Aberdeen
1A - Information
1B – History
2A – Stadium
2B – Facilities
3A – Finances
3B – Transfer Budget
3C – Wage Budget
3D – Wage in Comparison to Squad Status
4A – Goalkeepers
4B - Defenders
4C - Midfielders
4D - Strikers
4E – Best Under 19 team players
5A – Transfers (Buy)
5B – Transfers (Sell)
6A – Tactics
7A – Other Targets/Things to do
1A – Information
· Nation: Scotland
· Nickname: The Dons
· League: Scottish Premier League (SPL)
· Year Founded: 1903
· Status: Professional
· Reputation: National (5500)
· Chairman Status: Loves the club
· Legends: Willie Miller, Jim Leighton, Alex McLeish, Sir Alex Ferguson
· Icons: Gordon Strachan, Russell Anderson, Eoin Jess, Brian Irvine
· Favoured Personnel: Sone Aluko, Zander Diamond
· Derbies: New Firm Derby (vs Dundee United)
· Fierce Rivals: Rangers
· Other Rivals: Celtic, Dundee United, Hearts
· Finances: Okay
· Average Ticket Price: £22.00
· Average Season Ticket Price: £286
· Season Ticket Holders: 8000
· Estimated Value: £8.75M (Loan Debt: £9M)
· Continental Competition: None
· Media Prediction: 7th
· Captain: Paul Hartley
· Vice-Captain: Zander Diamond
· Morale: 11
· Average Age: 20
1B – History
Having enjoyed their greatest spell of success during the 1980s and despite not having won anything for fourteen years, the Dons have a successful history. Boasting a total of eighteen competition wins, here are just some of their highlights: Aberdeen won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983, won the European Super Cup in 1983, won the Scottish top division in 1955, 1980, 1984 and 1985 and finished runners-up on thirteen occasions, and won the Scottish Cup on seven occasions and finished runners-up on eight occasions.
2A – Stadium
· Name: Pittodrie Stadium
· Location: Aberdeen
· Capacity: 21421 all-seater
· Year Built: 1899
· Owned By: Aberdeen
· Stadium Condition: Good
· Under Soil Heating: Yes
· Roof: No
· Surface: Grass
· Pitch Dimensions: Length = 105m, Width = 66m
· Maximum Pitch Dimensions: Length = 109m, Width = 75m
· Pitch Condition: Perfect
· Average Attendance: 10461
2B – Facilities
· Corporate Facilities: Adequate Corporate Facilities (8)
· Training Facilities: Average Training Facilities (11)
· Youth Facilities: Average Youth Facilities (13)
· Youth Recruitment: Above Average Youth Recruitment (13)
3A – Finances
· Finances: Okay
· Balance: £1,228,199
· Loans Outstanding: Bank Loan of £9M (137K per month until 31/12/2016)
· Sponsors: 2 year main kit sponsor deal at 126K per season end 2011
· % of Transfer Revenue Made Available: 70%
3B – Transfer Budget
· Mid-table Finish: £0
· Top Half Finish: £0
· Continental Qualification Through League Finish: £0
· Title Challenge: £0
· Winner: £0
3C – Wage Budget (Currently spending £32,398 on wages)
· Mid-table Finish: £32.5K p/w
· Top Half Finish: £32.5K p/w
· Continental Qualification Through League Finish: £32.5K p/w
· Title Challenge: £32.5K p/w
· Winner: £32.5K p/w
3D – Wages in Comparison to Squad Status
Key Player: £3,200 p/w
First Team: £2,300 p/w
Rotation: £1,600 p/w
Backup: £1,100 p/w
Hot Prospect: £825 p/w
Youngster: £525 p/w
4A – Goalkeepers
· Jamie Langfield: (30) Probably the best keeper at the club. Although with quite poor one-on-ones, 9, but high communication, 15 and creativity, 12, he would be best employed as a sweeper keeper.
· Mark Howard: (23) Good backup keeper. With high one-on-ones, 14, and low eccentricity, 6, communication, 8, creativity, 6, and rushing out, 9, this means that if he is played, you have to play him as a normal keeper not a sweeper keeper.
