The New Raith Rovers Thread

[WSDR 88]

Jesuschristalmighty man, less than a quarter gone, new formation, new players settling in, injured ones returning and as positive a display as we've seen in weeks. Many, many more ups and downs to come - suspensions, injuries, rearranged fixtures, cup runs, players leaving etc, and all of these at every club - not just ours - but 2 draws in next 2 games and we're gubbed? I'm not sure a knee can jerk that high. Well, not at my age anyway.

I know, and I am more a glass half full type of person, but these 2 results go very much a long way, just got that feeling. If it’s 6 points, I’m fully expecting the open top bus to be booked by the way.

[FullTimePint]

1 hour ago, Paco said:

Judge the next three as a package. All tough, all games we’re capable of losing at our worst, and winning at our best.

A defeat on Saturday is fine if we follow it up with two wins, leaving us with 18 points from Q1 (x4 = 72, enough to at least challenge) and a slightly easier on paper Q2 to come (five home games, only Falkirk from expected top 5 away). Equally a win on Saturday isn’t valuable if we follow it with two defeats.

Would be great to get away from this vicious cycle of gonna win the league/sack the board depending on if we’ve won or lost.

Anywhere between 17-20 points off the first quarter of games is on track for championship winning pace i reckon, every team will have a wobble along the way.

I think arbroath had 20/21 points after the first round of fixtures last year, then stormed it in the next quarter of games with 24, as you say your home games will probably come in handy

 

Edited September 16, 2019 by FullTimePint

[Gordon EF]

Interesting next couple of games for Rovers. Your home form's been very impressive for a while so results like Saturday's are kind of expected. 6 points from Airdrie and Forfar and that'll be a mightly impressive haul.

I still feel like Falkirk will come good and pull ahead at some point and I'm hoping we can keep pace but a three way title-challenge between us and Falkirk would be pretty tasty.

[Ro Sham Bo]

56 minutes ago, R.R.FC said:

Everyone knows how contrasting our home and away form has been for the last few years but I have looked back to see just how bad. Apologies if it has been done before but since John Hughes took over our record in league games at home is as follows:

Played: 45, Won: 33, Drawn: 9, Lost: 3, Goals for: 99, Goals Against: 35. 

We have won 108 points at an average of 2.4 per game with a goal difference of +64.

Our away record is:

Played: 46, Won: 13, Drawn: 14, Lost: 19, GF: 74, GA: 76.

Giving us 53 points at an average of 1.15 per game with a goal difference of -2. 

Doesn’t really prove much that we didn’t already know. Our home record is very good, our away record is very poor. We still score a good amount away from home but we have conceded more than double the amount of goals we have at home.

Hopefully, with Anderson added, Vaughan back and a change to a more solid looking formation we can finally turn the corner. I’m cautiously optimistic after Saturday but history suggests our home form has no real connection to our away form, let’s hope we can buck that trend over the next couple of weeks. 

Imagine averaging a little over 1.6 goals per away game over that period and still managing to win under a third of those matches. Absolutely woeful stuff. But, as you said, not exactly a revelation to any of us.

Something has got to give eventually, lets hope it's an improvement in our away form rather than a drop off in our home form.

[grumswall]

From what iv seen so far, east Fife looked the best team we've played, I include Dundee in that. In saying that, I'd be far more confident if we were playing them this week with Anderson and Vaughan in the side though.

What wsr said makes sense in that the next couple of away games will show us if they are going to change our team as we hope. We all know we're very good at home. It is away from home that we need these players to change our fortunes. I think his point was taken too literal.

[CALDERON]

We cant be considered genuine title challengers until our away form is improved, and we cant consider our away form improved if we end Q1 with any more than 2 away defeats, and probably we need to be looking at 4 points from next 2 games to call it a progression.

 

The next two games aren't make or break time, but we've had false dawns before.

 

There isn't really any excuse now - the weak areas have been improved upon and we have genuine depth with some real quality. This current squad, with everyone fit, is superior to last seasons - so its vital we see improvement.

 

I wasn't impressed by Allan overall until the past couple of games - I certainly think he will thrive with better players around him. The type of player he is isnt someone who is going to spearhead a title charge through goals, but his endeavor and workrate will help the likes of Vaughan and Baird no end.

