The Arbroath Thread

[Lichtie78]

9 minutes ago, SotesBornalichtie said:

Feared the worst when Ricky was sent off so early in the game for what should have been a yellow card at worst. I hope AFC appeal the red card. A point gained but both teams in the same position they were in before the game so no further forward.

I'm fed up criticising referees, suffice to say that there isn't a top class referee in Scotland. Good on Leanne Chrichton, at last a pundit who criticised, however mildly, the referee.

Thought El-Mahanni should have been subbed much, much earlier. Less said about Olusanya and Komolafe the better. They are quick but that's about it.

Am I right in thinking that the only shot we had on target was McKenna's free kick? The only positive to take from the game is that we didn't lose.

I hope the board have a word with the manager about his behaviour, but was there really any need for BBC Scotland to show him giving the finger after he'd been sent to the stand?

How can the BBC predict he is going to give the finger?any manager sent to the stands gets followed by the camera. Nobodies fault but Campbell. If he ends up with a touchline ban we might have a better chance of staying up mind you. 

[Tattie36]

49 minutes ago, Lichtie78 said:

I've heard a few people say we would've won but for Little's sending off. I'm not sure what impact that would've made on our season long issue with creating chances and scoring goals, to be honest.

Yep. It’s been the same all season. Plenty of possession, some tidy play but completely toothless up front.

A massive priority imo is getting a specific strike coach team in place. Campbell is not, never has been and never will be an attack minded manager. He has got lucky in the last few seasons, particularly with loans of Nouble and J Hamilton but you just have to look at the “strikers” he has signed and the way he sets a team up to see his major weakness.

I just wish he would admit it and get help instead of doing the same thing every-fucking-week!

Edited March 4, 2023 by Tattie36

[lichtie23]

59 minutes ago, Lichtie78 said:

How can the BBC predict he is going to give the finger?any manager sent to the stands gets followed by the camera. Nobodies fault but Campbell. If he ends up with a touchline ban we might have a better chance of staying up mind you. 

I think Dicks behaviour not only embarrassed himself but the entire club. 

[keptie]

23 minutes ago, Tattie36 said:

Yep. It’s been the same all season. Plenty of possession, some tidy play but completely toothless up front.

A massive priority imo is getting a specific strike coach team in place. Campbell is not, never has been and never will be an attack minded manager. He has got lucky in the last few seasons, particularly with loans of Nouble and J Hamilton but you just have to look at the “strikers” he has signed and the way he sets a team up to see his major weakness.

I just wish he would admit it and get help instead of doing the same thing every-fucking-week!

"Got lucky in the last few seasons" utter bullshit. How long has been with us and what has he achieved with us? . You really just hate him don't you.

[Tattie36]

17 minutes ago, keptie said:

"Got lucky in the last few seasons" utter bullshit. How long has been with us and what has he achieved with us? . You really just hate him don't you.

What??

He got lucky in a striking sense with Nouble and J Hamilton, not lucky in general.

I think Dick has been, in the main, superb for us but pointing out that attacking football is (imo) his weakness doesn’t mean I hate him. Although his behaviour of late is making me like him less.

Edited March 4, 2023 by Tattie36

[Lichtielegend]

The worst 90 mins of centre-forward play I have seen for a long time.

 

The other 10 (then 9) positions were generally performed quite well.

If Adarkwa isn't fit then Hilson deserves to start in front of both Olusanya and Komolafe.

[keptie]

29 minutes ago, Tattie36 said:

What??

He got lucky in a striking sense with Nouble and J Hamilton, not lucky in general.

I think Dick has been, in the main, superb for us but pointing out that attacking football is (imo) his weakness doesn’t mean I hate him. Although his behaviour of late is making me like him less.

Yes it was just luck they ended up at Arbroath, nothing to do with the management.

[mo83]

Deary me Richard Campbell

[Smokerson]

5 hours ago, Tattie36 said:

Yep. It’s been the same all season. Plenty of possession, some tidy play but completely toothless up front.

A massive priority imo is getting a specific strike coach team in place. Campbell is not, never has been and never will be an attack minded manager. He has got lucky in the last few seasons, particularly with loans of Nouble and J Hamilton but you just have to look at the “strikers” he has signed and the way he sets a team up to see his major weakness.

I just wish he would admit it and get help instead of doing the same thing every-fucking-week!

What a lot of shite from you as usual. We scored more goals and won more games than anyone last season. And if a manager signs two good players that is now lucky but he’s a numpty if the players then don’t work out???? Deary me.

DC got a lot wrong this season and hasn’t covered himself in glory at all but people have short memories. 

