The New Raith Rovers Thread

[CountryBumpkin]

17 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

I see that Crewe lost 3-0 tonight and one of their starting centre halves was sent off. O'Riordan must be in line for a start for them this weekend. 

Wasn't even on the bench for them tonight. I assume its because he isn't registered for their squad until 1st Jan, but I would expect him to at least be on the bench then.

[San Starko Rover]

7 hours ago, TxRover said:

Young is due back in January, not ideal, but if Ngwenya gets recalled, he’s cover for when Dick plays CB. We have Millen/Nolan/Lang/Dick, with cover by Brown, Masson and Young. There is also the possibility we get O’Riordan back in a little bit.

Any idea how he’s done at Elgin this season? If we bring in another player (big if) it’ll surely be either a straight replacement for O’Riordan or we’ll roll the dice on another striker. Shame to lose O’Riordan as he’s been a good signing but I guess there was always the chance he’d be away as he was brought in to cover Lang. 

[McGuigan1978]

3 hours ago, Specky Ginger said:

I'm maybe being a horrible combination of naive and optimistic here, but is it maybe the case that these investors are clients of Sim's accountancy firm and he knows a bit about their business?

I think after the division and backlash of the Goodwillie saga, I'd be amazed if any local businessperson or consortium would want to get involved for fear of reprisals if they made a decision that wasn't to the liking of certain fans.

 

The signing of David Goodwillie was arguably the most divisive scenario since the club was formed in 1883, what kind of decision could a potential local investor possibly conjure up, which would elicit a similar response and therefore put them off? 

[Kelheart]

How has Ngwenya handled the step up in the championship ? 

[Scottydog]

1 hour ago, McGuigan1978 said:

The signing of David Goodwillie was arguably the most divisive scenario since the club was formed in 1883, what kind of decision could a potential local investor possibly conjure up, which would elicit a similar response and therefore put them off? 

Outside of the odd cretin or two, I don't think it was really that divisive at all, now if you'd said "calamitous........"

[TxRover]

2 hours ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

I see that Crewe lost 3-0 tonight and one of their starting centre halves was sent off. O'Riordan must be in line for a start for them this weekend. 

For violent behavior, three match suspension.

1 hour ago, CountryBumpkin said:

Wasn't even on the bench for them tonight. I assume its because he isn't registered for their squad until 1st Jan, but I would expect him to at least be on the bench then.

The Jan 1 explanation seems correct…I expect he’ll start, they’re playing Tranmere on the 1st, and they are the lowest placed for the next three teams Crewe face, so the best to try out Conor.

1 hour ago, San Starko Rover said:

Any idea how he’s done at Elgin this season? If we bring in another player (big if) it’ll surely be either a straight replacement for O’Riordan or we’ll roll the dice on another striker. Shame to lose O’Riordan as he’s been a good signing but I guess there was always the chance he’d be away as he was brought in to cover Lang. 

Reports are generally positive, but he’s been splitting time due to Nicolsen. If Ngwenya gets recalled, Young is the cover for Dick at LB, or the LB if Dick has to play in the middle. If Elgin promise to not platoon Young the second half (Nicolsen is reportedly going to be recalled), I could see IM wanting to extend his loan, if he can keep Ngwenya and possibly get a CB in…if he’s going to be platooned, I bet Young comes home.

 

30 minutes ago, Kelheart said:

How has Ngwenya handled the step up in the championship ? 

Middling is how I’d describe it. He’s blazingly fast, and a perfectly acceptable defender, but his crossing and other offensive zone play is a wee bit underdeveloped. The couple of times he’s played LM vice LB, he’s been pretty anonymous.

[Derry Alli]

11 hours ago, pub car king said:

This new mob might only be interested in the club regardless of where they play and will lease the ground thus leaving and maintenance to the landlord ie Sim. 

It depends on your agreement. Dundee being "fan owned" took an agreement where the upkeep was kept by the tenants (the club). It's eyewatering, yearly.

[TxRover]

27 minutes ago, Mr. Alli said:

It depends on your agreement. Dundee being "fan owned" took an agreement where the upkeep was kept by the tenants (the club). It's eyewatering, yearly.

Just because one, no, Falkirk has issues too, two clubs do something stupid, doesn’t make us do it.

[true_rover]

10 hours ago, Kelheart said:

How has Ngwenya handled the step up in the championship ? 

For me, not well and I would be happy for his loan not to be renewed.

Suspect with players running at him and doesn't offer much going forward either - it's been noticeable the last couple of games that passes aren't going to him as he generally just knocks it back to the centre half.

[renton]

38 minutes ago, true_rover said:

For me, not well and I would be happy for his loan not to be renewed.

Suspect with players running at him and doesn't offer much going forward either - it's been noticeable the last couple of games that passes aren't going to him as he generally just knocks it back to the centre half.

Would agree with this. His sheer pace is a useful attribute but he doesn't have a final ball, really, to back it up. More than one forward has utterly rinsed him for 90 minutes this season as well. 

[Brashy's Boots]

12 minutes ago, renton said:

Would agree with this. His sheer pace is a useful attribute but he doesn't have a final ball, really, to back it up. More than one forward has utterly rinsed him for 90 minutes this season as well. 

