Cove v Edinburgh City

[Midweek-away-to-Lossie]

The festive season is getting into full swing in the Granite City finally!  Woke up this morning, much to the dog's delight, to find it's been snowing overnight and it's white outside... I'm sure Balmoral won't be white, it'll just be the usual freezing cold rain and blowing a gale!

 

Would've been looking to get back to winning ways today regardless of the current situation at the visitors, but given the difficulties being faced I'd expect us to score a couple now as well - Cove's preview seems to revel round the negativity... pot kettle if you ask me, because I see Hartley leading us down the same path in time if given the chance!

 

Thankfully Josh Kerr is still suspended but in good news (on 2 counts) neither Fraser Fyvie or Balint Demus are out overly long term and require surgery - both expected back within 6-8 weeks.  Luke Strachan is also "nearing full fitness again" which at least it gives a bit more depth to the wide areas.

 

Would think the club are hoping for a decent crowd today, which will be weather dependent I'd imagine, no doubt they've spent the week panicking about the situation at Edinburgh worsening and needing to cancel the match and lose the corporate jolly for the day!  Going to go for an ambitious 4-0 win - more goals from Burrell, more dross from Megginson.  If I'm going to freeze for a couple of hours I expect goals!

 

[Watson Nimrod]

Yup it’s that time of the year when our board will think a bumper crowd will magically descend on the Balmoral when in reality it’s warmer to be in the sea for a few hours. Looking out right now seeing the snow turn to heavy rain isn’t quite an inspiration to drive 70 miles to see Paul McGowan run round the plastic like a headless sheep with rabies….

You just don’t know what Edinburgh will turn up today, on that note you have to feel sorry for the fans here. I don’t know the full facts but I’ve seen the stuff the former owner has written this week and it’s indicative of how these ‘businessmen’ treat fans with contempt by viewing clubs as vanity projects and when they turn sour or they don’t get their own way it rapidly turns to shit. Perhaps it sticks in our craws more as in the grander scheme when smaller clubs like ours hit the skids then fewer people care. I genuinely hope it all works out and makes me wonder where my own club would be without generous benefactors and our corporate being a fixture in the North East lower level oil and gas hospitality merry go round. Doesn’t bear thinking about.

I also hope our board are aware that we need seriously quality if we are going to be challenging for the play offs and a long term plan for who is going to replace Megginson in the summer. 
 

4-0 to Cove today. 

[TxRover]

Looking for some feedback on how McNeil looked for EC. Clear he got shelled today, but was it poor on his part or his defence?

[tamthebam]

What an embarrassment

 

 

 

Ouzy scored 

[Watson Nimrod]

1 hour ago, TxRover said:

Looking for some feedback on how McNeil looked for EC. Clear he got shelled today, but was it poor on his part or his defence?

He had a howler for the 3rd but I’ve seen worse, I thought his distribution was reasonable and it was more those around him who struggled. He actually made a couple of very decent saves. 

The game changed for me when some of the subs came on who truly were out of their depth and with 20 mins to go it really was the Alamo and could have been double figures, indeed if they hadn’t gotten that equaliser I feared it would be. 

As far as our performance was concerned it was some of the best pressing play of the season and also some of the worst defensively. Forget the Dimitry Peskov pish the club churn out we were not world beaters today, we beat a group of players who didn’t play for 70 mins like they had all the troubles they do. The difference in class was evident in the second half and a few of the EC subs looked like football wasn’t their first sport. Perhaps not even their second! 

Highlights would be Burrell again showing an unbelievable work ethic and ability, Yule, Scully and Doyle running the show and Gallagher probably doing just enough to keep that position going into the crunch local derby next week. Connell was good when he came on too but it’s easy to look good when you are 4-2 up and cruising. 

The test as I say will be next week. Let’s hope the manager isn’t tempted to put McGowan straight back into the side. He has offered zero so far this season. 

