The Arbroath Thread

[lichtiemike]

Great news 

[Anotherlichtie]

This is wonderful news. In a season of darkness this man has been our light. 2 more years for a future Arbroath legend. 

[1320Lichtie]

We officially have signed up the best right midfielder / right back / left back / centre half in L1 next season 

[Tattie36]

Great news. Our POTY by miles. 

[SmokeyJoe]

1 hour ago, lichtie23 said:

Aye. Pink said that at a Q&A. Can’t remember what he said in full but it was along the lines that no part time player in Scotland is good enough to play for us 

Aye mind him saying which was absolutely baffling. Our first few signings the next windows Scottish players from lower leagues

[ecto]

46 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

McKenna and Gaston - preferably Lyon but that’s my own preference I get that. Maybe Ricky too. 
 

Stewart is an absolutely brilliant start 

No so sure on Ricky, maybe it’s time we let him go home, plenty of teams on his doorstep #legend, but yes on the other 3

Edited April 11 by ecto

[1320Lichtie]

42 minutes ago, ecto said:

No so sure on Ricky, maybe it’s time we let him go home, plenty of teams on his doorstep #legend, but yes on the other 3

In a complete 180 - I have more faith - fickle as f**k I know but Stewart signing on when Gold will be here too makes Gaston and McKenna and others more likely too sign on again in my opinion. Maybe even ToB will stay put but can’t make my mind up over that. Maybe a question for Wednesday, if they expect ToB to be here.
 

If all of the above does happen I will shut my puss, not say a bad word and get behind McIntyre because at a minimum we should be ok next year. 
 

 

[JobbieSandwich]

2 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

The question I would like answered - is why did we move away from what we done best? Signing decent solid part time pros in Scotland and building up a team and squad with them, moving to signing short term full time players instead.

 

Pre this season (where I think we have people who fit the category above - Lyon / Steele / Slater / Murray / McIntosh) the only players we’ve still got signed at the club from Dicks 2022/2023 season are Jacobs and Ryan Dow (who signed in January 2023) - I think this is a big part of why we have struggled and why next season looks so daunting. 
 

I mean even Shanks as an example - he was signed for 2 year - now I don’t think Shanks was good enough to play in the Championship which is fair enough and understandable, but if we had loaned him out or kept him on the books, maybe used him as an impact sub he may have come on a lot as a player and ended up being a character and a part of the squad. Shanks would still be our player right now and would have been a good player to have going into a League 1 season.
 

Like I said though he was probably not up to the level so maybe getting rid of him altogether was correct and fair…. however - the ‘Full Time’ players we have signed in attacking positions are absolutely not any better than what he was - we have had -

Kareem Isiaka

Daniel Fosu

Deri Corfe

Paul Komolafe

Turan

Kyle Robinson

El Mhanni

 

All come in - take a wage and f**k off.
 

None of these players were ever going to be here for longer than 6 months / 1 year and while Shanks had his faults he was a better player than all of the above and we would have had the benefit of him becoming part of the group and forming bonds and a connection with the group of players here.

 

Now that is just an example - but what I am trying to say is that we signed all of these ‘Full Time’ guys who we knew at the time would have only been here for a year tops instead of part time players in this country who could have potentially been a part of the club for 2/3/4… 10 years like others have. You obviously can’t hit with every one of these guys but there might have been 2 or 3 that become a part of the core. It all kind of ripped the arse out of any identity and togetherness we had. 
 

For me the only proper successes have been Bird and Adarkwa maybe has a case too however he was injured so often.
 

Every single one of these other guys are and were no better than PT players in Scotland who could’ve become a McKenna or a Goldie. From what I hear too some of these players have been coming in and getting better wages than the likes of McKenna / Goldie which is shite and is bound to have rubbed some up the wrong way. I mean if their only source of income was Arbroath FC then they must’ve been getting at a minimum £20k odd for a year or £10k odd for 6 months which is naturally just going to be more than what PT players would be getting as they do not have FT jobs and salaries like the PT players. 
 

I do feel like this is one of the main reasons we are in a mess right now and I don’t mean relegated because we could’ve and would’ve ended up easily been relegated with just signing PT players too. I mean a mess as in having a squad of 6/7 currently signed up for next season and only a couple of them who have been here for more than a season. 
 

