Aberdeen out to break Hearts?
By: TheNorthernLight | October 24th, 2008
Last season, we had the distinct misfortune to be at Tynecastle to see at first hand just what Hearts are capable of. A combination of some shocking defending and dreadful goalkeeping led to a heavy 4-1 defeat, the temporary failure of the floodlights not enough to stop the game after ground staff put another 50p in the meter.
Ah sure, that was then, this is now.
We finally won a game last week at Falkirk, our first in six attempts, and so continued our good run of form away from home. Hearts have not won a game in their last three attempts, though the point last weekend against Hibs in another pulsating Edinburgh derby was welcome relief for Hearts coach Csaba Lazslo. Aberdeen could in theory move into the top six tomorrow with a win, but Calderwood faces selection problems as the cold north-east wind has seen several first team members (Diamond, McDonald, Kerr) go down with flu.
The good news is that we welcome back Charlie Mulgrew, available for selection following his sending off in the game against Hibs and subsequent suspension.
Possible lineup
Well, the 1-3-4-2 formation against Falkirk worked well (for a while), but Hearts are a different proposition though. They’re strong in midfield, with players like Laryea Kingston, Andy Driver, Bruno Aguiar and Michael Stewart particularly impressive. For the sake of simplicity (OK, we admit, we don’t get this 1-3-4-2 formation thingie), we’re going with a simple 4-4-2 here.
Goalkeeper
It’s got to be Langfield in goal. Easy choice this, we’re not exactly flush with options here. Bossu is still out, Jonathan Bateman simply too inexperienced for a game like this. ‘Clangers’ will have to do better than he did in that 4-1 shocker last year. His impression of Flappy The Seal (when he made a right mess of a cross) gifted Andrius Velicka a simple goal.
Defence
The defence was kept pretty busy last week against Falkirk, and they’ll no doubt be kept busy again tomorrow. Assuming Diamond is out and Mulgrew is fit, we’ll go with Mulgrew (LB), Considine(DC), Mair (DC) and Hodgkiss (RB). This is probably our strongest defence, seeing as we’re going to need Severin in midfield. Mulgrew is lethal at set-pieces and given room to move up the pitch he’s been putting in some neat crosses (the one which led to Derek Young’s goal against Rangers being a good example). Hodgkiss is a class act, while Mair and Considine are solid, but prone to silly mistakes.
Midfield
This is where the game will be won or lost. With both Gary McDonald and Mark Kerr doubtful, Jimmy Calderwood has to be careful here. If we’re going to keep the ball on the ground, then lets go with Aluko on the left wing. A fast and skillful player, he’s not afraid to take players on, get past them and provide the ammo for Miller and Wright. On the right-wing, you could put Foster (for pace, but the final ball is sometimes poor), but we go with Derek Young, another winger with an eye for goal. In the middle, we’ll need Severin with Duff, should McDonald or Kerr not be fit enough to play.
Attack
Scoring has been a bit of an issue for Aberdeen so far. Our top scorer is Charlie Mulgrew, so it’s about time Lee Miller (probably our number one striker) gets his season going. Mackie, on a good day can be a dangerous player, but don’t be punting the high balls up to him, he just wont reach them. He’s a player that needs the ball played to feet. We’re desperate to see Tommy Wright have a go up front. Tall(ish) and a real handfull for defenders, he might be whats needed to create space for Miller. Jimmy Calderwood will probably go for Miller and Mackie again, though we’d prefer Miller and Wright.
So, our lineup looks like this: Langfield, Mulgrew, Considine, Mair, Hodgkiss, Aluko, Severin, Duff, Miller, Wright.
And our prediction? A tough game lies ahead for the Dons. Hearts are good at home, while Aberdeen are good on the road. Tynecastle is not an easy ground to go to at the best of time, so the 2,000 or so Aberdeen fans heading down to the game will need to get behind the team. We’d love to see the Dons winning, but we think it’s going to be a draw: 1-1.
Category: Team News
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