🔵🦁 Raith Rovers v Livingston 🟡🦁 - 31st August 2024

[LIVIFOREVER]

Good job we didn't lose yesterday, if this is what we're like after a win.

[ATLIS]

6 hours ago, Cptn Hooch said:

Using the sofascore ratings. He's also one of our .ost consistent performers so far this season

f**king hell    

[Freedom Farter]

12 hours ago, hoobahabba said:

In the premiership, we were very rarely blessed with points from lucky moments so I am absolutely taking it. 

What you can get with a solid defence. You increase the likelihood of picking up these fortunate results if you don't concede many goals.

[Cptn Hooch]

9 hours ago, LogieLivi said:

So you're basis of Shinnie playing well is off some random app?

Stephen Kelly used to get 10/10 every week on that thing coz of The Rangers fans voting for him because he was ex The Rangers.

He was playing so well that he got hooked after 57 mins? 

His rating is probably only that high because he had a shot which was saved by the keeper. Which was set up because of an excellent run and pass by Stevie May, but that great vision only warranted a 6 flat? Come on.....

Yeah, if there's anyone making stuff up, it's whoever gets to input those scores on your crappy wee app.

It's not voted for...the ratings are created via the stats the players deliver.

2 hours ago, ATLIS said:

f**king hell    

I get it's not perfect but shite players won't get good ratings even on an app like that. I don't understand the hate Shinnie gets. He was far from our worst player last season and is arguably one of our most influential players so far this season. 

[Livi]

12 hours ago, Freedom Farter said:

What you can get with a solid defence. You increase the likelihood of picking up these fortunate results if you don't concede many goals.

You're sounding more like Martindale with every post

[Freedom Farter]

53 minutes ago, Livi said:

You're sounding more like Martindale with every post

It's a fairly objective observation that more folk than Martindale would agree with.

Think what a fluke result is. Its when the opposition have the better of the play and usually some near-miss chances. So for there to be a fluke result, the match must be low scoring. If its a 4-3 or a 3-2 then it can hardly have been a fluke as your team had enough of the play to score multiple goals.

Nearly all flukier results happen with a 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, maybe a 2-1 at most. Therefore you can't really get them without solid defending. On Saturday there, Vaughan's header hitting the bar not the net was the main fluke part. The solid defending part was mostly limiting Raith to set piece chances despite their attacking pressure on us for much of the second half.

Last season we'd have conceded at least twice rendering Brandon's late goal meaningless. No fortunate result.

Edited September 2 by Freedom Farter

[Cptn Hooch]

14 minutes ago, Freedom Farter said:

It's a fairly objective observation that more folk than Martindale would agree with.

Think what a fluke result is. Its when the opposition have the better of the play and usually some near-miss chances. So for there to be a fluke result, the match must be low scoring. If its a 4-3 or a 3-2 then it can hardly have been a fluke as your team had enough of the play to score multiple goals.

Nearly all flukier results happen with a 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, maybe a 2-1 at most. Therefore you can't really get them without solid defending. On Saturday there, Vaughan's header hitting the bar not the net was the main fluke part. The solid defending part was mostly limiting Raith to set piece chances despite their attacking pressure on us for much of the second half.

Last season we'd have conceded at least twice rendering Brandon's late goal meaningless. No fortunate result.

We certainly picked up more of those "fluke" results with Gallagher, Halkett and Lithgow at the back

[ATLIS]

13 hours ago, Cptn Hooch said:

I get it's not perfect but shite players won't get good ratings even on an app like that. I don't understand the hate Shinnie gets. He was far from our worst player last season and is arguably one of our most influential players so far this season. 

You're right in some aspects but you need to apply the eye test within some logic as well. Shinnie could be registering 60-70 accurate passes and it may boost him up a good few points but in reality how effective are most of them, at best it's sideways and usually it's backwards. He slows the play down a lot and can't contribute the same pressing energy someone like Green could. He's a luxury player, and sometimes we'll get away with that. 

