Matty-RCFC

It was when markets came out this morning - price has taken a hammering since. In the last hour they released the full quota of matches. Cumnock at 9/2 was maybe the biggest f**k up I’ve seen from the bookies in my years of betting. Still 2/1 which is a belter of a price.

A few prices out now on all the main bookies. Pollok at 13/10 and Kilwinning 9/2 look the standouts thus far but still more games to come out.

None at the moment. 365, Betfair and Paddy will have prices out later today/early tomorrow morning. Mcbookie will have prices too but obviously they’re more switched on so it’s the other three you’re probably looking towards.

This is my favourite week of the year to have a punt - the Scottish Cup First Round. The bookies have absolutely no clue how to price some of the teams in this round. Some of the highlights of last years SC First Round: - Drumchapel 11/4 away to Gretna (won 4-1) - Darvel HT/FT 10/11 v Dalbeattie (won 7-1) - Auchinleck 4/1 v Bo’ness (didn’t win in normal time but won on pens) I suspect there will be a few of the same f**k ups this weekend, hopefully.

Two absolute gangs.

Have absolutely no idea what to expect from Dundee tonight. Makes a change as it’s normally my own team I have no idea what to expect from.

Our pitch generally holds up very well so unless it’s monsoon rain in Dingwall I suspect the game will be on. The worry would be the safety aspect through Perth. The safety aspect of travelling through Perth has nothing to do with the weather; just need to make sure you get out of there unscathed.

I hope he has one more big one in him. If there is a god…

No replies to this thread in 3 weeks. What a buzz around the club at the moment!

I think he means in Perth as in going through Perth en route to somewhere else.

A Saturday whereby RCFC don’t lose. Rejoice.

I suspect we’ll play 5 at the back, launch balls into the channel for Jordan White to run onto and play “well” whilst losing. It’s the Ross County way.

Yeah, I was sat in the 90th minute yesterday saying the exact same thing to myself. I need my football which was why it was so hard to not physically go to County games when Mackay first got the job. I caved in because I missed going too much. Yesterday, though, put me back into a mindset where I’ll not be back till he’s gone. In his first year, we were exciting to watch. Wingers driving at their full back. Centre mids making late runs into the box. Spittal dictating games in the middle of the park. Full backs flying past their winger to get involved in attacks. It was fun. Watching County for the last couple months I struggle to see what it is we’re actually trying to do. There is no identity to that side whatsoever. He won’t go, because Roy Macgregor won’t sack him. However, change is needed at the club because it’s now just becoming stale and fans are getting fed up.

Just assumed this thread is going to be the one used for the game tonight. I’d like to see us take the game to Aberdeen tonight. I don’t think they’ll be as front footed as they were Sunday as they don’t have much of a point to prove here. Hence, I’d like to see us revert to the back 4 and get back to the direct style that worked in the early weeks of the season. I’d go with something like… Laidlaw Brown-Baldwin-Leak-Reid Henderson-Randall-Turner-Dhanda White-Murray Harsh on Nightingale but I just don’t see Baldwin getting dropped as we NEED his cannons from the side. I think it’s more likely that Sims would start over Henderson, but given it’ll probably be Jonny Hayes at full back I think Henderson’s pace would be a problem for Hayes who doesn’t want to be facing his own goal for too long. Dhanda drifting in from the left would pose another issue for Aberdeen. I’d like to see Brophy start a match soon but Murray’s record in this cup can’t be overlooked. I’m feeling somewhat optimistic here and I’m going to say County are going to nick it.

Team picks itself really. Happy with it.

Fantastic win for the Lilywhites against Locos who look to be in right shit this season. A hard fought win for Clach who maybe just deserved it based on their resolute defending. Hopefully a winnable tie at Grant Street in the next round.

