The New Raith Rovers Thread

[TxRover]

I’m counting 4 Yellows for Brown and 3 for Dick and Easton. Based on averages, that’s Brown to miss a game by New Years or so and Dick and Easton or miss one by early March. Overall, an improvement from the Bene and Davo show.

[steakngravy]

That's why we have a squad of players TX to cover these eventualities. 

[steakngravy]

The championship looks like it will have more twists and turns than a Agetha Christie mystery great if you don't have a weak heart, but fascinating all the same,

[Enigma]

We’re now only one point off where we were at the same point last season.

[Raith_Raver]

4 minutes ago, Enigma said:

We’re now only one point off where we were at the same point last season.

We've taken 10 points from our last five games; only Morton can trump that with 11 points in the same period - thanks to an injury time non - penalty against us. 

[bagpuss]

This league is just bonkers. Seventh to third in 90 mins.

[roverthemoon]

After our start I thought we’d be mid table most of the season, but the inconsistency of others has been a huge help. Crazy to think we are just one win off top spot. Team playing well and getting people back at the perfect time. Long way to go, but Murray’s Rovers starting to look like they might just do something. 

Edited November 6, 2022 by roverthemoon

[Hank Scorpio]

6 hours ago, Enigma said:

We’re now only one point off where we were at the same point last season.

I make it that we had 26 points after 14 games last season, and we currently have 22. However, it’s still a good point to make. At this point last season we’d not lost a game in 10 but we had drawn 4 of them. This year, we lost 4 of the first 6 but have now won won 3 of the last 4 and and drew the other.

Our home form is really strong this season; the best in the division, winning 5 out of 7. The away form isn’t as good, only winning 2 out of 7. The home form is a great foundation to build on, but the lack of draws away from home may hold us back if it doesn’t change. We need to start picking up draws instead of defeats and nicking the odd win to really stand a chance. The league is tight and no team will run away with it. If we can stay in the pack we really could have a chance - the squad depth is there this season and we have some big players to come/coming back at a good time. Going to Dundee on Saturday and winning would be a big statement at this stage. 

[Hank Scorpio]

Murray has also totally hacked the ‘away teams winning the toss and turning us round’ thing. Whenever that happened previously (I’m looking at you, Ayr United) the away team seemed to get a huge lift almost from the start and you felt the crowd deflate instantly when it became apparent. Now we do it ourselves through choice. That takes the benefit off the away team and renders it pointless. I really didn’t like it to start with but the proof is in the pudding - we are the best home team in the league up to now. 

[Ding Dang Doo]

I make it that we had 26 points after 14 games last season, and we currently have 22. However, it’s still a good point to make. At this point last season we’d not lost a game in 10 but we had drawn 4 of them. This year, we lost 4 of the first 6 but have now won won 3 of the last 4 and and drew the other.
Our home form is really strong this season; the best in the division, winning 5 out of 7. The away form isn’t as good, only winning 2 out of 7. The home form is a great foundation to build on, but the lack of draws away from home may hold us back if it doesn’t change. We need to start picking up draws instead of defeats and nicking the odd win to really stand a chance. The league is tight and no team will run away with it. If we can stay in the pack we really could have a chance - the squad depth is there this season and we have some big players to come/coming back at a good time. Going to Dundee on Saturday and winning would be a big statement at this stage. 

The difference I'd say between last season and this is that at this point last season although we were picking up 1 or 3 points a game and not losing we were not playing great. Each game felt like a hard watch and you almost knew that as soon as we lost we might go on a bad run which eventually happened with the Patrick match. This season we look to be stronger mentally, now picking up form just at a crucial time of the season and getting players back from injury.

[pub car king]

I agree we are behind last season in terms of points but nothing else. We started with a lot of defeats this year but not playing badly just a case of new manager and new players fitting in and everybody playing in a new way. Since then it's been building blocks. Starks park is becoming a bit of a fortress of late which it really wasn't last year. 

