Fife Derby: Pars vs Rovers - Sat 26th August

[TxRover]

18 minutes ago, par-adise said:

I think Murray played a couple games for us at LB when we were short and was fine

Christ, he’s far too slow for wing back, which is why a 3-5-2 or some variation comes to mind.

[parsforlife]

10 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Christ, he’s far too slow for wing back, which is why a 3-5-2 or some variation comes to mind.

You don’t want to play him at wingback so you’re suggesting a formation that uses wingbacks?

[Broken Algorithms]

Craig Cairns suggesting that he'll not miss out but fans of other clubs saying he will. It might be worth going for the age old 'let's appeal this and kick the can down the road so he doesn't miss a very important match'. 

[TxRover]

9 minutes ago, parsforlife said:

You don’t want to play him at wingback so you’re suggesting a formation that uses wingbacks?

Nope…he’d be one of the three CB, with some of our surfeit of midfielders wide. We’re also a wee bit stretched at CB.

[parsforlife]

5 minutes ago, Broken Algorithms said:

Craig Cairns suggesting that he'll not miss out but fans of other clubs saying he will. It might be worth going for the age old 'let's appeal this and kick the can down the road so he doesn't miss a very important match'. 

I don’t know how cairns has got that, I haven’t seen it but the descriptions mean it’s surely down as serious foul play? 

[TxRover]

7 minutes ago, Broken Algorithms said:

Craig Cairns suggesting that he'll not miss out but fans of other clubs saying he will. It might be worth going for the age old 'let's appeal this and kick the can down the road so he doesn't miss a very important match'. 

It would only be an appeal that might let him play, but they could fast track it…

[da_no_1]

3 hours ago, TxRover said:

1 game immediate…1 next game in competition (next year).

And that’s why I said we’ve thinness issues. Now we’ll either see McGill at LB or perhaps a formation change. Just dramatically lowered my expectations for points for this match.

Because one player misses out? Weird given you have, at the last count & unless I'm massively mistaken, a squad of around 231 players 

[CALDERON]

2 minutes ago, da_no_1 said:

Because one player misses out? Weird given you have, at the last count & unless I'm massively mistaken, a squad of around 231 players 

230 of them are midfielders tbh.

[Cardle is Magic]

Remember when McGlynn played Andy McNeil over Dave McGurn in a title decider and stuck Simmons on the wing?

Good times.

[smpar]

I’m sure Murray played at wing back for us (away to Thistle just before lockdown?) and was surprisingly absolutely fine. 

[SirJimmyofNic]

12 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Remember when McGlynn played Andy McNeil over Dave McGurn in a title decider and stuck Simmons on the wing?

Good times.

We'll never ever forget that one, a feck up of epic proportions 

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, da_no_1 said:

Because one player misses out? Weird given you have, at the last count & unless I'm massively mistaken, a squad of around 231 players 

Because our only LB is now out, so it like means either a formation change or McGill playing LB. The laddie can do it, not sure how well. Checked the squads, it seems we both have 23.

[TxRover]

2 minutes ago, smpar said:

I’m sure Murray played at wing back for us (away to Thistle just before lockdown?) and was surprisingly absolutely fine. 

Murray is a bit, er, deliberate for our style of LB play. If he does move out wide, we have only Masson to play CB unless Corr returns from his moon boot…and that would be the sum total of our defenders playing..

[Cardle is Magic]

1 hour ago, SirJimmyofNic said:

We'll never ever forget that one, a feck up of epic proportions 

Was such a baffling selection that some Rovers fans insisted to me he’d been told to “throw” the title as the club “couldn’t afford promotion”.

Edited August 20, 2023 by Cardle is Magic

[TxRover]

Now reports Dick will play at EEP, not sure how, IDK.

[Heaton]

8 hours ago, TxRover said:

Because our only LB is now out, so it like means either a formation change or McGill playing LB. The laddie can do it, not sure how well. Checked the squads, it seems we both have 23.

20 according to our site, and that includes our youth players, 17 year old Andy Tod (17), Miller Fenton (19) and young forward Taylor Sutherland (17), as well as 3 keepers due to Mehmet being injured.  So our squad is light on depth still.