 

Difficult decisions for the manager ahead - I dont think Anderson deserves to be dropped at all - he has been far better than anyone thought - but bringing Baird in is a tempting prospect indeed.

 

My gut feeling is that if S. Anderson, Hendry and Vaughan are all kept fit and available then we will win promotion one way or another - that could/should set us apart from the other sides in this league other than Falkirk, and I'd fancy our chances against anyone in 9th from the Championship. No disrespect intended at all to East Fife (who have had a superb start to this season) or anyone else, but I reckon if we hadn't lost both Hendry and Vaughan we would have been alot closer last season - even with Arbroaths great Q2 run they stuttered from Jan onwards - exactly when our lack of quality was most apparent. Massive focus on fitness though, Vaughan in particular is a bit of a gamble really given his injury record - and all this is on the assumption that Mcglynn has cracked the away problem.

[TxRover]

We still lack depth at goalie, with Thompson’s return not assured and Munro leaving in January.

[fifer67]

Even after the first quarter it is still hard to predict or get a feel for how the league is going to set out. Nine months and 36 games there will be good and bad runs for most teams. For instance after the first 9 games last season Montrose were bottom, Forfar a point better at 3rd bottom , and Brechin were sitting in a play off spot. Arbroath had won 6 drew 2 and lost one. Raith had 17 points a point better than East Fife. Consistency the key and team continuity, we all know injuries and suspensions at this level are hard to deal with.. I will be very interested how Raith get on in their next two games. Stevie Anderson should help that back line that looked shambolic in Methil. When we played Partick in the Scottish cup last year he looked solid as a rock at the back and even chipped in with the winning goal. 

[grumswall]

Even after the first quarter it is still hard to predict or get a feel for how the league is going to set out. Nine months and 36 games there will be good and bad runs for most teams. For instance after the first 9 games last season Montrose were bottom, Forfar a point better at 3rd bottom , and Brechin were sitting in a play off spot. Arbroath had won 6 drew 2 and lost one. Raith had 17 points a point better than East Fife. Consistency the key and team continuity, we all know injuries and suspensions at this level are hard to deal with.. I will be very interested how Raith get on in their next two games. Stevie Anderson should help that back line that looked shambolic in Methil. When we played Partick in the Scottish cup last year he looked solid as a rock at the back and even chipped in with the winning goal. 

 

We still lack depth at goalie, with Thompson’s return not assured and Munro leaving in January.

I would assume that will be addressed in January (roughly when Thomson is due back) if munro is getting regular game time and looking the part I wouldn't be surprised to see him stay on though.

Even after the first quarter it is still hard to predict or get a feel for how the league is going to set out. Nine months and 36 games there will be good and bad runs for most teams. For instance after the first 9 games last season Montrose were bottom, Forfar a point better at 3rd bottom , and Brechin were sitting in a play off spot. Arbroath had won 6 drew 2 and lost one. Raith had 17 points a point better than East Fife. Consistency the key and team continuity, we all know injuries and suspensions at this level are hard to deal with.. I will be very interested how Raith get on in their next two games. Stevie Anderson should help that back line that looked shambolic in Methil. When we played Partick in the Scottish cup last year he looked solid as a rock at the back and even chipped in with the winning goal. 

 

Montrose are in a similar position this season but they actually looked very good defensively against us until we got our first and then capitulated. Like I previously said, I would be far more confident going into a game against you this week than I was when we played.

 

[TxRover]

2 hours ago, grumswall said:

I would assume that will be addressed in January (roughly when Thomson is due back) if munro is getting regular game time and looking the part I wouldn't be surprised to see him stay on though.

I assume that McG has some assurance on that, or I would have expected some outline of a plan for backup. I’m just noting that the same thing that has crippled us before is still hovering...

[San Starko Rover]

9 hours ago, Gordon EF said:

Interesting next couple of games for Rovers. Your home form's been very impressive for a while so results like Saturday's are kind of expected. 6 points from Airdrie and Forfar and that'll be a mightly impressive haul.

I still feel like Falkirk will come good and pull ahead at some point and I'm hoping we can keep pace but a three way title-challenge between us and Falkirk would be pretty tasty.

