Arbroath v Morton - 18th December

[vikingTON]

High-flying Arbroath should be licking their lips at the visit of the biggest omnishambles in the division right now. A bodying by part-time opposition is never a good look and unless there's a new manager in the away dugout, a shame game  between the away support and the gutless wastes of skin on the pitch is very much on the cards. 

3-0 home win. 

[1320Lichtie]

These games are usually absolutely awful. And no shame in getting a bodying from us IF it did happen. We simply just have better football players than 5 teams in this division 

[Rudolph Hucker]

6 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

These games are usually absolutely awful. And no shame in getting a bodying from us IF it did happen. We simply just have better football players than 5 teams in this division 

…….and on yesterday’s evidence we don’t have better players than ANY team in the division. Nor do we have a manager right now.  

 We’ll be going into 2022 supporting the weight of nine teams above us. 

 

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

Lock up your sisters Swankie, and Coull the Morten are in town.

Thank you.

[Colkitto]

Unless we have St Jude (patron saint of lost causes) as manager with a backroom staff of David Copperfield, Paul Daniels and Dynamo in place by then I would say the 3 points will be going to the Arbroath promotion bus 

[Tattie36]

On paper this looks like it should be a convincing win for us but, as had been proven over the last few weeks, we really seem to struggle to score/win against the bottom half teams even when creating bucketloads of chances.

Would be delighted with any kind of win.

[lichtie23]

Comfortable home win! Same starting XI as yesterday please Dick 

[1320Lichtie]

Can’t remember us putting in a good performance v Morton. Surely due one and that ends on Saturday. Reading their threads it seems like half their players have completely chucked it and can’t be arsed. Early goal and in their faces hopefully.

[Lichtie78]

No excuses this Saturday - we should be winning this.

[Alibi]

Clearly Arbroath actually have a decent team, given they are sitting in third place.  We have about half a dozen decent players, not all of whom will be on the pitch.  Lithgow has been appalling recently - I think three of the goals on Saturday were his fault - and our defence needs rearranged slightly - Ledger & Mcentee at CB if both fit, Strapp at LB. No idea about RB as Hynes has been pretty poor.  Lyon must start as he is about the only midfielder who is willing to burst through the middle and try to create something.  No idea what the result will be but we need to play better than that shitshow on Saturday if we're to get even a point.

[stan3600]

No excuses this Saturday - we should be winning this.

You’re beginning to sound like every other set of fans who played us until recently. [emoji23]

[AsimButtHitsASix]

1 hour ago, Alibi said:

No idea about RB as Hynes has been pretty poor.

Hynes has been poor but he's also had a centre back with absolutely no pace to cover him playing on his side of the two and someone with absolutely no thought (or ability) to track back and help him out defensively in front of him. When Strapp was getting game time in the lower leagues on loan our managers kept Hynes for cover then never played him and, when he finally got the chance to go out on loan, Covid meant he never got any game time. Now he's getting flung in at the deep end and left hung out to dry. A lot teams target our right hand side as the weak link but it's unfair to say that's all aimed at Hynes. The only other option we have out there is Ledger who should be playing centre back. 

[vikingTON]

Hynes was sent out on loan to the Junior leagues IIRC, because he was and is several levels below Strapp's ability as a full-back. He's also not a promising youngster and has done absolutely nothing to merit a place in the team. Teams are absolutely targeting our right hand side, because they know that he's simply not up to the job. 

In terms of ridiculous promotion above his level, Hynes is barely less inexplicable than Easdale's presence in the squad. 

[Dunning1874]

Both Hynes and Lithgow are liabilities, but unless we go with Jacobs at right back then while McEntee and McLean are out we have no choice but to pick one of them.

The question then becomes which one is the bigger liability. The answer is clearly Lithgow.

[Venti]

19 hours ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said:

Lock up your sisters Swankie, and Coull the Morten are in town.

Thank you.

"Morten" "Thank You" "Morrissey"

[Lichtielegend]

Hearing Morton having problems in their back line, especially the right hand side makes me think this is going to be a festival of Nouble.

 

[afc_36_0]

These are definitely the games we struggle with but same team and same intensity please!

[The Ghost of B A R P]

Hynes looks to me like a guy who'll give you the odd good game, but who is clearly not good enough to fill that position on a regular basis; add the total lack of protection correctly mentioned above and it's hardly a surprise he's struggled. If Jacobs is on the bench for any reason other than fitness, then he should go straight into that position, with Ledger and McEntee at centre-back (although I strongly suspect we'll solider on with Lithgow, at least until a new manager is in the building).

It's pretty clear that none of the centre-backs really want to play on the left-hand side (although McLean was wise enough to realise that he, as the most senior player, just had to accept the short straw); that said, the next manager, coach, random stand-in to play Strapp at centre-half should be barred from Cappielow for life.

Bigger picture is we need a manager who can not only instil a bit of professionalism, belief, and heart, but also duck and dive to get four or five out* and four or five in as early in January as possible. With this personnel, even with a new manager, we're going down.

[*Names available on application.]

[lichtie23]

Who’s got the caretaker job at Cappielow? 

[DUAFC]

Do you want it......