The Arbroath Thread

[1320Lichtie]

Not arsed about what end were at. Got 3/4 of terracing now anyway. I would like to see player and manager interviews after games even when we get beat though, only had Scotty Allan’s one after QP since the Inverness home game. 
 

Also after a good night and day today doing other things I am still absolutely fuming at Bobby Linn getting taken off for Deri Corfe… I cannot get my head around the thinking behind that decision 

[afc_36_0]

Maybe if we switch back to the pleasureland end we’ll start winning again

[lichtiekev]

35 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Not arsed about what end were at. Got 3/4 of terracing now anyway. I would like to see player and manager interviews after games even when we get beat though, only had Scotty Allan’s one after QP since the Inverness home game. 
 

Also after a good night and day today doing other things I am still absolutely fuming at Bobby Linn getting taken off for Deri Corfe… I cannot get my head around the thinking behind that decision 

I'm maybe way off the mark but I sometimes think he takes Linn off to try snd prove a point that he knows better if you get what I mean, I used to think it was the same with Hilson and Donnelly and with the Hancock and Henderson on the left midfield rubbish, 

I'd love Corfe to prove me wrong, but I feel he is just another Ford and Bakare, Look at the difference on Tait compared to everyone else we have signed, give me 4 young lads on loan that play like that over the random unknown signings anyway 

[DUAFC]

I'm hoping that if nicky low can't travel to training and is unavailable to play, is subsequently getting SFA of the money I contribute to the club ??

Perhaps some transparency would be good. 

[1320Lichtie]

9 hours ago, lichtiekev said:

I'm maybe way off the mark but I sometimes think he takes Linn off to try snd prove a point that he knows better if you get what I mean, I used to think it was the same with Hilson and Donnelly and with the Hancock and Henderson on the left midfield rubbish, 

I'd love Corfe to prove me wrong, but I feel he is just another Ford and Bakare, Look at the difference on Tait compared to everyone else we have signed, give me 4 young lads on loan that play like that over the random unknown signings anyway 

Without getting back into it again these guys (Fosu/Corfe and Isiaka - I realise I’ve not seen Isiaka yet but going with probabilities) are not guys who would be doing well in L1 and pretty sure even L2 would be a stretch for them. Games too fast
 

Fosu looks fit and always plays it simple and can sort of blend in but never really does more than that. Corfe will have loads of ability but transferring that into 11 aside 100 mile an hour Scottish football it’s just not happening. Worrying thing is they had him training with us for ages…. 

 

I don’t think a club in the Scottish Championship should have had the amount of trialist jobbers we have had in over the pre season. Maybe in L2 but not in this league.
 

If Bobby Linn wasn’t a club legend who’s got a testimonial game coming up soon and he was 5 year younger I’m pretty sure he’d be another one that was wanting away. Hancock playing over him at Hamilton last week and at Dundee and then Fosu coming on left wing after Colin Hamilton went off injured was wild but didn’t say anything at the time. After Saturday though it really is starting to take the piss. Even Paterson, what must he be thinking. He can’t get anywhere near a game. 
 

Criagen seems like a great guy to have around and has been steady without being spectacular but again he would’ve wanted away after watching LD and Fosu playing over him in the middle of the park. That is also an absolute piss take. Every single Arbroath fan was looking at that and thinking it was fkn ridiculous so how would Craigen and the team felt about it?

 

DC seems to be losing the respect of the group due to simply making crazy decisions. Not sure if last years gone to his head or what. The Nouble signing was incredible business but since that we’ve seen hell bent on finding our own hidden gem Nouble type player it’s totally bizarre. 
 

Quite ironic that the hashtag #Togetherness is all over the place this year and it seems like the management have managed to divide the squad to a level that did not seem possible 3 months ago. The group seemed so tight. Really is incredible work to make this much of a mess of it 

Edited September 5, 2022 by 1320Lichtie

[RedLichtie86]

We signed a striker yet?

[WHM]

6 minutes ago, RedLichtie86 said:

We signed a striker yet?

I still think we need 2 strikers,and hopefully soon,get this team up the other end of the park,take the pressure off the defence.

