It looks as if Aberdeen are going back to the European well for new signings this summer – and I’m all for it.
The Dons have been linked with Slovenian striker Ester Sokler and Croatian midfielder Tonio Teklic over the weekend as manager Barry Robson steps up his preparation for the new season.
I won’t kid you on… I know next to nothing about either Sokler or Teklic.
What I do know is Sokler is a 24-year-old striker and Teklic is a 23 year-old attacking midfielder.
But what I also know is the recruitment team at Aberdeen have earned my trust in finding the players Barry needs to strengthen his squad this summer.
There are three reasons why – Bojan Miovski, Duk and Ylber Ramadani.
I remember a year ago in this column saying how excited I was at seeing the Dons dip into new markets.
Every summer fans want to see new faces and the ones who generate the most excitement are the unknown quantities, the guys who bring a touch of mystery when they arrive.
I praised former manager Jim Goodwin for shying away from the lazy recruitment model of signing interchangeable players from other clubs in Scotland.
Balance between known and unknown quantities is crucial
There is need to get the balance right of course and Aberdeen’s first signing of the close season, Nicky Devlin, illustrates that.
He has replaced another departing Scottish player in Ross McCrorie and brings with him years of experience in Scottish football, as well as having had the honour of being captain of his last two clubs.
I expect he is coming to Pittodrie to be in the starting line-up every week, not to fill a space in the squad.
While former boss Goodwin ended up having a difficult campaign, his successor has seen enough from the players he inherited to believe delving into Europe for new faces is worth persevering with.
It’s not hard to see why, as in Miovski and Duk the Dons had a 36-goal forward line. That’s an excellent return from the duo for their first season in Scottish football.
Ramadani also had a great season. If he was fit and available, he played – whether it was for the last manager or the current one.
Earning the trust of the boss is one thing, but if you can do it for two then you’ve got something about you.
There were other success stories at the club, such as Leighton Clarkson, but if you were to pick a top five performers for the Dons from last season, I’d be surprised if most people didn’t have Miovski, Duk and Ramadani on their list.
Europe was a successful market for Aberdeen and having the carrot of group stages of Continental competition to offer ensures they will be an attractive proposition for players this summer.
Strike while the iron is hot I say – and Aberdeen appear ready to do that.
If their success rate from delving into Europe last summer repeats itself then the supporters are going to be very happy indeed.
Beating Norway would be great – but I’d settle for a point, too
Scotland can take a huge step towards next summer’s finals of Euro 2024 in Germany if they get a result in Norway on Saturday.
It’s going to be a difficult one for Steve Clarke and his players, as the Norwegians have got to win this game if they are to have any hope of finishing in the top two.
Scotland’s win over Spain in March has really thrown a cat among the pigeons in the qualification campaign and has put us in a really strong position heading to Oslo.
A five-point lead over the Norwegians after two games is fantastic and, as much as I’d love to see us pick up another three points on Saturday, I will not be disappointed if the shares are spoiled.
As good as the Spain win was, let’s not lose sight of the fact finishing in the top two from Group A will qualify. That’s all we need to focus on.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be jumping for joy if we do move eight points clear of Norway on Saturday, but it’s not vital.
Remember, we’re coming up against the best striker in the world in Erling Haaland. He has had a long and gruelling season, but his confidence will be sky high after a fantastic season with Manchester City.
Avoiding defeat in what is a cup final for the home side would not be bad result by any means.
Manchester reigns supreme in England
Pundits and members of the media have been falling over themselves to debate whether Manchester City are the greatest club side in the history of English football following their Champions League win on Saturday.
I’ve little time for getting involved in whether City’s treble-winning team is better than Manchester United’s class of 1999, while the managerial debate is even dafter.
City have some terrific individual players such as Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish. They have an outstanding manager in Pep Guardiola, too.
United had great players of their own back in 1999, and in Sir Alex Ferguson, they had a man with a fearsome unrelenting drive for success.
But which one is better? Who knows.
More importantly, who cares?
We’ll never know the answer.
What I do know is that when it comes to winning the treble of the European Cup, the league and the FA Cup, it’s a daunting challenge.
The London clubs have spent fortunes over the years and not managed it, while the Manchester clubs reign supreme in that area after both halves of the city have made it possible.
I can’t separate either club and I shouldn’t have to. Both have been an absolute joy to watch in their respective eras.
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