The New Raith Rovers Thread

[renton]

I read an interview with Smith while he was on trial with Notts saying he'd spoken to John McGlynn before he went to their training camp, and that signing for the Rovers was very much a possibility if things didn't work out on trial.

I realise we don't have barreloads of money, but from the sounds of it Smith seemed happy to take that hit in order to play first team football, put himself in the shop window etc. Obviously if another side came in and offered more money (there was interest from Partick) we'd probably not get him, but that's the case with any player we go for.

So from the outside looking in - merely how it appears, I'm not passing it off as fact - it seems we've chased Smith, it's seemed he's set to sign for Notts County, we've signed someone else, Smith's deal fell through and now our budget is gone and he's going to look for another club. If that's the way of things it can only go down as a bit of a cock-up. There wasn't an urgent need to rush the Jamie Mole deal through in time for the Cowden match, we still had three strikers.

Depends on context but from what I've been made aware our best terms were definitely not enamouring him. Sure, signing for the rovers would be a possibility, but a remote one at best.

I expect to see him in a Partick top in two weeks now.

[Rovers_Lad]

No need for melodrama, the guys we have didn't turn into bad players over night. We have half decent personnel and our target should still be attainable, i.e. staying in the division and maybe not getting sucked into a dog fight, and that really can only be the height of our ambition this time round. We've come on leaps and bounds under McGlynn, but it was always going to get harder to provide year on year improvement.

Not being melodramatic

The likes of Williamson has never been a good player and should never have been given a contract.Davidson should never have been given a contract,Simmons is a decent player if and when he feels like which is not very often.Wilson has gone backwards and can get forward all he wants but his crossing/delivery along with others is awful and not wanting to castigate the likes of Dyer and McBride so early but its only hearsay that they were/are good players.

And breath

We are not fucked, not yet (albeit if EF put us to the sword then I might just retract that statement)

Stop being so melodramatic

[renton]

Not being melodramatic

The likes of Williamson has never been a good player and should never have been given a contract.Davidson should never have been given a contract,Simmons is a decent player if and when he feels like which is not very often.Wilson has gone backwards and can get forward all he wants but his crossing/delivery along with others is awful and not wanting to castigate the likes of Dyer and McBride so early but its only hearsay that they were/are good players.

And breath

Stop being so melodramatic

Agree with you regarding Davidson. Williamson's issue is that he falls between stools regarding what position he should play, however he is useful to have around - I certainly don't subscribe to the idea that he 'is not a good player' although he has shown precious little form lately.

Wilson had got to grips quite well with the first when he broke his arm, and to say he's gone backwards is ridiculous, he's still coming back form several months out and last night showed some flashes of that returning form.

As for the new guys, nothing I've seen from Dyer suggests that he is a bad player, he got hung out to dry against cowden and was up against a lot of talent last night, nevertheless he did well enough, if you do everything right, and the guy is just stonger, faster and with better reactions, is that your fault?

Jury is out regarding McBride.

Edited July 28, 2010 by renton

[third lanark]

Depends on context but from what I've been made aware our best terms were definitely not enamouring him. Sure, signing for the rovers would be a possibility, but a remote one at best.

I expect to see him in a Partick top in two weeks now.

Would be a great signing for us if this was to happen. I take it you are just guessing here though. We are probably pretty skint like you guys are. If he wants the same fees as he would get from Dundee United or Notts then sadly we couldnt not compete

[renton]

Would be a great signing for us if this was to happen. I take it you are just guessing here though. We are probably pretty skint like you guys are. If he wants the same fees as he would get from Dundee United or Notts then sadly we couldnt not compete

Pure guess work, but I'd imagine your a lot less skint than us. Our financial situation is precarious at best, and not half as good as many Rovers fans seem to assume it is.

[Michael W]

Agree with you regarding Davidson. Williamson's issue is that he falls between stools regarding what position he should play, however he is useful to have around - I certainly don't subscribe to the idea that he 'is not a good player' although he has shown precious little form lately.

I'll be entirely honest when I say I've never been impressed with Williamson. I can't think of coming away from a game and thinking 'Williamson had a really good game today'. Whether that's down to him not being suited to the wing or not is up for debate. In actual fact, I'm not sure even he knows where his best position lies.

