R.R.FC
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Posts posted by R.R.FC
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1 hour ago, WSDR 88 said:
Accustomed to it quickly? We train on the stuff every day. As well as the standard of artificial pitch going down at San Starko is far superior to what’s at Michael Woods.
Anyway, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m all for the artificial pitch.You do realise that training and playing a match are entirely different? And as you’ve acknowledged in your same post the pitch at Starks will be different to Michael Woods.
Much like grass pitches, different artificial pitches can have totally different feels. Starting the season on plastic pitch which has only just been installed and we won’t have even played any friendlies on is an undeniable disadvantage to the norm and will definitely take a period to get used to.
However, that’s the short term view and only a small gripe. Long term it will be a benefit to us. I would like to think it has been researched thoroughly and they have already made contact with clubs/groups who have indicated they would be regular users. Not only will it help increase income through the week it will allow us to bring Community and Kids groups to Starks Park on a regular basis which can only be a good thing.
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What’s our record like on plastic? I’d reckon it must compare favourably to our away form on grass. Do Forfar have a plastic pitch? That’s the only defeat I can think of.
Hopefully it doesn’t affect our outstanding home form and we can get accustomed to it quickly.
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Nobody can deny that Locke and Hughes were disasters and that it looks like Smith is going to end up a disappointment too. However, if we fail to go up (long way still to go) then the players need to take their fair share of the blame.
They guys still here from last season got off extremely lightly due to most of the anger being directed at the board/managers. But if they fail under 3 managers in 2 different seasons they need to take a look at themselves.
My main concern is that Ayr are starting to keep clean sheets now. They’ve scored goals all season but always given teams a chance at the other end.
Thats the negative side of things but we still have 8 games to go. I bet a lot of us were asking the same questions of the managers/players after our defeat at home to Ayr in 2008/2009 and look how that ended up. Something similarly spectacular is required now, let’s hope Barry and the players have got it in them.
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12 hours ago, Ludo*1 said:
So lads, how would you summarise Smith's tenure so fat?
I’d say the jury is still out. Our home form is outstanding but away from home we are well below par with no real sign of a solution.
His signings have been a real mixed bag and his persistence with Smith (the goalkeeper) tested a lot of fans patience. I also think he can have a frustrating reluctance to use substitutes. But on the flip side when he does make subs, they are generally the correct ones.
He will really be judged at the end the of the season. If we go up it’s job done and he’d hopefully keep us up next year and build on that going forward although I don’t think he has a McKinnon level season in him. If we stay down (which is still very much 50/50) then he will have failed and should be let go.
So to sum up, ask again in 2 months time!
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Grant Murray was definitely better than Gary Locke and Hughes but that’s hardly any sort of praise!
I think he would have taken us down eventually , there was no improvement year to year and the football was generally very poor.
It wasn’t just the defeats it was the manner of them. I remember taking a lot of hidings in his time. We conceded 4 or more goals 12 times in his last year and a half! A lot of those at home.
If we had appointed a competent successor to McKinnon I don’t think many would be feeling Murray was hard done by.
Great player and a nice guy though. Despite his less than impressive managerial reign I’d like to think he’d get the great reception he deserves if he ever came back to do the half time draw. Someone mentioned his performance at Aberdeen being his best in a Rovers shirt, I agree he was outstanding but I think his performance in the next round at Dens was even better.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43061741
For anyone who wants a laugh. John Hughes is whoring himself around for the Scotland job again. Even manages to get the score of the Ayr game wrong.
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I’d like to see Vaughan and Buchanan up top together, would have Vaughan as a 10 and Buchanan as the 9 though. As far as I’m aware they’ve not started a game together as the front two? Only time Vaughan has played up front this year has been when Buchanan was rested in some cup games.
They are 2 of our best technical players and think they would link up well. Another option would be moving Vaughan back wide with him and Furtado on either flank. Bobby Barr has done very little this season to justify his inclusion. That would leave Spence and Buchanan upfront but whilst it’s not been a total disaster, I just don’t think that partnership has properly clicked.
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On 31/08/2017 at 09:03, R.R.FC said:
Agree with those saying if we had to lose one out of Vaughan, Bene or Callachan then it would be Callachan. He will be a big loss as he's been excellent this season but Matthews is a good player and should step up well.
However, Matthews starting leaves us with no cover for central midfield but also takes away our first choice cover for wide midfield.
If we could use the money to bring in a good quality central midfielder (Herron) and wide player (Willis Furtado still not got a club? Sure he was highly rated in this league last year) then it's not a total disaster.
About time...
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McKay has been really good and improving almost every week since he came in. This run of games will have done him the world of good. However, I still think our strongest centre back pairing when Bene is back in him and Davo.
I’d also prefer Murray to keep his place ahead of McHattie at left back. Would be good to suddenly have positive problems regarding selection in defence for once though.
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31 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:
Possibly the budget might be flexible ie they might be prepared to push the boat out for certain players like Austin.
I'm a bit confused about the timescale part of it though. Would he really have signed for us if we had got the deal in place a bit quicker?
I was confused by that too. Perhaps we were planning to move someone on to bring Austin in? That would explain needing extra time and why money might not be available right now.
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Not sure what everyone else thinks but I'd actually be tempted to change formation and go 3 at the back when Bene returns. Our midfield is the main area of weakness for me and this would allow us to put 3 in there to compensate but still keep 2 up top.
Lennox
Thomson-Bene-Davo- Murray-McHattie
Matthews-Robertson-Herron (might be better in a 3)
Vaughan-Buchanan
Apologies for the god awful formatting and text size, on my phone and can't change it.