For actual raw stats, Shinnie made 15/18 (83%) of his passes, won only 3 of his 9 ground duels (33%) (5/14 total) and lost possession 9 times. No tackles won or real input in recovery play.  He didn't impact the game in any great way. 

[crispy]

On 01/09/2024 at 12:53, LIVIFOREVER said:

Don't you just love a 90th min goal, with the fans clambering/falling over seats, celebrating. Its been a long time coming for us having those type of celebrations, Partick Th away in the cup last season prob.

 

Also mentioned in our post match interview, a full calendar year since our last away league win, Hibs at Easter Rd, f**ksake it was grim last season, esp for our travelling supporters.

The Killie 1-0 was the most sickening I thought.

Up at Dingwall I was just angry we’d got back into it and still managed to lose.

Also, related to the game, I don’t think I’ve seen a mention of Kelly hitting the bar in the first half. Had lost all hope of decent free kicks. He had a duffer in the second half tbf.

Impressed with May again. He’s a proper forward player. Can see why he did so well in his prime.

Edited September 2 by crispy

[LIVIFOREVER]

20 minutes ago, crispy said:

The Killie 1-0 was the most sickening I thought.

Up at Dingwall I was just angry we’d got back into it and still managed to lose.

Also, related to the game, I don’t think I’ve seen a mention of Kelly hitting the bar in the first half. Had lost all hope of decent free kicks. He had a duffer in the second half tbf.

Impressed with May again. He’s a proper forward player. Can see why he did so well in his prime.

Yeah his movement making runs and first touch is good. That through ball (was it Kelly) playing him in was excellent, might've been better hitting it instead of cutting it back though, the keeper was all over the place scrambling back as May ran onto the ball, and a shot at that point had a good chance of going in, but the pass gave him time to get set and throw himself into a save.

Edited September 2 by LIVIFOREVER

[Freedom Farter]

Shinnie slows the game down but more by holding onto the ball, by taking a few touches, than by his passing. Only Kelly attempts more progressive passes than him which is why some won't come off and you'll see a lower pass completion stat for him. His incisive play against Morton was recognised but he'd also created our best chance the previous week against QP. Quite early in the first half he slid a cross along the six yard line for Kelly to tap in but it seemed to catch Kelly by surprise and he just missed it.

About him being played wide left despite not being a winger, some fans take issue with this. We only have two natural wingers in the squad, Sole and Smith, both of whom are injured just now. Further, Smith is a composed dribbler but he's not the quickest so he tends to cut inside a lot when he's on the ball. Then Muirhead is more of a wide forward, he's not so comfortable in build up, and Yengi is a wide target man. So we can't really do the whole "fast, direct attack with flying wingers" thing that Falkirk do when we only have Sole.

Shinnie was playing fine going forward on Saturday, he'd come close to scoring. He was subbed because Raith had really upped their game after half time and were pressuring us. They had a winger playing wing back on their right (Gibson) who was fast and attacking well. Shinnie didn't have the athletic capability to match him so he came off and Yengi went there.

Edited September 2 by Freedom Farter

[Freedom Farter]

6 minutes ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

Yeah his movement making runs and first touch is good. That through ball (was it Kelly) playing him in was excellent, might've been better hitting it instead of cutting it back though, the keeper was all over the place scrambling back as May ran onto the ball, and a shot at that point had a good chance of going in, but the pass gave him time to get set and through himself into a save.

Montano.

[AllanJM]

Wasn't at the game on Saturday so can only go on Rovers' highlights.

The main positive was that there were actually a good number of decent chances to include in the highlights.  There were easily more in that game than the other 3 combined.  If we can add someone with a bit more cutting edge up front then I really believe we can turn things around.

Can't really comment to much on Livvy as there wasn't too much from them in the highlights.

Really feel for big Kev with that mistake as he's been brilliant for us over the past year.  He knows more than anyone that he should've done better with it.  I may be looking for excuses for him but I do wonder how much of a part the sun being in his face contributed.  He seemed to misjudge his dive and it was pretty close to his face so more awkward to get his hands behind it.  That being said, you would expect someone at his level to keep that out 90+ times out of 100.