[timlichtie]

Without getting back into it again these guys (Fosu/Corfe and Isiaka - I realise I’ve not seen Isiaka yet but going with probabilities) are not guys who would be doing well in L1 and pretty sure even L2 would be a stretch for them. Games too fast
 
Fosu looks fit and always plays it simple and can sort of blend in but never really does more than that. Corfe will have loads of ability but transferring that into 11 aside 100 mile an hour Scottish football it’s just not happening. Worrying thing is they had him training with us for ages…. 
 
I don’t think a club in the Scottish Championship should have had the amount of trialist jobbers we have had in over the pre season. Maybe in L2 but not in this league.
 
If Bobby Linn wasn’t a club legend who’s got a testimonial game coming up soon and he was 5 year younger I’m pretty sure he’d be another one that was wanting away. Hancock playing over him at Hamilton last week and at Dundee and then Fosu coming on left wing after Colin Hamilton went off injured was wild but didn’t say anything at the time. After Saturday though it really is starting to take the piss. Even Paterson, what must he be thinking. He can’t get anywhere near a game. 
 
Criagen seems like a great guy to have around and has been steady without being spectacular but again he would’ve wanted away after watching LD and Fosu playing over him in the middle of the park. That is also an absolute piss take. Every single Arbroath fan was looking at that and thinking it was fkn ridiculous so how would Craigen and the team felt about it?
 
DC seems to be losing the respect of the group due to simply making crazy decisions. Not sure if last years gone to his head or what. The Nouble signing was incredible business but since that we’ve seen hell bent on finding our own hidden gem Nouble type player it’s totally bizarre. 
 
Quite ironic that the hashtag #Togetherness is all over the place this year and it seems like the management have managed to divide the squad to a level that did not seem possible 3 months ago. The group seemed so tight. Really is incredible work to make this much of a mess of it 

Nailed it. Start to finish. Sums up what I’ve heard from fellow Lichtie fans at the last 3 games.
I felt really bad for the young lad Corfe coming on for Bobby Linn. Why Paterson isn’t given a chance I’ll never know. He’s never played poorly off the bench and scored the winner at Paisley.

[1320Lichtie]

27 minutes ago, timlichtie said:

 

Nailed it. Start to finish. Sums up what I’ve heard from fellow Lichtie fans at the last 3 games.
I felt really bad for the young lad Corfe coming on for Bobby Linn. Why Paterson isn’t given a chance I’ll never know. He’s never played poorly off the bench and scored the winner at Paisley.

 

I’m not mad on Craigen like if he was moved on fair enough but it’s the manner it’s happened, he’s clearly a better player and squad player than the guys that have come in. He’s tight with all the group and a really good guy by all accounts.
 

But it seems pretty obvious he has left because he’s not getting a game, when Luke Donnelly (!!! And no offence to him either) and Fosu (again no offence to him but he’s clearly not up to playing in a midfield 2 or anywhere near as good as Craigen) have been playing this year ahead of him. The reaction on here to LD/Fosu playing in there tells you all you need to know, everyone was baffled by it.

 

Then JT, again I think he’s starting to look suspect defensively but as a squad player he was perfectly fine, I think he could’ve covered centre half and right back really well. Keeping him happy and in around the squad seems like the sensible thing to do. If he wanted to move on then fine but  again it’s the manner he’s left 

 

I think signing Hancock, a left back remember, a young unproven player with the intention of playing him left midfield (make no mistake if we didn’t have problems at the back then he’d be starting and playing there more than he has) when Bobby Linn is at the club is totally disrespectful to one of our current best players, who is also a club legend and has shown time and time again he’s still up to the level. He will be furious with how the last months gone.
 

Again it’s just the way we’re going about it, it is a squad game and nobody has the right to play but not one person can tell me Bobby has not earned that right or we have better options there, nobody comes close to giving us what he does and he seems to do his very best to limit the amount of time he gets on the park!!!!

