The Arbroath Thread

[Leicesterlichtie]

So it looks as if Jim is here for the foreseeable future. We're doomed this season so now we need to give him an opportunity to re-sign some of the current squad (Scotty ) and bring in some additions. If he can't get us fighting for promotion then he has to get us at least playing some nice football. Failing either of these, then needs to exit the club.

[TheRoundO]

I think a lot of posters on this thread are underestimating League 1. I don’t think many of our players will be outstanding in L1. 

[ahfpjim]

3 hours ago, relichtie said:

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.

What happens if Gaston and McKenna don't get offered an extension. Would this be discussed on Wednesday ?

[Tattie36]

14 minutes ago, TheRoundO said:

I think a lot of posters on this thread are underestimating League 1. I don’t think many of our players will be outstanding in L1. 

Agree. I have a feeling that we’re no better than a poor L1 side at the moment. We could have a L1 next season with teams like Montrose, Accies, Alloa, Kelty, Stenny etc. Anyone who thinks we can just brush teams like that aside is deluded.

Even if all of our top, out of contract players re-sign that doesn’t mean much unless McIntyre suddenly shows us something that he hasn’t yet…. I won’t hold my breath.

Obviously hope for a brilliant title winning season but next season should be primarily about steadying the ship and building a solid squad imo. Give me a safe, no drama mid table finish and I'll be happy.

Edited April 12 by Tattie36

[North Terrace Gazza]

Historically most teams that have been relegated have not found L1 easy. I suspect without wholesale changes both in management and players you guys will struggle as well.

[lichtie23]

League one will be difficult and IMO Jim isn’t the man that will take us back up 

[Blawin a Hoolie]

On a brighter note I for one am thrilled to see Scottie sign up…bright note on an otherwise rubbish season

[1320Lichtie]

1 hour ago, TheRoundO said:

I think a lot of posters on this thread are underestimating League 1. I don’t think many of our players will be outstanding in L1. 

 

It is pish compared to the Championship though - every week you’re up against a team the level of Falkirk or Hamilton or much better and they 2 have absolutely scooshed it ahead of everyone else.
 

Montrose got pumped 7-1 off a Falkirk team who’d probably only be pushing for the play offs in this division. Cameron Gill, 54 year old Sean Dillon, Paul Watson and Hester make up the spine of a Montrose team who are challenging as best of the rest behind Falkirk and Hamilton.

 

I am not saying for one second we will be world beaters or even a really good L1 team but we definitely have players at the club who should be good players for L1. Guys like McIntosh, Gold, Stewart and others would’ve also benefited big time from playing in the Championship for a sustained period of time. 

 

[Skyline Drifter]

4 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

It is pish compared to the Championship though - every week you’re up against a team the level of Falkirk or Hamilton or much better and they 2 have absolutely scooshed it ahead of everyone else.
 

Montrose got pumped 7-1 off a Falkirk team who’d probably only be pushing for the play offs in this division. Cameron Gill, 54 year old Sean Dillon, Paul Watson and Hester make up the spine of a Montrose team who are challenging as best of the rest behind Falkirk and Hamilton.

 

I am not saying for one second we will be world beaters or even a really good L1 team but we definitely have players at the club who should be good players for L1. Guys like McIntosh, Gold, Stewart and others would’ve also benefited big time from playing in the Championship for a sustained period of time. 

 

Yeah, we thought that.

We have some good players for this level but it's a different league with different tactics and some adapt better than others. With all due respect, Falkirk are miles better than you're giving them credit for here (although nobody's really been good enough to test them at the back, not that convinced about their defence). They've pretty much battered everyone. Dunfermline the year before dropped down and bounced straight back up by having a solid defence and grinding out wins in a completely opposite manner to Falkirk. We on the other hand spent fairly big assembling squads that should have been able to challenge and have spent the majority of both seasons in the bottom half! Hamilton have very comfortably finished 2nd but they spent a lot of money gutting their squad in the summer and changed a lot of players.

Montrose continue to surprise but they are an aging side and I suspect this is their last hurrah at the top end before having to gut the squad also. They and Alloa though have been over this course often enough and know the level well and how to stay in games. Arbroath may drop down and do the same if you are keeping the majority of a part time squad who took you to all that success and they still have legs. But it wouldn't be a major surprise if you dropped down and did the same as us.

[1320Lichtie]

1 hour ago, North Terrace Gazza said:

Historically most teams that have been relegated have not found L1 easy. I suspect without wholesale changes both in management and players you guys will struggle as well.

