The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Rovers1992/1993]

I'm still not convinced Locke is the right man going forward but after the last 2 performances he deserves the next 4 or 5 games to see if he can get our league campaign back on track.  If we lose to Hibs, Dundee United and Morton and fail to beat Dumbarton this Saturday then questions will need to be asked from the board about our management.  

I think, because of the application and desire the team showed over the two cup games, the manner of any defeat then has to be considered. 

I don't mean he should get weeks and weeks, but he should be given a little time. If our position gets any worse over the next 3 or 4 games then it should be curtains for him. If we suffer a heavy defeat this weekend, then it should also be curtains. If the team look disinterested, then that says something about him motivational skills and again - he should be punted. If we put in a valiant effort but fail this week, then I think that gets him another shot the week after and obviously if we were to win he should still be here. 

Whist I agree that out run is poor and would have seen him out after the Falkirk game, the board didn't agree. He's still here. Two good performances against a team from a higher league means he won't get sacked prior to Dumbarton. Now the Dumbarton result is crucial, but for me, the performance is equally as important. The commitment of the players and to a lesser extent the tactics, have been a gripe of mine in recent weeks, maybe the last couple of games have been a breakthrough. I doubt it, but Locke should be given a short amount of time to prove it. 

If we lose, and play poorly - that the last strike and he should go. If we lose but are competitive and beaten by a better team on the day, then he gets another one. I think it will be the former, but I don't think the board will act. 

Locke seems very good at getting his teams up for games that matter to him. The Hearts, Hibs and United games this season should have been out most difficult, but we are yet to lose in 90 minutes. These games are high profile and matter to him and the players. He needs to be better at encouraging the players to do well in games that he doesn't care about as much. Dumbarton, Ayr, QotS etc. 

One thing I certainly wasn't doing last night is chanting his name, but his tactics, motivation and the general application of the players was much better. If he can take this into the 2nd half of the season, like McKinnon. To put things into a little perspective, we were on 28 points at this time last season. If we win on Saturday we are on exactly the same points as we were at the equivalent number of games last season. Whilst I'm not saying we will go on an incredible run - things are maybe not as bad as we think. 

 

He's there until the end of the season at least and probably beyond that and i wish him well, Im sick of the twats in our support baying for blood at the drop of a hat give him a chance FFS.

Still think he should get another Month?

How anyone can justify him being here because the players played well against Hearts over 2 games is unreal. They never played well for Locke. They played well for themselves.

It showed yesterday when Jason Thomson got subbed off, Locke put his hand out to shake Thomson's hand. Thompson threw his shoulder forward as he walked past Locke as if to say "I'm not fu**ing shaking your hand".

[Scary Bear]

I fully expect us to revert back to type this weekend and put in another lacklustre performance in the league.

Lose on Saturday and I think it will be a case of when Locke is sacked than if, but a convincing win could provide us with a springboard to salvage some respectability this season.

Good call.

The two games v Hearts (despite them being below par) has proven our players are capable.
Scottish Cup games at Tynecastle are easy to 'get up for'.  A team of full time professionals should be putting the same effort and commitment into the bread and butter league games. They played at a high intensity for 120mins, is it to much to ask for the same for 90mins v a part time team that might struggle to live with the pace? I don't think so and it is up to Locke to get the right team picked to play the right way at a higher tempo than of late in the league. Our squad is big, our players are full time athletes, I don't want to hear one single thing about 'weary legs' caused by a game played on the Wednesday.
Its not totally impossible that we have had a horrible sticky patch that we can come out of and still finish top four. It is also possible that we continue as we have done and end up in a relegation battle. The result of this game v Dumbarton could be a serious pointer in either direction.
i think we are good enough to win it comfortably, I think we SHOULD win the game, if we don't then Locke should be under serious pressure, a glorious failure in cup is nowhere near enough to gloss over our recent league form

And...Locke is under serious pressure.