[lichtie23]

We are indeed appealing the red card. Can’t say I’m confident of it being overturned 

[Tattie36]

36 minutes ago, Smokerson said:

What a lot of shite from you as usual. We scored more goals and won more games than anyone last season. And if a manager signs two good players that is now lucky but he’s a numpty if the players then don’t work out???? Deary me.

DC got a lot wrong this season and hasn’t covered himself in glory at all but people have short memories. 

Aye ok.

Yes we scored more goals than anyone last season. Primarily due to a few factors - Nouble dragging us up the park and laying them on a plate for McKenna etc, Jack Hamilton and Craig Wighton (proven goalscorers at this level) and Anton Dowds who was really playing well by the time he left. All of those were loans. My understanding is that most or all of them were offered to us and had nothing to do with Dick “finding” them. That has to be called “lucky” doesn’t it? To have 4 excellent striking options in a season - all of them miles and miles ahead of anyone we’ve had since.

I never said Dick was a numpty for players not working out but how anyone can look at his track record when it comes to actually signing strikers and not be underwhelmed is a mystery to me. He is great at identifying defenders and, to an extent midfielders but signing effective strikers, not so much. It’s not being negative or slagging off Campbell, to me it’s an obvious weakness.

I can’t think of all the strikers he’s signed but a few off the top of my head - Spence, Doolan, Donnelly, Hilson, Isiaka, Bakare, Ford, Shanks, Olusanya, Adarkwa, Komolafe, Fosu (at a push).

Look at that list and tell me which ones have been successful at putting the ball in the net. Imo Shanks is the best of that lot but Dick obviously doesn’t think he’s ready. 

All of this is just my opinion but go ahead and insult me just for having a different opinion.

[clashcityrocker]

Correct me if I am wrong, but if we win more games than Cove and Hamilton and also beat them both at home we finish 8th - is this correct ?

This is still in our own hands.

[Tattie36]

1 hour ago, lichtie23 said:

We are indeed appealing the red card. Can’t say I’m confident of it being overturned 

Glad we’re appealing it but, like you, I can’t see it being overturned.

There’s some referee guy on our FB page saying that he, and all his referee mates, agree that the red card was the correct decision.

Not an ounce of common sense between them. No wonder officiating in Scotland is so poor.

[Smokerson]

There’s absolutely no way they can look at it and say it’s a “clear” Goal scoring opportunity. Not even close 

that said, they’ll back the “ref”

[lichtgilphead]

1 hour ago, clashcityrocker said:

Correct me if I am wrong, but if we win more games than Cove and Hamilton and also beat them both at home we finish 8th - is this correct ?

This is still in our own hands.

To be pedantic, we only need to match Cove & Hamilton's results in their other games if we beat them both at the Gayf.

[Tattie36]

51 minutes ago, lichtgilphead said:

To be pedantic, we only need to match Cove & Hamilton's results in their other games if we beat them both at the Gayf.

One thing which may save us is that it could be a very low total to get to 8th. It’s normally around 38-42 points but could be as low as 34-35 points this season.

Because of that, as few as 3 wins and a couple of draws may be enough for us. So long as we don’t lose to Cove or Accies.

It’s definitely still doable but we really need a win very soon to give us a decent chance.

Edited March 4, 2023 by Tattie36

[glasgowlichtie23]

Not sure much blame can be put on the players yesterday - only a select few. Doesn't help when the referee assigned for the game played for the other team for 6 years 🫣

[ExiledLichtie]

I was hurling abuse at the refereee just like everyone else on Friday, possibly the first time I've ever booed a tv screen, but its not Craig Napier's fault we're here.  The 12 games we've drawn, and all the defeats, are much more significant.

[Cowdenleith]

57 minutes ago, glasgowlichtie23 said:

Not sure much blame can be put on the players yesterday - only a select few. Doesn't help when the referee assigned for the game played for the other team for 6 years 🫣

Not the same Craig Napier. Do you really think the referee looks 57 years old?

[Fitbafan36]

I thought the team did really well on Friday especially given going to 10 so early. Some really good performances, reshuffled back 4 were great and thought McKenna and Balde were different class. 

I can’t say, and it’s not for the first time this season, I thought the subs made any sense at all. Linn obviously huge for us but to bring him on for Yasin when he’d been looking our biggest threat after that run was odd. We also got a lot of joy down the right when Stewart came on but it was crying out for that 10/15 minutes earlier cause Dow (who played well) was knackered.

Overall though it looked like the fight and belief was back a little. Winning first and second balls and looking a bit more composed on it. Obviously all this being said it be nice to score occasionally.