CALDERON
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Posts posted by CALDERON
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Dunfermline remind me of last seasons Rovers team - decent enough without that killer edge. They'll be fine in terms of relegation playoffs, and there's something to build on next season, but it would be hard to see them secure top 4 without getting some players back pronto.
Thought having Brown and Byrne back today was vital, for as poor as Brown was on sat he was immense today.
Great crowd today and great effort from both sets of fans. Great to have the new year derby back again.
Its dissapointing to see violence creep into this fixture. Even before today, seems to be more scraps kicking about in and around the town before and after these games. Absolutely pointless, and not on the spirit of how this derby should be. Should be 90 mins of relative hostility, but ending in fans able to walk down Halbeath Road/Pratt Street like any other week. We are all just fans following our team.
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I actually think we got away with one there, to be honest. Playing Dabrowski, and him being in no way able to kick a ball, invited us to give the ball away needlessly - through forced throws/roll outs, or goal kicks that weren't very good. Add to that the delayed reaction for the goal. 2 very good saves second half, but I think Dunfermline didn't do nearly enough to test him.
In the end, job done. Not particularly pretty at all, but did what we had to do.
I thought Dunfermline were a stick on for top 4, but that was a poor side today. Granted they have players out etc - but they have zero cutting edge up top.
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"We fucking hate you"
"If you hate the fucking Rovers clap your hands"
"We are the Rovers, haters"
Why do Raith fans obsess over Dunfermline so much???!!!!
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It's still Dabrowski....
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We have been pretty poor for much of the game, other than that spell just after the goal. Ultimately, nothing we don't already know, but frustrating all the same.
Dabrowski is nowhere near fit, and giving him that half was fucking madness.
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Genuinely unsure as to how people expected us to sell the stand out. A huge factor in the Tannadice crowd was the free transport.
If we get it close to 2.5k that's a good effort, that's larger than most home gates before this season.
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12 minutes ago, CallumPar said:
What warning signs? Genuine question, as I don’t see anything to suggest we’ll win this one.
I'd imagine Dunfermline will be better than Arbroath were for 75 minutes yesterday, and we ballsed that up tbh.
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17 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:
Still, a very good chance to compete in the play-off final and relegate Aberdeen.
Jings, there's a thought.
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Aye, if Matthews isn't getting on to help shore up at 2-0 lead with 20 mins to go, you have to wonder when he's going to feature.
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6 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:
Wee team don’t actually believe they are serious title contenders, surely?
United have every advantage available and even scoring late goals just about every single week has only kept you level pegging. Luck like that will always turn.
Still, a very good chance to compete in the play-off final and relegate Aberdeen.
I think after beating Utd at Tannadice, and deserving it, to go 5 points clear it was perfectly sensible to feel we had a wee shout. Dont think anyone would have left that match thinking Utd were champions elect. How we reacted to the pressure and expectation after that game was always going to say a lot though.
I haven't felt we've been overly convincing, and do feel the late goals have papered over a few cracks, but again I don't think it's unfair to say that we've placed 4 points directly into the bin over the past week - from excellent positions. Given Utd dropped points last week as well, it's particularly frustrating.
Don't think there's anything wrong at all with Murrays interview. When you are 2-0 up, 15 mins to go, have the wealth of options that we have and the opposition have been forced to play the goalie up top - you have to win the game. Granted, he takes a fair chunk of blame for that, but still.
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10 minutes ago, Stardog_champion said:
Defence Defence Defence. f**k the silky winger. The weakness is that fucking defence. Jesus fucking Christ
Don't think the defence did that badly today. Brown gave away the pen, and the first goal was an absolutely worldie.
The overall shape, formation and game management when we are in front is the stand out concern at the moment.
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For me, the past 2 games have confirmed that we aren't good enough to mount a serious title challenge this season. To be ahead against 10 men, and 2-0 up against a team with no subs left and playing a goalkeeper up front - and to leave both games without a win, is pretty poor at best. The question you have to ask, is if Dundee Utd would have done the same? When you see their game last night and that today, its a massive difference. Not necessarily in terms of individual footballing ability, but in terms of game management and game intelligence - its absolutely fucking massive.
Over the piece, don't have any real complaints - we have rode our luck a bit this season - but its a massive wake up call and a pretty sobering dose of reality. The inability to take any command of a game when on top is really quite concerning.
It will still be a successful season I'm sure, I would be surprised to see us fall any lower than 2nd, but the past week has been extremely disappointing after such a good win at Tannadice.
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Difficult to analyse the game from a stream as opposed to being there, but it certainly appeared we were 2 goals up, comfortable, but not really taking the game by the scruff of the neck.
Absolute worldie to make it 2-1 to be fair, but the game management from then on in was pretty awful.
No real complaints, we have rode our luck a good chunk this season. Past 2 games are something of a reality check I think.
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An absolute wordlie of goal, to be fair.
However, not putting that game to bed is criminal.
