ArabFC Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 1 hour ago, CityDave94 said: When's the statue going up outside Gayfield? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scary Bear Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Good crowd in, looking like we’re in control and comfortable… Ah well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGuigan1978 Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 (edited) Aye, that’s two performances in a row that have been really poor, and while conceding a goal from 35 yards to a substitute goalkeeper is very funny, it shouldn’t mask the fact we were quite simply set up wrong. Other than a 15 minute spell in the second half, I didn't think we were ever in control of that game, and were a bit lucky to be a goal up at the interval. I thought Ian Murray panicked very early last week against Ayr, and changed the system immediately when we went 3-2 down, but it felt like he panicked before kick off in this one. Big Barry Smith vibes with the, “let’s move Lewis Vaughan further away from goal” and predictably, it really didn’t work A 4-1-3-2 with Vaughan playing deep felt like a strange move, and despite that, we almost got away with it, despite being poor, but in all honesty we really didn’t deserve three points Calm down, set up the players in a way which suits them, and deviate from that if we’re struggling. Fingers crossed Stanton is back soon too, as were a far poorer outfit without him. Lastly, and I could be in the minority here, but the Rovers fans becoming rugby-esque and applauding Ali Adams goal was by some margin the most annoying part of the afternoon. Edited December 30, 2023 by McGuigan1978 -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagpuss Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Big reality check. Started to believe the hype and brought down to earth . Four points dropped v a team down to 10 men for 55 mins and a team in an injury crisis playing their sub goalie outfield for nuisance value. (That was some strike btw. Arbroath's goal of the season?) Teams aiming to go up automatically don't do that. I'm sure Dundee Utd would put 5 or 6 past Arbroath in similar circs to today. I also can't understand why Matthews isn't getting minutes if he's fit. The game was crying out for him to stiffen the midfield today. That said Ayr and Arbroath definitely earned their points. No qualms there. A word about the ref today. He had a shocker. Unbelievably inconsistent. Rovers player in full flight tripped near the penalty area? Nothing to see here. Brush gently against an Arbroath player? That'll be a free kick. And he's a Premier League official apparently. Not talking about the penalty as I couldn't see that due to bodies in the way, but overall he was appalling. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledLichtie Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 1 minute ago, bagpuss said: Big reality check. Started to believe the hype and brought down to earth . Four points dropped v a team down to 10 men for 55 mins and a team in an injury crisis playing their sub goalie outfield for nuisance value. (That was some strike btw. Arbroath's goal of the season?) Teams aiming to go up automatically don't do that. I'm sure Dundee Utd would put 5 or 6 past Arbroath in similar circs to today. I also can't understand why Matthews isn't getting minutes if he's fit. The game was crying out for him to stiffen the midfield today. That said Ayr and Arbroath definitely earned their points. No qualms there. A word about the ref today. He had a shocker. Unbelievably inconsistent. Rovers player in full flight tripped near the penalty area? Nothing to see here. Brush gently against an Arbroath player? That'll be a free kick. And he's a Premier League official apparently. Not talking about the penalty as I couldn't see that due to bodies in the way, but overall he was appalling. Arbroath's goal of the season? That is surely everyone's goal of the season! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Instant legend 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rover the Moon Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 You’ve got to give credit to Arbroath but our game management is abysmal. A man and a goal up against Ayr at HT and 2-0 up today against a team with a keeper playing as a striker and we manage 2 draws. We’ve come on leaps and bounds but if we, as fans, can all see that this system doesn’t work without Stanton then why can’t Murray? Was basically 4-1-5 and no control of the midfield. He had to bring on someone like Matthews at 2-0 and shitfest the remainder of the match. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raidernation Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 I can remember in the late 1960's(?) the great Eddie Turnbull played Bobby Clark (GK) as a number 5 at least once, from the start of a game. But, he didn't score IIRC so well done Lichties!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagpuss Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 If someone had said we'd be top of the league at the halfway point back in August I'd have bitten their hand off but it feels a bit hollow after that as it should be by more. If there's a hard way to do anything we'll find it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONTROOPER Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 " I hear you're a wee bit short of outfield players..... gonnae geez a gemme?" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spot on Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 After the Ayr game it was clear that dropping Vaughan back to the attacking midfield role that it simply doesn’t work and the midfield gets steamrollered through the middle as he provides no defensive cover , but hay ho the very next week he plays him there from the start , and guess what - it didn’t work again . Just highlights our squad isn’t as deep as is made out and the midfield lost without Byrne and Stanton. We had enough chances though and Smith and Hamilton should have this game dead and buried. Four big home points dropped though to a team who played with ten men for more than half the game and another who had to play a keeper up front ( great strike mind you) due to lack of subs and down to the bare bones. Makes Tuesdays game even more important. