The New Raith Rovers Thread

[SanStarko]

Hard to be critical given we're top of the league at New Year.  Disappointing to have effectively thrown away 4 points in the last two games but there were always going to be bumps in the road.  

Main issue that I see is that we have a really bad habit of losing all sense of calm once we concede and go into panic mode for the next 10/15 minutes, usually resulting in us losing another goal.  Rather not concede goals in the first place, but if we do concede, not going into panic mode right after would be nice.

[Raith Against The Machine]

Ian Murray has had a huge amount of plaudits for performances and results so far this season, and it's only right that, for me, he takes the bulk of the blame for the last two results. 

There's a reason nobody else plays 4-1-3-2. It's horrendously unbalanced and far too forward heavy. We've been getting away with it recently because Sam Stanton, in the middle of the three, makes the whole thing work. He has an almost unique ability to operate as both the 10 and the 6 in the same midfield at the same time. Lewis Vaughan can't do it. None of our other players can. I can't actually think of any other players in the division who I'd trust to do it. Kyle Turner from last year's Thistle side is probably the closest that springs to mind. 

When you put someone like Vaughan into the middle of the three, he's forward thinking, because that's his game. He scored a hat-trick from there the other night! But he's not naturally dropping back beyond the halfway line. He will do it, but it's a little bit like when Liam Dick goes the other way. You know he understands what he's supposed to do, but he's having to think about it too much. So you get all these gaps behind your midfield that any orthodox formation wouldn't leave, which Ayr in particular really exploited. Despite having a man less on the pitch, at times they were doubling up on our defence in that second half. 

And in the front half of the pitch, you're looking at diminishing returns. You're getting a fifth attacker in there, but are you getting an extra 20-25% attacking output? I don't think so. Naturally, Vaughan/Easton/Smith/Connolly start occupying the same spaces. You do get moments where it really comes together, like yesterday's first goal, but it's not worth what you give away. 

What our last two games have needed is cold, boring cynicism. We're top of the league, for f**k sake, so act like it. Have a bit of arrogance. Not everything needs to be a toe-to-toe, ding-dong battle. This Rovers side is better than a ten man Ayr United or an Arbroath side with a goalie up front. Or, at least, they should be. The league table tells you that. "All things being equal", the Rovers should win those two games. So be boring. Don't take unnecessary chances. Slow the game down, strangle the opposition, wait for your chances. If it's still level going into the last fifteen minutes, maybe throw a striker on, but be patient and let your quality show. 

Instead, without any prompting from the opposition, Murray gave Ayr and Arbroath far too much encouragement. Arbroath in particular must've been about as low as it's possible to get, morale wise. Already without their top scorer, then they lose two more, run out of subs... And we let them into the game. If we're playing a two man midfield, whether it's Brown with Matthews, or McGill or even a makeshift option like Dylan Corr stepping out, they're not getting the space for a 30 yard worldie. And if we didn't have Callum Smith up front, we'd still create chances like our second goal. 

All in all, it's very frustrating because of how unnecessary it is. On the one hand, you'll never see a goal like that first one again and losing a penalty like that is unfortunate, but Murray left too much up to chance. I think he sees this Rovers side as thriving on a bit of chaos, a side that's all-action all-of-the-time, and in most games this season that's what we've needed. But when you've got a better hand than your opponent, play like it, don't leave it up to chance. 

[pub car king]

The thing with Murray is he's always trying to play his best players from the start. The problem is we are shoehorning forwards into midfield and midfielders into defence we've got away with it fir a while but it's getting to a crucial point in the season now people are working us out. 

The 11 best is rarely the best 11.

I don't t for the life of me know why Matthews isn't getting minutes, or McGill for that matter. Yes the guy has range to his game but his natural position is in midfield, I'd say he's deserving match time. 

I'd also like to touch on Jack Hamilton briefly, he scored a great strikers goal yesterday but he wasted easier chances and not for the first time. His scoring return has been a little underwhelming so far which is a shame because he does a power of work when he plays and is a stuck on starter for me maybe it's a confidence thing? 

 

 

[CALDERON]

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.

Edited December 31, 2023 by CALDERON

[SirJimmyofNic]

Will O'Reilly be re-signed, indeed will he want to, maybe get a media announcement tomorrow

[RAITHROVERS84]

Watched the highlights and we should’ve been out of sight. Said it yesterday after the game that Abroath were there for a pumping. 

Naivety last two home games. When you don’t have Stanton you cannot continue with that swashbuckling / basketball style of play and formation. 

Double subs required ht vs Ayr and same yesterday when the 2nd went in. Stifle the opposition, frustrate them and don’t give them a sniff they’re getting anything out the game. I like Abroath, fantastic club but that was a shocking 11 they had out on the park yesterday…I’m certain Falkirk or Hamilton would’ve given them a scudding.

