Tattie36

Needed a kick up the arse after weeks of mediocre performances and hopefully this result will be the wakeup call we've needed. Have barely scored from open play for ages so a different approach needs to be looked at, route 1 hoofball isn't the answer. I also think having the pressure off a little isn't necessarily a bad thing, have been looking over our shoulder since mid December and hopefully all the media hype will calm down a bit. Well done Morton, did us a big favour there.

To be fair it's been coming for weeks. By the sounds of things, we've played a lot worse and won/drawn. Can't even remember the last time we conceded 3 league goals. With Killie winning last night and Partick looking like winning too then it's a bad weekend all round. 5 goal swing towards Killie too.

I heard that's why we don't have ballboys anymore as they were demanding £1k a week each + win bonus and a wagon wheel at half time.

Of course they will, people love to moan. I reckon some folk wouldn’t be happy unless they’re carried from their house to the game in a sedan chair. Probably still complain that the cushions weren’t comfy enough. Even though it’s a bit of a pain having our games moved around for tv, it’s part and parcel of being successful so, with that in mind, I’m quite happy.

Ah ok, I assumed our game was on Friday as it was going to be the TV game.

So is our final game of the season on the Saturday now as Kilmarnock v Raith is the TV game on the Friday? I assumed our game was on the Friday to be on tv?

2141

Also take into account that we only had a 500 limit for the new year game v ICT which would probably have had 2000+ without the restrictions. If we’re still in the mix right to the wire then I think our average will increase a fair bit.

Really? Because you’re sitting 4th in the second tier with a good chance of making the playoffs? You might not be playing well at the moment but I think a bit of reflection and perspective is required. There’s 26 clubs in the league setup + dozens of others in the pyramid that would love to be in ICTs position. For the first, almost 20 years of my time supporting Arbroath, I never saw us kick a ball in any league other than the bottom one. Stood on the terraces to watch us end up flat last on more than one occasion, be regularly humiliated in cups and, for the vast majority of that time, travelling from Aberdeen to do so. As I said - perspective.

Yeah it’s a tough one but our left was terribly exposed for a few weeks so tightening it up was critical imo. Interestingly though, our last two goals have come from our left side so we must be offering something there.

Not sure about that - Hammy with Linn in front of him gives me the fear. Pretty much every goal we’ve conceded recently has been from down that wing (2 x Hamilton, 3 x Hibs and you could argue Partick’s too) Henderson has done a good job in improving us defensively on that side.

3-0 for Ayr please - Kilmarnock go radge in the last 5 minutes as they’re getting pumped, get 3 sent off and crock half the Ayr players for the following week’s game.

Exactly. Now, this was real pressure. Only 6 short seasons ago. Astonishing turn around in fortunes for us (and Montrose tbf). I remember this time whenever I’m feeling a little disappointed in a result or performance (e.g. drawing with Partick Thistle) and reflect on just how close we were to the abyss. ETA amazingly we had 3 starters yesterday that we’re playing for us in that horrific season - Linn, Gold and Little.

Perhaps my comments are a bit unfair on McKenna but he set such a high bar for himself earlier in the season that it’s very noticeable that his performances have tailed off from his usual high standard. I know he’s not getting as much time in the ball as before but (imo) he seems to have lost something when he does have it.

Needed that win today, brutal performance but a win’s a win. I think in some regards that was an even tougher watch than Tuesday. Dunfermline created far more good chances than Partick although we also had a few ourselves. Maybe an early goal is bad for us (ludicrous thing to say, I know) as it’s almost as if we’re then just trying to protect the lead and shit fest our way to a win, 2 games in a row we’ve taken the lead inside 10 minutes and retreated into our shell. Thought Stewart, Chris Hamilton, Henderson, Little and Gold first half were our best players today although no one really stood out. Can anyone put their finger on what has happened to McKenna’s form? Absolutely flying until the turn of the year and now he couldn’t trap a sack of tatties, beat a man or see a pass if his life depended on it. Even his apparently never ending supply of energy seems to be running out. Cracking turnout today of 2141, just wish the football was a bit better to keep them coming back.

When did Hilson or Donnelly last score a league goal for us? I sure as hell can't remember but I'm sure it's years rather than weeks or months. Never like to criticise Campbell or the players but I can't for the life of me understand what he sees in them as regulars - squad players fine, and they can both do a certain type of job well for us, but we need goals and wins and neither of them are the answer as has been proven time and time again. What do they say about the definition of madness? Get Ford on from the start with Hamilton and bring Donnelly and/or Hilson on later if need be. Linn has to start after his performance in the first half against Partick and I would like to see Bakare get some game time - he looked lively when he came on against Hibs. Why bring him and Ford in if they're not going to get a game?