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigus Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 That's up there with the Hamilton 4-4 in terms of post-game scunneredness. Real lack of professionalism from us today. If we don't re-sign Byrne then we can forget about any sustained title challenge. Midfield non-existent. I'm assuming Matthews will be off in January if he can't get minutes in a game where our midfield was posted missing for the whole 90. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raith1974 Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 26 minutes ago, McGuigan1978 said: Aye, that’s two performances in a row that have been really poor, and while conceding a goal from 35 yards to a substitute goalkeeper is very funny, it shouldn’t mask the fact we were quite simply set up wrong. Other than a 15 minute spell in the second half, I didn't think we were ever in control of that game, and were a bit lucky to be a goal up at the interval. I thought Ian Murray panicked very early last week against Ayr, and changed the system immediately when we went 3-2 down, but it felt like he panicked before kick off in this one. Big Barry Smith vibes with the, “let’s move Lewis Vaughan further away from goal” and predictably, it really didn’t work A 4-1-3-2 with Vaughan playing deep felt like a strange move, and despite that, we almost got away with it, despite being poor, but in all honesty we really didn’t deserve three points Calm down, set up the players in a way which suits them, and deviate from that if we’re struggling. Fingers crossed Stanton is back soon too, as were a far poorer outfit without him. Lastly, and I could be in the minority here, but the Rovers fans becoming rugby-esque and applauding Ali Adams goal was by some margin the most annoying part of the afternoon. Completely agree regarding applauding a player who got them back in the game. -3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacky1990 Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 22 minutes ago, jagfox said: Instant legend And there are folk who will sit there with a straight face and tell you scottish football is shite. Add this to the "scottish football is unrivalled" list. Fair fucking play 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pull My Strings Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 16 minutes ago, bagpuss said: If someone had said we'd be top of the league at the halfway point back in August I'd have bitten their hand off but it feels a bit hollow after that as it should be by more. If there's a hard way to do anything we'll find it. Oooft. Should be clear by more after failing to win a single league game by more than a goal and having scored at least half a dozen winners or equalisers in stoppage time. That's quite some take. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxRover Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 If Stanton is out a while, we’re in deep shite if Dundee want Byrne back during the January shutdown, let alone beyond. Even without Byrne leaving, we need Matthews back to speed ASAP, in the hopes he can cover for Stanton’s absence. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanStarko Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 2 minutes ago, TxRover said: If Stanton is out a while, we’re in deep shite if Dundee want Byrne back during the January shutdown, let alone beyond. Even without Byrne leaving, we need Matthews back to speed ASAP, in the hopes he can cover for Stanton’s absence. Yup, which makes it all the more crazy that we never brought him on today. At 2-0 it was the perfect game to bring him on and get him minutes combined with getting a hold of the midfield to see the game out. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigus Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 4 minutes ago, TxRover said: If Stanton is out a while, we’re in deep shite if Dundee want Byrne back during the January shutdown, let alone beyond. Even without Byrne leaving, we need Matthews back to speed ASAP, in the hopes he can cover for Stanton’s absence. If Murray thought Matthews was up to it then he starts or gets minutes today when we had no midfield. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimney Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 We are never going to win the league playing like this, as good fortune eventually runs out. Last 3 home games we have been 2-0 up in 2 of them well into 2nd half and 2-1 up against 10 men in the other. We have lost 8 (EIGHT yes EIGHT!) goals from these positions of strength! Murray said in his Ayr post match that he needed to learn how to see games out, and he clearly hasn’t bothered! This one man midfield just doesn’t allow the team to control the game at any point, and worse when we are winning as the opposition has then nothing to lose, they simply run through the heart of us. Scott Brown was tactically inept today as was Byrne against Ayr, but it is Murray that needs to take responsibility and give them some help. He put McGill on today but why not do it earlier and give Brown some support or put Matthews on to get control. It’s not in question that it is all very entertaining, but so is winning! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxRover Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 41 minutes ago, Craigus said: If Murray thought Matthews was up to it then he starts or gets minutes today when we had no midfield. Exactly what I’m worried about. Watson has been possible for weeks but is always left out. IS Matthews healthy? We just don’t know. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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