Aberdeen comments

Was Jimmy Calderwood any happier this week ? Did Steve Patterson make a mistake ? See what they had to say.

Another solid performance from Skipper

Jimmy Calderwood
Jimmy was that the best performance this year ? no , not best performance, Livingston and Dundee were better, but it was a tremendous response, so disappointed with everything they did wrong last week they did right today. thasts not take anything away from Partick they sorted themselves out, and they sorted us out !

We know that with winning tackles, defending going forward, we know we can we play, we have the quality, the quality of the football combined with the dirty side gave us victory, not dirty as in bad, just getting stuck in which is sometimes not good to look at.

Did you expect Aberdeeen to get a lift from the new management team ? I was yes, thats the things players do, which doesn`t say a lot about them, but it just seems to happen, but we`ve been playing well at home, we`re a strong home team, but Aberdeen have not won here in a long time, Stevie wasn`t playing and Duncan wasn`t playing luckily enough so it Aberdeen 11 against our 11, and they`ve been playing poorly, we have been playing well but we played poorly last week.

Its difficult as I say, its so difficult to come in the middle of the season, I found it really really difficult when I first came to Dunfermline, you need time but you don`t get time in this game.

We`ve 38 goals against us, I think one of the worst defensive record in teh league, you`ve got Scott Wilson, Skerla, Thomson, Bullen, McPherson, two good goalkeepers I might have missed a couple, but thats not good enough.

Were you trying to keep a clean sheet todya ? That was the big thing, I was still moaning going into the last minute, I wanted to keep a clean sheet and they`ve got to learn that. Even when we`re winning games we give stupid goals away. and it could be that at the end of the season goal average might count, so it shouldnt be that we`ve to score 3 goals every game to be sure to win the game.

When asked about Steven Hampshire`s performance, He did well, the kid, defensive, he`s had a good breading ground at Chelsea he`s played with good players there, did well to come in at the start of the season, and he`s went out a bit, but he`s actually a striker, but with them to up front its very difficult to get into the team. Thats probably his best position, but he filled in well, defensively done his job, and on the ball he`s a good players, sees the game well, so I was extremely happy for him.

Will Barry make the Scotland trip ? I was kidding him on that he`s staying here, but he`s getting on that plane, he`s dieing to play and we`ll have to see how he gets on. that would have been a magnificent goal, the height he got, it was a great move. but he fell awkwardly, he;s in a lot of pain to honest at the moment. Barry doens`t want to see us for a couple of days (in case we keep him here) - he`s also moving house so he doesn`t want to do that either :o).

Steve Paterson
I am obviously disapointed to get beat, came into the game realsitic view on what might happen, but until we lost the first goal we were doing quite well. dissapointed to lose, at half time trying to encourage the lads, still well into the game at 1-0, as much as you strees about starting well, and then went and lost the goal in a minute, and I didn`t see us scoring and I felt that was curtains then.

How hard is it to motivate players. we met them on thursday, they were low on spirits. at the end there was no way we could go in and ball and shout, you can see its a team thats low on confidence on form, we haven`t won in 9 games. so well have to work hard next week and win our next home game. its a lengthy rebuilding job.

Craig Brewster
from the word go we were ready, we deseverdly got the goal, and I don`t think we were ever going to lose it. Its nice to keep that run going in 3rd place because Hearts and Hibs are still winning.

What about the Partick result ? you speak to anybody that was one of the surprise results of the season, along with the Hearts/Motherwell game. But Partick have done really well, they are a well organised side, John Lambie has done a tremnendous job, so maybe the expectation level of us now is we`re going to places that people expect us to win, which is a good thing in one way, on another it was a disaster, but today was superb, we controlled the game and a lot of pleasing performances.

Was it complaceny last week ? no, I don`t think so, we never got going, ran out of ideas, the longer the game went on. we worked hard all week in training and the manager wanted a reaction today, and I think he got one.

There is 29 goals between stevie and yourself, what is your target ? I don`t set myself targets anymore, its just a joy to play with Stevie and the team are obviously seeing us score goals so its giving everybody confidence. confidence breeeds success, so things are going well. from
a srikers point of view when your scoring goals, your not afraid to have to go.

The Europe question again ? It will be nice to be up there at the end of the seaosn, but there is a long way to go, Hearts and Hibs are breathing down our necks, look at Killie today, they`ve started a wee bit of momentum going. we`re in that position on merit, and its up to us to stay there. after todays performance, Ok it wasn`t aberdeens best performance, but we set our stall out and it was us that dicated the play so if we cna do that we` be ok, its another tough game at Motherwell, Terry Butcher got them kids really organsised couple of experience boys in defense, Dick Leheman up front so it`ll be another cracker.

A player always enjoys being in a successfull team, manager brought myself he like guys that can play football. looking at the team they can all play. myself and Stevie up front, I think we gelled right from the start. I`m here for another year. it was my birthday on friday, 36, life in the old dog yet ! The older I get the more I want it, I`m determined to play as long as I can. fingers crossed if I can keep away from injury, and I can play as long as I can. I`d like to think I look after myself and if you do then it helps.