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Smith has been a pretty dodgy since he came in I think but the main advantage he has over Brian is his communication. There were a few times on Saturday he could be easily heard barking orders and organising. There's a lot to be said for that, especially with a makeshift back 4.
Can't add anything that hasn't been covered regarding the defensive signing. No problem with the club not spending money they don't have, glad they're being responsible. However, they should surely have waited for the results from the specialist before discussing a new signing.
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Would it be a centre back rather than a left back we'd bring in? Murray seems to be fine at left back.
Possible loan return of Davie Bates?
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Apparently he can sign as an amateur? Not sure if that's true. Was he not part time with East Fife though? Why would he give up his day job to sign a 'short term' full time deal with us?
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12 minutes ago, Beastie Russell said:
Surely Callachans wages were simply used to get Herron ?
Zanatta seems a strange signing, especially if we play him up front, where we have cover.
I'd assumed Zanatta would have been part of the Callachan deal so we will be playing little or nothing towards his wages.
It only looks a strange signing in hindsight after the defensive injuries at the weekend. It's just the nature with such a tight squad. 2 injuries in the same area of the pitch and we will be relying on youth, the same would have been the case upfront or out wide before we'd signed Zanatta.
We also signed a 4th goalkeeper last month which would probably have used up any space in the budget before the Callachan deal.
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1 hour ago, Scottydog said:
We may be looking at a combo of Thomson, Murray, Davo and McKay, though in what permutation who knows.
McKay played RB in pre-season, Murray and Thomson can play anywhere across the back four, Davo is CB or RB at a push.
The only other obvious option for a back 4 (perhaps the better one) is to play Ross Matthews at RB and slide Thomson to CB or LB.
Could potentially go 3 at the back with Thomson, Davo and Murray. Flood the midfield with Matthews or/and Robertson sitting in and Barr and Herron pushing on.
Which ever way it could prove to be a tough 2 months.....or who knows it might be a revelation.
All of those are options but in situations like this, I always think it's best to disrupt the shape and lineup of the team as little as possible.
McKay straight swap with Bene for me. At a push, Murray to CB to replace Bene and Valentine at LB but pretty sure he's only 16/17 probably a bit soon for him.
Would leave Thomson, Matthews, Robertson etc in their natural positions, no point disrupting other areas of the pitch.
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I like a moan as much as the rest of us but Jesus Christ guys get a grip! We have said all season about the lack of depth in our squad, we add some and people complain.
By all means complain if this is the only signing we make but if we sign a central midfielder as well then a wide midfielder would have been next on my list to get. We have one winger in our squad. Wingers are notoriously inconsistent, especially at this level. A game changing sub and depth in that position was much needed.
I take all this back if we don't sign a centre mid but I think we will.
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Agree with those saying if we had to lose one out of Vaughan, Bene or Callachan then it would be Callachan. He will be a big loss as he's been excellent this season but Matthews is a good player and should step up well.
However, Matthews starting leaves us with no cover for central midfield but also takes away our first choice cover for wide midfield.
If we could use the money to bring in a good quality central midfielder (Herron) and wide player (Willis Furtado still not got a club? Sure he was highly rated in this league last year) then it's not a total disaster.
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We had 3 wins from 3 at this stage last season and McManus looked great...it's still very early doors.
Dunfermline don't have Gary Locke or John Hughes managing them though so I'd imagine you'll do pretty well.
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Can't see Dundee United having cash to buy him. And if they did, I'd be surprised if they spent it on an attacker.
They already have Keatings, McDonald, N'Koyi, Fraser, Stanton, McMullan and King.
Don't agree with some others that we couldn't win the league without Vaughan but we would have to be incredibly lucky with injuries and we have a much, much better chance with him in the team.
He's definitely our best player right now though and it's great seeing one of our own youngsters excelling and enjoying himself. Really hope we keep him for the rest of the season as I think he's worth more to us than any fee we'd bring in.
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It's not helpful to the young players to just chuck them all in for their first competitive start together. Needs to be a mix with some experience to help them through. Also, as much as this competition is a farce a home defeat to Brora helps nobody.
I'd go with
Brian
McHattie
Davo
McKay
Thomson
Barr
Berry
Matthews
Thorsen
Spence/Buchanan
Osei/Court
That still leaves us resting Lennox, Bene, Murray, Robertson, Callachan, Vaughan and one of Spence or Buchanan.
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22 minutes ago, baillieinleeds said:
This is true, we simply and swiftly have to realise we are a lower league club and can't compete with the big guns, why we stayed full time I'll never know, we've ran the risk of staying full time and a small squad, losing an important player right now will exacerbate our chances for promotion. I'd love it if he stays. But ultimately it's up to the board. They single handedly buggered our status as a championship team, what's to stop them doing it againStaying full time was absolutely the right thing to do. History favours full time teams in this league.
Furthermore, you're worried about Vaughan leaving scuppering our promotion chances, I would bet good money he'd already be gone if we'd went part time. Same goes for Benedictus, Callachan, Matthews, Barr and Buchanan I'd say.
I also think our arrangement with the Michael Woods Centre (a big selling point and advantage for us) is dependant on our use of the facilities being through the day. A hybrid FT/PT model would require night time training which I'm not sure would be part of the original agreement.
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I liked him a lot, good signing for Dumbarton.
I'd say that's 2 good, 1 average and 1 poor signing from their Rovers 2016/2017 relegation squad pillage.
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Wow. I don't know what the f**k has happened here the last 24 hours and I'm not sure if I hate it or love it.
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The New Raith Rovers Thread
in Scottish Championship General Chatter
Posted · Edited by R.R.FC
Crazy to think this season we have had youth players play for 3 of the biggest teams in the country (Rangers, Hearts and Hibs) and we have banked just slightly more than feck all from the deals.