Also a thumping win after the clocks going back

[CountryBumpkin]

2 hours ago, Hank Scorpio said:

I make it that we had 26 points after 14 games last season, and we currently have 22. However, it’s still a good point to make. At this point last season we’d not lost a game in 10 but we had drawn 4 of them. This year, we lost 4 of the first 6 but have now won won 3 of the last 4 and and drew the other.

Our home form is really strong this season; the best in the division, winning 5 out of 7. The away form isn’t as good, only winning 2 out of 7. The home form is a great foundation to build on, but the lack of draws away from home may hold us back if it doesn’t change. We need to start picking up draws instead of defeats and nicking the odd win to really stand a chance. The league is tight and no team will run away with it. If we can stay in the pack we really could have a chance - the squad depth is there this season and we have some big players to come/coming back at a good time. Going to Dundee on Saturday and winning would be a big statement at this stage. 

A few other interesting (possibly) stats, we've conceded one less goal (14) than we did at this time last year (15) and scored 5 fewer goals (19) to last year (24). We're joint 1st on games won this year and joint 2nd bottom on games lost. We have the joint best defence with Morton. Although interestingly joint 3rd best defence in the league is Arbroath. This league is just so tight this year

[R.R.FC]

If you had told me at the end of last season we would be sitting 3rd in the table after 14 games with Liam Dick as our first choice left centre back, I would have laughed in your face. He’s been brilliant since moving there, although I felt he was even solid at left back this season, albeit Ngwenya moving there and giving us more going forward has been an important change. The improvement in the likes of Dick and Stanton from last season and in Millen since the start of the season are huge credit to Murray.

Another positive from yesterday was that for all the criticism of Murray’s recruitment this summer, myself included, 6 of our 10 starting outfield players were his signings and all played their part in a very good result and performance.

Things can change so quickly in this league so won’t get carried away, it was only a couple of weeks ago we went to Gayfield fearing a defeat would leave us in huge trouble at the bottom but we appear to be heading in the right direction. I’ve still not seen a team in this league to be fearful of.

Saturday will be a huge test, we only have two wins away from home and those were against the bottom two sides but our recent away performances have been improved. I would take a draw but a win would be a huge statement against the side I still consider league favourites. 

[Jack Rae2]

The only worry I had yesterday was Dylan Easton hopping on top of Vaughan after the third. I can’t have been the only one screaming to get off [emoji23]

[Raith_Raver]

29 minutes ago, Jack Rae2 said:

The only worry I had yesterday was Dylan Easton hopping on top of Vaughan after the third. I can’t have been the only one screaming to get off

Players carry on like that all the time in training

[Raith_Raver]

On 05/11/2022 at 13:50, Ro Sham Bo said:

Regan Hendry MOTM for Forest Green in their televised cup match today. 

Hendry isn't as big a loss now with our present midfield.

[Enigma]

42 minutes ago, Raith_Raver said:

Hendry isn't as big a loss now with our present midfield.

Our present midfield three is pretty special but he would be the first name on the team sheet if he was still here. Fantastic player.

[pub car king]

Hendry was a very special player I'd say the best since our assistant manager had hair 

[TxRover]

5 hours ago, Raith_Raver said:

Hendry isn't as big a loss now with our present midfield.

Hendry is pretty easily one of the best, if not the best player on an English League One team. Few of our current players could get a look at that level, let alone excel. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got an opportunity to move up to the English Championship, either this season or next. At the very least, surely some of the promotion contenders in EL1 are considering him for the January window.

While I’m quite enamoured of our current midfield, I’m not silly enough to suggest Hendry wouldn’t be a massive upgrade over any of them. Now we can hopefully look forward to a Dobbie like return in a decade or so, eh?

[Raith_Raver]

31 minutes ago, TxRover said:

While I’m quite enamoured of our current midfield, I’m not silly enough to suggest Hendry wouldn’t be a massive upgrade over any of them. Now we can hopefully look forward to a Dobbie like return in a decade or so, eh?

You have a tendency to exaggerate. I agree that Hendry would improve our midfield but not by a massive amount. I wouldn't say he would be a massive upgrade on Stanton.