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Decided against going to this one, A90 already been shut once week and weather further weather warnings. Hopefully find the game somewhere on the old stick of fire.
Big game, especially after Utd winning last night. We've been pretty poor in 2 out of our 3 last games, hopefully get a reaction today.
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Difficult to know what to expect in January without knowing what the club are aiming for in the remainder of the season. The approach of being happy with the squad and doing nothing, will be absolutely fine for 2nd place (or 3rd allowing for a tough run of form) - which everyone would have taken at the start of the season.
I do feel we will need to strengthen in January if we want it to be any more than that. Partly down to the fact Utd almost certainly will. Particularly in defence. Assuming O'Reilly isn't here, our options at Centre Back would be Brown (we need him in midfield, IMO, thats been evident over 2.5 of the last 3 games), Watson (Real concerns over his fitness - he was touch and go 3 months ago, and hasn't been in the squad since, Corr (I've been encouraged by him, but he doesn't look just quite ready yet), Masson (not ready yet) or Dick (decent enough option, but out of position). Thats assuming one of these will partner Murray, who is more than good enough for what we need.
The fact that we have conceded as much goals in our last 2 home games, as Utd have all season, does show that we need to address that area of the pitch. An option at full back, particularly left back, would be good too. Liam Dick is a perfectly capable Championship full back, I do think its an area of the pitch that has been exposed a bit lately.
Assuming we can keep a hold of Byrne, and we get Brown back in there, I'm perfectly happy with Midfield and attacking options in general - although a centre forward would be good. Hamilton gives us a lot, but we are reliant on him being fit and available. In games like Arbroath away, where he wasn't, it really held us back.
That probably sounds harsher than its intended - we've done very very well this season - however 40 points before even reaching half way is a generous points total for a team who haven't played convincingly over a full 90 minutes, and who haven't won any games by more than 1 goal. At the risk of sounding like Dundee Utd twitter, that isn't something that is sustainable over the course of the entire season - and I do feel we need to incorporate an element of solidity if we are to challenge for the league going into the final quarter.
I don't want to see us "go for broke" or anything like that, this is a longer term project and by no means promotion or bust (in this season at least!). However, I would like to see us sensibly strengthen in the window, if we do then I think we have a genuine chance of the title if we can compliment the attacking flair and team spirit with a bit more "steel". Also could well be that this isn't entirely realistic, given our wealth of attacking options that we currently have!
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Absolutely fantastic news.
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Certainly don't want to be too harsh on the guys. 40 points, at this stage of the season, is an incredible return. If you said to me going down the road to Tannadice last week that we would finish last nights game 5 points clear - I would have taken any possible permutation that led to that. And if you said to me with 12 mins to go at Firhill in August that this is where we would be, I would have assumed heavy narcotics consumption.
I do think that some issues to work on have been exposed though, and things that were perhaps bubbling under the surface. We have conceded as many goals in our last 2 home games, as Utd have in the entirety of the season. Granted, that is partly a reflection on how well they defend, but it's something that has to be addressed urgently. Another option at left back is probably top of the list there. Not meaning to be harsh on Liam Dick, but its probably our weakest area across the back 4 - and the back 4 is our weakest area across the pitch.
Might be sounding harsh, but its a reflection on how well we have done this season that we are genuinely in with a shout for the title - at this stage. It's all to play for. Not gutted at all after last night - didn't see anything I wasn't already aware of, and whilst Utd dropped points also and we were against 10 men, when your having an off night and claw points back - its something to just take a move onto the next game.
And aye, Vaughan has been superb this season. One of several things I have got wrong lately was thinking Vaughan was off it after the 4th ACL. Incorrect, he's been fucking excellent this season.
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At the end of the day, a point is a great result when you consider how poor we were. A lot being made about it being against 10 men, but that highlights how well Ayr played to be honest.
That said, the way we almost consistently start 2nd half's is incredibly infuriating. Incredibly wasteful in possession, and poor decision making.
The spirit in the team is fantastic, but that is beginning to paper over a few cracks. To have amassed 40 points in less than half a season, yet not really put in a convincing 90 minute performance is strange, and not sustainable. 4 points from the Arbroath game and tonight is a mental return, when you see how off it we were. It's a huge wake up call.
No damage done in terms of the lead, but I can't help but feel any title push hinges on how bad Stantons injury is.
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Ayr were fantastic tonight, best side to come to Starks Park in ages.
That said, Rovers were fucking awful. Absolutely huge wake up call.
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Ayr deserve. Absolutely shocking game management to start this half from Rovers.
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Ayr played really well for most of the half to be honest, we struggled with the high press. Need to see it again, but looked like the guy gave the ref a decision to make.
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The New Raith Rovers Thread
in Scottish Championship General Chatter
Posted
Even if we do get Watson back soon, how long does it take him to get up to speed, and can we keep him fully fit for the remainder of the season?
The words "Lewis" and "Stevenson" were mentioned a fair few times in chatter on Tuesday at the game - however you could say that about every transfer window for the past 5 seasons.