The New Raith Rovers Thread

[SirJimmyofNic]

Connolly should've been on from the start, Easton probably needs benched again, and Ian Murray needs to for once learn to change his formation and tactics when we play Airdrie again in the Cup/ League/and possible playoffs

[A_Rover_In_The_Burgh]

10 minutes ago, grumswall said:

As much as millen was partly at fault for the goal and stupidly getting sent off that's a bit harsh. The guys barely put a foot wrong all season, a season which see's us remarkably top of the league at this stage. 

Harsh? He could potentially now be out for a good few weeks dependant on the report put forward by the ref. 

 

[Jilted John]

Wrong formation/lineup today for me and Murray hasn’t learned his lesson from previous meetings.

Two centre midfielders isn’t enough when Airdrie are a team who like to play the ball around. We had four forward thinking players standing around wondering why they weren’t getting any decent service. Next time, we need a third player in the middle against them. 
 

[Raith Against The Machine]

31 minutes ago, Mr November said:

Have Raith struggled more against the ‘better footballing’ teams in the league this season? That’s obviously the third time they’ve really struggled against Airdrie and despite us playing quite differently in all three games, the general principles have been the same. I know you’ve had a couple of great comebacks against Queen’s Park too but it seems like Raith have found them an oddly tricky side too. 

This sounds like a criticism or a dig and I really don't mean it as one, but I wouldn't have said Airdrie's bettering of us has anything to do with "better football", at least not in the way that most people would think of it. I'd go as far as saying what Airdrie have done with the ball, in all of the games, has been fairly unspectacular. 

However, where McCabe has been lightyears ahead of Murray is what Airdrie do when they don't have the ball. There's not another team in the division that are better organised or more disciplined when they're defending. Any time the Rovers had the ball, Airdrie dropped into their shape and stuck to it. It completely nullified the Rovers. 

I'm worried that I sound like I'm damning Airdrie with faint praise, because I really don't mean to be. It's not negative, it's incredibly clever. This Rovers team thrives in the spaces that teams leave when they start to close us down, and Airdrie basically don't. They'll let us have the ball and just close off all the outballs. How often did you see Byrne or Brown turning the ball across to Dick or Millen, only to get it back again? 

Without Sam Stanton to drive through the middle, we were relying on an inch perfect through pass for Vaughan or Smith to run onto (who's supplying that?) or for Easton or Mullin to beat their man. It's not really Mullin's game, and Easton was up against the excellent Megwa. 

I thought before the game that Aidan Connolly would've been a better option than Josh Mullin for this one and I stand by that, and Jack Hamilton might've given us another dimension up front, but regardless, Airdrie absolutely won that game by playing to their strengths and nullifying ours. 

With forwards like Todorov and McGill you're always (a) going to have an out ball and (b) going to be a threat, and so it proved. 

[RRFC_Liam]

35 minutes ago, SirJimmyofNic said:

Connolly should've been on from the start, Easton probably needs benched again, and Ian Murray needs to for once learn to change his formation and tactics when we play Airdrie again in the Cup/ League/and possible playoffs

Too Naive to change it and if Airdrie do make the playoffs and we don’t win the title they will beat us both legs as they’ve sussed Murray out played right into their hands today even when we did change it they still dealt with everything 

[RRFC_Liam]

8 minutes ago, Jilted John said:

Wrong formation/lineup today for me and Murray hasn’t learned his lesson from previous meetings.

Two centre midfielders isn’t enough when Airdrie are a team who like to play the ball around. We had four forward thinking players standing around wondering why they weren’t getting any decent service. Next time, we need a third player in the middle against them. 
 

Murray won’t change it he will stick to the 4231 or the 4132 and we will get over ran again he’s not brave enough to go 433/442 diamond with Byrne/Brown and Matthews as 3 

[TxRover]

2 minutes ago, RRFC_Liam said:

Murray won’t change it he will stick to the 4231 or the 4132 and we will get over ran again he’s not brave enough to go 433/442 diamond with Byrne/Brown and Matthews as 3 

A 4-3-3 with Brown in the middle of Byrne and Matthews would have helped for sure, I believe...but that's just an opinion.