[Tenkay]

1 hour ago, Watson Nimrod said:

The difference in class was evident in the second half and a few of the EC subs looked like football wasn’t their first sport. Perhaps not even their second!

Fontaine is such an important player for us, and it seems once he got subbed off the defence collapsed.

There are a couple of the 20s boys that are ready for the first team but the rest are nowhere near it!

We've no other choice though!

It is what it is.

[Watson Nimrod]

3 minutes ago, Tenkay said:

Fontaine is such an important player for us, and it seems once he got subbed off the defence collapsed.

There are a couple of the 20s boys that are ready for the first team but the rest are nowhere near it!

We've no other choice though!

It is what it is.

To be honest we said during the game that the Fontaine substitution basically neutralised any threat, without being patronising there wasn’t a huge amount in it for 65 mins. He looked like he was playing for a while with an injury. 

[Steven W]

Went to this game as a neutral. Was very impressed with Burrell. Must confess I had no idea who he was, so looked him up on Wikipedia. His footballing CV took me by surprise a bit (30 games for Falkirk last season). On the evidence of yesterday, together with the number of goals he's scored this season, I was thinking he could play at a higher level. Maybe yesterday was a 'flash in the pan' though?

[CoveRangers1922]

1 hour ago, Steven W said:

Went to this game as a neutral. Was very impressed with Burrell. Must confess I had no idea who he was, so looked him up on Wikipedia. His footballing CV took me by surprise a bit (30 games for Falkirk last season). On the evidence of yesterday, together with the number of goals he's scored this season, I was thinking he could play at a higher level. Maybe yesterday was a 'flash in the pan' though?

Raw pace, good footwork and a capable finisher are his positives for me. Weakness is his physicality so would benefit playing alongside a strong target man. Undoubtedly turned out to be a coup of a signing for us but unfortunately 1 year contract means we won't benefit financially.

As for the level he could play at as a regular starter? Right now Scottish Championship or English National League in my opinion. 

Dipo Akinyemi looked one of the best/better strikers in the Championship last season and went to York City in the summer. Could have been a few reasons for that, however, I fully expected him to get a better club. Even if Rumarn's agent pulls one out the bag I struggle to see him getting an EL2 side. He likely needs to prove consistency and at a higher level than Cove before he gets more lucrative opportunities.

Likes of Dean Campbell and Connor McLennan were getting game time / sub appearances in the SPL and wound up at Barrow and Salford respectfully.

If we can keep him beyond January it will be a welcome success. Do fear we might lose him in the window for a small fee and if that does materialise I hope we have a replacement lined up.

Edited December 24, 2023 by CoveRangers1922

[Steven W]

18 minutes ago, CoveRangers1922 said:

Raw pace, good footwork and a capable finisher are his positives for me. Weakness is his physicality so would benefit playing alongside a strong target man. Undoubtedly turned out to be a coup of a signing for us but unfortunately 1 year contract means we won't benefit financially.

As for the level he could play at as a regular starter? Right now Scottish Championship or English National League in my opinion. 

Dipo Akinyemi looked one of the best/better strikers in the Championship last season and went to York City in the summer. Could have been a few reasons for that, however, I fully expected him to get a better club. Even if Rumarn's agent pulls one out the bag I struggle to see him getting an EL2 side. He likely needs to prove consistency and at a higher level than Cove before he gets more lucrative opportunities.

Likes of Dean Campbell and Connor McLennan were getting game time / sub appearances in the SPL and wound up at Barrow and Salford respectfully.

If we can keep him beyond January it will be a welcome success. Do fear we might lose him in the window for a small fee and if that does materialise I hope we have a replacement lined up.

As a Dundee United fan, I confess to something of a vested interest in my thoughts about him. Utd desperately need (affordable) attacking players in the door in January, and on yesterday's evidence he'd more than fit the bill and it's only one division higher. Doubt the fans would wear it right enough as sizeable chunk of them still think we have oodles of cash up our sleeves to spend, and noses get turned up at signing players from lower leagues (despite having a fair degree of success in that market over the years).

