The Arbroath Thread

[Hammerafc]

Still a chance of a striker from the Premier in the next month possibly. Those deals didn't need done last night.

[stan3600]

I think the club should be doing injury updates - Gold, Hammy and now maybe McKenna?

[basher brash]

Just being an outsider looking in was this not eventually going to happen regarding injuries/ lack of depth  etc , Because on the whole Arbroath have been fortunate in the last 2-3 years having a more less a settled  side week in and week out add in some quality loan signings up front . Dick campbell always states you have to bring in players that are better than you have already but in my view that is becoming more and more difficult as long as Arbroath  remain part time maybe this current squad / legacy has ran its course ? 

[DUAFC]

27 minutes ago, Hammerafc said:

I didn't think Craigen looked happy at not getting on the pitch at the Queens Park game. Not shocked he's away. Think he probaby should have started in the middle after Golds injury.

100% this.

When the last sub went against QP and he knew he wasn't going on he stormed up the tunnel with about 10 mins left.

[1320Lichtie]

3 minutes ago, basher brash said:

Just being an outsider looking in was this not eventually going to happen regarding injuries/ lack of depth  etc , Because on the whole Arbroath have been fortunate in the last 2-3 years having a more less a settled  side week in and week out add in some quality loan signings up front . Dick campbell always states you have to bring in players that are better than you have already but in my view that is becoming more and more difficult as long as Arbroath  remain part time maybe this current squad / legacy has ran its course ? 

I’m not sure that’s fair because the guys that have left JT aside have not really been key players. They’ve just been squad players and I think most would’ve liked to see LD and Craigen moved on. I think we’d gotten quite stale, think a freshen up was probably required to be honest 
 

The big problem this season is simply not signing a good striker who can and has played in this league, that is making every single thing seem a whole lot worse. The latest part time signing we got on an extended 2 year deal was Scott Allan!!! I mean I don’t think it’s anything to do with PT or FT. A lot of teams are trying to sign that elusive striker. Trying to get good guys who want to transition to PT football will be the way forward for us 

 

I read Dunfermline statement saying they had been told by Scottish Premiership clubs that they did not want to send players out until the transfer window closed so they knew where they stood. So there’s still hope of getting a good loan in, I think PT can help us get these guys too. The guys that still have a future at their clubs will be in and around the parent club training etc. 

[1320Lichtie]

1 minute ago, DUAFC said:

100% this.

When the last sub went against QP and he knew he wasn't going on he stormed up the tunnel with about 10 mins left.

Yeah it’s crazy that Fosu and LD played so much more football than he did in central midfield. Totally understand it

[timlichtie]

Just being an outsider looking in was this not eventually going to happen regarding injuries/ lack of depth  etc , Because on the whole Arbroath have been fortunate in the last 2-3 years having a more less a settled  side week in and week out add in some quality loan signings up front . Dick campbell always states you have to bring in players that are better than you have already but in my view that is becoming more and more difficult as long as Arbroath  remain part time maybe this current squad / legacy has ran its course ? 

All of the above.
Every small club which goes on a successful run can expect a serious reset at some point. The fact that Dick built a solid team around experienced but ageing players made it even more inevitable. His judgment and luck with loan signings last season was inspired. This season it will be hard to replicate that success.
Some very respectable talent now in the team and a lot more youth. It may take a few games but I fancy the rebooted Lichties will come good .

[lichtie23]

13 minutes ago, DUAFC said:

100% this.

When the last sub went against QP and he knew he wasn't going on he stormed up the tunnel with about 10 mins left.

Unprofessional attitude if that’s true 

[basher brash]

37 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

I’m not sure that’s fair because the guys that have left JT aside have not really been key players. They’ve just been squad players and I think most would’ve liked to see LD and Craigen moved on. I think we’d gotten quite stale, think a freshen up was probably required to be honest 
 

The big problem this season is simply not signing a good striker who can and has played in this league, that is making every single thing seem a whole lot worse. The latest part time signing we got on an extended 2 year deal was Scott Allan!!! I mean I don’t think it’s anything to do with PT or FT. A lot of teams are trying to sign that elusive striker. Trying to get good guys who want to transition to PT football will be the way forward for us 

 

I read Dunfermline statement saying they had been told by Scottish Premiership clubs that they did not want to send players out until the transfer window closed so they knew where they stood. So there’s still hope of getting a good loan in, I think PT can help us get these guys too. The guys that still have a future at their clubs will be in and around the parent club training etc. 

Was very envious of the Arbroath centre forwards last season Nouble and Hamilton top quality strikers which has been Rovers Achilles heel since Kevin Nesbit left and is currently our plight this season we have no goal threat !

31 minutes ago, timlichtie said:

All of the above.
Every small club which goes on a successful run can expect a serious reset at some point. The fact that Dick built a solid team around experienced but ageing players made it even more inevitable. His judgment and luck with loan signings last season was inspired. This season it will be hard to replicate that success.
Some very respectable talent now in the team and a lot more youth. It may take a few games but I fancy the rebooted Lichties will come good .

 

[1320Lichtie]

6 minutes ago, basher brash said:

Was very envious of the Arbroath centre forwards last season Nouble and Hamilton top quality strikers which has been Rovers Achilles heel since Kevin Nesbit left and is currently our plight this season we have no goal threat !

 

Ayr, Partick, Queens Park all off to a flyer, they’ve all got one thing in common… 

 

Dundee such a strong all round squad and Inverness have plenty of players who can chip in 

 

You lot, Hamilton, ourselves, Morton and Cove (although they have Megginson they don’t look too strong elsewhere) do not seem to have many goals in us. You probably have enough from midfield so will be steering clear of the bottom half of the league but I think us, Hamilton, Morton and Cove will be battling around at the bottom if there’s not any significant changes 

Edited September 2, 2022 by 1320Lichtie

[AFC360PUNK1320]

Disappointed overall with this transfer window, why we have never got in a proper no 9 striker is unreal as everybody and their dog can see this is where we are lacking, also sad to see JT go and also Craigen a player i really rated, why DC never played him more in central midfield is a mystery especially in the Queens Park game when he left Craigen on the bench and bizarrely played Donnely in central midfield??

