Nearly quarter of the way through the season and East Fife are still rooted in fifth spot - a position few of us would've thought was likely at the beginning of the season. Admittedly a win over Ayr next week would change things greatly, but surely a team with so much talent should have started the season in a more impressive fashion?

Just looking through their squad, especially the forward line, there are plenty of players who have succeeded at this level before so I don't necessarily buy the 'acclimatisation' argument leveled by East Fife fans.

In attack Stevie Crawford (former international, admittedly on the way down, but surely one of the highest 5 or 6 paid players in the league), Chris Templeman (has banged them in the Second Division for Brechin previously) and Paul McManus (another well-renowned striker in the lower leagues).

Out wide theres Bobby Linn and Dene Shields. The former was always feared as a winger or a striker when playing for Peterhead while the latter has proven himself with Ross County and Stirling to be a highly reliable player at the top of the league (Ok, he's maybe not had a chance to bed in yet). And there's Dougie Cameron too - who was one of the top left-sided players in the Second Division with Peterhead.

At the back, Goran Stanic was a highly regarded player in the First Division while Paul Nugent was, probably, the best right-back in the league for several seasons before we won promotion last term. Fifers appeared to positively salivate over the performances of Smart last season, too.

Given the clear abundance of quality in the side - and, the investment that must've been made in the team (only Ayr, I would imagine, challenge EF as being the biggest spenders in terms of wages) - surely East Fife fans must expect better than a mid-table finish come the end of the season?

Thats their problem. Too much "was" or "has". I cant help but get the feeling some of these players are now on the downward part of their career.

Also, I feel they have very little in the way of real quality beyond the strikers.

The amount of quality they have going forward will make them play off contenders but they look shocking defensively, although I acknowledge this is based only on one game. Nugent had a nightmare against us, while Smart looked no better than when he was with us. Cameron and Tweed are too slow.

I think some of their squad have been thinking they only needed to turn up to win the league.However a few games in they may have bucked their ideas up a bit and the real East Fife might just appear..hopefully after we play them.

East Fife looked dangerous against us when Bobby Linn came on but something just didn't click with them in the middle of the park. Stevie Crawford was playing quite deep too which probably didn't suit him. Jonathan Smart has improved something drastic since he was at us but he wasn't dominating enough to be put in the same league as big Mark Campbell and Graeme Weir beat him in the air a few times.

I think at the moment that Dave Baikie is their weakest link. Mark Campbell was winning everything as usual in the air so you're sitting there thinking it's only a matter of time before he puts Templeman on for one of their inneffectual strikers to give Campbell something to contend with. Didn't happen though.

East Fife will be in the playoffs at the least possibly playing Ayr in the final.

Mark and Martyn Campbell have to be 2 of the best centre halves in the league.

East Fife and Ayr in the play off final...you honestly think Peterhead or Brechin will win the league?

In response to the thread title. Yes they should be performing better. However the management is not good enough and with so much money around, those players aren't there for much else than a kick around for 90 minutes every Saturday.

I was very impressed with Ayr's defence on the opening day, nothing much will get past those guys. Big Sparky has been truly outstanding so far this season winning everything in the air and adding a bit of pace to his game too.
If Ayr play the ball over the Fife defence for Prunty/ Williams or whoever is playing up front for you to run on to I think you'll win by a few goals. If Kevin Smith was fit for our game against them he'd have had a field day tieing their sluggish back line in knots.

'Mon Ayr!!!

Would have to agree Baikie is the weak link. Constantly played players out of position (Fozzy? midfield?) and in the derby he didn't effectively use subs right. As has been said, having Templeman in your team is almost like getting an instant 1-0 lead over us.

The short answer is yes considering the money they've spent.

The slightly longer one is that too many players seem to be of the opinion that because they pissed all over the 3rd they're gonna do the same in the second. Therefore, they don't seem able to adjust to the step up.

Then you've got some tactical ineptnes from the Manager playing at one point two left backs in midfield.