I'm changing sports this weekend and going to see Scotland lose to Ireland at Murrayfield. Hopefully we raise our game at Tannadice and get a positive result. Then we'll pull out all the stops and beat Morton at Starks a week on Tuesday.

The key game was yesterday, and we shat it, but if we can show signs of a revival in February things could still turn out okay. Yes, I'm in the Denial stage.

[Rovers1992/1993]

And...Locke is under serious pressure.

I'm changing sports this weekend and going to see Scotland lose to Ireland at Murrayfield. Hopefully we raise our game at Tannadice and get a positive result. Then we'll pull out all the stops and beat Morton at Starks a week on Tuesday.

The key game was yesterday, and we shat it, but if we can show signs of a revival in February things could still turn out okay. Yes, I'm in the Denial stage.

We'll lose heavily to Dundee United on Saturday. If you saw the Morton game last night, you also wouldn't have a single bit of confidence of us keeping that score low either..

[Scary Bear]

We'll lose heavily to Dundee United on Saturday. If you saw the Morton game last night, you also wouldn't have a single bit of confidence of us keeping that score low either..

United have lost a bit of form and we are quite good at raising our game against better opposition. We might be able to sit in and get another 0-0 or 1-1 draw.

Saying that, the second half yesterday was a capitulation, so it wouldn't surprise me if we were humped. We were all over the place and it felt like the bad old days when we were absolute shite in the seaside league.

[Ro Sham Bo]

It wouldn't surprise me if we get a draw up at Tannadice, or at the very least put in an improved performance.

The Morton game fills me with dread though.

[Rovers1992/1993]

3 months today since we last won a game of football

[piebob]

1 hour ago, Rovers1992/1993 said:

 

 

 

 

Still think he should get another Month?

How anyone can justify him being here because the players played well against Hearts over 2 games is unreal. They never played well for Locke. They played well for themselves.

It showed yesterday when Jason Thomson got subbed off, Locke put his hand out to shake Thomson's hand. Thompson threw his shoulder forward as he walked past Locke as if to say "I'm not fu**ing shaking your hand".

No. A couple of the points I made previously:

• If the team suffer a heavy defeat, he should be punted. Whilst it wasn't a heavy defeat in terms of scoreline, it was a heavy defeat in terms of the gulf between the two sides. If it wasn't for a good few saves from Cuthbert, it could have been a lot worse. At the same time, I don't really remember their keeper making a save. 
• If the team look disinterested, he should be punted. The contrast from Wednesday night to yesterday was their for all to see. 

I was in the Locke out camp prior to the cup games. I have a premium season ticket but didn't attend the first Hearts game. I had other things I had to do, which couldn't be done at any other time. Had I not been busy - I would have attended but I was reasonably pleased when I had somewhere else to be. The performances in those two cup games led me to the conclusion that Locke should have a little longer. It would be wrong to punt the manager on the back of those two games - but completed fair had he gone before them. He has had one game now on the back of Hearts, and its back to the style of football and lack of desire from the team. That was his last chance. Now he should go. 

Craig Easton should take the team next week at United and Morton with a view to having a new manager in place for the Hibs game. I have no intention of making the trip to United at present. That may change if we see changes this week. 

Time is up Gary, can't see anyone else taking you on either. 

[renton]

This is untenable. It's not even so much the goals we lose: it's hard to legislate for dodgy individual errors. However it's the collapse in morale when we go behind. Both yesterday and against Falkirk the team just shat it when up against it, stops doing the things that were working and looks generally frustrated and broken.

[piebob]

At Tannadice earlier in the season, fans sung Locke's name as a two-fingered salute to McKinnon. Fans could sing McKinnon's name this week to help the board understand the severity of the situation. 

[renton]

3 minutes ago, piebob said:

At Tannadice earlier in the season, fans sung Locke's name as a two-fingered salute to McKinnon. Fans could sing McKinnon's name this week to help the board understand the severity of the situation. 