The list of players who were ‘Full Time’ and who we would’ve known had no long term future at the club when we signed them is as follows 

 

Daniel Fosu

Kareem Isiaka

Deri Corfe

Sean Adarkwa 

Paul Komolafe 

El Mhanni

Lewis Banks

Florent Hoti

Kyle Robinson

Turan

Norey 

Bird

 

Now we have obviously learned our lesson this year and only signed 3 - but see all the PT guys we’ve signed this year that are signed for next year they are going to be the guys we are counting on as the basis of our squad in L1 - Stowe / Steele / Slater / Murray / McIntosh 

 

If we had done this the season before and there were 4/5 successes instead of all these short term FT jobbers (a lot of who were brought in to bomb out guys like LD / Shanks / Craigen / JT) then we could maybe be sitting with a decent group for L1 right now - maybe have 9/10 players on top of the core who have been here forever - would’ve been more of a team and squad unit too as guys built relationships which could’ve made our older core of guys be more determined to be here again next season regardless of who the gaffer was.

 

I do feel like all our bother started at the start of the 2022/2023 season - absolutely tore the arse out of everything that makes a part time squad and team successful - for short term fixes that we thought would be an improvement on PT players in Scotland - however not thinking of the long term affect of it. 
 

 

Really makes you ask the question who benefitted from these signings.

 

In other news, I hear they've completed another sale at Tarriebank.

[speedframe]

3 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

The question I would like answered - is why did we move away from what we done best? Signing decent solid part time pros in Scotland and building up a team and squad with them, moving to signing short term full time players instead.

 

Pre this season (where I think we have people who fit the category above - Lyon / Steele / Slater / Murray / McIntosh) the only players we’ve still got signed at the club from Dicks 2022/2023 season are Jacobs and Ryan Dow (who signed in January 2023) - I think this is a big part of why we have struggled and why next season looks so daunting. 
 

I mean even Shanks as an example - he was signed for 2 year - now I don’t think Shanks was good enough to play in the Championship which is fair enough and understandable, but if we had loaned him out or kept him on the books, maybe used him as an impact sub he may have come on a lot as a player and ended up being a character and a part of the squad. Shanks would still be our player right now and would have been a good player to have going into a League 1 season.
 

Like I said though he was probably not up to the level so maybe getting rid of him altogether was correct and fair…. however - the ‘Full Time’ players we have signed in attacking positions are absolutely not any better than what he was - we have had -

Kareem Isiaka

Daniel Fosu

Deri Corfe

Paul Komolafe

Turan

Kyle Robinson

El Mhanni

 

All come in - take a wage and f**k off.
 

None of these players were ever going to be here for longer than 6 months / 1 year and while Shanks had his faults he was a better player than all of the above and we would have had the benefit of him becoming part of the group and forming bonds and a connection with the group of players here.

 

Now that is just an example - but what I am trying to say is that we signed all of these ‘Full Time’ guys who we knew at the time would have only been here for a year tops instead of part time players in this country who could have potentially been a part of the club for 2/3/4… 10 years like others have. You obviously can’t hit with every one of these guys but there might have been 2 or 3 that become a part of the core. It all kind of ripped the arse out of any identity and togetherness we had. 
 

For me the only proper successes have been Bird and Adarkwa maybe has a case too however he was injured so often.
 

Every single one of these other guys are and were no better than PT players in Scotland who could’ve become a McKenna or a Goldie. From what I hear too some of these players have been coming in and getting better wages than the likes of McKenna / Goldie which is shite and is bound to have rubbed some up the wrong way. I mean if their only source of income was Arbroath FC then they must’ve been getting at a minimum £20k odd for a year or £10k odd for 6 months which is naturally just going to be more than what PT players would be getting as they do not have FT jobs and salaries like the PT players. 
 

I do feel like this is one of the main reasons we are in a mess right now and I don’t mean relegated because we could’ve and would’ve ended up easily been relegated with just signing PT players too. I mean a mess as in having a squad of 6/7 currently signed up for next season and only a couple of them who have been here for more than a season. 
 

The list of players who were ‘Full Time’ and who we would’ve known had no long term future at the club when we signed them is as follows 

 

Daniel Fosu

Kareem Isiaka

Deri Corfe

Sean Adarkwa 

Paul Komolafe 

El Mhanni

Lewis Banks

Florent Hoti

Kyle Robinson

Turan

Norey 

Bird

 

Now we have obviously learned our lesson this year and only signed 3 - but see all the PT guys we’ve signed this year that are signed for next year they are going to be the guys we are counting on as the basis of our squad in L1 - Stowe / Steele / Slater / Murray / McIntosh 

 

If we had done this the season before and there were 4/5 successes instead of all these short term FT jobbers (a lot of who were brought in to bomb out guys like LD / Shanks / Craigen / JT) then we could maybe be sitting with a decent group for L1 right now - maybe have 9/10 players on top of the core who have been here forever - would’ve been more of a team and squad unit too as guys built relationships which could’ve made our older core of guys be more determined to be here again next season regardless of who the gaffer was.