Footnote; was impressed with Cove yesterday (and Edinburgh at times) and it made for a really decent spectacle.

[CoveRangers1922]

2 minutes ago, Steven W said:

As a Dundee United fan, I confess to something of a vested interest in my thoughts about him. Utd desperately need (affordable) attacking players in the door in January, and on yesterday's evidence he'd more than fit the bill and it's only one division higher. Doubt the fans would wear it right enough as sizeable chunk of them still think we have oodles of cash up our sleeves to spend, and noses get turned up at signing players from lower leagues (despite having a fair degree of success in that market over the years).

Footnote; was impressed with Cove yesterday (and Edinburgh at times) and it made for a really decent spectacle.

Rumarn could do a job for United in the Championship but unless you manage to develop him significantly it would be short lived for him getting regular starts or meaningful minutes going forward if you bounce right back to the SPL. Would be a low cost option and could work out.

Can see why some United fans wouldn't be enamoured after previous more high profile signings likes Moult and Watt. Latter I read could be heading? 

Killie took Rumarn to Scotland via a loan in 2021 so they must have seen potential which he definitely has. Hopefully he fulfills his talent and goes on to have a strong career.

We're very much in transition with going hybrid this year and supposedly FT next season. We've rightfully been as cautious as we can be but our own recruitment will need to be far better going forward to get out of L1. We haven't done the former to stay in the division so at some point we'll need to grow on and off the field. 

[BPM Again]

48 minutes ago, CoveRangers1922 said:

Raw pace, good footwork and a capable finisher are his positives for me. Weakness is his physicality so would benefit playing alongside a strong target man. Undoubtedly turned out to be a coup of a signing for us but unfortunately 1 year contract means we won't benefit financially.

As for the level he could play at as a regular starter? Right now Scottish Championship or English National League in my opinion. 

Dipo Akinyemi looked one of the best/better strikers in the Championship last season and went to York City in the summer. Could have been a few reasons for that, however, I fully expected him to get a better club. Even if Rumarn's agent pulls one out the bag I struggle to see him getting an EL2 side. He likely needs to prove consistency and at a higher level than Cove before he gets more lucrative opportunities.

Likes of Dean Campbell and Connor McLennan were getting game time / sub appearances in the SPL and wound up at Barrow and Salford respectfully.

If we can keep him beyond January it will be a welcome success. Do fear we might lose him in the window for a small fee and if that does materialise I hope we have a replacement lined up.

If the rumours are to believed he is desperate to get back down south. Who can blame him playing in front on two men and a dog with Hartley as his gaffer. 

[CoveRangers1922]

6 minutes ago, BPM Again said:

If the rumours are to believed he is desperate to get back down south. Who can blame him playing in front on two men and a dog with Hartley as his gaffer. 

Likely would take Dundee United or another promotion chasing Championship side to spark his interest and delay him moving back down south. I think there's a strong chance that is where he will end up, maybe might end up playing along Morrison! Actually no chance, Callumn would get at least an EL2 for me 

[BPM Again]

1 hour ago, CoveRangers1922 said:

Likely would take Dundee United or another promotion chasing Championship side to spark his interest and delay him moving back down south. I think there's a strong chance that is where he will end up, maybe might end up playing along Morrison! Actually no chance, Callumn would get at least an EL2 for me 

Morrison would get lost down south. He won’t go there 

[Moorie]

First time been up to cove since the Annan game. 
Burrell looks at cut above everyone else at the moment. I can see Mitch going in January if you get a replacement and you keep Burrell till the summer. 
still looks like relying heavy on the part time players to be the leaders still. 
a big January for Hartley to get it right. Another centre half couple wingers and a striker to push for the playoffs 

[Watson Nimrod]

The priority has to be getting Doyle signed up long term. If there were any scouts there yesterday they would have seen he is a class above anything we have defensively and I imagine he will be wanting full time football that comes with a decent wage. We need to match his ambitions. He is also a leader.