The Arbroath Thread

[SimonLichtie]

17 minutes ago, Lichteeeeee said:

The poster/roaster who clearly got it all right, is still here.

17 minutes ago, Lichteeeeee said:

I havent went quiet at all, ive posted about 15 times in my life.

 

[ExiledLichtie]

I think most of the January signings have been solid, and I'd be happy to see them kept on.  I kind of assumed that they had been signed with an eye on next season.

Where are we with Paterson and Shanks?

Edited to add, although Komolafe has had plenty of chances, and hasnt shown enough, so he's the one I'd release.

Edited April 19, 2023 by ExiledLichtie

[Tattie36]

I think we need to shit or get off the pot with regard to a hybrid setup.

Either we do it properly or not at all. As 1320Lichtie says, trawling the English 73rd tier trying to unearth another Nouble… or even just a player good enough for this level has been a total failure.

My big worry with staying fully part-time is that I can’t think of a single club, in recent years, that has stayed in the second tier for more seasons than where we are currently. It’s not just about attracting decent full-time players, it also enables a core squad to train together more than twice a week.

I think that, if we have long term ambitions to stay here then I would like to see us at least try a proper hybrid set-up. Many of our stalwarts are happy part-time and we could still attract the best part-timers in the country.

Full-time is a complete non starter… unless we ever reached the Premiership.

Just my opinion and I know a lot here don’t agree.

[1320Lichtie]

14 minutes ago, Tattie36 said:

I think we need to shit or get off the pot with regard to a hybrid setup.

Either we do it properly or not at all. As 1320Lichtie says, trawling the English 73rd tier trying to unearth another Nouble… or even just a player good enough for this level has been a total failure.

My big worry with staying fully part-time is that I can’t think of a single club, in recent years, that has stayed in the second tier for more seasons than where we are currently. It’s not just about attracting decent full-time players, it also enables a core squad to train together more than twice a week.

I think that, if we have long term ambitions to stay here then I would like to see us at least try a proper hybrid set-up. Many of our stalwarts are happy part-time and we could still attract the best part-timers in the country.

Full-time is a complete non starter… unless we ever reached the Premiership.

Just my opinion and I know a lot here don’t agree.

I think if we have a sustained period where we are selling 1500 season tickets year on year and are getting average crowds of over 2k then it’s maybe a conversation that should be had in regards to FT football. But that’ll be a long way away if it ever did happen. You’d want a solid 5 years of sustained backing before committing to anything like that and it’s something that this management team and a lot of our players have zero interest in. 
 

This is the first proper year we’ve tried the hybrid thing, probably done it for around a year now from Bakare and Ford onwards we’ve had guys move into the town and train 2 days extra with coaches. We’ve definitely not got most of them right but I think with Sellars etc now as part of a recruitment team we will have more hits than misses going forward and getting loans from big English clubs and guys along the lines of Banks will be helpful overall. 
 

 

[lichtiemike]

This summer will be telling to where we go as a club, it’s difficult to speculate how many season tickets we will sell. 

[RawB93]

1 hour ago, Lichteeeeee said:

while you sit their with your funny old haircut

 

[clashcityrocker]

2 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Could be Bobbys last year too now he’s 37.. 

Would be keen to keep Sir Bobby Linn next season - not only as an impact sub, but also working as a coach - even when he is not playing he is a big influence to the squad - his drive and motivation at his age is a real inspiration to the players.

Would keep Bobby next season - he still has a role to play.

[Tattie36]

1 minute ago, clashcityrocker said:

Would be keen to keep Sir Bobby Linn next season - not only as an impact sub, but also working as a coach - even when he is not playing he is a big influence to the squad - his drive and motivation at his age is a real inspiration to the players.

Would keep Bobby next season - he still has a role to play.

I agree, give him another season.

I don’t normally think there’s much place for sentiment when it comes to keeping players, or managers, beyond their sell by date but Bobby Linn is different. He deserves it more than anyone that’s ever been involved with the club imo and, like you, I still think he has a lot to offer - on and off the pitch.

[Smokerson]

3 hours ago, Lichteeeeee said:

The poster/roaster who clearly got it all right, is still here.

 

Did i really get to you, telling you there was dressing room unrest, and it appears to have been true

 

I havent went quiet at all, ive posted about 15 times in my life.

All i ever stated was that the signings at the start of the season (. Noubles mates ) were not good enough, most have since left.

4-5 folks who had signed new deals for this season, would ask to be released ( that happened ) 

And that the dressing room unrest was there, which has been evident given the shocking performances ( this happened )

Truth hurts eh

If that makes me a roaster/poster, while you sit their with your funny old haircut, and high cholesterol wondering why our team has turned to shit, and are boasting now that we have clawed our way to 8th, id suggest you take a look in the mirror

haha, what an utter walloper you really are son.  What's your thoughts on the last 9 games since you've crawled back out your cave?

Also, can you update us on any goings on in the dressing room of late?

[timlichtie]

I’m pretty sure the hybrid experiment is nearly over. There’s no reason why guys like Banks and Adarkwa couldn’t be offered part time contracts and fixed up with employment if they wanted. Dick’s always been creative in these deals. There’s no doubt we’ve learned a lot this season especially from the poor start. Whatever happens I imagine we’ll be well sorted this summer.

