Can we avoid relegation ?

[ClashCityRocker]

Arbroath are not yet cut adrift at the foot of the table, there is still a chance that Arbroath can finish 2nd bottom and play in the relegation play offs.

If we can beat both Airdrie and East Fife ( and results go our way elsewhere ) we still have a chance of finishing 2nd bottom.

Can we make a late revival with a few surprise results ?

It's looking like being a very tight relegation dog fight scrap.

If we can keep a few clean sheets, stop conceding soft goals and make our defence a fortress then we have a chance.

We need to raise the bar and start winning matches.

We are still in "business" - we are not yet relegated.

If we can beat East Fife and Brechin the battle could yet go to the last game of the season away from home against Airdrie.

Arbroath's best and probably last chance is to make sure we beat both East Fife and Brechin and ensure we beat Airdrie on the last day of the season.

It won't be easy.

[timlichtie]

It's possible, but only if we do something about the defence. If no new central defender comes in then I would get Nicol playing deeper and Banjo in for Chis. We have to get both cover and pace into the midfield.

[SassenachSteve10]

I will be more than surprised if we WIN another match this season never mind avoid relegation.

Can't keep goals out

Can't score enough

No mid-field

No manager on touch-line

No chance...no hope

Start from scratch next season at the bottom

[ectolichtie]

Think we will games before the end of the season, whether we win enough that is another thing, if you offered me 9th today, would bite your hand off

Forget Banjo in centre-mid, would bring Chris Scott back in for Chis

[Bellevue]

No.
You can only win games by scoring more goals than the opposition and/or conceding less goals than the opposition.
We have not been able to do either for most of the season. The defence cannot stop the opposition scoring and signing strikers is no guarantee of scoring goals. Even when Erwin and Doris were on loan we couldn't score more than the opposition.
So I'm afraid that hoping for the team to come good and for other teams to drop points is wishful thinking and we need to accept that we almost certainly will be relegated.

[ectolichtie]

we look to have no confidence whatsoever, but we are not doomed yet and until such times there is always hope, we are not going to get out of this by playing pretty football a bit of grit and fight and maybe a bit more direct

[steeplejack]

In a word NO

We have only won 5 games all season, so to suddenly win roughly 7 out of the last 11 is an extremely tall order, I would happily take a play off position but even that would be very difficult. We are in freefall and seem unable to stop.

The manager will trot out all the clichA?s about "while its mathematically possible" etc but we must wise up fast, coupled with a huge rub of the green.

[ectolichtie]

We are not going to finish 8th or better, the best we can get now is 9th, we wont need 7 wins to finish there

[Arbroath1]

YEP 9th is what we are looking for, would rather see a couple of 0-0 draws but this is Arbroath when was the last time we drew 0-0 it is not in our history 3-3 , 4-4 maybe but certainly not 0-0. It,s a pity that Kenny Deuchar a pal of PS is not a centre half. Not sure about Big Marv, Stewart Greacan or Gary Kenneth all targets allegedlily Brechin lost two on the bounce. Who would we like. What has happened to Hammy not the confident player of last season ?????

[ectolichtie]

YEP 9th is what we are looking for, would rather see a couple of 0-0 draws but this is Arbroath when was the last time we drew 0-0 it is not in our history 3-3 , 4-4 maybe but certainly not 0-0. It,s a pity that Kenny Deuchar a pal of PS is not a centre half. Not sure about Big Marv, Stewart Greacan or Gary Kenneth all targets allegedlily Brechin lost two on the bounce. Who would we like. What has happened to Hammy not the confident player of last season ?????

Out of that 3 really was only interested in Greacan, but he was brutal when Stenny came to Gayfield, there must be better centre-halves available than either Travis or Keddie, surely

[maroonie]

Some of the above posts talk of clean sheets. Last one for us I believe was the previous visit of Farfir. Imo the best we will get now is 9th and a chance to save our status via the relegation play offs. Looking at the club's likely to be involved in this dogfight with us, none have such a poor run of result as us. As has been mentioned a tall order and almost impossible with the goals we present to opponents. Sheerin hasn't addressed our frailty at centre defence up to now and continues to bury his head in the sand. Agree that Banjo deserves to get a chance in midfield with no lack of suggestions as to who to drop. PS or Chis would be prime candidates.

[charlesedwardstewart]

I think giving Keddie a hard time is a bit brutal, I blame the other three defenders around him, it doesn't help when his goalkeeper refuses to come out for crosses!

But onto the question of being able to avoid relegation, In my opinion East Fife are the team to catch, Airdrie seem to grinding out results are are increasingly being hard to beat, I heard that Bollan has them training three nights a week!!!

So if we can drag East Fife into the mix then there will be all to play for, but a huge ask.