Robert

Because the club is loss making and needs to show the Auditors that it is not insolvent and can be a going concern. It needs a guaranteed cash injection (rather than one that is hoped for) for the Auditors to sign the accounts off.

I don’t think anyone will disagree with that at all, but the reality is that we now find our future squarely in the hands of the Councillors at the forthcoming meeting.

Presumably done in the hope that planning gets approved so they can get the accounts signed off by the Auditors. It surely confirms how perilous our financial position is, and that the Auditors are unwilling to sign the accounts off as they stand and without confirmation that the Battery Park income will be forthcoming. The future of the club is clearly now squarely in the hands of the 74 Highland Councillors entitled to be at the full Council Meeting. Increasingly worrying times.

They have all been out on loan since January and, in many cases, since before Ferguson arrived. I’m all for them getting experience and game time if they would only be fringe players with us, but not when it leaves us short handed like we are at present. Some of them could have been doing us a good turn just now, as I’ve said on the “Ferguson out” thread.

The Board is answerable to the shareholders. Our accounts are due tomorrow, so there should be an AGM date announced at some point in the foreseeable future.

This season is all about survival. We saw some hopeful signs in the first six games after Ferguson came in but we’ve struggled to pick up results since then. We don’t know what remit he was given regarding the January transfer window but clearly the net impact has reduced our wage bill. I think we’ve put too many of our younger players out on loan, as we could do with some of them now, and it would give them good experience. Ethan Cairns has been scoring for fun at Banks O’Dee and, whilst the Championship is a big step up, who’s to say he couldn’t be an impact sun for us? Similarly we were impressed by Keith Bray and Robbie Thompson earlier in the season, and both are playing for League 2 teams just now. They are options we don’t have because of their loans. We again seem to have a disproportionate number of injuries. Some have been sheer bad luck (Samuel’s hand, for example), whereas other players seem very injury prone. Last night, Duffy, Shaw and Samuel had all been doubts, so may not have been fully fit. Shaw didn’t last the whole game and it looked like Duffy would need to come off after picking up a bad knock before half time. At times we play well and are very competitive, but we tend to lack a cutting edge. What I will say is that when we do score, there seems to be a good camaraderie between the players, whether signed or on loan. Lets be realistic, we cannot afford to part with Ferguson, unless he himself wants to move on. Whilst I’m worried about how this season will end (both on and off the park), I feel we should get behind Ferguson and the players, and do our bit to ensure we finish no worse than 8th. It was sickening to read that some “fans” turned on Billy Mckay and his son last night. Yes he had a poor penalty saved, but he has been immense for the club over many years and does not deserve to be on the receiving end of abuse. Those involved should be ashamed of themselves. Whatever happens over the next 10 weeks or so, there is a major rebuild needed in the summer and potentially a chance for some of our promising youngsters to step up and become important players for us. Lewis Nicolson will hopefully be fit for pre-season and ready to slot in at left back or left wing back, allowing Cammy Harper (if we still have him) to move into midfield. Bray, Cairns, Thompson, Jack Walker and others may be ready to step up. Who knows, we may even get MacGregor fit. I’m told our Under 18 squad is good so we need to develop our youngsters and hopefully get some transfer income for some in the years to come.

Disgraceful. Billy gives his all in every game. Behaviour like that will only drive him away from the club.

Jordan Roberts for Stevenage, Jordan White for County and, whisper it, Cillian Sheridan for Queens Park tonight.

Two poor teams tonight. The penalty was our only real chance but we couldn’t take it. Devine made a miraculous clearance off the line shortly after the penalty. That apart, nothing of any real note. At least we didn’t do our usual and concede in the last 10 minutes. It was a patchwork side. Still 3 5 2 with Kerr in midfield, where I thought he’d a good game.

Of course we are!

Has the Rangers cup game dented confidence and performances as we seem to be doing poorly now compared to before.

Over the season, you would expect things to balance out, so our league position after match 36 should reflect our overall performances across the season rather than any individual refereeing decision. We can all point to refereeing decisions that went against us whilst we tend to forget those that went for us (apart from Meekings’ hand ball!) but when it happens at key points in the game and seems to affect the outcome, it is only human nature to point to it. I’ve left games convinced we’d had wrong decisions, only to find out later that they were correct. Officials have a difficult job and I’m sure not many of us would want it. I don’t believe any referees deliberately make wrong decisions (and I laugh at the Old Firm conspiracy theories), but some are clearly not up to the job. As said in the posts above, it seems that poor decisions may have cost us two points on Saturday. However, Saturday’s result on its own will not determine where we finish in the league. If we feel an injustice, we should be using that to galvanise the players to get three points tomorrow.

Interesting.

By all accounts Welsh wanted to leave last summer, whilst personal reasons were behind Carson wanting to be in the central belt. A big week ahead. Dunfermline at home, then Morton away. I think we need at least four points. Then we have two home games against Airdrie and Ayr, the only teams we’ve beaten at home this season. They are in the pack we are chasing so they are six pointers too. Our away form is decent, our home form is our achilles heal, and three of those four games are at home…. Help!

George Oakley for Morton, Michael Gardyne for Montrose and Ethan Cairns for Banks O’Dee today.

Aiden Wilson has joined Inverurie from Rothes.

Other results are going our way. Just one problem, we are not doing our job at all and we look like getting detached in 9th. We’ve had 14 attempts so far but only 3 on target, which is just not good enough. Tuesday’s match is massive now. We can’t afford any more slip ups.

Looking at it with my glass half full, if we do our job and other results go our way today we can be sixth.

Samuel starts. Mckay only on bench.

Matthew Strachan has been recalled from his loan to Brora and has joined Nairn on loan.

Try this: https://arbroathfc.co.uk/ticketing/away-tickets/?ftredirect=1

We’ve taken 15 points away from home so far (compared to 10 at home) out of 27 since Ferguson came in. We need to make that 18 out of 30 tomorrow.

Dunfermline currently 2-1 up at Partick. Not what we needed as we are second bottom and it makes it even more important that we win tomorrow’s game.

I suspect McAllister will drop back into midfield in place of Anderson and Doran will be in the no 10 role. With Chilokoa-Mullen out, Devine is the logical starter. If Shaw misses out too, and I assume Longstaff is still missing, possibly a start for Pepple or Brooks? I hope Samuel makes it as he and Mckay is a potentially potent partnership. It could be the smallest bench we’ve had in a long time!

Anything’s possible!