Arbroath vs Annan Athletic

[Lichtie78]

First home game since the permanent appointment of Gold & Hamilton…looking forward to this match but will be disappointed if we can’t get the win here. Thats not so much me saying that we should be beating Annan, we all saw the league cup game, rather that I’m just desperate to see us win. Hopefully a win and a bit of confidence into the players, and we can kick on from there.

[36-0 Maroon]

3-0 Comfortable home win Next

[1320Lichtie]

I think we kind of really need to win it for our own sanity. That start we got off to was horrendous, that Kelty game looked destined to finish 0-0 and then we absolutely crumbled after they scored.
 

That was a team carrying the baggage over from last year and then the new players that had come in realising that we were in a bad place there. The first 3 games were shockers and still trying to get over them.
 

I think the last 3 fixtures have been tough ones, losing a 2 goal lead at Dumbarton and then not managing to get the win that I think we definitely deserved against Alloa were real blows. Saturday sounds like it could have went either way and that’s to be expected away to a tough QoTs team but Annan at home is one on paper we absolutely should be looking to win.

 

You would hope and imagine it will be a completely different game to the LC one now we actually have our players back (and McIntyre out) but they carry a huge goal threat with big man Goss. I think Gibson is a cracking player too.

 

It feels mental saying this because we’ve got Reilly and Gallagher who are both proven scorers in this division but I don’t have real confidence in us taking our chances when they present themselves. Gallagher needs a start for this reason I feel.
 

 We also still need to beef up this squad and I hope the gaffers are looking into that. 
 

Praying for a home win and 3 points to finally kick start this season. Cove away and Inverness at home after and if the win doesn’t come this weekend we could be going the full first quarter without a victory. This is definitely a mindset thing that’s carried on from last year and it needs broken as soon as possible. 

Edited Wednesday at 09:02 by 1320Lichtie

[Tattie36]

A win is all that matters here. Cove next week will be very tough - we have never beaten them, even when they were HL, and balmoral is a tough place to play, massive pitch and very fast surface. Cove are also on a wee run of form.

ICT also improved so could easily see us still sitting on 3 points in 3 games time. Conversely, a win on Saturday will give everyone a boost and could see us start to turn this seemingly ever elusive corner - the one we’ve been looking for for over 2 years now.

[lichtie23]

Gallagher for the misfiring Reilly please 

[lichtiekev]

4-4-2 for me, we need to go out and win this game, be on the front foot and not wait for something to happen, 

Get this Strikers on the pitch and put defences under more pressure, Both capable of dropping deep and linking up,

Dow and Stewart out wide and Spalding and Flynn the middle, 

[1320Lichtie]

50 minutes ago, lichtiekev said:

4-4-2 for me, we need to go out and win this game, be on the front foot and not wait for something to happen, 

Get this Strikers on the pitch and put defences under more pressure, Both capable of dropping deep and linking up,

Dow and Stewart out wide and Spalding and Flynn the middle, 

Would be happy with this. Still think we can do that with the way we’re set up just now though - creating plenty just not taking chances 

 

I think we are really seeing the best of Dow now he’s in a more central position. Him and Spalding having great success infront of Flynn 

 

Coulson also one of our main creative players, I would like to see what Gallagher looks like as our main man central to start personally - want to see Stewart up against Quitongo, looking at him in that league cup game and remember thinking Stewart would over power him if one on one but he ended up sent off that day (actually after having started right centre half in a back 3…) 

Edited Wednesday at 13:03 by 1320Lichtie

[ExiledLichtie]

3 hours ago, lichtiekev said:

4-4-2 for me, we need to go out and win this game, be on the front foot and not wait for something to happen, 

Get this Strikers on the pitch and put defences under more pressure, Both capable of dropping deep and linking up,

Dow and Stewart out wide and Spalding and Flynn the middle, 

I think the problem we had when we played them both in a 4-4-2 was that they both dropped deep.  There were so many instances where we'd have Reilly out on the wing, Gallagher in midfield, and a big gaping hole up front.

I also think having a 4-2-3-1 suits us better, as it allows Dow to play the McKenna role (to think there were fans on here who thought McKenna was no great loss) and gives us creativity in the middle.  Playing 2 in the middle led to Callaghan being scapegoated because it was a creative graveyard.

Finally, if fit, I'd like to see Murray start over Coulson.  Coulson has more creative spark, but Murray is perhaps a bit more reliable in terms of end product.  Coulson would perhaps be better against a tiring defence.

Any sort of win is needed, any at all.  We're top of the "taking positives" league table, but we desperately need to win a game.

Edited to add, I think we also need to give Gallagher a chance.  Reilly has had plenty of games, and Gallagher needs a chance to show that he can adapt his game to playing up front on his own.

Edited Wednesday at 15:35 by ExiledLichtie

[Lichtielegend]

Play Gallagher on the left instead of Coulson.

 

[ExiledLichtie]

1 hour ago, Lichtielegend said:

Play Gallagher on the left instead of Coulson.

You mean doing a Hilson? 

