The Arbroath Thread

[afc_36_0]

Thanks to dick and his team for some unbelievable memories, but all good things……

[Hammerafc]

Not someone that I thought would bring long term success when he was appointed but more of a short term good appointment. Proved wrong and we had some fantastic seasons under Campbell that will never be forgotten. That said the tactics and the football the last 18 months have been hard to watch. I'm not sure we can get a management team in that can repeat that success but it was time for a change for all parties. 

None of the coaching staff deserve abuse from the fans though. They did a great job and it's disappointing it's been a messy end. They will be remembered fondly by most I'm sure.

[SotesBornalichtie]

I can't help feeling that the rot started at the start of last season. Whether due to complacency or arrogance we did not move on from the season before. It seemed to me that because we had the core of the side that finished second the manager didn't need to do anything to improve the side and to quote him, "Good players want to come here". Only there wasn't a queue of good players lining up to sign. 

The signing of Scott Allen ( can one person form a queue?) seemed to cause a bust up in the dressing room and three good players left the club at the same time. I suspect they were strong characters who would stand up to the manager and that was unacceptable to him. Scott Allen didn't, or couldn't, fit in with the manager's style of football and was put out on loan. Things went downhill from there and signings made were awful and we barely escaped relegation.

We started this season the same way we finished last season, then we had three wins and it seemed like we were getting back on track, but have slipped back to the bad old ways. 

So it's no surprise that the Campbells have gone and can only hope that the next manager can start to improve things on the pitch.

[ButAtWhatCost1]

Goodbye sweet prince.

Thanks for the memories.

[Fifes Elite Force]

This seems like a terrible decision.

[Tattie36]

13 minutes ago, Fifes Elite Force said:

This seems like a terrible decision.

It’s not.

18 months of abject football with no signs of improvement. All things come to an end and, despite the wonderful achievements from Dick et al, it had to happen. He had incredible backing and patience from the club and fans but it couldn’t go on for ever.

A sad day but inevitable.

[Fifes Elite Force]

2 minutes ago, Tattie36 said:

It’s not.

18 months of abject football with no signs of improvement. All things come to an end and, despite the wonderful achievements from Dick et al, it had to happen. He had incredible backing and patience from the club and fans but it couldn’t go on for ever.

A sad day but inevitable.

I disagree. If someone else was managing Arbroath and  they were  rooted at the bottom of the league and just sacked their manager I would be suggesting bringing Dick Campbell in.

[Tattie36]

17 minutes ago, Fifes Elite Force said:

I disagree. If someone else was managing Arbroath and  they were  rooted at the bottom of the league and just sacked their manager I would be suggesting bringing Dick Campbell in.

Disagree all you like but very few fans of any team would have shown the patience and good will that Dick (deservedly) had. We all support our teams, not the manager, and if the time is right for a change, for the good of the team, then it has to happen.

In an ideal world Dick would have turned things round, we all wanted it, but it was never happening and that was apparent for months. Sentiment goes out the window when things are looking bleak and there’s not a club in Scotland (anywhere?) that wouldn’t have done the same.

It might not be so obvious to fans of other teams looking in but this wasn’t a knee jerk decision based on a few bad results and poor form. This is the culmination of 18 months of dreadful football, awful signings, bizarre tactics etc etc etc. 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Tattie36

[ExiledLichtie]

53 minutes ago, Fifes Elite Force said:

I disagree. If someone else was managing Arbroath and  they were  rooted at the bottom of the league and just sacked their manager I would be suggesting bringing Dick Campbell in.

And if there was another Dick Campbell on the market to come in and freshen us up, then I'd be all for it.  But there isn't, we got the only one, and his time was up with us.  That doesn't mean he's a bad manager, or that he wouldn't succeed at another club, but for whatever reason (poor recruitment, fresh ideas needed, tactics stale, bad vibes), both parties needed a change.

[vikingTON]

6 hours ago, clashcityrocker said:

We need an older, experienced manager with a long proven track record to steady the ship - someone similar to DC when he joined the club - now is not the time to give a young manager an opportunity.

The perfect candidate for your vacant position then. 

Although it would be better - funnier - for you to first explain why there is a vacancy in the first place. Given that you claimed that Arbroath's squad was so significantly upgraded on last year's that you'd be effortlessly back in the top half this season. 

[vikingTON]

13 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

And if there was another Dick Campbell on the market to come in and freshen us up, then I'd be all for it.  But there isn't, we got the only one, and his time was up with us.  That doesn't mean he's a bad manager, or that he wouldn't succeed at another club, but for whatever reason (poor recruitment, fresh ideas needed, tactics stale, bad vibes), both parties needed a change.

