The Arbroath Thread

[Arachnophile]

3 hours ago, ecto said:

 Dicks out before the tattie holidays

 

I think I've seen that video.

 

[ExiledLichtie]

On the other thread, I was like Simon, more impressed by Dundee United.  They are way better than other relegated team we've come across, and we won't be the only team they hand out a scudding to.  I'm actually not that bothered.  I've seen far far worse than that:

 

Now that game was a humiliation.  This was a defeat.  So I'm not going to get overly dramatic.  I think one major positive is that in the second half, we kept our composure, got it together, and still gave it a go.  So its not all bad.  I've praised Dundee United in the other thread, and I don't think we should read too much into that game, so I will use this thread for a series of unpopular opinions that will antagonise people:

• Turan was our best striker tonight.  McIntosh was nowhere, Bird looked completely done by 60 minutes, and Turan was the most effective player when he came on.  I can see him playing behind Bird throughout the season, or being a regular bench option.  Some people might not like it, but he caught the eye when he came on.
   
• Jacobs was also really good when he came on.  He was composed, disciplined, calmed things down, and gave us what we needed.  Might be unpopular, but he got the job done there.  He did better than Balde and Slater in that midfield role.
   
• We cannot play 4-4-fucking-2 against championship teams.  Dundee United ate us alive, and others will do that.  We had plenty of fans on here calling for 4-4-2 pre-match, but as Simon said, we get overrun there.  We play one of McIntosh or Bird up there, with Turan as a sub (or vice versa).  We should have had our usual midfield 3.    At the very least, we shouldn't have picked that game to experiment with another brand new pairing.  However, people on here were suggesting 4-4-2 as well, so I am not going to criticise the manager too much for that.
   
• Our subs helped.  God knows we've criticised the managers subs in the past, but he made the right changes today.  Jacobs was the right call, Turan was the right call, bringing Gold on for Hylton shored up that problematic left flank and gave Stewart some protection, and who didn't breathe a sigh of relief when they saw McKenna come on?  They were the right calls.
   
• But that's enough praise for the manager.  Left back has been a problem, and it wouldn't be fair to criticise Stewart for being completely exposed there, but having no left back left us absolutely open at the back, and for that I blame the manager.  Combine having no left back with a slowing Ricky Little (I stick by what I've said), and an ineffective midfield, and we were sliced open in a way that I haven't really seen under Campbell before.  This is unacceptable.  I said back in April that I thought we should be prioritising defence, and I stick by that too.  Every championship manager with any tactical nous will look at that and set their teams up to hammer down their right wing.
   
• Balde gets far too much of a pass on here.  We all love watching him, but he was signed to play the sitting defensive role, and tonight he was supposed to be playing central midfield.  He was appalling.  No tactical discipline whatsoever.  If he can't play the role he was instructed to, he shouldn't play.  Jacobs would have been better.  Gold would have been better.  Allan would have been better.

 

  

 

[Tattie36]

20 minutes ago, b ross said:

40 years going to Gayfield, these are by far the best gravy days I’ve witnessed. 
Hence, not getting overly exercised when things aren’t going to plan. 
 

Very proud of my wee club! 

Absolutely. I’ve been 45 and nothing comes close to where we are now. Just looking back at Simon’s new website reminds us all of where we once were.

Don’t want to go back there any time soon though.

[Tattie36]

8 minutes ago, Arachnophile said:

I think I've seen that video.

 

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

On the other thread, I was like Simon, more impressed by Dundee United.  They are way better than other relegated team we've come across, and we won't be the only team they hand out a scudding to.  I'm actually not that bothered.  I've seen far far worse than that:

 

Now that game was a humiliation.  This was a defeat.  So I'm not going to get overly dramatic.  I think one major positive is that in the second half, we kept our composure, got it together, and still gave it a go.  So its not all bad.  I've praised Dundee United in the other thread, and I don't think we should read too much into that game, so I will use this thread for a series of unpopular opinions that will antagonise people:

• Turan was our best striker tonight.  McIntosh was nowhere, Bird looked completely done by 60 minutes, and Turan was the most effective player when he came on.  I can see him playing behind Bird throughout the season, or being a regular bench option.  Some people might not like it, but he caught the eye when he came on.
   
