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The Arbroath Thread


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Wallace should start if fit, he creates as much as he scores. If he's off form we have plenty of options. McKenna in central midfield is a good option. Whatley has been good there as has gold so it gives the manager some tricky decisions to make. I also think Whatley could do a good job at right wing also.

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Wallace should start if fit, he creates as much as he scores. If he's off form we have plenty of options. McKenna in central midfield is a good option. Whatley has been good there as has gold so it gives the manager some tricky decisions to make. I also think Whatley could do a good job at right wing also.

Agree with everything apart from that last sentence. I see nothing in Whatley’s game to suggest he could do a job at right wing.
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I think he could do a job there based on watching his forward runs from full back. I don't think it's his best position and I don't think he would be anywhere near getting picked for it but thought I'd throw it in there. I would be shocked to see him there but McKenna has played there this season and nothing makes me think that he could be a winger either.

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Whatley back in the middle with swankie, gold on the right and mckenna and spence up top.
Agree with most of this, but a little harsh on Wallace, we won games with Wallace up too McKenna in behind, Whatley and Swankie in centre mid
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I think he could do a job there based on watching his forward runs from full back. I don't think it's his best position and I don't think he would be anywhere near getting picked for it but thought I'd throw it in there. I would be shocked to see him there but McKenna has played there this season and nothing makes me think that he could be a winger either.

McKenna can take a man on, has an eye for goal and can also provide an aerial target out on the wing. Whatley can do none of those, and when Whatley does find himself out on the wing his crosses are eye bleedingly bad. Floaty shite that the strikers can’t do anything with because there’s no pace on them.
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Aye reckon playing Whatley wide right would be a bit of a disaster to be honest

I loved Gold at RB getting forward and coming inside, if he had Thomson coming past him think it could be brilliant tbh, Gold good defensively too. Gold probably most tricky player we've got, if only he had the pace of Bobby

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20 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Going forward I think McKenna should play central midfield with Swankie. Where he initially played before going to Berwick, sure we tried to sign him under Lumsden as a CM at that time too. Gold out right, him and Thomson could be great down the right in my opinion. Wallace and Spence as a front two.

V Stranraer

DJ

Thomson
ToB
Little
Hammy

Linn
McKenna
Swankie
Gold

Wallace
Spence

I would not argue with this team, imo McKenna is a must in our starting XI and i would like him in central midfield next to Swanks, he is strong, decent in the air and drives forward and good in the tackle, he reminds me a bit of ex-Red Lichtie hero John McGlashan, McKenna played in central midfield against the Celtic XI and he was superb.

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I feel the reason we have struggled a bit recently is due to the lack of a proper defensive (holding) midfielder.

This would allow the other midfield players who are all quite creative a bit more freedom.

Whatley is the best we have for that position.

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2 hours ago, Hayshead said:

I feel the reason we have struggled a bit recently is due to the lack of a proper defensive (holding) midfielder.

This would allow the other midfield players who are all quite creative a bit more freedom.

Whatley is the best we have for that position.

Would have disagreed with this a month ago; but agree now.

Gold hasn't done a bad job, and in the first 3/4 weeks he was superb and definitely an improvement on how Whatley had been playing. However, as time has gone on I feel it's maybe time to freshen it up with whoever plays beside Gav.

For me you've nailed one of our small issues - Gavin Swankie is one of the best technical players in this division and creates a huge amount when on his game and we need to do what we can to have him playing at the level he can every week. Playing him alongside Whatley again would allow for him to have a bit more creative freedom without having the defensive duties he has currently playing alongside Gold.

I like Mikey McKenna, but playing him alongside Swankie will negate Gav somewhat in my opinion, and he's one of our best/ most important players. Swankie and Whatley is tried and tested, Swankie and Gold is tried and tested, Swankie and McKenna is a complete unknown. McKenna has played about 20 minutes for us in central midfield in his entire time at the club....... should we really be pissing about trying things out in our current position because a player did okay against some kids in a friendly kickabout?  I think McKenna is a superb player to have on the bench, with the energy he has and the fact he can play several positions, coming on in the centre of the park, up top or even on the wing he can be a massive pain to a tiring defence and exert some pressure/ energy into a game we're needing to score in. That's not to say I think he's a bench player, just that he's a huge asset to have when on the bench.

I'm not opposed to him playing in the centre of the park, I just think it wouldn't work well for the balance of our team.

Edited by SimonLichtie
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McKenna is all action for me, can do everything, I was no basing it off the Celtic friendly either I wasn't even there but just think he'd be worth a go in there. Even when Whatley was next to Swankie Whatley was more the box to box guy instead of defensive player. Swankie has played in the deep quarterback position all season

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16 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Even when Whatley was next to Swankie Whatley was more the box to box guy instead of defensive player. Swankie has played in the deep quarterback position all season

That's a very good point, I always thought it should have been the other way round earlier in the season.......McKenna at centre mid it is then ;)

To be honest whichever of Whatley, Gold and McKenna start alongside Swankie at home to Stranraer I'll not be overly fussed, different types of players but good arguments for each. Out of those 3 though McKenna would easily be the best option off the bench; probably the best player to have to bring on and change a game that we have at the club. Not sure if that's relevant to who starts in midfield/ upfront or not though....

 

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19 hours ago, ecto said:
On 30/01/2019 at 15:44, Smokerson said:
Whatley back in the middle with swankie, gold on the right and mckenna and spence up top.

Agree with most of this, but a little harsh on Wallace, we won games with Wallace up too McKenna in behind, Whatley and Swankie in centre mid

Agree that its harsh on Wallace and also I would like to see Ryan given a chance with Whatley along side him. Gav has had a great season but just feel we have struggled to unlock Montrose/Brechin/Forfar in recent weeks and need to try something different.

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Agree that its harsh on Wallace and also I would like to see Ryan given a chance with Whatley along side him. Gav has had a great season but just feel we have struggled to unlock Montrose/Brechin/Forfar in recent weeks and need to try something different.

Gav is hands down our player of the season so far and will probably be the League 1 player of the season but you want to see him dropped?
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