[RRFC_Liam]

1 hour ago, TxRover said:

Millen is a problem here, since we don't have a simple replacement. After his suspension, if you wanted to send him a message, who would you play at RB to sit him and send him a message? Masson's played there, but if Murrey's injured and O'Reilly isn't signed, unless Watson's ready, it's Masson, Corr and Brown to chose from at CB...or Dick and Hannah or McGill at LB. I guess McGill is the obvious player to replace Millen, but...

It’s quite clear to see Murray doesn’t rate/trust Corr or Masson, if he did Corr would’ve replaced Murray today but didn’t if E Murray is crocked we need O’Reilly signed up and I would also say 1 other in as we don’t know how long Watson will be back to match fitness and Liam dick didn’t look particularly good at the end seemed to be limping a bit 

[RRFC_Liam]

3 minutes ago, TxRover said:

A 4-3-3 with Brown in the middle of Byrne and Matthews would have helped for sure, I believe...but that's just an opinion.

I agree but the manager didn’t do it think that with either Vaughan or Connolly in the 10 might’ve been a different outcome 

[Brashy's Boots]

A lifelong Hibby has told me the talk of L Stevenson moving to us to finish his career is very real once more.

Stevenson to left back, Dick to middle until Watson is fit?

[grumswall]

1 minute ago, Brashy's Boots said:

A lifelong Hibby has told me the talk of L Stevenson moving to us to finish his career is very real once more.

Stevenson to left back, Dick to middle until Watson is fit?

Have heard similar. Have also been told he's finished as a player but hopefully that's just at that level. 

Dick isn't good enough to be starting every week as a cb. He's Imo our only player in our weakest position of lb at the moment. 

[RRFC_Liam]

If we are to make any signings I’m hoping it’s soon because the last 3/4 games we’ve been poor defensively and in the middle of the part we need a few defenders in and a midfielder 

[RAITHROVERS84]

Andy Halliday been linked too (along with other clubs).

Next two league games at home to QP and ICT and for me must win if we want to keep up a respectable challenge and also not a slip to 3rd being brought into the equation

I now see why Murray wants a ‘pact winger’ as that was slow and pedestrian today. We’re going to lose games, that’s ok but what isn’t is creating absolutely nothing if note all game.

2 very winnable league games and 2 winnable cup games coming up..feels like a very important few weeks for us against the backdrop of a mini slump.

Not really bothered about the Challenge cup so much however a win vs Livi and an attractive draw may allow for funds to be made available for a late January transfer.

[RRFC_Liam]

1 minute ago, RAITHROVERS84 said:

Andy Halliday been linked too (along with other clubs).

Next two league games at home to QP and ICT and for me must win if we want to keep up a respectable challenge and also not a slip to 3rd being brought into the equation

I now see why Murray wants a ‘pact winger’ as that was slow and pedestrian today. We’re going to lose games, that’s ok but what isn’t is creating absolutely nothing if note all game.

2 very winnable league games and 2 winnable cup games coming up..feels like a very important few weeks for us against the backdrop of a mini slump.

Not really bothered about the Challenge cup so much however a win vs Livi and an attractive draw may allow for funds to be made available for a late January transfer.

Tbf even a pacey winger wouldn’t of help today as we kept playing it long and their 2 CHs dealt with them with ease, I’ve been saying for weeks it looks like Eastons head has been turned and today it looked like my suspicions was correct it looked like he couldn’t be arsed today, midfield too pedestrian id play Matthews next to Byrne if brown has to play CH for QP gives us something different and I’d play Hamilton if we’re going for this long ball tactic but have someone run of the back of him for once but today was a shambles all round 

[grumswall]

1 hour ago, A_Rover_In_The_Burgh said:

Harsh? He could potentially now be out for a good few weeks dependant on the report put forward by the ref. 