· Scott Bain: (18) CA of 1.5 stars but a PA of 4 stars. He could be a very good player if you develop him right.
Summary: You could either loan out Scott Bain and keep Langfield and Howard or try to sell one of them to ease the wages and give Bain some game time now and again.
Best Goalkeeper:
· GK – Jamie Langfield
4B – Defenders
Centre Backs
· Zander Diamond: (25) Best Defender at the club. Determined, 20, Brave, 16, and aggressive, 17, and a strong tackler, 15, perfect to be played as a stopper.
· Andrew Considine: (23) Close to choose between him and McArdle for the second central defender.
· Rory McArdle: (23) Close to choose between him and Considine for the second central defender.
· Jerel Ifil: (28) High wages and probably the worst centre back in the first team, can be played as a limited defender (stopper) but you should be looking to sell him.
· Nikola Vujadinovic: (23) Only on loan from Udinese and they are paying the wages, play him left back and get and rotate him with Sterling Smith so that he gets first team experience before Vujadinovic leaves at the end of February.
Summary: There is an abundance of players to choose from here; however the players are not that good. Try to sell Jerel Ifil as he is dead wood and has high wages, but failing that, release him.
Right Backs
· Ryan Jack: (18) 1.5 stars CA but 4 stars PA so he needs game time, but is not good enough to push the team up the table just yet.
Summary: A more experienced right back is needed to tutor and play before Jack is ready to make the step.
Left Backs
Summary: There are no natural left backs in the first team; however Vujadinovic and Sterling Smith can both play in this position.
Best Defence
· LB – Nikola Vujadinovic
· CB – Zander Diamond
· CB – Andrew Considine/Rory McArdle
· RB – Ryan Jack
4C – Midfield
Centre Midfielders
· Paul Hartley: (33) Best midfielder and player at the club, but at 33 he is on his last legs and you should look for a replacement as his attributes will only decline, this could be hard with your limited budgets.
· Fraser Fyvie: (17) Second best centre midfielders with unusually high mental attributes for a 17 year old. Without a doubt the biggest prospect in a club with an array of young talent, he has 5 stars PA. Try to play him and train him right.
· Yohan Folly: (25) Good backup player who can do well when called upon.
· Jack Grimmer: (16) Will also develop very well, given game time and trained right, 4.5 stars PA.
· Derek Young: (30) Good player who has high work rate and team work, both 17, and determination, 18. Can play AM, CM, LAM, LM and even ST and RAM when called upon.
Summary: You need to be looking for a Hartley replacement, perhaps a creative player under 28. Apart from that Folly with provide backup for a number of years and Fyvie and Grimmer will keep improving until they are important players for the club.
Right Midfielders
· Peter Pawlett: (19) Already a very good first team player at 19, he will continue to improve.
· Clark Robertson: (16) Give him some playing time when Pawlett is injured and in cup games against small teams for experience.
Summary: Good young players with a lot of potential.
Left Midfielders
· Sone Aluko: (21) Great winger with high flair, 16, pace, 15, acceleration, 14, and technique, 14.
· Sterling Smith: (19) Can play all down the left side, maybe retrain him to be a natural left back as his tackling, marking and heading, all 12, are higher than his crossing, technique, both 10, and flair, 8.
Summary: Another area of the squad with young players breaking through
Best Midfield
· LM: Sone Aluko
· CM: Paul Hartley
· CM: Fraser Fyvie
· RM: Peter Pawlett
4D – Strikers
· Michael Paton: (21) Probably the best striker who is actually contracted to the club (not on loan) also quite young
· Josh Magennis: (19) Another young player who has very high physical attributes, strength, 17, acceleration, 17, pace, 16 and jumping, 16. He makes a great target man (support) should you choose to play that way.
· Chris Maguire: (21) Good deep lying striker due to his high creativity, 14.
· Scott Vernon: (26) One of the best finishers at the club with his finishing, 12 and composure, 13 but as he is 26 and won’t improve further it is up to you what you do with him.
· Callum McRobbie: (18) Yet another hot prospect could become a great player.