Without seeing the whole game it's hard to judge the ref overall.  However, in my opinion it was a definite penalty with the handball incident in the second half.  I also feel that either the ref or the railway stand lino should've seen the guy's foot was on the field of play at the throw-in that led to the goal.

The challenge on Vaughan I think he probably got right.  There was another defender covering and it feels like it would've been a harsh red.  As someone pointed out in the podcast I'd be raging if one of our players was sent off for that.

[LIVIFOREVER]

48 minutes ago, Freedom Farter said:

Montano.

Nah one i'm talking about was Kelly, Montano wasn't on the pitch first half. Just checked the highlights there, Prior kicked it up for Yengi, who gets pushed in the back by Raith's No3, and the ball breaks to Kelly, who knocks it through for May running in behind Raith's defence. Good pass for Shinnie running in to shoot, and a good save, but i think hitting it early at goal would've had a decent chance of scoring with their keeper still not having had time to properly position himself to make the save.

It's one of those if he'd hit it and missed i'd be saying he should've passed it though.

Edited September 2 by LIVIFOREVER

[DaveT]

27 minutes ago, AllanJM said:

Wasn't at the game on Saturday so can only go on Rovers' highlights.

The main positive was that there were actually a good number of decent chances to include in the highlights.  There were easily more in that game than the other 3 combined.  If we can add someone with a bit more cutting edge up front then I really believe we can turn things around.

Can't really comment to much on Livvy as there wasn't too much from them in the highlights.

Really feel for big Kev with that mistake as he's been brilliant for us over the past year.  He knows more than anyone that he should've done better with it.  I may be looking for excuses for him but I do wonder how much of a part the sun being in his face contributed.  He seemed to misjudge his dive and it was pretty close to his face so more awkward to get his hands behind it.  That being said, you would expect someone at his level to keep that out 90+ times out of 100.

Without seeing the whole game it's hard to judge the ref overall.  However, in my opinion it was a definite penalty with the handball incident in the second half.  I also feel that either the ref or the railway stand lino should've seen the guy's foot was on the field of play at the throw-in that led to the goal.

The challenge on Vaughan I think he probably got right.  There was another defender covering and it feels like it would've been a harsh red.  As someone pointed out in the podcast I'd be raging if one of our players was sent off for that.

Don't really blame Kev for the save, but he really needs to work on his kicking.

Just before the goal on two occasion he miss kicked the ball out the park to give possession  back to Livingstone this then directly led to the goal being scored.

Other players may have been able to stop the shot happening but possession given away easily doesn't help.

This is the second week his kicking has led to a goal against.

I think he's a good keeper and does plenty to keep us In games, just please sort your kicking out.

[Freedom Farter]

39 minutes ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

Nah one i'm talking about was Kelly, Montano wasn't on the pitch first half. Just checked the highlights there, Prior kicked it up for Yengi, who gets pushed in the back by Raith's No3, and the ball breaks to Kelly, who knocks it through for May running in behind Raith's defence. Good pass for Shinnie running in to shoot, and a good save, but i think hitting it early at goal would've had a decent chance of scoring with their keeper still not having had time to properly position himself to make the save.

It's one of those if he'd hit it and missed i'd be saying he should've passed it though.

Ah, ok. Aye that was a great pass from Kelly. I thought you'd meant second half when May flicked the bouncing ball inside but was beaten to it by Dabrowski.

[LIVIFOREVER]

40 minutes ago, Freedom Farter said:

Ah, ok. Aye that was a great pass from Kelly. I thought you'd meant second half when May flicked the bouncing ball inside but was beaten to it by Dabrowski.

Gotcha, that ball up the wing is exactly what i want to see more of from us, esp now we've got May making runs. Against QP we'd turn back and play it safe when Muirhead was making that sort of run, but QP players instinctively knew to make a forward pass because a player was making a run.

Also why i'm bursting for us to play Green, he's very much the type of player to link up well with May, and his first thought is a forward pass.

Edited September 2 by LIVIFOREVER