 

All these little things have an effect on everyone, they were such a close group and they must be talking in and amongst themselves about all of this. These things will have upset more than just the individuals. They’ll also know they’re needing help and then they’ll be thinking the same things in regards to the amount of trialists we’ve had in and the calibre of the trialists we’ve signed. It’s all stuff that we as fans are thinking too

 

One shining light for me is Tait, I dunno what it was about him on Saturday but he gave me a whole lot of optimism and seems exactly the kind of player we need. Never ever stopped and a good footballer to boot, more of that please.
 

Allan was also very good until he lost the plot (I’ve seen it back and red is right decision). Scotty Stewart excellent, Ricky and Hamilton too, young Hancock was good at left back. There is positives there but Dick needs to get a grip of the group and do whatever he can to try get the players back on board

 

He can start by making sensible decisions. I cannot be arsed with any more of the wild shit he’s been coming away with and doing recently and the utter chaos it’s brung

 

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by 1320Lichtie

[clashcityrocker]

I think we might need a little more patience over the next 3 weeks until we see what other loan signings are brought in - D.C has mentioned that he is aiming to bring in at least 2 more players before the end of Sept.

Also, some of the signings have been really good - Dylan Tait fitted into the team perfectly on Saturday and was outstanding.

Scott Allan ( sending off aside) and Hancock are also both very good signings.

If we can secure two more signings with the same quality as these players we will be up and running ( obviously a striker is required).

But I agree that DC should not be immune to criticism and he appears to have a stubbornness about him - a refusal to admit he made an error and sometimes continues to persist with baffling substitutions.

Losing Criagen was an error - but I think he wanted regular game time, which clearly DC was unable to guarantee him.

On Saturday, until the sending off, the game was evenly balanced - we are going through a difficult patch, but I think we will ride the storm and get back on track by October ( once the new signings come in).

We have also had players out injured or suspended and there is uncertainty with Nicky Low.

The first quarter of the season has been a disappointment - but I think we will turn the corner if we can bring in a quality striker.

 

 

[lichtiekev]

I'd much rather a team of with the likes of Hancock and Tait over the complete gambles like Ford, Bakare, Fosu, Corfe, You can't tell me we can't get other guys like that who are a little more known to us? There are also players in the lower leagues here that would of been better options,

 

 

 

 

[Hammerafc]

I'm hoping that if nicky low can't travel to training and is unavailable to play, is subsequently getting SFA of the money I contribute to the club ??
Perhaps some transparency would be good. 

There is a duty of care to the employee and an expectation of confidentiality. It's really not something the club can comment on. It's none of your business really.

[afc_36_0]

Dick keeps saying that he wont sign anyone unless they’re better than what we’ve got, if thats the case why is our squad weaker and also we seem to sign players we dont know anything about.
I agree on the league 1/2 and even highland/lowland league players, surely we could get 3 or 4 good players from these leagues. Are we not trying or is it getting harder to tempt players away from part time teams around glasgow etc with the cost/time of travel?

[DUAFC]

23 minutes ago, Hammerafc said:

13 hours ago, DUAFC said:

I'm hoping that if nicky low can't travel to training and is unavailable to play, is subsequently getting SFA of the money I contribute to the club ??
Perhaps some transparency would be good. 

There is a duty of care to the employee and an expectation of confidentiality. It's really not something the club can comment on. It's none of your business really.

I actually do get the HR angle, and I'm certainly not suggesting I need to know any specific details.

Letting this drift unresolved isn't helping anyone however. 

[Its not only a game]

1 hour ago, clashcityrocker said:

I think we might need a little more patience over the next 3 weeks until we see what other loan signings are brought in - D.C has mentioned that he is aiming to bring in at least 2 more players before the end of Sept.

Also, some of the signings have been really good - Dylan Tait fitted into the team perfectly on Saturday and was outstanding.

Scott Allan ( sending off aside) and Hancock are also both very good signings.

If we can secure two more signings with the same quality as these players we will be up and running ( obviously a striker is required).

But I agree that DC should not be immune to criticism and he appears to have a stubbornness about him - a refusal to admit he made an error and sometimes continues to persist with baffling substitutions.

Losing Criagen was an error - but I think he wanted regular game time, which clearly DC was unable to guarantee him.