[Salvo Montalbano]

Aye, it's pretty clear Rovers have the better squad at the moment. First XI wise I'd say at the moment they also have the better side; with no injuries and suspensions they'd be fairly even I reckon. Hoping the home crowd and a few players getting up to speed (O'Halloran) or possibly returning from injury (KRH on the bench maybe? What a boost that would be) and illness (McCann) could see us over the line but it will be a tough one. Raith will likely see a lot of the ball and Brown and Byrne will aim to control things in the middle. We'll have to be resolute and make use of any opportunities to use our pace and Wighton's movement to create chances. I'll say 2-1 Pars. Hardie with both.  

[Broken Algorithms]

7 minutes ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

Aye, it's pretty clear Rovers have the better squad at the moment. First XI wise I'd say at the moment they also have the better side; with no injuries and suspensions they'd be fairly even I reckon. Hoping the home crowd and a few players getting up to speed (O'Halloran) or possibly returning from injury (KRH on the bench maybe? What a boost that would be) and illness (McCann) could see us over the line but it will be a tough one. Raith will likely see a lot of the ball and Brown and Byrne will aim to control things in the middle. We'll have to be resolute and make use of any opportunities to use our pace and Wighton's movement to create chances. I'll say 2-1 Pars. Hardie with both.  

That's a bit of a reach, but he's used to that...

[CALDERON]

Intriguing game this one.  I don't know a huge amount about this Dunfermline side, but they are on some unbeaten league run, and certainly appears as though they are a tough nut to crack.  They looked decent in the league cup game, and ran Dundee Utd extremely close the other week.  

Murray now has selection issues though.  You would imagine that at the very least, one of Easton, Vaughan, Mullin or Hamilton will not start the game (he surely has to play Hamilton up top).  We look much, much better in the midfield with Brown and Byrne in there - would be a big call to change that.  Thats before adding in Ethan Ross who will feel hard done by not to start given how he has played in the past coupel weeks. 

There is actual depth and options in the squad, for what feels like the first time in a million years.  Murray has been very well backed, but this is the type of game where we need to see a progression from seasons gone by.  McGlynn had a mixed time of it vs Dunfermline, but a really fucking terrible one at EEP.  

Don't know what to expect though.  We concede too many set pieces, and aren't great at defending them - and if we don't start Hamilton then for all the options we have, we will be going into the game without a recognised centre forward - something we saw yesterday and for the majority of last season - which isn't ideal in games like this.  I've seen a few fans of other clubs saying that we will be up there with Utd et al for the title, but I don't see that yet.  Still think theres a wee bit too much hanging on Hamilton being in form, as well as consistently fit and available.  

I'd be happy enough with a decent score draw.  

 

[R.R.FC]

I think we’ll see the same line up as yesterday. It’s not necessarily what I’d go with but I think it’s what Murray will decide.

If Dick isn’t suspended, the back 4 and goalkeeper pick themselves. Brown and Byrne have to play for me and with more minutes in their legs yesterday will hopefully be closer to managing 90 minutes.

That leaves the front 4 positions which is where the real selection decisions are. You could pick any 4 from Smith, Mullin, Vaughan, Stanton, Easton, Ross, Hamilton or Gullan that could just about justify their place in the team which is a great problem to have.

For me, Mullin and Smith have to play. Mullin’s workrate is excellent and his delivery outstanding, don’t see a natural replacement for him wide on the right with Connolly still out. I think he’s underrated amongst the support. Smith is pretty straight forward, he was someone I thought would be a bit part player in the squad but 3 goals in his last 4 means he has to keep his place.

I think Ross was good against Partick and Morton but I don’t think he’s done quite enough to push his way back into the team yet, likewise with Gullan. Thought he started the season well but he’s been out so now lost his place. That leaves the final 2 starting places between Hamilton, Vaughan, Stanton and Easton. All have started the season well when they’ve played and it’s definitely the hardest choice. I would probably sway towards Stanton and Hamilton but Vaughan has a goal and 2 assists in his last 2 games so would be harsh to be dropped. Likewise Easton has been good but going off early against Morton and then being suspended yesterday probably means he has lost his place now.

Nice to have some positive selection dilemma’s and hopefully means we will have plenty options off the bench to change things if needed assuming we don’t pick up our standard 2/3 injuries this week!

Think most Rovers fans will be relatively encouraged by our start to the season but given our record at East End Park, it’s hard to feel particularly confident. I’ll be kind of optimistic and go for 2-2.