Opinions eh? I'd happily extend Ngwenya's time with us.

[Raith Against The Machine]

He's been perfectly adequate. He doesn't look out of place in the Championship, but he's also never been in the running for a man of the match, that I can recall. 

I wouldn't be gambling on a replacement at this point. We've got more pressing concerns and I'm not convinced we'd get anyone better with the budget we've got. 

I do think, more generally, that our lack of adventurous full backs is one of the things that's stopping us being a proper play-off/title contender. You only have to look at Thistle with Milne and McMillan to see how much of a difference it can make, even when the rest of the team isn't performing. 

With the way we use our "wide forwards", especially on the left hand side where we typically play a frustrated number 10, there's a huge opportunity for a marauding fullback to go beyond and give their opposite number a decision to make. Millen on the right has improved as the season has gone on, but he typically stops short and delivers crosses from deep. Dick and Ngwenya both offer plenty of endeavour on the left hand side, and neither is incompetent, but they don't have the attacking instincts of a Kieran MacDonald. 

[Raith Against The Machine]

That's Elgin saying that Greig Young is returning to the Rovers as injury cover, but that he might end up back there later in January. 

[SirJimmyofNic]

1 hour ago, Against The Machine said:

That's Elgin saying that Greig Young is returning to the Rovers as injury cover, but that he might end up back there later in January. 

That'll looks like Ngwenya will be away back too, will we bring in a striker now........... I'll no hold my breath

[Rovers_Lad]

14 hours ago, Mr. Alli said:

It depends on your agreement. Dundee being "fan owned" took an agreement where the upkeep was kept by the tenants (the club). It's eyewatering, yearly.

The same agreement our club have/had since way back in 2010, tenants repairing lease where responsibility for pretty much everything lies with the club.Initial lease was for 10 years,first 5 years at 6k a month and the second 5 years 6.6k.We paid full rent for around 2 to 3 years then dropped to just over half and sometimes zilch 

 

Fook knows what structure is in place now

At the time of the rescue JS plan/ committment  was to guarantee football at SP until 2021 by which time he hoped the bank debt would be paid off and he would move on and pass the club/stadium onto someone else
 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Rovers_Lad

[Been going too long]

28 minutes ago, SirJimmyofNic said:

That'll looks like Ngwenya will be away back too, will we bring in a striker now........... I'll no hold my breath

I think Ngwenya will come back for 2nd half of the season, he has played a lot,  done ok ,no chance of getting in Aberdeen team . We have probably recalled young as cover as dick will be seen as a centre back mainly now with Connor away. If we get Connor back( highly unlikely) then young probably goes back to Elgin on loan. Hearts did this with zanatta a few years  back, recalled him at start of window then gave us him back at the end. 

[Raith Against The Machine]

30 minutes ago, SirJimmyofNic said:

That'll looks like Ngwenya will be away back too, will we bring in a striker now........... I'll no hold my breath

In the aftermath of O'Riordan leaving (and Tom Lang apparently having a calf issue), I suspect Murray's just interested in filling the bench for Monday. 

He's in the Courier today saying that he can keep Ngwenya if he wants him, essentially. Given the amount of gametime he's had, I'd be very surprised if Murray chose to go in another direction, particularly if that direction is Greig Young.

More intriguingly, he also says the same thing about Kyle Connell, who's with us until 10 January. My understanding was that his Kilmarnock contract expires at that point, so I don't know whether that means there's already a tacit agreement on a permanent contract until the end of the season, or if Connell has a similar arrangement sorted with Killie, which includes an extension of his loan. 

[Derry Alli]

19 minutes ago, Rovers_Lad said:

The same agreement our club have/had since way back in 2010, tenants repairing lease where responsibility for pretty much everything lies with the club

@TxRover. Silly puddin'.

[liam_barnett]

 

[TxRover]

43 minutes ago, Mr. Alli said:

@TxRover. Silly puddin'.

I’m well aware the current owner/management is in bed with itself…but if someone else buys it, it becomes an open issue again.

53 minutes ago, Against The Machine said:

In the aftermath of O'Riordan leaving (and Tom Lang apparently having a calf issue), I suspect Murray's just interested in filling the bench for Monday. 

He's in the Courier today saying that he can keep Ngwenya if he wants him, essentially. Given the amount of gametime he's had, I'd be very surprised if Murray chose to go in another direction, particularly if that direction is Greig Young.

More intriguingly, he also says the same thing about Kyle Connell, who's with us until 10 January. My understanding was that his Kilmarnock contract expires at that point, so I don't know whether that means there's already a tacit agreement on a permanent contract until the end of the season, or if Connell has a similar arrangement sorted with Killie, which includes an extension of his loan. 

As it stands for Accies:

Millen covered by Brown at RB

Ngwenya covered by Young at LB

Dick at CB, probably with Nolan and covered by Masson

…And that’s EVERY defender we have.

 

On Connell, I’m wondering if we told Killie we’d take him on a continued loan or they could have him back? That would put them in the situation of either offering a contract to Connell to protect a possible fee going forward and then loaning him back to us (maybe on better terms for Killie?) or forgoing any possible fees and cutting him loose. I just can’t see Raith paying money for Connell outwith the contract, but Killie May still have hopes he’ll come go.