberdeen 1-0 Dortmund

A very tight final where the home advantage helped Dortmund but couldn't get them over the line as the DOns with a 7th Champions League in a row and our toughest win​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

World Club Cup

Final
Aberdeen 3-1 Real Madrid

We have completed the game on the Club front. The tie with Liverpool was lucky to go our way but after 2 terrible efforts in previous trips to this contest, we deserved this one.​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

End of Season 23


SPL - Winner

13th title in a row and we won our 22nd SPL title to finally overtake our times as a runner up but were still 33 wins behind Rangers leading the way. We had a perfect first half of the season but after losing that perfect record we slowed down losing 3 more games as we rotated. Behind us, the top 6 were all split so much that we could have put the flag in the season after the split. Celtic & Hibs both jumped last year's Runner-Ups Rangers however all 4 get into the Champions League with the rising league coefficient. Dundee Utd and Hearts will be the Europa League hopes while Queens Park's reward for being champion of the bottom half is a spot in the Conference. Ross County is now a bottom half team with Hearts getting their act together after some close calls in the last decade. Motherwell's yo-yo situation remains with their relegation fascination. St Mirren who had spent 15 seasons top 7 and or in Europe are in the playoff for the 2nd season in a row. St Johnstone made an immediate return to the SPL as Cove fell flat on their face at the end of the season again and again fell apart in the playoffs

Playoffs
St Mirren 4-2 Hamilton

It was closer than last season but after losing the away leg a 3-0 win at home keeps them in the top flight


Managers

Allan Campbell is back for his 2nd stint at Ross County. He is in his 5th SPL job and has yet to make it through 2 full seasons.


Europe
Celtic reached the Champions League Q/F losing to finalists Dortmund
Rangers lost the Old Firm's last 16 ties getting thrashed at Parkhead
Dundee Utd returned to Europe reaching the Europa League last 16
Hibs fell in the Europa League Playoff round
Queens Park's first adventure into Europe matches Hibs reaching the Europa League Playoff round
Ross County had a horrific Conference campaign with 1 win from their 4 qualifying games


Champions League Final
Aberdeen 1-0 Dortmund

​

Squad Review


Goalkeeper

Bit of trouble with the No2 spot but Ajayi is still the solid No1

Defence

Langton & Krajcek have locked down the wing-back roles but less secure is the spot next to Cummings who himself is away to turn 32 and no clear future CB at the club to play with or replace him.


Midfield

Wingers were the stars. Piepenbrock steps up in his 2nd season making it harder for Calder's path into the starting 11. Petkov's spot is slightly safer and after scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final was my star of the season, out with a certain striker. Alvarez, Zon and Jacobs are all on an equal footing splitting time in the middle, Jimenez is demoted to 4th choice and Martinez has repeatedly asked for a move to Argentina but every time i talk to him to accept his decision he just says he's happy to say despite me being happy to let him go.


Attack

MacIver outdid himself destroying the SPL scoring record and his own scoring 72 goals in 52 games. Craig statistically was the 2nd best forward but Dujakovic plays the harder game and has a far better Ave rating. Teenage Tomas Hernandez made a great first impression


Players for life
300+ Appearances


Samuel Ajayi - GK
P381 Clean sheets 223

Bradley Cummings - DC
P726 G42

Ramiro Martinez - MC
P406 G73

Andreas Alvarez - MC
P322 G43

Dimitar Petkov - MR
P381 G139

Andy MacIver - ATT
P490 G537

Rankings


Club Ranking - 1st

National League - 4th

We hold onto our top 4 spot.

National Team ranking - 5th

Awards

Player of the Year
Andy MacIver

Young Player of the Year
Didier Zon

Top Scorer

Team of the Year

This is the 2nd time we have locked up 10/11 spot.​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

Season 24
Aberdeen 2045


The Dons won a record-breaking 7th Champions League in a row and our first-ever world club cup. For the 3rd season in a row, my sole focus of the season is a perfect season in the SPL. It's embarrassing that I've never managed this before


Squad


Goalkeepers

The old 1-2 punch of Ajay and Lawrie is back. Lawrie's aim is to play 15-20 games a season as he is now Scotland's no1

Defence

The back four stays the same as last season. Depth is lacking but we have a few prospects in the u19 that will get game time and Berry & Alvarez can step back and play DC

Midfield

Our strongest midfield ever? Zon has replaced Martinez despite being even more attacking the elite midfielder is now set to be a key starter. Berry & Calder on the bench somehow need to break into this side

Attack

MacIver and Dujakovic continue to lead the line. I have no idea why Dujakovic never gets ant bids. Craig is just about ready to join Maciver up top. Hernandez could be better than all of them and i hope his lack of game time won't affect his development.