I've said all along Williamson lacks the attributes to play out wide; he's slow and he's far too easily nudged off the ball. He's not a skinny runt either, so it's very frustrating to see him constantly out muscled. His positional sense is abysmal too - far too often he'll drift inside, leaving the full-back completely exposed. Finally, we arrive at his habit of being posted missing for large parts of the game. This is something Stephen Simmons is accused of a times, but Williamson is by far and away far more culpable for it than any other member of the team.

It's a poor reflection on last year's squad that he was our second top scorer. When you look at it that way, it does seem very odd that I'd choose to deliver almost never ending criticism at his doorstep. However, he is posted missing far too often, frequently performs poorly and in my opinion, we would be far better removing him from the starting XI.

Edited July 28, 2010 by Michael W

[P.C]

I'll be entirely honest when I say I've never been impressed with Williamson. I can't think of coming away from a game and thinking 'Williamson had a really good game today'. Whether that's down to him not being suited to the wing or not is up for debate. In actual fact, I'm not sure even he knows where his best position lies.

I've said all along Williamson lacks the attributes to play out wide; he's slow and he's far too easily nudged off the ball. He's not a skinny runt either, so it's very frustrating to see him constantly out muscled. His positional sense is abysmal too - far too often he'll drift inside, leaving the full-back completely exposed. Finally, we arrive at his habit of being posted missing for large parts of the game. This is something Stephen Simmons is accused of a times, but Williamson is by far and away far more culpable for it than any other member of the team.

It's a poor reflection on last year's squad that he was our second top scorer. When you look at it that way, it does seem very odd that I'd choose to deliver almost never ending criticism at his doorstep. However, he is posted missing far too often, frequently performs poorly and in my opinion, we would be far better removing him from the starting XI.

the fustrating thing is now we have a few more options but we are still playing the same players who dont perform. Surely having a little more depth should act as a wake up call to players who think they should start without a decent performance to justify it

Edited July 28, 2010 by P.C

[renton]

I'll be entirely honest when I say I've never been impressed with Williamson. I can't think of coming away from a game and thinking 'Williamson had a really good game today'. Whether that's down to him not being suited to the wing or not is up for debate. In actual fact, I'm not sure even he knows where his best position lies.

I've said all along Williamson lacks the attributes to play out wide; he's slow and he's far too easily nudged off the ball. He's not a skinny runt either, so it's very frustrating to see him constantly out muscled. His positional sense is abysmal too - far too often he'll drift inside, leaving the full-back completely exposed. Finally, we arrive at his habit of being posted missing for large parts of the game. This is something Stephen Simmons is accused of a times, but Williamson is by far and away far more culpable for it than any other member of the team.

It's a poor reflection on last year's squad that he was our second top scorer. When you look at it that way, it does seem very odd that I'd choose to deliver almost never ending criticism at his doorstep. However, he is posted missing far too often, frequently performs poorly and in my opinion, we would be far better removing him from the starting XI.

I do agree with you to a large extent, Williamson does leave his full back exposed far too much due to his wandering out of position, it's that that makes him dangerous going forward as he tends to drift in side or arrive late at the back post which obviously draws another defender and creates space, or finds himself unmarked. If we could play him in some kind of advanced role behind the strikers he might thrive.

As it is he has a tendency to hide behind a defneder if it's not going his way, other times a verbal kick up the arse tends to concentrate his mind more. We have to accept certain weaknesses from all our players, we are a not very good first division team after all, what we hope for is that on any given day each players strengths coutner balances the other's weaknesses, and that is what we've been lacking the last few games.

Edited July 28, 2010 by renton

[Michael W]

I do agree with you to a large extent, Williamson does leave his full back exposed far too much due to his wandering out of position, it's that that makes him dangerous going forward as he tends to drift in side or arrive late at the back post which obviously draws another defender and creates space, or finds himself unmarked. If we could play him in some kind of advanced role behind the strikers he might thrive.

As it is he has a tendency to hide behind a defneder if it's not going his way, other times a verbal kick up the arse tends to concentrate his mind more. We have to accept certain weaknesses from all our players, we are a not very good first division team after all, what we hope for is that on any given day each players strengths coutner balances the other's weaknesses, and that is what we've been lacking the last few games.

I think you're right in saying we'd get the best out of him if we put him through the middle. In fact, why not kill two birds with one stone, and swap him with Tadé? Whilst we then lose the option to hoof it, Tadé can get wide, cut inside and put the ball across goal with a couple of players advancing into the box.

