The New Raith Rovers Thread

[roverthemoon]

Just listened to the McGlynn interview. Sounds as pissed off as the fans are. Hopefully that is the low point and we can get back on track from here. Fingers crossed. 

[baillieinleeds]

1 minute ago, roverthemoon said:

Just listened to the McGlynn interview. Sounds as pissed off as the fans are. Hopefully that is the low point and we can get back on track from here. Fingers crossed. 

Something’s definitely going on, you can’t play good football then turn to shit. Why have we stopped scoring, what’s the sketch? 

[stevoraith]

The last 6 form table is grim reading.

We’re above Dunfermline at the bottom of the table only on goal difference.
Arbroath at the top 8 points and 9 goals better off in just 6 games.

Relegation form right now.
Fortunately Hamilton don’t seem capable of putting together any sort of run so I still think we’ll finish top 5 but we have to stop the rot soon if we have aspirations of play-offs.

[baillieinleeds]

This is my view, and only my view. Btw we are allowed opinions. You’d think with McGlynn’s contacts in the game that would see us through. Either Sim has said No or He’s Dithered too long. Dick Campbell has been quick to strengthen in the areas he’d lost out. We have absolutely no Strikers. Just seems a bit strange. That’s only my view, silly as it is. 

[Frank conner]

Sunday training means more you to me passing along the back four  so what's the point,?

[baillieinleeds]

7 minutes ago, stevoraith said:

The last 6 form table is grim reading.

We’re above Dunfermline at the bottom of the table only on goal difference.
Arbroath at the top 8 points and 9 goals better off in just 6 games.

Relegation form right now.
Fortunately Hamilton don’t seem capable of putting together any sort of run so I still think we’ll finish top 5 but we have to stop the rot soon if we have aspirations of play-offs.

I’ll be happy with 7th, we’ve been sussed. McGlynn and Smudger have to work together

[madton]

6 minutes ago, baillieinleeds said:

Something’s definitely going on, you can’t play good football then turn to shit. Why have we stopped scoring, what’s the sketch? 

It's football. 

We were awful under Gus McPherson and now the same players look a completely different team under Imrie. 

Raith have been impressive for the last 18 months, have good players and a good manager, you're just going through a bad run which most clubs will have at least once a season 

Fully expect you to kick on( after the Morton game of course). Talk of being out the title race is crazy. I'm sure all of you would have bit your hand off to be 6 points off the top at this point at the start of the season.

[TxRover]

2 hours ago, Frank conner said:

Tbf it wasn't that long ago folk on here were desperate for him to sign an extension ffs.

Him or Musonda, to be fair. Still would take either at RB next year, TBH.

[Broken Algorithms]

59 minutes ago, baillieinleeds said:

Something’s definitely going on, you can’t play good football then turn to shit. Why have we stopped scoring, what’s the sketch? 

Brad Spencer's leg. It's simplistic, but we really have been lacking a player of quality who can get on the ball and make it tick in the midfield. Stanton was decent in the first half, but we need someone who'll show for the ball when we're playing it side to side at the back.

This weekend has been hugely frustrating: as soon as you saw Partick and Killie drawing 0-0 you're thinking this could be too good to be true and that we'll either draw or lose. And now here we are. One thing I would say is that we need to stick with the team. We've gone a few games now where things aren't going to plan. McGlynn is frustrated, as are the fans. We need a few players to start stepping up. Reset next week in the cup and just get a win on board. There's already folk pointing the finger at players and the management over this that and the other. While criticism is fair, it's important to stick with the team - we had a good thing going before, if we can string a few results together the confidence will come back naturally. 

Then again, I'm a happy clapper.

[TxRover]

6 hours ago, Broken Algorithms said:

Brad Spencer's leg. It's simplistic, but we really have been lacking a player of quality who can get on the ball and make it tick in the midfield. Stanton was decent in the first half, but we need someone who'll show for the ball when we're playing it side to side at the back.

I think the “it’s Spencer” is overrated. There is a deeper malaise right now, an almost unwillingness to thrust forward and a certain happiness to knock the ball about and wait for the “perfect” opportunity. Stanton and Spencer are functionally pretty close, and as Stanton gets more game time, that situation will improve. It’s our play to the forwards and wingers that seems lacking recently. Matthews seems a bit off it, Zanatta is cold as can be and even Connolly is less pesky. Ross has disappeared and Gullan needs a foil to aid his opportunities, too bad they aren’t clicking that way. In the back, I consider Bene the weak link right now, and would prefer Lang in his place with Berra. Dick and Tumilty haven’t provided the same width since November or so, so a good boot in the arse might be needed.