 

Yes. 

[Dundee-FC92]

Lee Ashcroft is available. Not played since August and hardly makes the bench for us.

Played every week last season in our promotion and very able at Championship level.

A no brainer IMO. 

Finn Robertson also available I'd presume. Happy to help.

Thank you.

Edited January 6 by Dundee-FC92

[grumswall]

18 minutes ago, RRFC_Liam said:

Tbf even a pacey winger wouldn’t of help today as we kept playing it long and their 2 CHs dealt with them with ease, I’ve been saying for weeks it looks like Eastons head has been turned and today it looked like my suspicions was correct it looked like he couldn’t be arsed today, midfield too pedestrian id play Matthews next to Byrne if brown has to play CH for QP gives us something different and I’d play Hamilton if we’re going for this long ball tactic but have someone run of the back of him for once but today was a shambles all round 

Is easton actually fit? Went off injured at Tannadice but has played every game since. I think we can cut him a little bit of slack tbh. There's a few players who clearly have little niggles that are being nursed at times, euan Murray and dabrowski being the obvious ones in recent weeks. 

 

I think our tactic today was to look for the ball in behind with smith etc running on to it but due to the press Airdrie play, we just couldn't do it so it resulted in long aimless punts forward in which the likes of Fordyce are going to win 99/100. 

Can we honestly just get the shouts of gullan at lw/St or anywhere to f**k btw. The guy isn't actually good enough. He's the joe chalmers of attacking players. Good at l1 level and can have a decent game here n there at this level but he's never a starter for anyone remotely serious about challenging for promotion, as nice a guy as he is. 

[grumswall]

1 minute ago, Dundee-FC92 said:

Lee Ashcroft is available. Not played since August and hardly makes the bench for us.

Played every week last season in our promotion and very able at Championship level.

A no brained IMO.

Thank you.

Would take him in a heartbeat. Good defender at this level. 

[RRFC_Liam]

2 minutes ago, grumswall said:

easton actually fit? Went off injured at Tannadice but has played every game since. I think we can cut him a little bit of slack tbh. There's a few players who clearly have little niggles that are being nursed at times, euan Murray and dabrowski being the obvious ones in recent weeks. 

 

Could be right about Easton but rumours have it he’s had a good premiership offer so maybe thats in his head, if he is carrying a knock then that’s on Murray for keeping on playing them, he benched O’Reilly for a few weeks to play E Murray got plenty options on the left wing with Mullin/Smith/Connolly

i personally think we need a LB or a versatile Full back and a CH if O’Reilly goes and a CM 

[CALDERON]

3 hours ago, R.R.FC said:

I think this is spot on. We’ve won 9 away games in a row before today and were 16 unbeaten and a defeat away to the side 4th in the league can clearly happen to anyone, Airdrie are a decent side. I shouldn’t be feeling as frustrated and pessimistic about our chances for the rest of the season as I am after that.

But it’s when added to the ludicrous way we dropped points against Ayr and Arbroath and the fact we have made a mess of what looked like some kind fixtures post Tannadice to actually kick on and take advantage of that day. It feels like a defeat has definitely been coming, I’m not surprised by the result or performance today.

Stanton is a huge miss but we need to find a way to deal with it. A reset and rethink required. If he’s going to be out for any length of time I’d be asking Ross County if there is any chance Kyle Turner is available…

Typical that Queens Park picked up their first win in months right before we play them. However, we need a win and good performance to bounce back from this and restore the confidence around the place that this is just a blip and we aren’t about to settle into a sustained period of poor form. 

 

Yeah - Dundee Utd have dropped points twice in the last 4 games - yet have gained ground on us.  That really isnt great.  Like you its something I've seen coming, and didnt see much today that surprised - but I was disappointed at how we played after the subs came on.  Total lack of any cohesion or structure at all, really hoped we'd left that kind of desperation behind us last season.