That's a very rational assessment. Regardless of a manager's quality or replacement value, they pretty much all have a shelf life at a single club beyond which it stops working. 

[1320Lichtie]

5 hours ago, Fifes Elite Force said:

This seems like a terrible decision.

 

5 hours ago, Fifes Elite Force said:

I disagree. If someone else was managing Arbroath and  they were  rooted at the bottom of the league and just sacked their manager I would be suggesting bringing Dick Campbell in.

 

On 12/08/2023 at 22:18, RedLichtie86 said:

I have already resigned myself to long and hard season where we ultimately finish bottom.

Last seasons performances on and off the pitch have given me little to no hope for this season. Why?

Because despite all we have achieved up until Jan 2022, we have regressed by a fair bit.

Jan 22, we were riding high yet we failed to build on the momentum we had. Failed to strengthen sufficently and in the end it cost us the title. But that happens in football.

Come summer 22 we had a huge influx of Season Ticket holders, an abundance of positivity going into the season. Did we dare dream of a title challenge or aim for promotion playoffs. Surely we could build upon this squad and achieve that.

But what did we end up with? Bargain basement signings, fallouts within the squad with players leaving. A season where we scored 11, yes 11, fucking goals at home. Tactics, selections and subs all utter pish for the most part. Only by grace of Cove and Hamilton being just marginally worse than us did we stay up.

Does anyone mind Dick saying the fans need to get a grip? This on the back of another poor performance where i believe our only attacking threat in Linn was subbed for Corfe and we booed him. Or when the fans sung Linns name that it "gets on his tits" 

As soon as Jan 23 came Linn was relegated to the bench barely to be seen as Dick was making it clear he was in charge. Not the fans. He knows best..... Yet we still struggled and we all knew Linn would have given us his all and offered far more attacking threat than any other player that played LW. 

And Jan 23 was an ok transfer window with the additions of Balde and Hetherington. El Mhanni was a 1 game wonder. Ardarkwa was injured for a good chunk. And Dow is pretty usless in the final third.

So we stayed up. Dick stayed. New recruitment team was announced. Into another transfer window we went.

Then the fun begins. A few decent signings announced. Then the trialists come and all hell breaks loose. Most are released after less than 2 weeks yet we were told they had all been scouted and believed to be good enough to play for us. IF that was the case infind it hard to believe they would have been punted so quickly.

We do make a few more encouraging signings........ and some questionable signings. Yet it was clear as day that we had 2 huge gaps in the squad. LB and DM. Roles we have needed covered/filled since Apr 23 and May 22. Why was this allowed to happen? Incompetence?

And then the League Cup starts. Same shit different season.

Weak in the midfield, formations that are all over the shop with players playing out of posititon looking like they dont want to be on the pitch. At one point only having 1 fucking defender in the squad because we have been too stupid to have any proper cover. We are like a pub side scrambling to put a side together. I thought we were the best part time club in the country but still have only 4 defenders in our squad. 4!!! And thia has been a common theme for years now. Thats like playing russiun roulette with 5 bullets in the gun and putting on a kevlar vest thinking it will all be ok. 

And thennwe come to our opening match.

Beyond belief that we praticaly went 4-2-4 with a RW at LB, 2 midgets in CM and a gung ho attitude which left us so exposed at the back he waited until we were 4-0 down before making any change to the formation or squad. That game was an embarrasment of failures from Dick. And its not the first time we have seriously questioned his tactics or selections over the past 14 months.

Now do i see things getting better. Yes. The squad is stronger. But only marginally. Our defence is fragile as we have no LB and is too exposed due to our midfield being so weak. Our attack is struggling as we lack any sort of creativity, this despite having Allan on the bench that looked good in preseason as the attackers were making great runs for his passes.

We still need 4 players mimimum. LB, DM and a backup DM and a RB/CB to challenge the other defenders for places.

Do i see Dick lasting the season....... unless we make signings and get results to keep us within touching distance of safety. No

Sorry for the long read.

This post was made at the start of the season and anyone who says this decision was because of a bad run over the last 4/5 weeks is absolutely clueless and should not be commenting on the situation.

 

Everything that Dick Campbell was and had been good at was thrown out the window at the start of last season. The signings were incredibly bad - several guys who were some of the worst players I’d seen play for the club. Deri fkn Corfe!!!! The treatment of Bobby Linn was awful, I think that’s the one thing that wound me up more than any. 
 

This has been a long long long time coming. 