 

I do feel like all our bother started at the start of the 2022/2023 season - absolutely tore the arse out of everything that makes a part time squad and team successful - for short term fixes that we thought would be an improvement on PT players in Scotland - however not thinking of the long term affect of it. 
 

 

No mention of £1800 a week Scott Allan?

[ExiledLichtie]

14 minutes ago, speedframe said:

No mention of £1800 a week Scott Allan?

The boy seems to get a payrise every time he is mentioned.  

[RedLichtie86]

Scott Allan has totally disappeared at Larne. Started 4 out of the first 7 games for them. Came on in 2 others.

Then either on the bench or not even in the squad for the rest of the season bar one cup game in November.

Mad to think how excited we were when he first signed for us. 

[ecto]

1 hour ago, ExiledLichtie said:

The boy seems to get a payrise every time he is mentioned.  

Have to say 1800 quid a week, was the figure quoted to me when he signed 

[DUAFC]

3 hours ago, Hammerafc said:

Scott Stewart 2 year deal is the best news in a while.

Best news since........hang on.....

Dick left !!

[1320Lichtie]

If Michael McKenna signs then I will happily admit I’ve massively overreacted and been an absolute fud - so seeing as I do that all the time the chances are looking good for that happening 

 

McKenna for 2 years would be so good - f**k it throw in an extension for Goldie too

[lichtie23]

12 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

If Michael McKenna signs then I will happily admit I’ve massively overreacted and been an absolute fud - so seeing as I do that all the time the chances are looking good for that happening 

 

McKenna for 2 years would be so good - f**k it throw in an extension for Goldie too

Scotty re-signing doesn’t change my opinion that McIntyre isn’t the man for us. 

[ExiledLichtie]

2 minutes ago, lichtie23 said:

Scotty re-signing doesn’t change my opinion that McIntyre isn’t the man for us. 

Agreed.  Fresh start needed.

[1320Lichtie]

11 minutes ago, lichtie23 said:

Scotty re-signing doesn’t change my opinion that McIntyre isn’t the man for us. 

I totally understand that - for me I think if the players commit to us (and in turn sign for us knowing McIntyre is the manager) then I’m absolutely happy to put trust in him for the new season and see how it goes.
 

My biggest concern was that the players weren’t having him and the arse would fall out of the entire thing but if others follow on then I’ll get on board and trust that they’re behind him too 

 

 

Edited April 11 by 1320Lichtie

[AFC360PUNK1320]

12 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

In a complete 180 - I have more faith - fickle as f**k I know but Stewart signing on when Gold will be here too makes Gaston and McKenna and others more likely too sign on again in my opinion. Maybe even ToB will stay put but can’t make my mind up over that. Maybe a question for Wednesday, if they expect ToB to be here.
 

If all of the above does happen I will shut my puss, not say a bad word and get behind McIntyre because at a minimum we should be ok next year. 
 

 

Is ToB not going into his 2nd season of a 5 year contract with the Red Lichties? 

[AFC360PUNK1320]

Absolute delighted that Scott Stewart has signed a new 2 year contract with the Red Lichties, surprised but over the moon to keep our POTY.

Jim McIntyre's assistant Jimmy Boyle would have played a big part in getting Scottie on board as he is big pals with his Dad Sandy Stewart from their Airdrie days so well done to the Management Team and the AFC Board.

But i am still needing convinced on JMc but this is a good start and if he keeps the likes of Goldie/McKenna/Hammy/Gaston/Dow then i will be delighted and i am resigned that Ricky will move to a club closer to home with our best wishes for his commitment to the Red Lichties BUT if he did also sign back on then that would be another bonus.

If McIntyre could convince those players to re-sign and with our existing players and bring in another 4/5 quality Scottish part-time players then we will have a great squad for next season and i will salute JMc and admit i was wrong.

As a Red Lichtie fan i really do hope Jim McIntyre proves me wrong and time will tell.

Smokies & Wine 36-0.        

[relichtie]

Had we stayed in the championship, I think it might have been a season too far for Ricky, but he would scoosh Lg1 imo. Hopefully we get Gats and Mikey signed up as well. Not able to make next Wednesday as I have another commitment but will be interesting to see the reaction of those there and if JMac can get them onside.