Tattie36

I should have qualified my comment re ToB, he has to come back in - only when fully fit. McKenna, Low, Henderson and Linn is a midfield I would like to see, a good mixture of creativity, energy and physicality. I particularly like Stewart’s dynamism and energy, will need to see how he gets on defensively under pressure in the league but I like what I’ve seen so far. I’ve always been a fan of Hamilton but I don’t think he’s ever really been sufficiently challenged in that position and, if I had a gun put to my head, I would say he is our very slight week link in defence.

Agree re Stewart, JT might find it hard getting back in as no1 in that position. ToB has to come back in though. Would like to see Henderson in midfield or LB.

Ach, it’s ok we’ll get one of those in the next round.

Even at 0-2 down I still had a feeling we would get something out of the game. We could have been 2 up before they scored their first and it was obvious from the amount of chances we were creating that the goals would come. Most of the second half was as one sided a game as you’ll get.

There’s some guy on Kelty’s FB page reckons they were robbed. He either: Left after their second goal; wasn’t actually at the game; is 10; is all of the above.

Really? From where I was standing it looked like Hammy made an erse of a basic pass straight to their player who played it through for a simple finish. Would like to see the replay though as he seemed to be blaming someone else for it, I’m assuming Hilson. I thought Hilson played ok, just wish he could finish better, he seems to have a real issue when he has time to think. McKenna, Donnelly, Low, Stewart and Gold (just how versatile is he?) we’re the stand outs for me, but I think everyone played well, great team performance. Definitely a drop in intensity and quality when Linn and Donnelly in particular went off. At that point we were running riot and it looked like we would score every time we attacked. Swankie is obviously a totally different proposition than Linn and was brought on to steady the midfield. Nouble looked pretty unfit but showed enough to be a decent addition, should have scored. Actually thought Kelty were pretty poor when you consider the squad they have. Looked solid at the back and in midfield (which they bossed for 20 minutes) until after their second goal then it was one way traffic. They didn’t seem to have much creativity from middle to front and aside from a great hit for their first and a defensive feck up from us for their second, they didn’t offer much.

How did hilson cause the second? Was it not Hammy who sclaffed a simple pass straight to their player?

It’s fecking great being back at the fitba.

Yep, any team with a strike force would have scored 4 that half.

Kelty 2 chances, 2 goals - Arbroath about 10 chances, 1 goal. Sums us up. oh well, according to the bbc, we’ve had 7 attempts (4 on target) and they’ve had 6 attempts (3 on target). Feels like, apart from their goals, we’ve been we’ll on top, certainly for the last 20 of the half it’s been one way traffic.

Yeah me too, it will be my first time at Gayfield/in Arbroath since the Dunfermline game in March 2020.

It's just frustration, I totally get all the sensible points made re strikers. Just seems like it's been the same since we got promotion, just can't seem to get anyone signed who can score fucking goals. I know it's the way of the modern game but I would much rather have proper signings than loans .... or ideally, a combination of both.

Understand that but, as it's obviously the very big "elephant in the room", what harm would there be in at least trialing someone - there must be lower league/non league strikers out there that would be worth giving a trial to. We've found some gems from non-league in the past - Linn, Low, Murray.

The bold bit is what really concerns me. Yes, we all agree that we desperately need striker/s but here we are, 9 days from our first league game and there seems to be absolutely zero urgency with even trialing anyone in friendlies.

Not sure what tonight has achieved - a home pumping, laying bare our weaknesses - a completely toothless attack, and lack of quality depth at the back and in the middle. Antell also showing what we've heard from fans of pretty much every team he's been at. A wee bit worried about Saturday as our normally solid defence has started leaking goals. We know we can't score but at least we were difficult to score against. Ach, it's only a friendly.

Our weaknesses being very much exposed tonight.

Yeah, difficult to assess Gabriel properly when he's up against a higher quality of opposition. Looks ok but nothing special.

I think we missed a few sitters that day. Another game where we were cruising and (almost) threw it away was the away cup game at Inverurie in 2012. Absolute cigars oot fitba after we went 3-0 up, I remember Sheerin trying to back heel one in from about 2 yards out and it being laughed off. We weren’t laughing by full time though as Loco’s threw the kitchen sink at us and scored 3 including 2 in the last 4 minutes. Thankfully we won the replay 3-1 but I hate nothing more than complacency as things can go very wrong, very quick - as proved by this thread.

Yeah you’re correct and I was also at the league win. For some reason when I think about that game I assume Thistle we’re out of our league (literally).

That was a very weird game. It was in the cup and Thistle were in a higher league and a defeat was expected so getting beat wasn’t the issue. Our winger that day, Craig Cooper, was on fire and the Thistle defence just couldn’t cope with him at all. I think all 3, certainly 2, of the red cards were as a result of him being repeatedly fouled. Unfortunately for Arbroath, Thistle coped with everything else thrown at them. My feeling at the end was that I’d just witnessed a freak game, I wasn’t particularly annoyed or upset at not winning though.

As a lifelong Arbroath supporter, there are plenty to choose from - Irvine Meadow, being pumped 4-1 by Spartans in the cup at home, 9-1 to Celtic etc but the one that affected me at the time more than any other was a home league game v East Stirlingshire in ‘92. It was a very open game with Arbroath well on top. 4-2 up with seven minutes to go and Shire pulled one back against the run of play, never mind, we’ll see it out, oh f**k Shire have equalised, how did we conspire to draw from a comfortable position that that? Cue big daft centre half Wattie Boyd thinking “don’t worry, I’ll get the winner” gallops up field and loses the ball around the halfway line, Shire straight down the middle and hit the winner - 4-2 up to 4-5 down in the space of 7 minutes. Stunned silence at full time. I also remember a game the following season where we were 2-0 up at home to Cowdenbeath in injury time at the end of the game and fucked it up ending 2-2. That entire period from mid 80’s to late 90’s was a pretty grim period for us.

I’ve got a season ticket but I can’t go tonight as I’m on holiday. The way things are working out I may also miss the first two home league games. Gutted as I can’t wait to get back but life gets in the way.

We have definitely lacked a big target man striker for years now. Hopefully this means we’ll be more dangerous from crosses and set pieces as opposed to lumping it aimlessly up the park, and if he’s good with his feet, as he claims, then even better. Quite excited by this signing, certainly preferable to bringing in ageing players who’s best days are long gone or kids with very little match experience.

I know I do don’t I? Trying so hard to be positive about the coming season but still waiting for something to spark the season in to life. Pre season was dreadful and today was hardly inspiring.

Certainly not meaning to sound negative and with players to return and, no doubt some decent loans to come in, I’m sure we’ll be ok. But at the moment we look very much like a very average League 1 team.