 

- 

I have defended Dick to the hilt, I even said last year that if we were to get relegated I’d give him a chance this season. 
 

Well this seasons here and the same issues have started with falling out with players, terrible squad management in regards to the balance of it, bad decisions on match days and the same poor performances that have made some very good players look a shell of themselves. 
 

We did have a great run, where I think it showed the quality that is there within the squad. Don’t think it needs too much tampering with. Again that is also not down to DC because like I’ve previously said, the club had to appoint a recruitment team last October because DC had made such a mess of recruiting in Summer 2022.

Edited November 26, 2023 by 1320Lichtie

[Chippyminton]

Maybe - just maybe - DC had reached a stage in his life whereby at 70, he was mentally winding down and that his passion for the game had diminished. I’m a joiner who’s done 44 years on the tools, and despite the fact that I’ve always loved what I do - I’ve absolutely had a gutful of it. But despite that - when the phone rings tomorrow with a nice job, I’ll say “Great, I’ll come over and quote this evening” - the simple fact is that doing this is all I know, and it must be exactly the same for anyone who’s spent a lifetime doing one job.
 

There are times when I feel every day of my age - and I’m six years younger than DC. But after the lifetime spent doing something we love (and which often defines us as a person), the realisation that it’s time to call it a day isn’t an easy one to make - plus it’s something which has to come from within rather than being forced upon us. I’m glad DC decided to step down, rather than suffer the ignominy of a sacking in the twilight of such a distinguished career. I’d also like to applaud Lichties supporters for the fair-minded, compassionate, and graceful comments you’ve made about his career, his contributions, and his achievements. Best wishes from Greenock.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Chippyminton

[baba douche]

11 hours ago, jagfox said:

Good-night sweet, bunnetted prince

He did a good (great) job for Arbroath, but I can never forgive him for putting me off football completely when he was at Firhill.

During the first game of the season against Utd, I thought - he's finished. He didn't seem to know what he was doing.

 

 

And yet you absolutely skelped us at Firhill, and I thought 'the old c***s still got it'.

Edited November 26, 2023 by baba douche
Apologies for evil thoughts

[jagfox]

6 minutes ago, baba douche said:

Good fucking riddance - ruined football for me when at Firhill

Defo not a fan of his time at Firhill. Did a great job for the Smokies though.

[baba douche]

Just now, jagfox said:

Defo not a fan of his time at Firhill. Did a great job for the Smokies though.

Aye, went back and changed my comment!

[ecto]

6 hours ago, virginton said:

The perfect candidate for your vacant position then. 

Although it would be better - funnier - for you to first explain why there is a vacancy in the first place. Given that you claimed that Arbroath's squad was so significantly upgraded on last year's that you'd be effortlessly back in the top half this season. 

Surely we’re in a better position, that he’s even a contender, not for me

[afc_36_0]

Some crazy comments and opinions kicking about but the fact is since our almost glory season we have been very poor and only stayed up last season because cove and qos we utter garbage. Other than our mini 4 game winning streak this season we have been really bad and as said the effort and fight seems to have gone now and I didn’t see a way back. We might still get relegated this season but i’d rather take a chance on a new gaffer than the inevitable with dc. He’ll go down a legend but it was time for a change.

[Stevo Fife]

I'm hoping he'll end up at East Fife. Always liked the guy and was probably time for him to move on. A Scottish football legend. 

C'mon Dick. Make Bayview your swan song.

[Hammerafc]

8 minutes ago, afc_36_0 said:

Some crazy comments and opinions kicking about but the fact is since our almost glory season we have been very poor and only stayed up last season because cove and qos we utter garbage. Other than our mini 4 game winning streak this season we have been really bad and as said the effort and fight seems to have gone now and I didn’t see a way back. We might still get relegated this season but i’d rather take a chance on a new gaffer than the inevitable with dc. He’ll go down a legend but it was time for a change.

Last season was that bad you have consigned it out of your memory as it was Hamilton that were awful rather than qots.

From the outside last season looked like a success and ultimately the goal was achieved but the football especially at home was terrible. That said we had the battling quality to hold firm and secure draws in games we looked like losing but this has disappeared this season.

We are still in a reasonable league position though and well in touch with the rest of the league and with the correct appointment we may stay up.

The loan market disappearing for Campbell really seemed to be pivotal as we did very well over the years with Martin, Williamson, Virtanen, C Hamilton, J Hamilton, Nouble that just gave the squad a bit of a boost with the brilliance of Linn, McKenna and an excellent defence we have had a very enjoyable time under Campbell for the majority of his reign as Manager.