• Jacobs was also really good when he came on.  He was composed, disciplined, calmed things down, and gave us what we needed.  Might be unpopular, but he got the job done there.  He did better than Balde and Slater in that midfield role.
   
• We cannot play 4-4-fucking-2 against championship teams.  Dundee United ate us alive, and others will do that.  We had plenty of fans on here calling for 4-4-2 pre-match, but as Simon said, we get overrun there.  We play one of McIntosh or Bird up there, with Turan as a sub (or vice versa).  We should have had our usual midfield 3.    At the very least, we shouldn't have picked that game to experiment with another brand new pairing.  However, people on here were suggesting 4-4-2 as well, so I am not going to criticise the manager too much for that.
   
• Our subs helped.  God knows we've criticised the managers subs in the past, but he made the right changes today.  Jacobs was the right call, Turan was the right call, bringing Gold on for Hylton shored up that problematic left flank and gave Stewart some protection, and who didn't breathe a sigh of relief when they saw McKenna come on?  They were the right calls.
   
• But that's enough praise for the manager.  Left back has been a problem, and it wouldn't be fair to criticise Stewart for being completely exposed there, but having no left back left us absolutely open at the back, and for that I blame the manager.  Combine having no left back with a slowing Ricky Little (I stick by what I've said), and an ineffective midfield, and we were sliced open in a way that I haven't really seen under Campbell before.  This is unacceptable.  I said back in April that I thought we should be prioritising defence, and I stick by that too.  Every championship manager with any tactical nous will look at that and set their teams up to hammer down their right wing.
   
• Balde gets far too much of a pass on here.  We all love watching him, but he was signed to play the sitting defensive role, and tonight he was supposed to be playing central midfield.  He was appalling.  No tactical discipline whatsoever.  If he can't play the role he was instructed to, he shouldn't play.  Jacobs would have been better.  Gold would have been better.  Allan would have been better.

 

  

 

I find the Balde take weird, he was mostly deployed as a Winger or Attacking midfielder at East fife...

[Fitbafan36]

13 minutes ago, TheClosingArguement said:

I find the Balde take weird, he was mostly deployed as a Winger or Attacking midfielder at East fife...

Yeah but Dick rarely plays guys in the positions they’re used to playing in. Surprised he wasn’t shoved out on the left wing like practically every other signing

[Cardle is Magic]

1 hour ago, lichtie23 said:

If you were one of the idiots that booed the team off at hand time

 

dont come back 

How should a true supporter react at “hand time”?

[lichtie23]

3 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:

How should a true supporter react at “hand time”?

Autocorrect, chunky thumbs and too many Peroni. 
 

Last night was bad, but booing your team off at half time in the first game of the season is embarrassing. 

[keptie]

Well, that was a pretty horrendous start to the new season and tbh i wasn't surprised we were well beat but certainly wasn't expecting to be 4 down at half time. Balde, apart from his goal line clearance had a bit of a mare and in general we got sliced through way to easily. Not sure if United were that good or if we were particularly bad, a bit of both i suspect. However, hardest start to season we could have got and i hope with hard work and the players getting to know each other  better we can pick it up. 

[SmokeyJoe]

8 hours ago, ExiledLichtie said:

Balde gets far too much of a pass on here.  We all love watching him, but he was signed to play the sitting defensive role, and tonight he was supposed to be playing central midfield.  He was appalling.  No tactical discipline whatsoever.  If he can't play the role he was instructed to, he shouldn't play.  Jacobs would have been better.  Gold would have been better.  Allan would have been better.

Balde was not signed to play defensive midfield  

 

balde obviously has abundance of energy so needs to be box to box or used in a more attacking way pressing the opposition or wide.

Montrose game in the shape we played was fine against that quality but last night there was no chance for him. United passed it round our midfield then waltz’d through them 

Edited August 5, 2023 by SmokeyJoe

[ExiledLichtie]

I thought we played Balde in a defensive water carrying role most of last season.  I'm struggling to remember any games where he played in a forward role (that was McKenna) or out on the wing.  I could be wrong, but I don't think he's been an attacking midfielder for us. Even last night, he looked like he was supposed to be in a midfield 2. 