 

Struggle to do what though? If you mean get promoted then I would absolutely agree but this is the record below of L1 finishes by relegated sides the first season after 

 

 

For last 5 seasons 

 

Relegated sides 2022/23 - Hamilton miles ahead in 2nd. Cove pushing for play offs and no danger of bottom half of table. 
 

 

Relegated sides 2021/22 - Dunfermline champions. QoTS just outside promotion play offs. 
 

 

Relegated sides 2020/21 - Alloa just outside promotion play offs. 
 

Relegated sides 2019/20 - Partick Thistle champions.

 

Relegated sides 2018/19 - Falkirk finished 2nd and missed out on title by 1 point 

 

7 teams 

 

1st place finishes - 2

2nd placed finishes - 2

5th placed finishes - 3 (Cove could be higher) 

Edited April 12 by 1320Lichtie

[1320Lichtie]

1 minute ago, Skyline Drifter said:

Yeah, we thought that.

We have some good players for this level but it's a different league with different tactics and some adapt better than others. With all due respect, Falkirk are miles better than you're giving them credit for here (although nobody's really been good enough to test them at the back, not that convinced about their defence). They've pretty much battered everyone. Dunfermline the year before dropped down and bounced straight back up by having a solid defence and grinding out wins in a completely opposite manner to Falkirk. We on the other hand spent fairly big assembling squads that should have been able to challenge and have spent the majority of both seasons in the bottom half! Hamilton have very comfortably finished 2nd but they spent a lot of money gutting their squad in the summer and changed a lot of players.

Montrose continue to surprise but they are an aging side and I suspect this is their last hurrah at the top end before having to gut the squad also. They and Alloa though have been over this course often enough and know the level well and how to stay in games. Arbroath may drop down and do the same if you are keeping the majority of a part time squad who took you to all that success and they still have legs. But it wouldn't be a major surprise if you dropped down and did the same as us.

First season for Queens in L1 you challenged for the promotion play offs. Would happily take that right now.
 

Not really sure what’s happened to you this season because on paper thought your business looked decent - if you stay up and bin Bartley then things will maybe look brighter next season 

[Skyline Drifter]

7 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Struggle to do what though? If you mean get promoted then I would absolutely agree but this is the record below of L1 finishes by relegated sides the first season after 

For last 5 seasons 

Relegated sides 2022/23 - Hamilton miles ahead in 2nd. Cove pushing for play offs and no danger of bottom half of table. 
 

Relegated sides 2021/22 - Dunfermline champions. QoTS just outside promotion play offs.

 

5 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

First season for Queens in L1 you challenged for the promotion play offs. Would happily take that right now.
 

Not really sure what’s happened to you this season because on paper thought your business looked decent - if you stay up and bin Bartley then things will maybe look brighter next season 

You've made that up, presumably based on a final league table. We did finish 5th, following an excellent run towards the end of the season when Bartley took over (whatever's gone wrong this season, he undeniably improved us significantly when he came in last year). We sat 7th / 8th for most of the season though and the only reason we weren't looking over our shoulder was that Clyde and Peterhead were an absolute mile adrift of everyone else. We got above Edinburgh in the final week by beating an Airdrie team which rested most of their regular starters ahead of the playoffs.

And Cove were sitting bottom half of the table for a fair period this season. They've had a strange season. They won 1 of their first 8 games and looked in a lot of trouble. They then won 8 of the next 9 and moved themselves into a comfortable 3rd spot. Since then they've won 4 of their last 15. Anything could happen in the last 4 games but as it stands I'd expect Alloa and Montrose to make the playoffs ahead of them and whilst the bottom 4 won't trouble them now, it wouldn't be a major shock if Kelty put them in the bottom half.

[1320Lichtie]

17 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

 

You've made that up, presumably based on a final league table. We did finish 5th, following an excellent run towards the end of the season when Bartley took over (whatever's gone wrong this season, he undeniably improved us significantly when he came in last year). We sat 7th / 8th for most of the season though and the only reason we weren't looking over our shoulder was that Clyde and Peterhead were an absolute mile adrift of everyone else. We got above Edinburgh in the final week by beating an Airdrie team which rested most of their regular starters ahead of the playoffs.

And Cove were sitting bottom half of the table for a fair period this season. They've had a strange season. They won 1 of their first 8 games and looked in a lot of trouble. They then won 8 of the next 9 and moved themselves into a comfortable 3rd spot. Since then they've won 4 of their last 15. Anything could happen in the last 4 games but as it stands I'd expect Alloa and Montrose to make the playoffs ahead of them and whilst the bottom 4 won't trouble them now, it wouldn't be a major shock if Kelty put them in the bottom half.