[Tattie36]

20 minutes ago, Smokerson said:

haha, what an utter walloper you really are son.  What's your thoughts on the last 9 games since you've crawled back out your cave?

Also, can you update us on any goings on in the dressing room of late?

Didn’t one of his “in the know” posts also say we were getting seats in the switchie end by the end of 2022? Or did I imagine that?

Its quite easy to speculate that there is unrest when a few players leave and results aren’t going your way.

I don’t understand what motivates folk to post like that. Especially supposed fans.

[1320Lichtie]

56 minutes ago, timlichtie said:

I’m pretty sure the hybrid experiment is nearly over. There’s no reason why guys like Banks and Adarkwa couldn’t be offered part time contracts and fixed up with employment if they wanted. Dick’s always been creative in these deals. There’s no doubt we’ve learned a lot this season especially from the poor start. Whatever happens I imagine we’ll be well sorted this summer.

Well there is, they are obviously guys who want to try and make it in the game and get themselves a full time deal.
 

Also how would that work then, they move up to Arbroath, work a job and then have to go through to Perth 2 nights a week to train with everyone. That doesn’t sound like a very attractive proposition? 
 

What benefit would we have in abandoning it to get them on a part time deal instead?

Have to pay their digs and then end up with guys who’ve been putting a weeks graft in instead of going to the gym and doing training sessions. It would be of no benefit at all to the club or the players to hand them part time deals and get them jobs? It makes absolutely no sense 

[1320Lichtie]

51 minutes ago, Tattie36 said:

Didn’t one of his “in the know” posts also say we were getting seats in the switchie end by the end of 2022? Or did I imagine that?

Its quite easy to speculate that there is unrest when a few players leave and results aren’t going your way.

I don’t understand what motivates folk to post like that. Especially supposed fans.

The poster definitely did and who knows maybe that will happen I mean there is a severe lack of seating available for away supporters, dunno how that would work or what it could even look like mind you.

[Lichtielegend]

Has any club successfully implemented a hybrid setup long term?

Football has changed a lot in the 30 odd years I have been going to games as have the advances in sport science. 

Back then, full-time teams main advantage was that they had superior stamina which makes sense as they could do more training and had better recovery options. There have been various advances in science and nutrition that have drastically reduced this gap. Even non-league clubs will have things like ice baths, GPS vests and all kinds of physical and analytical tools to improve performance. However before every club had access to this stuff, there was probably benefit in having a hybrid setup, no issue in having a core of players who have the stamina to go toe-to-toe for 90 mins.

Now, it seems to me that, particularly the successful, full-time teams now benefit (due to the reduced need for fitness and conditioning work to be so time consuming) from more tactical work, particularly with the ball. In some cases it's almost become like basketball in that the players have a number of set ways of progressing the ball up the pitch from the back and if the space doesn't open up, they just play the ball back and start again. It's more noticeable with the better teams.

To do this requires the whole team on the training ground spending time practicing these (what are effectively set plays) over and over again. Having a hybrid system basically makes this impossible as the players don't get enough time together to work on this until it becomes instinctive.

[1320Lichtie]

I think it would purely open up a bigger pool and market of players to go for, that’s it.
 

Adarkwa on the latest S&W podcast said that he’d loved coming here, moving up here and being able to get away from it all and focussing on himself getting to the gym and doing extra sessions etc.  

 

Understand point in regards to other things and agree but I think it would just help to make the market of guys available to us much bigger. 
 

And aye Ford, Bakare, Corfe and Fosu total waste of time but Oakley, Adarkwa, El Mhanni and Banks especially it’s been worthwhile.

Edited April 21, 2023 by 1320Lichtie

[TheRoundO]

Moved on to next season already in his thread?  
Anyway, if we match or better Accies result on Saturday we will be eighth. 
Then we can bicker about players and contracts systems for next season. 

[lichtie23]

Has El-Mhanni really been a success? He was terrific on his debut against Dundee but has been average at best since then. 

[timlichtie]

26 minutes ago, TheRoundO said:

Moved on to next season already in his thread?  
Anyway, if we match or better Accies result on Saturday we will be eighth. 
Then we can bicker about players and contracts systems for next season. 

Whatever happens we need to end this season with a different mindset to the way we went into last summer. Dick admitted that they took their eye off the ball after our heroics. Whether it’s another Championship challenge or a promotion push in League 1 really expect us to hit the ground running this year. The support is going to hold up so there will be funds for good solid signings.

[Smokerson]

59 minutes ago, lichtie23 said:

Has El-Mhanni really been a success? He was terrific on his debut against Dundee but has been average at best since then. 

I think he has shown enough to warrant another deal, I suspect he maybe wouldnt sign anyway due to lack of opportunities. He certainly hasnt been a dud like Ford, Bakare, Corfe and the other lad whos name escapes me.

[1320Lichtie]

El Mhanni game time has been very limited which is not his fault but when he’s played on the whole he’s been good aye.