No wins in three months, 12 games or fully a third of a fucking season. They should understand the severity of that situation without our help.

[Rovers1992/1993]

At Tannadice earlier in the season, fans sung Locke's name as a two-fingered salute to McKinnon. Fans could sing McKinnon's name this week to help the board understand the severity of the situation. 

Doubt we'll have anywhere near as many fans at Tannadice on Saturday as there was last time.

[Cannon Fodder]

At Tannadice earlier in the season, fans sung Locke's name as a two-fingered salute to McKinnon. Fans could sing McKinnon's name this week to help the board understand the severity of the situation. 

Yeah I'll not be doing that.

[Raith Against The Machine]

You'd have to be mental to go up to Tannadice next week.

[Michael W]

I won't be surprised if we manage a draw against Dundee United. It's a big game after all, and no doubt we'll raise our game. Even if we don't lose, that'll be 13 in a row without a win. 

It doesn't matter who the opponent is, we simply have to start winning matches. I can't see an end to the malaise, sadly. 

[basher brash]

I remember watching Gordon Sawers the Killie fan on YouTube having a meltdown about his team and Gary Locke pissing ma pants , Now I'm greeting because I feel the guys pain! The team has no heart or professional interest in winning that was evident yesterday, we were totally out played for long periods by a part time club who looked hungrier and more interested than our mob could have easily been 5-1 and we were fortunate to get away with our goal due to a foul on the full back. To make matters worse we have a CEO who publically criticises the fans for not turning up are you blind Mr Drysdale !  The football on show has been treadful, no tactics, no game plan, no leadership on/off the park , To stubborn to change formations or Personnel and no wins in 12 GAMES. As a leader of men myself ! I would be sacked if that's how my team performed. No way is Gary Locke going to change it he has lost the dressing room and now the majority of the fans. Change is needed and needed now! I'm not expecting to reach the playoffs but what I do want is my team to battle, entertain and compete and do there best for the fans.

[East Newt]

If fit, Davo should replace Thomson and get Craig Barr to sit in front of the back four. Let's ditch the two winger plan as it hasn't been working. 

I expect the team will perform against Utd, given it's a higher profile game and makes me think Mr Locke has lost the dressing room.

SOS - Yogi Hughes - Save Our Season.

Edited January 29, 2017 by East Newt

[Rover1990]

3 hours ago, Rovers1992/1993 said:

 

 

 

 

Still think he should get another Month?

How anyone can justify him being here because the players played well against Hearts over 2 games is unreal. They never played well for Locke. They played well for themselves.

It showed yesterday when Jason Thomson got subbed off, Locke put his hand out to shake Thomson's hand. Thompson threw his shoulder forward as he walked past Locke as if to say "I'm not fu**ing shaking your hand".

As I said after those 2 performances in the cup he deserved the chance to see if he could bring that to the league and if we didn't beat Dumbarton then questions need to be asked at board level.   He has lost the game and it was a dire performance so no.

By the looks of it he will still be in charge for the next couple games.   Yesterday was the most winnable game out of the 3 or 4 up coming games......we will lose to Utd and hibs and the way Morton are playing we will be lucky to draw.  

If we announced Locke has left today i'll be happy but I do not think we are that lucky.

Edited January 29, 2017 by Rover1990

[donny86]

You'd have to be mental to go up to Tannadice next week.

12 of us have hospitality .....

[Ro Sham Bo]

12 of us have hospitality .....

Ouch!

[bridge of allan bairn]

To be fair he was taking pelters at the end of the game.

1,300 home fans today and that number is only going to fall with that tosser in charge.

Posted at the time that I felt sorry for you guys appointing locke. A mate of mine was a killie fan till he got involved. I say was because he longer attends football and that period with locke put him off so much he's never returned.

Just as important, and as you allude to fans will stop attending. Montrose, two divisions below you, and playing in a nothing game had an attendance less than 200 less than you guys yesterday.