On the highlights I didn’t clock how low Hamiltons demeanour looked, didn’t celebrate Eastons goal, head down a lot and not excited with his goal. Hopefully nothing wrong as whilst he’s not shown it yet with his goal return he’s undoubtedly top class.

i felt Murrays post match comments were aimed somewhat at Easton. Just hope the massive increase in attention hasn’t got his ego getting too big.

Big test on the 2nd against a depleted Pars team. It’s actually away from home we concede less goals and look better balanced. Hope we get a bit of bite back into the performance.

Edited December 31, 2023 by RAITHROVERS84

[CrossgatesCynic]

I don’t see O’Reilly getting a start yesterday unless he’s been offered terms to stay on.

Murray was non-comital in his pre-match comments but surely, against strugglers Abroath, you go with Brown at centre half - or Corr in to start - if you’re intending on letting O’Reilly just toddle off as of January 1st?

[RRFC_Liam]

1 hour ago, RAITHROVERS84 said:

i felt Murrays post match comments were aimed somewhat at Easton. Just hope the massive increase in attention hasn’t got his ego getting too big.

I mentioned maybe a few heads mightve been turned since Dundee United as a few players hadn’t looked the same and I think he’s one them been doing a wee bit of showboating the last few games where as he’s been doing most things right during and before that game…. But I can be completely wrong though but there’s defo a mental block somewhere atm with the squad 

[Broken Algorithms]

 

[Kirkcaldybanjo]

Didn’t think the crowd helped the team yesterday. 3800 and no encouragement at all.you could hear a pin drop apart from after the goal’s were scored.

[RRFC_Liam]

Happy new year all 

[Arthur Reid McDermott]

16 hours ago, Kirkcaldybanjo said:

Didn’t think the crowd helped the team yesterday. 3800 and no encouragement at all.you could hear a pin drop apart from after the goal’s were scored.

Aye, but its a two way street Banjo.  Sometimes the team need to give the crowd something to shout about!

[RAITHROVERS84]

6 minutes ago, Arthur Reid McDermott said:

Aye, but its a two way street Banjo.  Sometimes the team need to give the crowd something to shout about!

Disagree, the younger lads dictate the atmosphere.

Nothing to do with the size of the crowd. There was 180 odd of us in Kilmarnock this season, maybe 400 in Inverness and it was bouncing. 

Unless it’s a bigger team at home it’s usually a refereeing issue that gets the noise going.

[SerieA]

Atmosphere on away days are far better than at Starks Park.That’s always been the case and is the same for every team.

Been a few special atmospheres away from home this season-even more so when the singing/drum section locate themselves near the front.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

Some uptake for tickets for tomorrow, there will be blood and snotters on the pitch and the Cowdenbeath end will be bouncing.

[Jilted John]

13 minutes ago, Zen Archer (Raconteur) said:

Some uptake for tickets for tomorrow, there will be blood and snotters on the pitch and the Cowdenbeath end will be bouncing.

I’m a wee bit disappointed with the uptake tbh. For a game just along the road when most people are off work, I thought there would have been more sold. I think the last two results have put a few off by the looks of things.

[RaithRyan]

The bottom sections are now opened to be fair and those weren’t available last night. 

[Offshore Rover]

8 minutes ago, Jilted John said:

I’m a wee bit disappointed with the uptake tbh. For a game just along the road when most people are off work, I thought there would have been more sold. I think the last two results have put a few off by the looks of things.

????

we have sold more than I thought. It’s Christmas time so money is tight for most people, it’s a long January for most people. We have played away a few times in December and we have a few away in January including Livingston in the cup. People will pick and choose the away games. Considering this is the 5th time we will be playing them also. The game is likely going to be a PPV game as well so many people will save money doing that. 
 

We have pretty much sold out the three main sections excluding the front which have just become available and the sides are starting to sell too. I don’t think considering all the factors that the number of tickets sold is disappointing, I think quite the opposite. 

[Jilted John]

Two thousand tickets sold so far isn’t exactly overly impressive. Had it been at home then I’d imagine the home support would have been 4 thousand as a minimum. Its 15 mins along the road. 

[Rael Rover]

41 minutes ago, Offshore Rover said:

????

we have sold more than I thought. It’s Christmas time so money is tight for most people, it’s a long January for most people. We have played away a few times in December and we have a few away in January including Livingston in the cup. People will pick and choose the away games. Considering this is the 5th time we will be playing them also. The game is likely going to be a PPV game as well so many people will save money doing that. 
 

We have pretty much sold out the three main sections excluding the front which have just become available and the sides are starting to sell too. I don’t think considering all the factors that the number of tickets sold is disappointing, I think quite the opposite. 

It is on Pars TV PPV for £15.