[SmokeyJoe]

Gallagher by wasted wide better of putting Reilly there imo. But coulson for me plays and Gallagher comes in 

[AFC360PUNK1320]

HOME game no league wins yet so if ever you are going to play 2 up top is has to be now.

Gallagher has to start as the main striker and let Reilly play off him as i have been very impressed with Reilly apart from his finishing but that hopefully will come sooner than later.

IMO we have a very good squad of players we just NEED that league win especially at Gayfield to push on and relieve a lot of pressure from the squad so lets do it lads.

C'Mon the Red Lichties, 36-0.  

[The Moonster]

On 18/09/2024 at 21:02, Lichtielegend said:

Play Gallagher on the left instead of Coulson.

 

I can't tell you how much of a bad idea this is. Gallagher is wasted out wide, plays to none of his strengths. He played on the right for a large chunk of his Dumbarton career and it was clear when he was moved to striker that he belonged there. 

[glasgowlichtie23]

On 18/09/2024 at 21:02, Lichtielegend said:

Play Gallagher on the left instead of Coulson.

 

sorry but have you been smoking crack 

[1320Lichtie]

[1320Lichtie]

On Gallagher - just get him in the team uptop - whether that’s a 4-4-2 or the way we’ve been playing not fussed but one thing we definitely lack and have lacked since losing Bobby is a match winner - if anyone in the squads gonna be that guy for us it’s him I reckon

 

ETA - feels criminal that he’s not featured more I was buzzing when he signed 

Edited yesterday at 15:48 by 1320Lichtie

[Lichtielegend]

5 hours ago, The Moonster said:

I can't tell you how much of a bad idea this is. Gallagher is wasted out wide, plays to none of his strengths. He played on the right for a large chunk of his Dumbarton career and it was clear when he was moved to striker that he belonged there. 

He's an inferior all round player to Reilly, not to mention his questionable fitness. Gallagher's only chance of making a contribution this season is either as a supersub, or by modifying how we play him.

If Gallagher was playing on the left the last 3 games, he would have had plenty of chances to score with the amount of cut-backs Scott Stewart is putting in the danger area. Perfect for someone arriving late at the back post.

[The Moonster]

24 minutes ago, Lichtielegend said:

He's an inferior all round player to Reilly, not to mention his questionable fitness. Gallagher's only chance of making a contribution this season is either as a supersub, or by modifying how we play him.

If Gallagher was playing on the left the last 3 games, he would have had plenty of chances to score with the amount of cut-backs Scott Stewart is putting in the danger area. Perfect for someone arriving late at the back post.

Your theory would be sound if it weren't for the huge log of evidence that suggests playing him out wide nullifies his goal threat. Compare his goal stats with us and Airdrie, us being a team who regularly used him out wide for years and Airdrie being a team who played him solely where he should be. 

What questionable fitness does he have? He's not known for being injury prone and one thing that endeared him to our support was his non stop effort. 

[1320Lichtie]

10 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Your theory would be sound if it weren't for the huge log of evidence that suggests playing him out wide nullifies his goal threat. Compare his goal stats with us and Airdrie, us being a team who regularly used him out wide for years and Airdrie being a team who played him solely where he should be. 

What questionable fitness does he have? He's not known for being injury prone and one thing that endeared him to our support was his non stop effort. 

Would agree.
 

Reilly genuinely seems very good all round, early days but he does a lot for us as a team going forward with clever movement and flicks / passes etc but main thing we need is the ball in the net and it’s not happened for him, would argue he should have about 3/4 goals by now easy.
 

Stenny header, Kelty from 6 yards (mental save in fairness but don’t think he should’ve had the chance to save it), Dumbarton after rounding the keeper, Alloa one on one was slightly tougher but think should score was right behind him and then QoTS sounded a sitter at weekend. All at really important times in the game. I think he is capable of scoring goals but it’s not happened for him so far and we’ve got someone as good as Gallagher sitting on bench I think he deserves a chance. 
 

Gallagher not played enough minutes up top or had a run uptop for us to see what he’s like at doing the stuff Reilly is good at but I’d imagine he’d be a really clever player at that stuff too. Fitness issue was his calf which kept him out but he’s never going to get fully fit without games. 
 

We need to find a way of getting him on the park ( not saying that should necessarily be in the place of Reilly ) 

Edited yesterday at 18:47 by 1320Lichtie

[ExiledLichtie]

1 hour ago, Lichtielegend said:

He's an inferior all round player to Reilly, not to mention his questionable fitness. Gallagher's only chance of making a contribution this season is either as a supersub, or by modifying how we play him.

If Gallagher was playing on the left the last 3 games, he would have had plenty of chances to score with the amount of cut-backs Scott Stewart is putting in the danger area. Perfect for someone arriving late at the back post.

Is this the same Gallagher who was being hailed as the signing of the season back in the summer?  He was the shiny shiny striker that made everyone back McIntyre.  And not even 10 games into the new season, people are wanting to Hilson him?

As for 4-4-2, has everyone forgotten the creative wasteland of our centre midfield when we went 4-4-2? 

Honestly, sometimes we football fans have no memory at all.