The Arbroath Thread

[ExiledLichtie]

3 hours ago, lichtiekev said:

Hilson coming on and Donnelly starting I'm midfield shows they are here to stay,  

I realize its harsh but for me only Shanks looks half decent out of all the signing, all the other signings aren't good enough and seem a bit panic buys, Corfe and Fosu don't look like they are cut out for this level and Jacobs looks finished,

Today was a complete failure, starting Donnelly in midfield will never workand them swapping Mckenna, Fosu and Donnelly around every 5 minutes is a joke, then finishing a  game chasing a goal with a centre back playing on left and Hilslon on the right, 

Unfortunately we are needing more than a striker, 

 

How can you write Corfe, Fosu and Jacobs off in August?  Fosu is a midfielder played out of position, Jacobs is clearly not quite fit, and Corfe has barely had a sniff.

The manager has got to improve though, that's twice in a row he has got the team utterly wrong.

[DUAFC]

1 hour ago, SteveTheLichtie said:

 

Queens Park didn't create any chances......FFS that's worryingly dilusutional. Gats was brilliant and kept the scoreline respectable. 

The first thing you should be analysing on Monday is why LD is playing central midfield cos quite frankly I find that terrifying.......that said, early days !!

Edited August 20, 2022 by DUAFC

[Tattie36]

Dick’s post match guff was kind of endearing last season but it’s getting a bit embarrassing. We all like to slag off Billy Dodds etc for their deluded one-eyed view of how games went but this is on another level.

Did he spend the first half on the shitter or something? 0-4 would not have been an unfair score at the break.

[lichtiekev]

7 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

How can you write Corfe, Fosu and Jacobs off in August?  Fosu is a midfielder played out of position, Jacobs is clearly not quite fit, and Corfe has barely had a sniff.

The manager has got to improve though, that's twice in a row he has got the team utterly wrong.

Because they haven't done one thing between them to think oh there's a player in there...... Fosu was signed off his goal vs Montrose, I'd love to be proven wrong but I don't see it happening,

Jacobs clearly had pedigree but his legs are gone, its pretty obvious and the fact he is dropped for donnelly already confirms it,

[1320Lichtie]

I know for a fact LD played central midfield against St Johnstone in a bounce game the Wednesday before we played Inverness at home and he was supposedly outstanding. I imagine LD would be incredible in training, especially in smaller games. I’d love him on my 5 a side team but the problem always has been applying that in an 11 aside  football match.
 

Him playing in there is absolutely bizarre, I remember him playing in the 10 for a bit at the start of last season and everyone saying he didn’t have the legs for that at the time so the fact he’s dropped in to the centre of the park is crazy

[afc_36_0]

Harsh writing the new signings off already.
What isn’t harsh is that hilson and donnelly are not championship players, thats a fact we’ve known for some time now but continue to play them.

[Tattie36]

The only thing I can think is that Donnelly and Hilson are fantastic in training. The management obviously really rate them and are desperate for them to come good. We all know it ain’t happening though and, while I admire Dick’s loyalty, they are simply not good enough. I don’t think they’ll go though, they get far too much game time to suddenly just be moved on.

I would much rather Paterson came on instead of Hilson today. Paterson is a better player and has scored as many goals this season as Hilson did the whole of last.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Tattie36

[ExiledLichtie]

28 minutes ago, lichtiekev said:

Because they haven't done one thing between them to think oh there's a player in there...... Fosu was signed off his goal vs Montrose, I'd love to be proven wrong but I don't see it happening,

Jacobs clearly had pedigree but his legs are gone, its pretty obvious and the fact he is dropped for donnelly already confirms it,

It is August.  We are 4 games in.  Corfe has been signed for what, 2 weeks?  This is a knee jerk reaction. 

[1320Lichtie]

Just listened to Dicks interview and don’t think it was even bad. Only thing he said that was silly was that QP didn’t have many chances and we had more that certainly isn’t true 

 

He was annoyed at lack of quality today. He was impressed with Shanks. He said he’s got to sit down and look at what’s going on because he’s not happy with what he’s getting out squad. He said he will be strengthening squad, happy with that. Happy he’s said all of that.

 

I do think we’ve got to ride this wave out, after last year there’s probably a lot of pressure on the players now. Obviously good ones there who are capable of more but when you’re in a rut this division is ruthless. As a team right now we are most definitely not that however Scotty Allan and new strikers in should make a big difference and one win could pull us right out of this. Momentum is massive in this league as every week it’s tough. 
 

Also hope there’s not too many more windy days like that this season that was a total pain in the arse today. Gayfield at its worst. Never had too many last season. 
 

 

[RedLichtie86]

Dick looking at the problems

[keptie]

7 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Just listened to Dicks interview and don’t think it was even bad. Only thing he said that was silly was that QP didn’t have many chances and we had more that certainly isn’t true 
 

 

Well why say that? we're not idiots we all saw that QP had way more chances than Arbroath.

[clashcityrocker]

Arguably one of Arbroath's worst performances for a long time - everything that could go wrong went wrong - players off form, playing out of position and no bite up front.

Changing 3/4 of the team formation with these substitutions never worked either - perhaps he was trying to give everyone a run out before deciding which players will be getting moved on ?

It was not all bad, Scott Allan looked good and make a big impact in the coming months.

I am confident the players will rediscover their mojo soon - but it was hard going watching that performance.