Last year, I used ScotScores club ranking feature throughout the early rounds to give a rough idea of the quality between sides. I nicked the idea from someone else (if you’re reading this, forgive me for forgetting your name but thank you for the idea nonetheless) and whilst it’s not a perfect model, it got the vast majority of predictions right. For the record, I added +50 to sides at home to give reflection for home advantage. Any gap 50 and below gives a draw result. Cutler - 2712 Deveronvale - 2354 HOME WIN (+358) Penicuik - 2553 Pollok - 2793 AWAY WIN (-240) Banks O’Dee - 2710 Dalbeattie Star - 2376 HOME WIN (+334) Bo’ness - 2762 Darvel - 2829 DARVEL (-67) Brechin - 2819 Rothes - 2518 HOME WIN (+301) Brora - 2781 Berwick - 2709 BRORA (+72) Broxburn - 2726 Nairn - 2579 HOME WIN (+147) Caley Braves - 2700 Fraserburgh - 2732 DRAW (-32) Camelon - 2553 Civil Service - 2662 AWAY WIN (-109) Clach - 2438 Inverurie - 2524 INVERURIE (-86) Cowdenbeath - 2731 Linlithgow Rose - 2741 DRAW (-10) Dalkeith - 2362 Clydebank - 2843 AWAY WIN (-481) Dundonald - 2717 Kilwinning - 2623 HOME WIN (+94) Dunipace - 2575 Cumnock - 2696 AWAY WIN (-121) East Kilbride - 2936 Whitehill - 2467 HOME WIN (+469) East Stirling - 2674 Huntly - 2582 HOME WIN (+92) Edinburgh Uni - 2438 Dunbar - 2576 AWAY WIN (-138) Formartine - 2748 Threave - 2494 HOME WIN (+254) Gala - 2663 Strathspey - 2241 HOME WIN (+422) Golspie - 2231 Forres - 2471 AWAY WIN (-240) Keith - 2463 Luncarty - 2509 DRAW (-43) Lossiemouth - 2422 Beith - 2856 AWAY WIN (-434) Musselburgh - 2763 Gretna - 2400 HOME WIN (+363) St Andrews - 2624 Auchinleck - 2793 AWAY WIN (-169) Tayport - 2469 Buckie - 2730 AWAY WIN (-261) Tranent - 2822 Hutchinson Vale - 2653 HOME WIN (+169) Turriff - 2546 Sauchie - 2666 AWAY WIN (-120) Wick - 2395 Jeanfield Swifts - 2697 AWAY WIN (-302) Broomhill - 2703 Cumbernauld Colts - 2709 DRAW (-6) Stirling University - 2779 Albion Rovers - 2778 DRAW (+1)

I’m no, I don’t know, future predictor. That being said, I predict La County De La Ross-Shire will concede (some) goals during this 90 minutes. Jack Baldwin is a weird defender. I predict his brain will be too interested in his next throw-in during a sporadic Aberdeen attack which will lead to an, unfortunate, goal. Thankfully, we have a ginger God who seems addicted to goals. He’ll score at least 3. 5-3 Staggies. Same again Wednesday Doctor.

I’ve only seen Formartine once this season - a 2-1 victory over Lossie. They were fairly poor that day, and whilst they maybe should’ve had a goal or two more to add to the scoresheet, I thought they looked quite susceptible at the back which was worrying given Lossie don’t have much pace in their front 3. Young Aidan Combe was a standout that day for Formartine, however he doesn’t seem to be able to nail down a place in their Starting XI which suggests he is a fairly patchy player. Understandable.

I suspect John “Yogi” Hughes would jump at the idea, given how much he always blabs on about how he loves the Highlands and cycling to work and all that other nonsense he enjoys gurgling. My only concern for him is that I’m unsure if Brian “Chipper” Rice will still be keen to go ahead with 2am hypothetical tactical battles with “Yogi”, but I suppose we’ll wait and see…

Saturday reiterated a personal perspective I’ve held since the start of the season - in that I look around the league and cannot see which team(s) are going to be dragged into a relegation battle. St Johnstone, at the moment, look the overwhelming favourites to go down. However, I expect they’ll have an upturn of form once their new signings get settled. Above them? You’ve got a glut of 6-8 teams who could genuinely finish anywhere between 4th and 11th. Should be a fascinating season.

Echoing the frustrations above. Thought we were pretty dangerously and actually defended very well. Switched off once really and were punished for it. Thought Laidlaw maybe could’ve done better for the goal. Another point closer to 10th place - hopefully.

Have to say I’m not the master of all-things-Livingston, but I do recall your man Guthrie coming under a lot of stick prior to the game we won 2-0 in Dingwall last season. He then got sent off in that game and fans were calling for his head. Has he had a RCC-esque turn around in his fortunes this summer as I thought he was an absolute dud?

One of my favourite County players ever. A beautiful human.

Does anybody know when the loan window shuts/if it is already shut? I believe you can still sign domestic players on loan from higher leagues but that might not be the case. If it’s not, seems a bit bizarre to see Adam Mackinnon kept around the first team for the season. With the signing of High on deadline day, I make it 8 midfielders ahead of Mackinnon in the pecking order so I’d be a bit gutted for the lad if he’s made to rot after what seemed like a very promising spell at Montrose last season.