The New Raith Rovers Thread

[ganainm85]

18 minutes ago, CALDERON said:

I think Hamilton has significantly improved since Collins has come in, in terms of every aspect of centre forward play other than scoring.  Ultimately though, simply has to be scoring those chances.  

 

His knock ons, pressing and hold up play has been much better. But he needs to be finishing the chances that fall to him. That miss yesterday in the second half was ridiculous and when he was through on goal in the first half he needs to be putting that away too. 

[TxRover]

6 hours ago, CountryBumpkin said:

I'd be targeting a minimum of 15 points each quarter to be sure. That feels achievable with the squad we have until we lose key players to injury again.

36 points has a fair chance of 8th+, 39-40 almost assures it. So, with 8 down, we "NEED" about 11 a quarter going forward for "safety", and 52 is chance for 4th, 56 is likely...so that's 15 to 16 per quarter, as you say.

 

I will say Big Kev has been much more aggressive in coming out the last few matches, so some coaching is happening.

[FitbaSupporter]

The way we’re playing at the moment would suggest we won’t go down, but the trouble is that every team in the league is ok and there is no clear relegation fodder. That means you could easily get dragged into a scrap for the bottom two places. From what I’ve seen so far Hamilton, Morton, Pars and Airdrie are the weaker teams in the division. Are we comfortably above any of them in current form? No. We’ve already lost to three of them. 

In the same way that based on what we've seen so far Collins could turn out to be a good manager or an absolutely shite manager, our season could still be fighting relegation or challenging for the play offs. Who f**king knows with this club. 

[SanStarko]

If you look at the league then us, Pars and Airdrie all have the same issue; We can't score goals and none of us are doing great at the back either.  Morton aren't scoring goals, but they're also not conceding as much.  Whereas Hamilton are off doing their own thing in both scoring goals and conceding loads.

So really, it's all down to whichever of us, Pars and Airdrie figure out how to put the ball in the net.  Which is a bit worrying when you consider that at least the other two have scored goals from open play in multiple games.  Whereas we're currently relying on getting penalties.

[Ro Sham Bo]

Granted I wasn't at the Morton match, but performances in general have been steadily improving since the fiasco at East End Park, so there is some cause for optimism.

We have at least gone from a team that could barely manage a shot at goal in the first few games to a team that is creating (and missing) chances.

We can only hope it all clicks, some team catches a hammering and we start moving up the table, but there is the fear that we're set for a long slog to avoid a relegation battle this season. 4th is still possible if we can get our act together but it feels like we've a long way to go before we can think about that.

 

[CountryBumpkin]

1 minute ago, SanStarko said:

If you look at the league then us, Pars and Airdrie all have the same issue; We can't score goals and none of us are doing great at the back either.  Morton aren't scoring goals, but they're also not conceding as much.  Whereas Hamilton are off doing their own thing in both scoring goals and conceding loads.

So really, it's all down to whichever of us, Pars and Airdrie figure out how to put the ball in the net.  Which is a bit worrying when you consider that at least the other two have scored goals from open play in multiple games.  Whereas we're currently relying on getting penalties.

I suppose the only comfort in that is that we're creating chances in open play to score goals, just not taking them. That is arguably an easier problem to solve than the alternative of not creating any chances at all. On Saturday, Hamilton should have buried at least one of the 3 open play chances he had. Add in Easton and Hanlon drawing saves from a very good keeper, Brown with a few opportunities as well. 

I'm somewhat confident that the goals will come from open play. I don't think we're close to giving any team an absolute hiding and putting 4 or 5 past anyone but I think we'll pull away. For me though it has to happen soon. We need a minimum of 6 from the next 9 points available. 

[Broken Algorithms]

5 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

Granted I wasn't at the Morton match, but performances in general have been steadily improving since the fiasco at East End Park, so there is some cause for optimism.

We have at least gone from a team that could barely manage a shot at goal in the first few games to a team that is creating (and missing) chances.

We can only hope it all clicks, some team catches a hammering and we start moving up the table, but there is the fear that we're set for a long slog to avoid a relegation battle this season. 4th is still possible if we can get our act together but it feels like we've a long way to go before we can think about that.

 

That's all fair. Very sobering that we've only scored from open play in one game from 9, and didn't even win that game. 

At the moment, I'm firmly clutching the straws that it's a freak statistical anomaly in the same way that we spent most of the first half of least season firing in 90th minute goals. 

We absolutely need more from players who, in the nicest way possible, have been allowing others pick up the slack on the goal trail before this season. Connolly,Mullin, Jamieson and Smith all might be seen as falling into this category. It's at a point where we can't afford to give more chances to lads who aren't stepping up when you've younger players like Lewis Gibson who don't feel like they're getting the opportunity right now. 

[Jilted John]

Someone made an interesting point on the ONNN Podcast. In the 4231, Collins wants the wide men hugging the touch line…. I actually wonder if this is making life a bit harder. If they are well out wide, is it leaving Hamilton too isolated? It leaves the number 10 with too much ground to try and cover. Byrne and Brown both want to sit and protect the back 4.

When Murray played a 4231, the ‘3’ attacking midfielders were almost given a free role and interchanged etc. perhaps this rigid, hug the touch line idea isn’t helping?

[CountryBumpkin]

3 minutes ago, Broken Algorithms said:

We absolutely need more from players who, in the nicest way possible, have been allowing others pick up the slack on the goal trail before this season. Connolly,Mullin, Jamieson and Smith all might be seen as falling into this category. It's at a point where we can't afford to give more chances to lads who aren't stepping up when you've younger players like Lewis Gibson who don't feel like they're getting the opportunity right now. 