If we had lost 0-4 there could have been no complaints.

[Lichtie78]

Yesterday really magnified our recent failings in the transfer market - no replacement for Chris Hamilton & no striker to speak of. Really, really disappointed with the way we have played with the wind the last 2 games. Countless balls over the top that just roll out for goal kicks, instead of getting the ball down and playing. Hopefully the signing of Scott Allan means we change our style slightly, as just now it's an absolutely grim watch. Usual suspects like Donnelly & Hilson get stuck (deservedly so), but everyone needs to buck up their ideas a bit. Scott Stewart for me is incredibly frustrating, such poor end product. I'm not sure if Keaghan Jacobs is unfit, taking time to adjust to part time or whatever but right now he's a massive flop. He'll be on a more than decent wage you imagine, and right now cannot be trusted to start a game. 

[ecto]

3 hours ago, keptie said:

Well why say that? we're not idiots we all saw that QP had way more chances than Arbroath.

It's what he does 

 

2 hours ago, clashcityrocker said:

Arguably one of Arbroath's worst performances for a long time - everything that could go wrong went wrong - players off form, playing out of position and no bite up front.

Changing 3/4 of the team formation with these substitutions never worked either - perhaps he was trying to give everyone a run out before deciding which players will be getting moved on ?

It was not all bad, Scott Allan looked good and make a big impact in the coming months.

I am confident the players will rediscover their mojo soon - but it was hard going watching that performance.

If we had lost 0-4 there could have been no complaints.

A defensive midfielder is now the priority, getting one appears to be the issue, then get a striker in, think everyone would agree this is what's required, if that's what's required, then there is no place in the team for McKenna, Allan and Low, three into two doesn't go, thoughts 

 

[1320Lichtie]

36 minutes ago, ecto said:

It's what he does 

 

A defensive midfielder is now the priority, getting one appears to be the issue, then get a striker in, think everyone would agree this is what's required, if that's what's required, then there is no place in the team for McKenna, Allan and Low, three into two doesn't go, thoughts 

 

Seriously can anyone please explain to me why can’t McKenna play central midfield? What player could we get on loan who could get about the park more than he can and get stuck in and win the ball back more than he can?
 

There wouldn’t be any, he just needs told to be more disciplined. Perfect for it. He played central midfield before coming here. He’s played central midfield for us plenty before too. Got all the attributes to go in there and be the physical midfield presence everyone is looking for 

[DUAFC]

I'll try......

McKenna was our top scorer last season and pitched in with numerous assists. If he's played further back we lose this. 

[ExiledLichtie]

Agreed!  If he was asked to sit back a bit, as he has done plenty of times before, McKenna absolutely could play centre midfield.  Sure, he wouldnt get as many goals, but his physicality, presence, and tactical flexibility would really help us.

[1320Lichtie]

9 minutes ago, DUAFC said:

I'll try......

McKenna was our top scorer last season and pitched in with numerous assists. If he's played further back we lose this. 

McKenna and indeed guys like Chris Hamilton, who seems to have turned into the best central defensive midfielder in all of the lower leagues since he has left, were massively helped by a very good striker. The whole team benefitted massively from Nouble and latterly Hamilton. Holding it up, getting in behind, winning free kicks and throws up the park etc etc etc. David Gold was just as good if not better than Chris Hamilton when he played that role last season

 

This is now not happening, so we can’t get up the park and the ball keeps coming back at us, the midfield thing currently looking like a bigger deal than it is cause Luke Donnelly (!!!!!!!) is playing in there and looking like a crisp packet blowing about in the wind. Fosu gets about better but he looks out his depth in a midfield 2 as well

 

Also there’s this player we have now called Scott Allan, who is probably the best number 10 in the division!!! 

Edited August 21, 2022 by 1320Lichtie

[ecto]

11 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Seriously can anyone please explain to me why can’t McKenna play central midfield? What player could we get on loan who could get about the park more than he can and get stuck in and win the ball back more than he can?
 

There wouldn’t be any, he just needs told to be more disciplined. Perfect for it. He played central midfield before coming here. He’s played central midfield for us plenty before too. Got all the attributes to go in there and be the physical midfield presence everyone is looking for 

Never said he couldn't play centre mid, don't think he can play defensive centre mid, which is what we need, bags of energy, but is he as creative as Low, probably not, so he doesn't replace him, if we are saying Allan is likely to play as the number 10, so he's not going to play there, so where does he play

[1320Lichtie]

9 minutes ago, ecto said:

Never said he couldn't play centre mid, don't think he can play defensive centre mid, which is what we need, bags of energy, but is he as creative as Low, probably not, so he doesn't replace him, if we are saying Allan is likely to play as the number 10, so he's not going to play there, so where does he play

A defensive central midfield player is just a midfield player who sits, doesn’t bomb on and tries to break up play when the team doesn’t have the ball. Chris Hamilton only good attributes were running about a lot and tackling, Mikey can do that? He’s also a much better football player when in possession of a football. McKenna is probably one of the most industrious, physical and fit players in the division

 

McKenna and Low can 100 percent play in a midfield two. I don’t like the thought of it being Allan and Low as that is too lightweight and not Allan’s game at all. Allan needs to play in the 10 and McKenna needs to be in the team. It seems like the simplest of solutions but yet we’re firing LD and Fosu in a midfield 2 it’s crazy