Raith Against The Machine

Is modern-day Anderson not more the Duku than the Tait in that equation? It was in the final minutes, but that's the role he went into when he came on against Arbroath. I don't know enough about Ugwu or Mahady to say how they'll fit in, but we don't really have an alternative "big man". If we are going to replace Anderson, and I wouldn't say that's a given, I'd expect another striker rather than another attacking midfielder/winger.

Grant Anderson has signed for Kelty Hearts. That's come out of nowhere! I suppose when you think we picked him up from Stranraer last year, and he's not getting any younger, maybe the Championship was a step too far, but it's surprising that the move has just come of the blue at this stage of the season. He'll absolutely tear it up in the Lowland League. After the shite was his first spell ended, it's a shame he's not had a proper goodbye this time around either.

I think having a player like Dom Thomas, whose delivery is so good, is possibly skewing your findings a little. This Rovers side finds it's width from its fullbacks and although Manny Duku is a big unit, we haven't spent much time whipping crosses into him. Rather we're using him as a point man and playing three mobile midfielders off him. We scored three against Arbroath on Saturday; an inverted wide midfielder cutting inside and shooting, a ball over the top for an overlapping fullback, and a penalty. Given the strength of Arbroath's central defence, and the alleged weakness of Queen of the South's, I'm interested to see how much that focus changes. I think at a minimum we'll see Saturday's short corners swapped out for some balls into the box. I wonder how much the likes of Ethan Ross and Dan Armstrong will look to deliver crosses to Duku instead of being more direct themselves.

I was surprised to see the Rovers priced as (marginal) favourites for this one earlier. I don't necessarily disagree, and maybe home advantage ain't want it used to be, but the bookies seem to be giving up on Queens very early. I could maybe understand it if you'd been hammered by Ayr, but by all accounts it was a fairly even game and their keeper was a standout. Does that pricing feel right? I'm not so sure.

That's a clear red card, lads.

Ayr's highlights are going to be worth a watch all season if they stick with this multi-cam format. It's like watching Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait except it's about Michael Moffat and rather than being soundtracked by Mogwai, it's Mark Kerr screaming "DO YOUR FUCKING JOB" right in a linesman's lug.

Morning all, Makes sense to have one place for the highlights of each game, no? So far, for Matchday One: Ayr United 2-1 Queen of the South Greenock Morton 1-0 Alloa Athletic Heart of Midlothian 6-2 Dundee Raith Rovers 3-0 Arbroath As best I can tell, Dunfermline haven't seen fit to grace us with their highlights yet. Incidentally, I'm not going to be one of those mad b*****ds who gets a thread pinned and then keeps on editing the original post. Who's got the time? Just the first person to notice the highlights have gone up fire them into this thread.

Hendry's second penalty is placed much better than his first. It's right into the corner, Gaston does really well to reach it. Looking at the first penalty, I think you could argue either side. Thomson definitely gets the toe of his right boot to the ball before Hendry can do the same, but he's also clearing out Hendry with his left leg. He's been caught on his heels, and it's clumsy at best. That said, in this daft handball climate, I think he got away with one in the first half too. That cross that clips him on the way through comes off at an odd angle that would be unusual if it'd struck his chest. For the second penalty, it's as I thought at the time. Under the law, it's penalty, but the law is an ass. In this case, I don't think the referee realises that he's sending off TOB. The highlights cut away before he gets the red out, but show plenty of him giving the yellow, walking away, going to note it into his book... Penalties aside (and I think you can set them aside) there was still a huge gulf between the teams. Once the Rovers had weathered that early flurry of attacks, they never looked back and really should've had at least a couple more. For a lone striker in a comfortable win, Manny Duku barely touched the ball inside the penalty box (although with the shot that hit the bar, the wild pirouette and the back post dive at MacDonald's cross, he might've had a hat-trick!) but he clearly rattled the Arbroath defence, and that midfield attacking three were causing havoc and taking advantage. Armstrong a clear man of the match, but there was real quality from a lot of Rovers players yesterday. Tait's ball for Tumilty's goal is sublime.

It exceeded the 37 other clubs today. And the two last night. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has prevented you from completing a full house by exceeding St Mirren and Motherwell too.

I've no idea what Arbroath are "considered" normally, but going by the BBC's stats, Arbroath committed 23 fouls this afternoon. Not only is that the most in the SPFL today, it's four more than the nearest challengers. Dirty? Considerably so.

Were any of Raith's goals today crosses? Not today, no. We are well equipped with "big laddies" though, and full backs who push on. This Rovers side should relish a game against a side struggling so badly with cross balls, but the Championship has a funny way of subverting expectations. I wonder which side will get the dubious handball penalty.

Hadn't realised he'd been booked for it too. No idea what the logic is for that. It's one thing to say "any time a ball hits a hand it's a penalty", but it's something else altogether to book players when there's nothing they can do about it.

That's another one of these stupid penalties. Sooner IFAB (or whoever, I've nae idea) intervenes and bins this the better. The referees must be beeling at having to give these.

Deary me.

Why on Earth did Dan "shoot from anywhere" Armstrong choose to square that!? This could've been a massacre.

Frankie Musonda on at right back. Won his first header, which I think makes that a better start than Nando Mendy had... Fingers crossed it's just a precaution for Tumilty, he's been excellent this afternoon.

Stick Anderson on for Manny, let Coulson be the first replacement for an attacking midfielder, try to see the game out without any injuries.

A Dick Campbell team resorting to kicking another team to bits because things aren't going their way? Reader, I am shocked.

Should've had another goal there. Manny just moving offside at the wrong moment. Thought Armstrong had done enough on his own. Arbroath don't even look slightly capable of handing the movement of our attacking three playing off Duku.

Oh Jason Thomson. So slow to react there. Hendry makes up two or three yards as Thomson waits for the ball to arrive. He's maybe got a toe on the ball but Hendry has gotten a lot of his body in the way. Did not see the first half going like this.

Manny! I'm not sure Gaston would've kept that out if it was six inches lower.

Every chance that hit Thomson's hand. Arbroath reeling at the moment.

Keeper! Really poor positioning. Made it far too easy for Reghan Tumilty. Good to see our attacking full-back's form continuing though. We'll lean heavily on MacDonald and Tumilty at times this season.

Bowie-esque finish from Dan Armstrong! Lovely strike. Manny's playing an impeccable target man role so far. Lot of fouls in the final third, can't be too long before Arbroath start picking up bookings. Little must be on the thinnest ice.

You wouldn't put much on this finishing 0-0, would you? Neither defence looks particularly settled.