Looks a good wee battle between the 3 at the moment with not  much in it in terms of points.  East Fife have made a good start and are top on merit having beaten us in Methil.  Falkirk defiantly have the players to come good and challenge for the league if they find some momentum which is expected as they've got the biggest budget.  How's EF strength in depth? can you plug injuries and suspensions when they inevitably come.  Actually thought Forfar would be the team to mix it with ourselves and Falkirk but EF have had a flying start and did show some form in patches last season.  Our next two games are fairly big as stated above they aren't must win but we really could do with hitting some form on the road.  With Falkirk stuttering if we can sort out the away form i'd fancy our chance this season but if we continue to drop points on the road an inevitable playoff  disaster awaits us again.  

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, San Starko Rover said:

Looks a good wee battle between the 3 at the moment with not  much in it in terms of points.  East Fife have made a good start and are top on merit having beaten us in Methil.  Falkirk defiantly have the players to come good and challenge for the league if they find some momentum which is expected as they've got the biggest budget.  How's EF strength in depth? can you plug injuries and suspensions when they inevitably come.  Actually thought Forfar would be the team to mix it with ourselves and Falkirk but EF have had a flying start and did show some form in patches last season.  Our next two games are fairly big as stated above they aren't must win but we really could do with hitting some form on the road.  With Falkirk stuttering if we can sort out the away form i'd fancy our chance this season but if we continue to drop points on the road an inevitable playoff  disaster awaits us again.  

Asked that exact same question on the EF forum and they seem to believe they have good depth. Looks like the makings of a juicy season.

[Jilted John]

I assume that McG has some assurance on that, or I would have expected some outline of a plan for backup. I’m just noting that the same thing that has crippled us before is still hovering...

I don’t think for one second that John Mcglynn would f**k that up like Hughes did in the past!

[Big Fifer]

7 hours ago, TxRover said:

Asked that exact same question on the EF forum and they seem to believe they have good depth. Looks like the makings of a juicy season.

Not sure, we have good depth in numbers because of the U20's set up, but we've already lost 2/4 striking options. I suspect our season will rest on whether Aggy can keep fit for the majority. He's pretty much the only player in the team we don't have a like for like replacement for. 

[Rovers1992/1993]

Not sure, we have good depth in numbers because of the U20's set up, but we've already lost 2/4 striking options. I suspect our season will rest on whether Aggy can keep fit for the majority. He's pretty much the only player in the team we don't have a like for like replacement for. 

This’ll be good. Who’s your like for like replacement for Anton Dowds then?

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

[Big Fifer]

22 minutes ago, Rovers1992/1993 said:

This’ll be good. Who’s your like for like replacement for Anton Dowds then?

Duggan was starting up front earlier in the season, so Dowds is technically his replacement (and vice versa now that Tonks has hit some form). I'm not sure if we can afford to have replacements for the replacements, but the point was that we can throw Kev or Denholm up front and make it work, but we can't conjure a creative midfielder out of nothing, we don't really have another. Anyway, this is a Rovers thread, I'm oot!

[staggy4life]

How is Ross Munro getting on?

I'd imagine you'd be able to extend the loan after January as we have 3 keepers at the moment with the guy on loan from Chelsea currently injured but due back in November.

[King Kebab]

Not sure, we have good depth in numbers because of the U20's set up, but we've already lost 2/4 striking options. I suspect our season will rest on whether Aggy can keep fit for the majority. He's pretty much the only player in the team we don't have a like for like replacement for. 

We’ve a 1stTeam Squad of 19, not counting the U20’s!!!
But then you’ve got to ask how many is enough, we’ve three out injured at the moment, so that’s it cut by a sixth, but it gives the U20 lads a chance to catch the eye I suppose!!!

[Rovers1992/1993]

How is Ross Munro getting on?
I'd imagine you'd be able to extend the loan after January as we have 3 keepers at the moment with the guy on loan from Chelsea currently injured but due back in November.

He’s just pushed into the first team now. McGurn’s been first choice up until the Falkirk game last weekend where Munro got a start, played very well and kept a clean sheet. He then carried that on to the weekend there and kept another clean sheet although that wasn’t hard as Peterhead rarely had much chance to cause problems.

He looks very decent though and the defence seem to have a lot of confidence in him as well although it’s also happened at the same time as getting Steven Anderson on loan from St Johnstone so hard to predict how much of it’s down to Munro as Anderson’s been a breath of fresh air so far.