Well, I can certainly agree with you on that. It’s all indicative of our society at the moment though isn’t it. Virtue signalling and cancel culture. I’ve got a couple of Russian wrist watches, I wonder how long it’ll be before I’m refused service in a pub if I’m wearing one? I’m joking of course but it wouldn’t surprise me if it got to that. Still not as annoying as the guff all over Facebook - a work colleague of my wife’s proudly stated that she sent £100 to Zelenskyy and her 10 year old son has “insisted” that £10 a month of his pocket money goes to the poor Ukrainian people.

This Russian vodka stuff sounds ridiculous but I think it makes sense when viewed as part of the bigger picture. Targeting any Russian produced product, no matter how small, will have an accumulative affect on the Russian economy. No one wants the poor Russian man and woman in the street to suffer for that wee bams actions but, personally the only way I can see this ending, even a tiny bit amicably, is for Putin and his regime to be taken out internally. Even if there’s only a small chance of it happening, the more the general Russian public suffer, the more likely there is to be mass protests or, hopefully, some kind of revolution and lasting change to their political setup.

So where does it stop? Just hand them the World Cup trophy now? The biggest respect we could show them is to have some form of display, applause etc then put 100% in to winning the game. If they win, fair and square, then fine and I would hope they went on to qualify and even win the thing… but fairly.

Yeah. Would like to see it back too as it looked like a penalty from the sea side terrace. Considering the way the referee was giving fouls for half as robust challenges and strong, clear ball winning tackles every where else on the pitch.

Think that’s right, after yet another one of the referees terrible decisions. I’m not suggesting the referee was worse for us than Thistle, he was just generally dreadful. Fouls for literally any contact and good strong challenges, for either team. I’m amazed there were no penalties or sending offs. The players should have realised how he was refereeing the game and tried to drive into the box at every opportunity. We did have one that looked a good shout.

I personally didn’t hear anything other than (well placed) frustration and encouragement from the fans tonight. Maybe it was me as I was certainly vocal as were my friends. Re the game - what a strange one that was. The first half was more like how we played early in the season. Taking the game to the opposition and keeping it on the ground. They couldn’t seem to cope with our energy and pace. Bobby Linn was having a field day down the right and everyone seemed really up for it. Really should have gone in 2 up. Don’t know what happened at half time but after Linn’s good chance we started with the panicky hoofball again. No composure, no one putting a foot on the ball, Linn seemed to be terrified of going near Ricky Foster for some weird reason. Surely an ageing, pretty slow fullback should have been a dream to be running at. Once the substitutions started then we lost our width and I knew a draw would be the most we would get. As I said in an earlier post - Luke Donnelly will not win games for you, all I remember him doing was try to slide a header into the corner instead of attacking it and not much else apart from getting muscled off the ball with ease. Hilson was marginally better but gave the ball away far too much. We really can’t expect to be anywhere near the title if that’s the quality of our substitutions. IMO if we were trying to win, we needed to perhaps put Gold or Thomson in at right back and push Stewart up… or why not bring on Bakare as a straight swap for Linn. Also why not bring on Ford for Wighton and see how he worked playing with Hamilton? It’s already been said but each substitution made us weaker and less of an attacking threat. Must win on Saturday but I fear that Dunfermline are a different proposition than when we’ve played them previously.

Donnelly was brilliant v Kelty in the cup at the start of the season. He played with an energy and physicality I had never seen from him before…. or since. I hoped at the time that this was a turning point for him but, alas it wasn’t to be. Not a bad player to bring on if we’re winning comfortably or in a game like Forfar in the cup, but he simply ain’t going to win games or strike fear into the opposition, despite his height.

Arbroath have scored two goals in the last 3 league games - both penalties v Hamilton.

Massive game on Tuesday. We've been stealing points recently - haven't deserved anything from the last 3 league games but have somehow managed to scrape 3 draws, mostly due to our superb defence. Yes you can argue that it's a sign of champions to get wins or draws when not playing well but this is becoming a habit, which is unsustainable. I fear we're due a pumping (Hamilton should have given us one) if we carry on playing like this so a huge improvement required. Too many players not performing so I would maybe shake things up a bit and please, please, please keep the ball on the grass. We were at our best earlier in the season keeping it down and running at the opposition not aimlessly lumping it up the park. Prediction (hope) - Arbroath regain their attacking flair for a home win. ETA - Partick seem as unable to win as us at the moment so probably 0-0.