The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Broken Algorithms]

From the squad, I'd keep Davidson, Murray, McKay and Spence, though I'd be happy if we loaned back either of Zanatta or Henry (Might've been an idea to play the later from when we first signed him).

We have too many passengers in the team.  Both our keepers have been poor, McHattie shouldn't have been given a contract with his injury record. Thomson scored five goals this season, but defensively he is shocking and he's happy to lump it up the pitch.

Robertson is finished as a player, and Herron is too injury prone to make a long term difference. Matthews has completely regressed as a player, though the fact there's some myth that he's a winger doesn't help at all. Barr disappeared for the second and third quarters, only to reappear after offering square goes to fans. Furtado will probably move up a level and stay full time but it isn't much of a loss given he had a limited impact other than his first four or five games. He looks less fit than when he arrived and didn't achieve the impact hoped. 

Up top, Buchanan is finished. Vaughan has been awful for months and tried to take on too many players. He could be a brilliant player, but he's tried to do far too much. Utterly bemusing that we kept him on in favour of Zanatta in the second half. Jonny Court had a positive first half today, but hasn't shown anything to suggest he's a player to keep on the wage bill. 

It really doesn't help we've spent the majority of the season shelling the ball over to forwards. As mentioned by a few of the other posters on here, it's all very well staying full time but we completely remove any advantage when our tactic has been to launch it long. Against teams like Arbroath and Alloa recently, we've been completely second best.  We've failed to show any cohesive movement between the midfield going forward as a result. 

I've got my season ticket bought for next season, but I completely understand why people are hesitant. 

[Levenmouth Rover]

Although Smith has to take a chunk of the blame for our failure to gain promotion the majority of the players need to take a long hard look at themselves. Some were culpable last season in us being relegated and for as much as Locke, Hughes and Smith have been poor appointments the common denominator is the players. I couldn’t bring myself to applaud them onto the park today after that performance on Wednesday and don’t regret booing them off at the end. Will be delighted to see the back of most of them. In terms of first team regulars I’d keep Davo, Murray and a back fit Bene. Struggling to think of reason to keep anyone else. Been. a season ticket holder for longer than i care to remember but tonight I’m definitely having my doubts for next season.

[Cosmic Joe]

Can I ask where a club like Raith Rovers, who were selling season tickets for 2018-19 at bargain bucket prices a few weeks back, are expected to get the funds to pay off Barry Smith's  contract. I've no idea what he is on but just step back and think about it. Does the club have that kind of money to take off their potential budget for players next season?

For the record I don't think Barry did too badly. It was always likely to be a two horse race for the automatic promotion place and that's exactly how it turned out. Raith fans need to take a reality check...

[CALDERON]

Just now, Oor Willis said:

From the squad, I'd keep Davidson, Murray, McKay and Spence, though I'd be happy if we loaned back either of Zanatta or Henry (Might've been an idea to play the later from when we first signed him).

We have too many passengers in the team.  Both our keepers have been poor, McHattie shouldn't have been given a contract with his injury record. Thomson scored five goals this season, but defensively he is shocking and he's happy to lump it up the pitch.

Robertson is finished as a player, and Herron is too injury prone to make a long term difference. Matthews has completely regressed as a player, though the fact there's some myth that he's a winger doesn't help at all. Barr disappeared for the second and third quarters, only to reappear after offering square goes to fans. Furtado will probably move up a level and stay full time but it isn't much of a loss given he had a limited impact other than his first four or five games. He looks less fit than when he arrived and didn't achieve the impact hoped. 

Up top, Buchanan is finished. Vaughan has been awful for months and tried to take on too many players. He could be a brilliant player, but he's tried to do far too much. Utterly bemusing that we kept him on in favour of Zanatta in the second half. Jonny Court had a positive first half today, but hasn't shown anything to suggest he's a player to keep on the wage bill. 

It really doesn't help we've spent the majority of the season shelling the ball over to forwards. As mentioned by a few of the other posters on here, it's all very well staying full time but we completely remove any advantage when our tactic has been to launch it long. Against teams like Arbroath and Alloa recently, we've been completely second best.  We've failed to show any cohesive movement between the midfield going forward as a result. 

I've got my season ticket bought for next season, but I completely understand why people are hesitant. 

Pretty much this.

[mcqbez]

Got to say massive round of applause [emoji1376] to the Raith fans that applauded the Alloa players off the park... Respect [emoji1307]

[Michael W]

First and foremost (!) we need to establish whether or not we're staying full time or if we're going part time - until then we aren't in a position to say who stays or goes. Budgets are also an issue as some of our hogher paid players just might be unaffordable. 

This also needs to be done ASAP, as if we are going part time all the good players will have been snapped up. 

[CALDERON]

Just now, Angusfifer said:

Can I ask where a club like Raith Rovers, who were selling season tickets for 2018-19 at bargain bucket prices a few weeks back, are expected to get the funds to pay off Barry Smith's  contract. I've no idea what he is on but just step back and think about it. Does the club have that kind of money to take off their potential budget for players next season?

For the record I don't think Barry did too badly. It was always likely to be a two horse race for the automatic promotion place and that's exactly how it turned out. Raith fans need to take a reality check...

Smith was brought in to achieve promotion, and hasn't done that.

Whether we can afford to punt him is another thing, but he has underachieved. He was backed with a full time budget, and his team were thrashed in the playoffs by a part time side.

We have had several crunch games this season and bottled almost all of them.

Add to that an absolutely disgusting style of football and its not hard to see why people want him gone.

 

[SanStarko]

31 minutes ago, SuperHans said:

No ones expecting people to walk up and hand their cash over. Fans loyalty does have to be earned but that can be done over plenty of seasons and managers, not just one. I get sick of the "ill no be handing my money over to that lot" argument. If anything we should be rallying around the club rather than trying to hold them ransom.
 