He wants to drain the life out of the game by playing a defensive midfield. Fair enough, why does he not deploy a midfielder with energy?

Massive number of strikers but no mobile defender is a pretty massive f**k up too.

The 'more experienced' players looked off the pace to me already. How are they going to be in late March?

If you're talking about Linn and Fagan then he did get the subs right!!!

The problem was they should have been on from the start!!!

After they stole a point against the Rovers Baikie was quoted in the East Fife mail "teams are raising their game against us" so that must be the reason for EF`s poor start

I wouldn't be surprised if East Fife did go on to win the league. They've got enough quality there already, and Baikie's still bringing the odd player in. It might just take one to grab the bull by the horns on the pitch, and get everything going. It could even be Fagan.

Baikie clearly isn't the best manager in the league. But he doesn't really have to be. It's almost like he's waiting until one day, the 11 guys he picks go out and destroy someone, then he'll stick with that team. If his midfield isn't performing, instead of trying to pinpoint why, he can replace players. Sooner or later, he's going to find a mix of players that clicks, and if that's some time soon then East Fife might just fulfil their potential.

I'm not saying that EF won't win the league and I expect a minimum of a comfortable play off place but I do disagree with your basic point.

The problems I noticed against us can't really be improved by the return of certain players or the juggling of the squad. Where is the mobility in defence? Against us, they were weakest at left back, whomever they had in there had no pace or positional sense. I assume once Stanic is fit he'll come in there. No pace, he'll improve the area in a positional sense but his lack of pace means there'll be no support for the midfield - lest he risk getting caught for pace - an area in desperate need of support.

Personally I thought our biggest problem against your lot was Baikie's decision to play without a midfield, that situation was certainly "improved by the return of certain players" namely the re-introduction of Linn and Fagin!!!

We finished the stronger of the two sides that day but only because we started playing like a football team with players in their correct positions in the last 30 minutes!!!

This has probably been proved with the fact that the team that finished against your lot were the starting eleven for the game against Alloa on Saturday, with the exception of McManus for O'Reilly, and you saw what happened there!!!

I do agree with you regarding our worrying lack of pace at the back but I think you are doing a diservice to our Left-Back (Dougie Cameron) he by no manner of means had a bad game, I think you may be confusing your strength down the right as weakness in our left side, the majority of your play did appear to come down that side, in the first half especially, but you may of missed a trick there, as our right-back Nugent was having a stinker!!!

To be honest, when theres a bawsack at centre half (Tweed), a bawsack in charge of the team and a bawsack at the helm of the club, I could not give a flying f*ck if EF should be doing better than they are, im just delighted they are where they are and not finding it the walk over they clearly thought it would be.


Remember - Gretna did eventually coast the league but even they werent guaranteed after the first wee while and they were literally signing premier league players. Not even Rowans (supposed) ineptitude could stop them!!

Said with such venom Jeffrey.

Erse!!!

Who did?

We did apparently!!!

It must be true 'cos everybody says we did!!!

Ditto

You should have put ditto first 'cos what you just posted means





And frankly it just wasn't that funny!!!

I agree that once Fagan and Linn came on your midfield developed more c ohesion and actually started playing. Did either or both start against Alloa (genuine question)? If not then we get back to the idea of an inept Manager. Both certainly deserved to start.

Dougie Cameron looked weak to me. I agree that our right hand side is our strongest point with Craig Wilson being our best player by a mile. Whilst he is always effective he seemed more so against Cameron, he was good in the first half but when I saw him coming towards us you could see even more clearly how many problems he was presenting your left side. He got round Cameron on around half a dozen occassions and if it hadn't been for the criminal lack of finishing from our strikers he would have had a couple of assists.

Team that started v Raith

McCulloch,
Nugent, Smart, Tweed, Cameron,
Shields, Fotheringham, McDonald, Campbell,
McManus, Crawford

Team that finished v Raith

McCulloch
McDonald, Smart, Tweed, Cameron,
Shields, Fotheringham, Fagan, Linn,
O'Reilly, Crawford


Team that started v Alloa

McCulloch,
McDonald, Smart, Tweed, Cameron,
Sheilds, Fotheringham, Fagan, Linn
McManus, Crawford

Result = 3-Zip away win!!!