Transfer Window


SPL

Dundee Utd and especially Hibs open the coffers and spend record fee's making a mockery of the old firm. Especially Rangers


Aberdeen

In

A major drop to £16m was donated to other Scottish sides for their dross. I planned to go back in with more cash later in the window but was handicapped trying to loan out my own current players


6 Youths joined

Out

Very quiet window on the sales front too. I planned to use Skeet as my backup MR but with plenty of depth and a silly offer from City saw him leave. Backups Defender Carvalho and keeper Larsen were moved on for our improving youth players.

Towards the end of the window, one of our players got his long-mooted move back to Argentina. Or did he?


Julio Geordio
i mean
Ramiro Martinez
P408 G73 A157 Ave7.29

So after 2 seasons of talking about wanting to move back to Argentina something i was happy to facilitate. The first offer we had was from Newcastle United. That team 250 miles away not quite the 7500 miles it is to his homeland. Ramiro wanted the move so after 2 spells and 11 seasons the club's greatest centre midfielder is away.​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

August


Fixtures

Standard August perfect start in the league.



European Super Cup
Aberdeen 1-2 Tottenham

I was not aware you could lose these


Champions League Draw

Tough draw this year​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

September/October


Fixtures

Perfect in the domestic side of things although plenty of close games.


SPL

Celtic make a strong start but get thrashed in Aberdeen towards the end of the month. Ross County at the bottom have fallen some way over the years.


Champions League

We are the only team to go 3/3 Not sure what went wrong with PSG in the opening game


Scotland

We are doing our very best to not qualify for the World Cup. A rare slip-up at home to the Swiss wouldn't have been so bad had we got a win in Denmark. It's all in our hands however if we can beat the bottom two of Georgia & Faroe Islands then we top the group.​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

November/December


Fixtures

Celtic again ensure we won't have a perfect season by beating us 1-0 at Parkhead. Needless to say, we won the remaining games


SPL

Celtic are keeping us honest while the 3rd to 7th are split by 7 points.


MacIver takes a Bavidge record while still in his 20s

The bottom two both change managers

League Cup Final
Hearts 2-6 Aberdeen AET

During our slow run in December Hearts twice came from behind to force extra time. Where they totally collapsed and Dujakovic scored an extra time hattrick to lead us to victory


Champions League

We drop points but still sit top and in a decent spot to go through automatically


Scotland

We got the wins to secure our spot at the 2046 World Cup


World Cup Draw

​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

January


Fixtures

We return from the break in devastating form


SPL

Celtic lost but are still staying in touch while the rest of the league fumbled. At the bottom, it already looks like Ayr vs Ross County


Champions League
The Bielefield match was insane and helped to seal the top spot.

All 4 Scottish sides get out of the group with Hibs taking the 24th and final spot in the playoff with the Old Firm teams

Transfer Window

SPL

I almost spat out my drink when i saw Dundee Utd sold a player for £84m.

I really do not see the fee or how he is now valued at £148m


Aberdeen

In
Made up for our quiet summer improving the domestic game by spending £64m on 29 different players from other Scottish sides that were almost out of contract or transfer listed

4 youths join too

Out
Our only notable sale is 3rd choice RB Nicolas Medina


One club not needing my money is Motherwell who were taken over by an Arab tycoon

​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

February & March


Fixtures

Domination continues on the domestic front.


SPL

Celtic are still having a great season despite falling 12 points off the lead. Looks like we're away to get a fantastic battle for 3rd place. The two-horse race at the bottom is still alive. Ross County still have Ayr at arm's length


Champions League


Playoffs

Rangers and Celtic are through. Hibs put up a strong fight with Inter but fell just short of a huge upset. Rangers however did pull off an upset knocking out last year's finalists Watford


Last 16
Aberdeen 8-3 Real Madrid

We had a stonking end to the first leg after a fantastic tie for the first 50 minutes. 2nd leg was managing the tie.