· Darren Mackie: (28) Like Jerel Ifil he is dead wood and you should sell him. He is fast but it will only decrease over time.
· Mitchel Megginson: (17) One more product of the youth team of the verge of breakthrough, 4.5 stars PA.
· Andrius Velicka: (31) On loan from rangers and probably the best striker in the team. An all round striker, strong, good in the air, can finish well and quite fast.
Summary: No need to sign anyone hear as quite a strong area, could try get rid of some players to free up the wages, Darren Mackie in particular.
Best Strikers:
· ST: Paton
· ST: Velicka/Maguire
4E – Best Under 19 Team Players
There are a number of hot prospects in the first team such as Fyvie, Grimmer, Smith, Robertson, Pawlett, Megginson, McRobbie, Jack and Bain. There is also Dominico Gibson, Declan McManus, Joseph Shaughnessy, Przemyslaw Lukasik, Nicky Low, Hallur Hansson to name just a few.
5A – Transfers (Buy)
You don’t have any money so you should look for free transfers and loans.
Recommended Free Transfers
· Michael Ball
30 years old, English, Position – D/WB L, Initial Wage Demands - £3,800 p/w
· Abubakari Yakubu
28 years old, Ghanaian, Position – D (CR), WB (R), DM, M (C), Initial Wage Demands - £5,750 p/w
· José Gonçalves
24 years old, Portuguese, Position – D (CL), Initial Wage Demands - £4,200 p/w
· Brahim Hemdani
32 years old, Algeria, Position – DM M (C), Initial Wage Demands - £2,500 p/w
Obviously don’t sign all these suggested players, maybe just one or two. I would highly recommend José Gonçalves.
5B – Transfers (Sell)
· Jerel Ifil: Just dead wood, a very limited defender and as you have a lot of them either offer him for free and if you don’t get any offers then release him as he has a high wage.
· Darren Mackie: You have a heap of strikers, all but one are younger than him.
· Derek Young: Simply because you won’t really play him, he is very versatile and a hard worker however.
· Another GK, CB or ST: This is a point to think about just to easy the wages.
6A – Tactics
Formation: 4-4-2
View attachment 133855
GK: Sweeper Keeper (Support) - Langfield
LB: Wing Back (Attack) – Nikola Vujadinovic
LCB: Central Defender (Stopper) – Zander Diamond
RCB: Ball Playing Defender (Defend) – Andrew Considine
RB: Wing Back (Attack) – Ryan Jack
LM: Winger (Attack) – Sone Aluko
LCM: Deep Lying Playmaker (Support) – Paul Hartley
RCM: Ball Winning Midfielder (Defend) – Fraser Fyvie
RM: Winger (Attack) – Peter Pawlett
LST: Advanced Striker (Attack) - Michael Paton
RST: Deep Lying Striker (Support) – Chris Maguire
7A – Other Targets/Things to Do
· Develop the Youth Players: Such as Fraser Fyvie, Jack Grimmer, Clark Robertson, Mitchel Megginson, Ryan Jack, Callum McRobbie, Michael Paton, Chris Maguire, Sone Aluko, Peter Pawlett, Sterling Smith, Scott Bain, Josh Magennis, Dominico Gibson, Hallur Hansson, Nicky Low, Joseph Shaughnessy, Declan McManus, Przemyslaw Lukasik. All these players have 3.5 stars PA or higher according to the assistant reports.
· Keep the Youth Player: Sooner or later some teams are going to take an interest in these said players, keeping them will be your hardest task.
· Keep the Other Key Players: Many players contracts are running out at the end of the year, namely Sone Aluko, Michael Paton, Josh Magennis, Chris Maguire, Zander Diamond and Jamie Langfield along with a host of others including the hot youth prospects.
· Find a Parent Team: Ask the board for a parent team, to sign players on loan, I did it once and got the options between Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United. I chose Arsenal, as they have many good youth players who they would be looking to send on loan.
So I hope this has made you decide to manage Aberdeen, you will have great fun especially as they have great young prospects.
This is my second guide so go easy : )
Any constructive criticism and praise is welcomed.
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