You reckon you'll start with this team on saturday then or will the managerial mastermind ruin it all?

The answer? No, they are shit and a mid-table finish wouls be a good start to the second division for them...
Next question, Is Tupac dead?

Hello Monster.

When is the court date?

Depends if Stanic is fit!!!

But I would keep the same line-up!!!

Decent line up. Only noticeable weaknesses are Fozzy (I keep saying it but he's no midfielder). You have any other 'anchor' type midfielder? And the pace of the back four.

who gives a f--k

I don't know an awful lot about this Willie Gray character, but at the risk of tempting serious vitriol directed toward him, how much pressure do you think he is directly and/or indirectly putting on players and management?

Statements like we will take 12 points off Raith this season cannot put the personnel at the club at ease, particularly when you don't carry out his wishes. You've only got to look across the water at Hearts to see what a lunatic owner does to a club.

I have been surprised at the start EF have made, I expected more, but they do seem to be picking up points now. Saturday will be a major test for them. No home wins after 7 games and playing the unbeaten league leaders. If they are going to do anything they have to start picking up the points at home. Hopefully they won't though!!

You do, you big silly you!!!

east fife shouldnt be in this leage in the first place mate thay bought there way up the leage just like those c***s at gretna did and its wrong that this is alowed i know its not east fife fault they have fat jabba gray in charge hes just a money grabber who will ruin the club but im not bothered because they are dirty methil hun tinks and ive always hated them anyway

wat?

Sshh. The Wullie Experiment has numerous flaws, if you mention them you're just jealous though .

Jeezo we're only 7 games into the season and only 2 wins off of the top of the table.

We had a poor start to the season, going by our expectations. I missed the first 3 games of the season (Peterhead, Stirling and Queens Park), but are now unbeaten in 4 games with only 1 goal conceded.

The team is now starting to gel as Baikie gets to know what is his best 11. With the strikers we have we should be scoring more but with Fagan and Shields in the team we now have players who can provide the chances.

Don`t call me frankly and I couldn`t give a monkeys f**k whether you find it funny or not

Now frankly that was a...



ditto

Well yeah it was a 3-0 away win but the performance, while still better than ours, was hardly sparkling. Hell, your third goal was pretty much the first really good chance that either team had managed to create. If I was an East Fife fan I'd be very happy with the result but I'd be mindful of the fact that you only started to play well (rather than just better than us) once you were three goals ahead and our players were looking completely deflated.

The second one

Perhaps, but it was still better than the first hour of the Wraith game!!!

Remember you've only seen us once this season!!!

In short, yes.

We should be much more attacking, given the reliable defence at the back (whyen Tweed is fit) and embarrassment of riches in the attacking players we have to choose from (in comparison to everyone one else in the league). But some of us are not real fans because we question little or no goal threat from open play week after week.

I think with the players we've got, we'll finish safely 5th (at this rate) but, we should really be challenging anyone in this league for the title.

Should East Fife Be Performing Better?

Well duh!
What a ridiculously redundant question given the money that Jabba the scrappy has thrown at them.

Right enough, being held to a draw by the "3rd Force in Scottish Football" © is pretty poor stuff when you consider the ten's of millions that have been invested!!!

i wish we had invested 10 millions mate wede not be where we are now but in the spl kickin the old firms arses and wining the champions leage

I think he meant that they'd.... oh never mind.

I don't think we have gotten off to the start that a lot of people (mainly non-EF fans) predicted, but by the look of things, we are improving. If most teams are honest, the thing is not to get relegated, which will never happen imo.

It's a marathon and not a sprint...

You hit the nail on the head there. At the start of the year a large majority of EF fans reckoned the play-offs were the best you could hope for. It was everyone else that had you romping away with the league.

I would probably guess that most EF are quite satisfied with things at the moment.