QF Draw
Juventus vs Aberdeen

 

[Mr_Grieves]

April


Fixtures

The title was won against Rangers who we then beat in the cup. Rotated the squad and still won every game. Triggers me to the max every year that 1 game in the winter ruins a perfect season


SPL

The top 2 were already set. Bottom 2 look set. Anyone's guess who gets 3rd spot


Champions League Q/F
Aberdeen 6-0 Juventus on Agg

Two really simple games with Juve never putting us in any danger


Have you ever seen such a weak QF? Benfica await in the Semi

 

[Mr_Grieves]

May


Fixtures

We end the season with 3 wins


SPL

Our 2nd best points total and our 4th unbeaten season. 1 Silly game with Celtic. Ayr's 10-season stay in the top flight comes to an end.


Scottish Cup Final
Dundee Utd 0-2 Aberdeen

Champions League Semi-Final
Benfica 1-2 Aberdeen

Benfica put on a spectacular defensive display to restrict us more than any club has in years over both legs. Leipzig win the other semi-final becoming the first team other than Aberdeen to eliminate PSG in the past 5 seasons​

 

[Mr_Grieves]

Champions League Final 2046


Aberdeen 4-0 RB Leipzig

Dominated the game to take a 10th Champions League


Also a major personal milestone

 

[Mr_Grieves]

End of Season 24


SPL - Winner

14th title in a row.

We won 37/38 games and our 2nd best season ever 1 point off our best. STILL waiting for the 114/114 point season with Celtic costing us a perfect season again. Behind us Celtic extended the gap from them to the rest. Dundee Utd were best of the rest finishing 3rd. Hibs secured a 4th top 4 finish in a row to end Adrian Mutu's management career as he retired. Hearts jump Rangers who just made the top 6.
The champions of the bottom half and going into the conference League is a rejuvenated St Mirren who beat Queens Park to the European spot on goal difference. You're welcome! St Johnstone has been cooking something while in the championship and came within 3 points of Europe in their first season back up and Killie also improved. Ayr's decade-long run in the top flight came to a spectacular end losing totally collapsed having scored a record low points adjusting for Queens Park's administration. They leave with 1 top 6 finish and usually clear 40 points. Even more amazing is that they have this season after we invested 4m into them and sent a decent youth prospect to them on loan. Motherwell has been taken over by a tycoon and will no longer need my help as they are now the 4th richest team in the nation.



Playoffs
Ross County 9-4 Hamilton

The most amazing playoff round in the save so far. County rallied back to win the away game 5-4 then thrashed them in the home leg to secure their top-flight status.


Managers

Allan Campbell is sacked for the 6th time. Ayr tried 2 different managers and they did not combine for very much.


Europe
Celtic reached the Champions League last 16 and only penaltys stopped them against Leipzig
Hibs Champions League run ended 1 round earlier in the playoff to Inter
Rangers lost in the playoffs to a European giant in Man Utd
Dundee Utds 2nd season back in the Europa League. 2nd season out at the last 16
Hearts disappointed in failing to get out of the Europa League group phase
Queens Park had a pitiful run in the Conference winning 1 of 6 games.



Champions League Final

Squad Review


Goalkeeper

Ajay was fine but Lawrie had a brilliant season playing far more games than i expected and getting a higher Ave Rating

Defence

The starting back 4 was fine, except for the best player Ipsen who scored an abysmal 6.87. Will be hard to turn down stupid offers for him after that.

Midfield

Zon & Alvarez are the new starting pair but Jacob and Berry have shown enough to be starting in their own rights with several younger players coming through MC is by far our strongest spot. Petkov at 32 had his best season for the club while Gomes showed enough to be first in line to take over from him. On the left Piepenbrock looks a class above my long-term winger Calder

Attack

MacIver is ridiculous. 74 goals this season with either of Dujkovic or Craig alongside him. Langfjord does not look up to that level but may get the chance to improve on a loan. Back up strikers are very strong too


Players for life
300+ Appearances


Samuel Ajayi - GK
P419 Clean sheets 246

Bradley Cummings - DC
P777 G43

Andreas Alvarez - MC
P361 G51

Dimitar Petkov - MR
P428 G152

Andy MacIver - ATT
P547 G611

Rankings


Club Ranking - 1st

National League - 3rd

Scotland go above Spain. Serves them right for being a 2 team league, a thing Scotland can only dream of nowadays


National Team ranking - 5th

Where will this be after the world cup?


Awards

Player of the Year
Andy MacIver

Young Player of the Year
Gordon Berry

Top Scorer
Andy MacIver

Team of the Year

​