 

The idea of fan loyalty is nice and everything, but football is meant to be entertainment.  How much entertainment do you really get from a Rovers game?  I bought my season ticket for next year when they had that super early bird offer.  So £240 for 18 Saturdays (and maybe a couple of pre-season friendlies) of dubious entertainment.   I've also recently bought a Odeon Limitless pass for the year, that cost less than my season ticket, will get used far more than my season ticket, and will give me far more entertainment than my season ticket will.

So, from an entertainment standpoint, if my money was tight and I could only have afforded one of those, it sure as hell wouldn't have been the season ticket, regardless of my loyalty to the club.

Edited May 5, 2018 by SanStarko

[Frank conner]

12 minutes ago, Angusfifer said:

Can I ask where a club like Raith Rovers, who were selling season tickets for 2018-19 at bargain bucket prices a few weeks back, are expected to get the funds to pay off Barry Smith's  contract. I've no idea what he is on but just step back and think about it. Does the club have that kind of money to take off their potential budget for players next season?

For the record I don't think Barry did too badly. It was always likely to be a two horse race for the automatic promotion place and that's exactly how it turned out. Raith fans need to take a reality check...

Even if we sack Smith we would still have a bigger budget than anyone else especially East fife.

[Beastie Russell]

I’ll be back, whether Smith is in charge or not.

managers can come and go the club will always be there, and it wasn’t too long ago we nearly lost that too.

[Scary Bear]

I can understand both sides of that but when the chairman explicitly said he was looking for a manager to promote our youth prospects, I’m not sure there can be much comeback.

Hendry of course turned out to be an integral part of the team for the last quarter, but sat on the bench for months beforehand. Another example of Smith misjudging players.

Hendry was okay but that’s about it. Hardly a world beater.

[Cosmic Joe]

4 minutes ago, Frank conner said:

Even if we sack Smith we would still have a bigger budget than anyone else especially East fife.

That's the style Frankie boy. Finger on the financial pulse. What are your thoughts on  part-time Brechin City coming back down with their Championship prize money in their kitty as opposed to cash-strapped Faith Rivers?

[Scary Bear]

Can only speak for myself here, but I'd be pleased to see the majority of them fucking gone as well. 

Me too. I’d keep about 5 players and play this season’s u-20s. Try and actually develop a team rather than bankrolling a shit manager to try and win the league.

[Scary Bear]

As for buying season tickets GTF. Any goodwill I had towards the Rovers is completely gone. f**k them. If they want money make the club a true community club owned by the fans.

[Beachbum]

1 minute ago, Angusfifer said:

That's the style Frankie boy. Finger on the financial pulse. What are your thoughts on  part-time Brechin City coming back down with their Championship prize money in their kitty as opposed to cash-strapped Faith Rivers?

Did they not use that money to pay debts?

[Ancient Mariner]

3 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

 

Hendry was okay but that’s about it. Hardly a world beater.

 

Hendry has been by a country mile the best Raith Rovers player this last 3 games and before that

[L. Brilliant]

The chairman (ex) saying he takes full responsibility. How exactly? It would be more respectable to explain that a bit. ie, he is responsible for a manager appointed that turned out to be really inadequate. At least then Smith would have to answer that head on. What have you learned, Barry, and what will you do differently? If the answer is 'try hard', we will be toiling to get fans back.

[Scary Bear]

I’ll be back, whether Smith is in charge or not.
managers can come and go the club will always be there, and it wasn’t too long ago we nearly lost that too.

Me too, but the club need to be a bit less cliquey and play to the masses.

[King Kebab]

Even if we sack Smith we would still have a bigger budget than anyone else especially East fife.

Whataboutery, got to love it!!!

As Angus has said, a few (not all) Raith fans on here with their heads firmly in the sand, people on here giving it the old "if he had any decency he'd resign" patter and the same time as giving their various excuses for not being able to afford a season ticket. The man has bills to pay and a family to look after as well, if you think he's going to walk from a well paid full-time job with no recompense and no money to carry him over, of his own volition, into the shifting world of unemployment, then your mind has definitely released all connections with reality!!!

You only have three choices;

1: You pay off the remaining year of his contract and thus reduce the playing budget for next season.

2: You go Part-Time but with a Full-Time manager.

3: You suck it up, go balls out and remain FT with Smith in place, where you either walk the league or implode in your own financial collapse if you don't.

But then again, perhaps your Chairman and Board had the the foresight to have clauses written in Smith's contract, to say he was out the door if you didn't go up or at the very least, that his terms of contract would be changed to that of being retained on a part-time basis for his remaining year, so good luck with that one!!!

 

[mrpaddyx]

4 minutes ago, King Kebab said:

Whataboutery, got to love it!!!

As Angus has said, a few (not all) Raith fans on here with their heads firmly in the sand, people on here giving it the old "if he had any decency he'd resign" patter and the same time as giving their various excuses for not being able to afford a season ticket. The man has bills to pay and a family to look after as well, if you think he's going to walk from a well paid full-time job with no recompense and no money to carry him over, of his own violation, into the shifting world of unemployment, then your mind has definitely released all connections with reality!!!

You only have three choices;

1: You pay off the remaining year of his contract and thus reduce the playing budget for next season.

2: You go Part-Time but with a Full-Time manager.

3: You suck it up, go balls out and remain FT with Smith in place, where you either walk the league or implode in your own financial collapse if you don't.

But then again, perhaps your Chairman and Board had the the foresight to have clauses written in Smith's contract, to say he was out the door if you didn't go up or at the very least, that his terms of contract would be changed to that of being retained on a part-time basis for his remaining year, so good luck with that one!!!

There probably wasn't a said clause, hence the chairman has gone.