I agree with this and we set up to do this every week as Hamilton drops deep to win a flick on or get involved in the build up, it means that those around him need to be getting into space behind or hitting the box. I'm a firm believer that when you attack you should always have 5 players that end up in and around the box, two or three supporting from outside that can also cover any transition and the remaining players sitting back towards the half way line. So we need one of our two midfielders to be able to push forward and be that extra man, unless we're going to find that person from either of the fullbacks getting into the box instead.

Mullin never looks like a goalscorer, I don't think thats his game, he's a competant wide player who can get up and down and defend well, but doesn't offer anything in the final third, unless its a set piece delivery. Connolly had this wonderful season 2 years ago and I do wonder if the addition of Dabo might just allow him to get the space he needs again, like he did with Millen.

Jamieson I think is a confidence player, like you guys said in the podcast at the weekend, he's great at cutting in 30 yards from goal, but can he do more in and around the box? Possibly, but we're yet to see it with enough frequency that you could have confidence in it. Similar with Smith, he's let down more by his touch than anything else, which is a shame.

I do also worry that perhaps Gibson is being talked up more than he should be for a lad so young. Yes he's direct, but he's also only 18, we don't need to be heaping expectations onto the lad. 

1 minute ago, Jilted John said:

Someone made an interesting point on the ONNN Podcast. In the 4231, Collins wants the wide men hugging the touch line…. I actually wonder if this is making life a bit harder. If they are well out wide, is it leaving Hamilton too isolated? It leaves the number 10 with too much ground to try and cover. Byrne and Brown both want to sit and protect the back 4.

When Murray played a 4231, the ‘3’ attacking midfielders were almost given a free role and interchanged etc. perhaps this rigid, hug the touch line idea isn’t helping?

I did wonder that too, but I think they're being asked to start out as wide as possible to stretch the opposition backline to create more space in the middle, but both are then expected to cut in when Jack wins a flick on or get into the box at the back post. Its why I think we've gone with quick players there in Pollock and Jamieson as they'll need that speed to cover the ground. Put Connolly and Smith there, we'll get far less from them in the same roles.

[Rael Rover]

1 hour ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

Granted I wasn't at the Morton match, but performances in general have been steadily improving since the fiasco at East End Park, so there is some cause for optimism.

 

 You optimistic? Thats a first 

[Mr.Reeee]

Does anyone know why Neil Collins interview was taken down after being shared? I saw it, couldn't face it, but then couldn't find it when I wanted to hear his thoughts.

[Broken Algorithms]

3 minutes ago, Mr.Reeee said:

Does anyone know why Neil Collins interview was taken down after being shared? I saw it, couldn't face it, but then couldn't find it when I wanted to hear his thoughts.

Still up on the website. 

[basher brash]

Unfortunately it’s been a perfect storm for the Rovers in a number of fronts 

injuries to some of the best players in the division IMO 

players being played out of there natural position 

losing the manager after one game 

some very inconsistant officiating interms of penalty decisions etc but saying that it’s thr only way we are able to score at the moment

Most seasons in the championship it’s about fine margins and unfortunately a lapse in concentration in a few games this season has cost us badly, But certainly there a signs of improvement  but unless we start turning those chances into goals we are going to struggle 

Edited Monday at 11:59 by basher brash

[CountryBumpkin]

21 minutes ago, Broken Algorithms said:

Still up on the website. 

When you say taken down, do you mean on Twitter, its still visible in the Rovers Youtube channel. 

[anonionanawnoo]

It's probably down to squad (un)balance but do we need to start every game with two holding defensive midfielders in front of a back four.

Unsure about other sides in the league, do they set up in a similar fashion, would love to know?

To my mind there's nothing wrong with doing this if you're drawn against an SPFL side in the cup but to line up like this as default largely means you are relying on set-pieces and mistakes for goals the majority of the time.

I noticed Shaun Byrne and Scott Brown were playing further forward in the first half on Saturday which made a difference but then reverted back to type in the second for a large period, something to do with yellow cards perhaps, baffling stuff at times.

Also to add to the Jack Hamilton debate I reckon he has most of the attributes required to be a top class striker but he hasn't got an eye for goal, it's pretty much something you can't teach unfortunately.

[Starksdynamo]

2 hours ago, anonionanawnoo said:

Unsure about other sides in the league, do they set up in a similar fashion, would love to know?

Falkirk definitely do, doesn't seem to be harming them.

[CountryBumpkin]

1 hour ago, Starksdynamo said:

Falkirk definitely do, doesn't seem to be harming them.

Who are Falkirks two holding midfielders? Its not Spencer and Tait. If anything its Spencer and Tait goes roaming forward whenever possible. Not something that can be said of Brown and Byrne, 

[Raith2711]

7 hours ago, anonionanawnoo said:

It's probably down to squad (un)balance but do we need to start every game with two holding defensive midfielders in front of a back four.

Away at Greenock Matthews was noticeably further forward pressing to try and win the ball back higher up the pitch.

I think of the 3 defensive midfielders Brown is best suited to this role.

[anonionanawnoo]

39 minutes ago, Raith2711 said:

Away at Greenock Matthews was noticeably further forward pressing to try and win the ball back higher up the pitch.

I think of the 3 defensive midfielders Brown is best suited to this role.

Agree, Scott Brown is best suited and unfortunately it leaves two quality players benched such is the squad balance we have. Looks like Sam Stanton is back in contention so fairly sure there will be a change up for the Livi game whatever. Hopefully that helps to improve our problems up front

[CountryBumpkin]

Straight red for Easton, not that it changes the duration of his suspension

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/5107506/dylan-easton-red-card-raith-rovers-sfa/