I do accept that many of our players are far from perfect, it's just that in a couple cases it appears the negatives are outweighing the positives.

Edited July 28, 2010 by Michael W

[vikingTON]

Did you miss how poor our results were from November onwards?

I didn't.

[renton]

I think you're right in saying we'd get the best out of him if we put him through the middle. In fact, why not kill two birds with one stone, and swap him with Tadé? Whilst we then lose the option to hoof it, Tadé can get wide, cut inside and put the ball across goal with a couple of players advancing into the box.

I do accept that many of our players are far from perfect, it's just that in a couple cases it appears the negatives are outweighing the positives.

The reason we end up hoofing it so much is what I call the davidson play. Keeper passes it to full back who get's pressed, ball goes to centre half, Davidson trundles back into the defensive line wanting the ball, Centre half gives Davidson the ball who promptly gives the ball back to the centre half, who then has no choice (striker is starting to press behind davo) but to send the ball back to the full back who now has no real options - Davidson is out of position leaving two markers on Simmons or the winger who will have to have ocme deeper - but to hump the ball forward to a striker who has come wide to recieve the ball in the channel.

repeat ad in finitum for at least 75 minutes.

[Michael W]

The reason we end up hoofing it so much is what I call the davidson play. Keeper passes it to full back who get's pressed, ball goes to centre half, Davidson trundles back into the defensive line wanting the ball, Centre half gives Davidson the ball who promptly gives the ball back to the centre half, who then has no choice (striker is starting to press behind davo) but to send the ball back to the full back who now has no real options - Davidson is out of position leaving two markers on Simmons or the winger who will have to have ocme deeper - but to hump the ball forward to a striker who has come wide to recieve the ball in the channel.

repeat ad in finitum for at least 75 minutes.

Yeah, that figures out. That's yet another one of Davidson's annoying attributes.

I'm actively trying to avoid criticising Davidson for now though, as it must be getting to the point where I've bypassed criticising him, and am instead persecuting/victimising him. I'm fed up sounding like a broken record and it gives me no pleasure at all whingeing about our midfield etc, but nothing seems to change.

I'm surprised he's lasted at the club all this time, I've never thought highly of him. Certainly one that has to go if we're to move forward.

[ARoverinLeeds]

Yeah, that figures out. That's yet another one of Davidson's annoying attributes.

I'm surprised he's lasted at the club all this time, I've never thought highly of him. Certainly one that has to go if we're to move forward.

But you know that will never happen though, he'll be offered a new 2 year contract at the end of this season

[peegee]

I didn't.

Quel surprise. ^^^^^^^obsessed

[vikingTON]

Quel surprise. ^^^^^^^obsessed

Is it too early in your car-crash season for a ^^^verge of tears? It's a toughie.

[Michael W]

I've just went and watched the highlights there, a few thoughts....

1) Dyer looks to have been caught out of position a couple of times.

2) That was a very bad tackle on Gomis by Davidson.

3) Graham Weir missed two very good chances.

4) Allan Walker put some very good deliveries over from corners.

Edited to add a fifth...

5) I saw more threatening attacking play from us in that clip than I did in 90mins on Saturday. This is despite us losing 5-0 in the process!

Edited July 28, 2010 by Michael W

[Whistle Blower]

If Mc Glynn has the team he wants were fuked

Agree, unless he plays the best 11 players in the correct positions.

Here's the issue, the money we might ahve spent on Smith went into getting Mole, and even if it didn't we were not offering Smith the kind of wages that would have made him upsticks anyway - it's not that likely that he would ahve come for the wages we had (pre-Mole).

We are giving Hearts money for Jamie Mole, !!!!!

oh FFS, get the cheque book off McGlynn.

[peegee]

Is it too early in your car-crash season for a ^^^verge of tears? It's a toughie.

Eh?

[Hank Scorpio]

We'll be fine, folk need to chill out. After we beat East Fife on Saturday, folk will be singing the praises of McGlynn once again.

Thing is I honestly don't think we will beat East Fife.

Are you high

After this Saturday I think East Fife will be claiming to be Fife's top dogs

Apologies on a postcard.

[ARoverinLeeds]

Apologies on a postcard.

Sorry dude, but it was looking precarious for a while though tbh.