Players Cald in for Contract Talks

A major sign of the cutbacks at Pittodrie in recent years has been the delay, or non-existence, of contract talks with vital players. Perhaps the board had its fingers burnt when tying players such as Mackie, Esson and the Young brothers to relatively lucrative deals, but last season it seemed as if it was left until the last minute before players were called in to discuss their contracts. In the case of Scott Booth, there became an unseemly public war of words between the player and the management team.

Therefore it is good to see today reports that Jimmy Calderwood has opened discussions to extend the contracts of two vital players for Aberdeen's future: captain consistency Russell Anderson and teen star John Stewart. For this to happen so early in the season is a good signal to the fans that everything is running smoothly down Pittodrie Street, and hopefully the players can confirm to the fans their intention to stay and help bring Aberdeen back to where they belong - at the top of the league.