[Fitbafan36]

I think now we know how the game panned out it’s a little different but I can see why we went 442 because I think a few people felt there was the chance of a scalp.
However, and it is for the umpteenth time, the management team didn’t know how to change it when we needed to. Continued to let our defence be bombarded and our midfield be run all over. It’s a running theme that if plan A doesn’t work then we are out of options. It’s not a new problem. I could reel off games where tactical change was needed and never came and cost us points. Most prominent example being Killy away when it was so obvious we needed more support in midfield cause of how much of the ball and space they were getting and it never came. Sound familiar? 
I’ll of course continue to support the management team but to be honest I have my doubts.

Also David Gold has covered left back many times and done a decent job so this persistence to play Stewart there is really annoying. (Not a dig at Scotty. I think he’s great but out of position and want to see him back driving up our right wing.)

[Cardle is Magic]

4 hours ago, lichtie23 said:

Autocorrect, chunky thumbs and too many Peroni. 
 

Last night was bad, but booing your team off at half time in the first game of the season is embarrassing. 

I’d tend to agree but it was a really, really awful display and I was booing from the couch at home.

[SmokeyJoe]

17 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

I thought we played Balde in a defensive water carrying role most of last season.  I'm struggling to remember any games where he played in a forward role (that was McKenna) or out on the wing.  I could be wrong, but I don't think he's been an attacking midfielder for us. Even last night, he looked like he was supposed to be in a midfield 2. 

He’s played for just as a central midfielder wouldn’t say defensive role or attacking just all round. I think his game is more suited to an attacking role or wide with his energy and press. 
 

last night slater was the base of midfield like Montrose with balde all over the shop obviously worked miles better against poorer opposition last week. We needed discipline last night and had nothing of the sort hence when got run over and through for 45 mins at ease. 
 

slater is fine for the base of the midfield if we will have plenty of the ball but in games like last night we need a disciplined no nonsense midfielder who’s only interest is to defend and breakup play

[1320Lichtie]

10 hours ago, b ross said:

Naive tonight. Wrong selection, wrong starting 11. 
We all know we’re short in a few areas, no doubt the club have been trying hard to fix this. 
Will be interesting to see how we fare against other sides and if DUFC railroad more teams than us. 
 

Not worried…… for now! No point losing the head at the minute. 

So many central midfield players though and not one of them can tackle. They’re all fucking midgets to boot. If we sign another central midfielder then what the hells the point of having signed so many of them

Edited August 5, 2023 by 1320Lichtie

[ecto]

13 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

So many central midfield players though and not one of them can tackle. They’re all fucking midgets to boot. If we sign another central midfielder then what the hells the point of having signed so many of them

This is correct about the central midfield, also the required LB, doesn’t have to be as good as Hammy, he just needs to be better at LB than Scott Stewart 

[DA Baracus]

Looking forward to John Hughes rocking up at Gayfield in a couple of months...

[1320Lichtie]

16 minutes ago, ecto said:

This is correct about the central midfield, also the required LB, doesn’t have to be as good as Hammy, he just needs to be better at LB than Scott Stewart 

Even getting Scott Stewart into the midfield will add another robust guy who can tackle, even though he’s a winger. Players just run right past every single one of our midfielders it’s so fkn easy.
 

McKenna has to play in there and get up to support Bird. Going two up top can not happen against anyone in this division ever again. We don’t have the physicality in middle of the park to allow it to happen. 

[lichtiekev]

Still pissed off with the set up and the performance, was a mess, 

It's been clear for everyone we have needed a left back, there's not really any excuses to why we haven't got that sorted, a short term deal or loan of a proper left back would be far better than having Stewart playing there, Actually feel sorry for Scotty now.

We also have far to many midfielders who are all to similar, The centre midfield is a bit off a mess, 

The montrose game papered over some cracks and gave fans some optimism that was a wee bit shattered last night,

I actually don't no if the management are stuck in there ways ot to stubborn to realise and see everything everyone else can clearly see

[ExiledLichtie]

Jacobs can tackle.