Do i think the squad is stronger now, well my answer would be NO.

Our squad was built on a tight happy unit i fear this is now not the case with all the loans and short term deals.

I will back the new signings and my team and Manager to the hilt but recently i do think DC has made some mental decisions. 

[clashcityrocker]

One way or another, an experienced proven striker will need to be signed.

Craigan leaving is a big blow, really good player who made a great contribution - but you can understand his reasons, he was being over looked and has decided to go elsewhere for regular game time.

[CALDERON]

11 minutes ago, AFC360PUNK1320 said:

Disappointed overall with this transfer window, why we have never got in a proper no 9 striker is unreal as everybody and their dog can see this is where we are lacking, also sad to see JT go and also Craigen a player i really rated, why DC never played him more in central midfield is a mystery especially in the Queens Park game when he left Craigen on the bench and bizarrely played Donnely in central midfield??

Do i think the squad is stronger now, well my answer would be NO.

Our squad was built on a tight happy unit i fear this is now not the case with all the loans and short term deals.

I will back the new signings and my team and Manager to the hilt but recently i do think DC has made some mental decisions. 

Almost every club in the lower leagues are looking for a "proper No 9 striker" to be fair.

[Tattie36]

13 minutes ago, clashcityrocker said:

One way or another, an experienced proven striker will need to be signed.

Craigan leaving is a big blow, really good player who made a great contribution - but you can understand his reasons, he was being over looked and has decided to go elsewhere for regular game time.

I like guys like Craigen and Gold, good players with a lot of versatility. However, neither of them (and others) are going to get a huge amount of game time at this level unless covering for injury or suspension. Some seem to be happy with that, others not so.

Sad to see him go, he gave us one of the best moments in our club’s history but, ironically, if we had held on that night and gone up he would have been away from the club by now anyway.

Edited September 2, 2022 by Tattie36

[Leicesterlichtie]

What's done is done regarding players in and out for now anyway. It's up to whoever gets selected on match day to put in performances to start winning games and push us up the table. These couple of unhead of signings will need to prove to the fans why they were signed up.

Shame about Craigan leaving as thought his versatility would be handy at least while Gold is out.

[1320Lichtie]

Squads going to take a bit of time to settle too by the way it’s not just the actual footballing aspect of it there’s a whole load of new characters in that changing room now and plenty of young heads. Hopefully we see more energy from Oakley and Tait and start to look a bit livelier cause we’ve had a very lethargic and slow start

[ExiledLichtie]

40 minutes ago, AFC360PUNK1320 said:

Disappointed overall with this transfer window, why we have never got in a proper no 9 striker is unreal as everybody and their dog can see this is where we are lacking, also sad to see JT go and also Craigen a player i really rated, why DC never played him more in central midfield is a mystery especially in the Queens Park game when he left Craigen on the bench and bizarrely played Donnely in central midfield??

Do i think the squad is stronger now, well my answer would be NO.

Our squad was built on a tight happy unit i fear this is now not the case with all the loans and short term deals.

I will back the new signings and my team and Manager to the hilt but recently i do think DC has made some mental decisions. 

Who would you have brought in?  The SPL arent really loaning many players, we saw from Dowds, Henderson etc that the younger guys would rather be full time, and with everyone desperate for a striker, we are suffering, and if you look down the leagues, there actually arent all that many prolific part time strikers.

So who would you have gone for?

 

Edited to add, it sounds like the management spent a lot of time trying to find players, leaving no stone unturned!

Edited September 2, 2022 by ExiledLichtie

[1320Lichtie]

9 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

Who would you have brought in?  The SPL arent really loaning many players, we saw from Dowds, Henderson etc that the younger guys would rather be full time, and with everyone desperate for a striker, we are suffering, and if you look down the leagues, there actually arent all that many prolific part time strikers.

So who would you have gone for?

 

Edited to add, it sounds like the management spent a lot of time trying to find players, leaving no stone unturned!

See the young striker Alloa just signed on loan from St Mirren for example. Give me that every single day of the week over Isiaka. 

[ExiledLichtie]

7 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

See the young striker Alloa just signed on loan from St Mirren for example. Give me that every single day of the week over Isiaka. 

What, an untried 18 year old who's only goals have been in the Lowland League?  Sure, I would have taken that, as we are desperate, but I can't imagine that going down any better with the support on here.

[1320Lichtie]

7 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

What, an untried 18 year old who's only goals have been in the Lowland League?  Sure, I would have taken that, as we are desperate, but I can't imagine that going down any better with the support on here.

A promising young striker who is a full time professional football player at a good club where he will be training at a good level every single day. St Mirren played him in 3 of their League Cup games and just gave him a 2 year deal > some absolute punt who’s never played in the country, has been playing in the Icelandic second division and by the look of it has not played since last September 

 

Id be surprised if we signed Isiaka as our main striker he’s clearly just there as an option and we will be looking for more but give me the former over the latter every day of the week. Same goes for Corfe and Fosu, two total punts, would rather have went for younger full time players at Premiership clubs. Even if they are guys who aren’t troubling their own clubs first team squads  

 

Josh Campbell or Ben Stirling probably been our poorest loans since coming into the Championship but both of them actually fitted in, done a job and looked like Championship level players. The whole league is full of guys like them 

Edited September 2, 2022 by 1320Lichtie