On Saturday, until the sending off, the game was evenly balanced - we are going through a difficult patch, but I think we will ride the storm and get back on track by October ( once the new signings come in).

We have also had players out injured or suspended and there is uncertainty with Nicky Low.

The first quarter of the season has been a disappointment - but I think we will turn the corner if we can bring in a quality striker.

 

 

You guys are still the best PT team in Scotland by a mile imo. Not totally surprised that having a miracle season last year that there possibly would be a set back this year. You still have the best back 4 and will be ok once they find form

What has surprised me is on the face of it your management team have changed strategy from finding under-appreciated players in  lower leagues Scotland or Premier league squads( low, Craigan, Dowds , Hamiltons, etc  etc) to unknowns in England.!

A PT team at your level needs quality loan signings and that takes time but as you say next couple of weeks will  determine your season.

[1320Lichtie]

1 hour ago, afc_36_0 said:

Dick keeps saying that he wont sign anyone unless they’re better than what we’ve got, if thats the case why is our squad weaker and also we seem to sign players we dont know anything about.
I agree on the league 1/2 and even highland/lowland league players, surely we could get 3 or 4 good players from these leagues. Are we not trying or is it getting harder to tempt players away from part time teams around glasgow etc with the cost/time of travel?

Understand why you’re asking that but I think that is no issue. I mean we train in Perth. It really is ideal for both big cities, the central belt, Fife and even up to Dundee. For PT players travelling should not be a problem for the majority.
 

I think we’ve just been trying way too hard, end of last season as players contracts expired in L1/L2 we should’ve been looking at guys we could’ve had in as squad filler.

 

Even guys who were just decent, give them a chance and see what like, most of our squad has been built up of players like that.
 

Yes not all of them have been up to it but even the LD and Hilsons of the world are steady and solid squad players and although they’re not great they do not look completely out of their depth. 
 

I watch lower league highlights every single week and there are hundreds of guys out there who would be an improvement on the 3 punts we’ve taken. Not even close either.
 

Also factoring in the fact that the club must be paying for accommodation for these players with that money included too there 100 percent must be better options.

 

I love the fact we are trying new things and this is obviously a new route we are going down to try and open up the number of players available to us but it just seems like it’s not going to be a successful route to go down for free agents.
 

The loan signing from Birmingham, not seen him play but I think that is 100 percent the kind of signing we should be using the accommodation for. I mean this must be the first time we’ve ever had a player on loan from an English Championship club, we were also close to a loan from an EPL club. 
 

These are things and ideas the club should be praised for, not sure the managements made the best use of them though 

Edited September 5, 2022 by 1320Lichtie

[SteveTheLichtie]

2 hours ago, afc_36_0 said:

Dick keeps saying that he wont sign anyone unless they’re better than what we’ve got, if thats the case why is our squad weaker and also we seem to sign players we dont know anything about.
I agree on the league 1/2 and even highland/lowland league players, surely we could get 3 or 4 good players from these leagues. Are we not trying or is it getting harder to tempt players away from part time teams around glasgow etc with the cost/time of travel?

Ignore what Dick is saying.

[ExiledLichtie]

I love this constantly repeated idea that league 1 and 2 are stacked with part time superstars, and the management just didn't bother their arse to have a look.

Edited September 5, 2022 by ExiledLichtie

[Hammerafc]

I love this constantly repeated idea that league 1 and 2 are stacked with part time superstars, and the management just didn't bother their arse to have a look.

Hamilton - Alloa, Little - Queens Park, TOB - Forfar, Low - East Stirlingshire, Gold - Berwick, Mckenna - Berwick, Hilson - Forfar, Stewart - Airdrie.

Most of the squad was signed from L1 and L2. Definitely difficult to get the top players but there are plenty that can make the step to the championship

[1320Lichtie]

10 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

I love this constantly repeated idea that league 1 and 2 are stacked with part time superstars, and the management just didn't bother their arse to have a look.

Part time superstars, what????????

 

Who is saying that???? Who?

 

They are however full of better players than Deri Corfe and Daniel Fosu (and most probably Isiaka)