Need that never-say-die mentality

Are late goals luck or mindset? We need to build a never-say-die culture, understand VAR limits and accept any punishments if managers overstep, it's about belief and discipline.

We keep talking about late goals — are they luck or mental steel? Truth is, it's as much about mindset as chance, and we need that never-say-die belief in our team.

Late goals come from attitude, not accident

When you see a side who routinely nick late winners, it's rarely down to blind luck. It comes from conditioning, habit and a refusal to accept a draw. Teams train to see out minutes, press in phases, and keep tempo when others tire. That's partly tactical — instructions to keep bodies forward, to win second balls, to change shape late on — but it's also psychological. If we want to mirror that, it's about building confidence that the game isn't over at 85 minutes. We need to back our subs, trust the set-piece routines and breed an expectation that a goal can come at any moment.

VAR, rules and the gap with fans

Fans react to what looks wrong from the terraces or on a replay. But the laws of the game and what VAR is asked to adjudicate don't always match the popular sense of fairness. That's the disconnect with incidents like the Motherwell handball — people see an obvious penalty, while VAR might be looking at a different, narrower angle. It doesn't make the frustration any easier to swallow. We can grumble, but understanding the remit of officials helps. It won't stop the shouting, but it frames the debate better.

Handling McInnes, bans and who steps up

Derek McInnes has a habit of moaning about officials — sometimes that reads as deflection, sometimes as siege-building. If the authorities decide a touchline ban is justified, the club has to manage it without making excuses. Cavanagh ought to clamp down on whatever sparks the complaints because penalties always hurt the team. If Sheeran has to deputise, I trust him to do the job; I can't remember the exact regulations on a banned manager's contact with the bench, and it's not for me to speculate. Bottom line: if a manager is found guilty, he should accept the punishment. Being our man doesn't put him above the rules.

We can moan about officials and wish for late goals, but the route is straightforward: instil belief, coach late-game scenarios and stop doing anything that hands punishment to the club. Simple as that.

Written by Angus1812: 5 July 2026