SotesBornalichtie

I’ve been unable to post and missed the last few games due to personal circumstances and probably won’t see another game this season. Having kept up to date with all the posts on this forum and I feel that some posters need to maybe step back and have a reality check. I know that each is a personal opinion, just as this is, but we need to remember what Arbroath FC is. I think that some time ago I said that AFC is a small, provincial football club with a relatively small fan base that employs part time professional footballers, and that still applies. As such we should manage our expectations accordingly. Winning League 2 and 1 titles and a 5 season run, with one exceptional season in the Championship has perhaps led some to believe that we should be an established Championship side. However, competing against full time sides who can train and work on tactics during the whole week means we would always be at a disadvantage. Very poor team management over last season and this, together with a horrendous injury situation have seen our time in the Championship come to an end, but it would have ended sooner or later anyway. I sometimes wish that we hadn’t had that amazing 21-22 season, it raised expectations so much. When will we see another side that hardly had any injuries, a rock solid defence, intelligent midfielders who put in a shift every week, Bobby Linn and of course a one off up front? Maybe not in my lifetime but the main thing is that the club takes this relegation in it’s stride, learns from mistakes made and moves on.

I said when the Campbells left that my gut feeling was that we would be relegated, irrespective of who the new manager would be. When McIntyre came in we had a few good results and he had the team playing good attacking football rather than the long boot it up the park and hope for the best that the Campbells played. Then followed a unprecedented series of injuries that we never recovered from. He has been forced to play makeshift sides with half fit players and players playing out of position against full time teams. Little wonder then that we are where we are. To put all the blame for our position on McIntyre's shoulders is unjustified and my personal opinion is that he should continue as manager for the foreseeable future to give him the chance to build a team capable of pushing for promotion next season. Realistically big name ex-players like Scott Brown, Duncan Ferguson etc have little or no interest in managing a small part time club where they cannot work with players every day.

That was a grim watch today. With all the new faces naturally we looked disjointed and nothing was coming off for us (other than more injured players). We hardly got a break of the ball and a few found it hard to control the ball. At timesI felt like I was watching a Dick Campbell game. Ayr weren't much better but had the better chances to score and thankfully couldn't take them. Overall a battling performance with a somewhat makeshift side and a point gained. As others have said Ali Adams looked confident and Scott Stewart put in another man of the match performance. Hopefully we can take something from the return match next week.

All in all not too unhappy today. We played well in the first half and were a bit unlucky to go in one down at half time. Losing two goals so early in the second half gave Utd control of the game but we never gave up and I thought our goal should have stood. Impressed with Jess Norey again and Scott Stewart put in another great shift, but all the players kept fighting to the end. So, defeated but not beaten, if you take my meaning.

With our depleted squad and having only 2 days rest before this game I don't expect another result like there was on Saturday. Just hoping that we put in a good, fighting performance and don't run out of steam late in the game. I got a pair of heated insoles at Xmas, looking forward to see if they keep my feet warm on the terrace at Gayfield

Jim McIntyre has been in the professional football game long enough to know how he wants his teams to play and the type of players he needs do that and the size of squad he would like. So I won't speculate about how many players should leave and how many should be brought in, I'm quite happy to leave it to him and hope the board give him as much backing as they did the previous manager. He has only been at the club a few weeks and has made an impact and whatever happens during the rest of this season I think it will be next season before we see what he can really do for the club. Let's just leave him to do what he can and give him our support.

How sweet was that? With the state of our squad, that was a tremendous result. Watching the scores come in I thought, well we didn't really expect to take anything from the festive season games, but when we equalised, jeez I dropped the biscuit I was dunking into my tea. Then it seemed that the ref was adding enough time give Raith a chance to do their extra-extra time goal scoring trick. I doubt that we can do the same v Utd but what the heck, let the euphoria roll on. What is it about Starks Park that brings out memorable goals from Arbroath? Whatever it is long may it continue. Well done to the players and management, you guys made my weekend.

Gutted to lose that late goal by Wighton but we lost the plot after Bird was sent off. First half we played some football the likes of which hasn't been seen at Gayfield since Sheerin's days and it was great to watch. We fully deserved to go in at leading half time. We started the second half well but after the sending off we didn't cope very well. I heard someone say that it was if we were 2 or 3 men down, not just 1. Fair play to Dunfermline they took advantage and got the equaliser. What can you say about the fighting between Hylton and Bird other than it was totally unnecessary and stupid and probably cost us all 3 points.

Delighted to take 3 points yesterday from a game that I suspect few of us expected to take anything. I was almost shouting at the television, waiting for full time to show and what a relief when it eventually did at 5 to 5. If we can bring the same levels of commitment and performance against Dunfermline on Saturday I'd like to think that we should get a result.

After all the recent upheaval and injuries at the club I'd be happy enough if we didn't lose tomorrow. Morton are bound to be up for it, maybe got a wee lift with Strapp re-signing, but our players need to be out to impress the new manager.

My gut feeling is that we will be relegated at the end of the season no matter who the new manager may be. That might not be a bad thing as there would probably be less pressure on the new manager by trying to win promotion, than by trying to stay in the Championship. He will need time to get to know the players and to get them to adapt to how he wants the game to be played. Most other Championship sides know how to play against our one dimensional football, which I hope the new manager will change. But it will always be a challenge for a part time side to become established in the Championship. I have no idea who the new manager will be and some of the speculation on here is a bit wild, but you never know, just hope the board make a sound choice.

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.

I share your worries and I guess a lot of others do as well. I'm not too optimistic about winning both games, really only see us taking 1 point over the two games. Maybe a good win tomorrow would lift confidence around the club, but we had high hopes of beating The New Saints and were well beaten, so I'm taking nothing for granted tomorrow.

2003/04 season, Scottish Cup 3rd round at Gayfield Park, Arbroath 1-4 The Spartans. The Spartans were in the East of Scotland league at the time. Doesn't seem like 20 years ago. I still remember chatting to some Spartan supporters in the queue for a half time pie. We really need to get a result and into the next round, but it would come as no surprise were history to repeat itself on Saturday.

Not really surprised. Relegation here we come.