Ok maybe you never challenged 

 

But you did finish 5th finishing 30 points ahead of 9th and 3 points behind 4th place

And so will Cove (at a minimum) by the look of it, 6 points ahead of 6th with 4 games to play

 

I am not sure that could be classed as struggling. Every team in every league goes through highs and lows throughout a season. Final league table is all that matters 

Edited April 12 by 1320Lichtie

[Lichteeeeee]

1 hour ago, Skyline Drifter said:

 

You've made that up, presumably based on a final league table.

He makes a lot up in his own head this fella.

He can tell the " level " of a player and what leagues he/they can perform in etc.

Meet our resident, Mr Know it all 

[ExiledLichtie]

There has been a wee bit of big club arrogance on this thread.  I hope we're not taking any of that into league 1!

[1320Lichtie]

3 minutes ago, Lichteeeeee said:

He makes a lot up in his own head this fella.

He can tell the " level " of a player and what leagues he/they can perform in etc.

Meet our resident, Mr Know it all 

I think, like you, I’m more like Mr Knows f**k all 

 

Just giving an opinion 

[mo83]

1 hour ago, 1320Lichtie said:

It is pish compared to the Championship though - every week you’re up against a team the level of Falkirk or Hamilton or much better and they 2 have absolutely scooshed it ahead of everyone else.
 

Montrose got pumped 7-1 off a Falkirk team who’d probably only be pushing for the play offs in this division. Cameron Gill, 54 year old Sean Dillon, Paul Watson and Hester make up the spine of a Montrose team who are challenging as best of the rest behind Falkirk and Hamilton.

 

I am not saying for one second we will be world beaters or even a really good L1 team but we definitely have players at the club who should be good players for L1. Guys like McIntosh, Gold, Stewart and others would’ve also benefited big time from playing in the Championship for a sustained period of time. 

 

Your in for a big shock in L1 buddy.

I don't think you have any real place to speak about any other teams in L1 when Arbroath have won about 10 games in the last 2 seasons and you haven't seen any of the teams play up close on a regular basis.But if you think places like Kelty,Alloa,Cove,QOS are going to be a scoosh your in for a shock.

Yes the championship is a better league than L1 but currently you don't know what sort of team your going to have and lets face it your wetting your knickers with Scott Stewart staying but its just papering over the cracks with JM in charge. 

Along with the older heads in the team Montrose had Kerr Waddell and Terry Masson out for most of the season, both would be in the team under SP.Along with that we have given youth a chance and have about 5 young lads(17-19) in and around the team.Yeah we haven't been great this season but we are still their about for the play offs.

 

 

 

[mo83]

6 minutes ago, Lichteeeeee said:

He makes a lot up in his own head this fella.

He can tell the " level " of a player and what leagues he/they can perform in etc.

Meet our resident, Mr Know it all 

Correct.....

[1320Lichtie]

Just now, mo83 said:

Your in for a big shock in L1 buddy.

I don't think you have any real place to speak about any other teams in L1 when Arbroath have won about 10 games in the last 2 seasons and you haven't seen any of the teams play up close on a regular basis.But if you think places like Kelty,Alloa,Cove,QOS are going to be a scoosh your in for a shock.

Yes the championship is a better league than L1 but currently you don't know what sort of team your going to have and lets face it your wetting your knickers with Scott Stewart staying but its just papering over the cracks with JM in charge. 

Along with the older heads in the team Montrose had Kerr Waddell and Terry Masson out for most of the season, both would be in the team under SP.Along with that we have given youth a chance and have about 5 young lads(17-19) in and around the team.Yeah we haven't been great this season but we are still their about for the play offs.

 

 

 

Not once have I ever said that it will be a scoosh and literally said that if I got offered 5th place right now I would take it

[North Terrace Gazza]

2 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Struggle to do what though? If you mean get promoted then I would absolutely agree but this is the record below of L1 finishes by relegated sides the first season after 

 

 

For last 5 seasons 

 

Relegated sides 2022/23 - Hamilton miles ahead in 2nd. Cove pushing for play offs and no danger of bottom half of table. 
 

 

Relegated sides 2021/22 - Dunfermline champions. QoTS just outside promotion play offs. 
 

 

Relegated sides 2020/21 - Alloa just outside promotion play offs. 
 

Relegated sides 2019/20 - Partick Thistle champions.

 

Relegated sides 2018/19 - Falkirk finished 2nd and missed out on title by 1 point 

 

7 teams 

 

1st place finishes - 2

2nd placed finishes - 2

5th placed finishes - 3 (Cove could be higher) 

Yes I meant struggle to come straight back up. I didn’t mean further relegation, I can’t envision that.