[RRFC2711]

This goes back to the Killie game when we celebrated like we had won the league at the end. Was also the end of Zanattas season as he has done nothing since….also what’s happened to Tumilty he’s rank rotten just now.

[CALDERON]

Teams that are predictable are easy to play against.  When you play with no real width, and nothing resembling a target man, it makes trying to stifle a passing game so much easier.

I've been perhaps a bit harsh on Jamie Gullan,  but he isn't the answer to the problem up top.  He is a very good supplement to our striking options, but he absolutely is not the solution.  We need another option up front or we will not finish in the top 4, as launching long balls up to him ain't going to cut it.

The players were pretty much fucking awful to a man yesterday.  Benedictus has found himself propelled straight into the team when he really shouldn't, Lang and Berra is the best partnership.  Musonda and Tumilty were confused by each others presence, and really had to do better at that goal.  

That said, I don't think we win that game yesterday with everyone on their A game with that shape or system.

Reading between the lines with his post match comments from ICT, would appear that Zanatta and possibly even Connolly were benched to make a point.  Now we have a situation where the replacement system hasn't worked, difficult one to manage.

Massive challenge for McGlynn now.  There has been a lot of deserved praise this season, but I personally think the "We are only x points off top at Jan, we would have all taken that " line is running out of steam.  This was a golden chance to be title contenders at this level,  the best in a generation, and the past month has seen that began to erode in a really dissapointing fashion.  Looks like a real missed opportunity.

Can't help but feel the massive unbeaten run and the downfall from losing that has had a negative effect.  Things were built up to such a huge degree, unbelievable when you consider the current feeling.  Don't get me wrong, the season hasn't suddenly turned to shite, but I fear this will be one of "what if" rather than one we can look back on with genuine affection.

Edited January 16, 2022 by CALDERON

[basher brash]

Looking at the stats it clearly tells a story we are 2nd bottom in the championship  on shots on goal and also shots on target we simply don’t shoot enough  , we continually try and walk the ball in the net and don’t play the ball quick enough . Liam dick an honest pro but he’s no championship left back absolutely no threat going forward  and his defensive positional play is atrocious  at times as for Tumilty has he been tapped up by another team because since that red card against Falkirk he’s been woeful and makes mistake after mistake 

[roverthemoon]

I’m probably deemed a happy clapper and generally try to be positive about the clubs position, but yesterday did feel like the moment our title challenge ended. We had a half of football where we’d created very little but still managed to nick a goal. The hope was that we’d kick on in the second half but losing a sloppy goal so quickly really just punctured all belief out of the team. It was like the team (and fans) just thought ‘ah well, that’s that fucked’  After that we were utterly dreadful, losing almost every single challenge or header. Once Berra went off it was just waiting for Arbroath to score. Even at their goal, they hit the post moments earlier and the team didn’t even take comfort from that let off. The ball was immediately back in the box and we were giving away a penalty. Brutal. 

I made the mistake of looking at the ‘As it Stands’ league table at half time and with Inverness getting beat we were sitting joint top. Now we’re 6 points adrift and effectively 5th I suspect given the games in hand of others. On paper, it’s still all to play for of course, but already this quarter of fixtures is worse than the first two even if we win every game left in it. Which looks highly unlikely. The only consolation is that the other 4 play each other in upcoming fixtures and we’ve plenty games left against them too so there is a chance to get back in amongst it - but it needs wins and there’s starting to be no margin for error.  Ah the joy of supporting the Rovers. Disappointment is always just around the corner. 

[Shandon Par]

15 hours ago, Zen Archer (Raconteur) said:

 

 

They were all related tbf.

[Paco]

The only hope we can have is that yesterday is the low point. McGlynn watched the same game as us and is clearly absolutely fizzing, ‘not standing for that’ isn’t a phrase he uses lightly. Also made reference to us ‘throwing it away’ and last week basically called out the likes of Zanatta for coasting along even while we were just about staying unbeaten. His head isn’t in the sand but I think he’s at a loss on how to turn it around, guys who have been great for 50 games like Tumilty have just fallen off a cliff in terms of performance. What can a manager do about that?

Brad Spencer has been a big loss, we genuinely must have had a handful of shots on target since his injury six full games ago, but we were more than capable of turning in dreadful performances with him playing too so it isn’t the major factor. Zanatta was the best player in the league two months ago and now looks like he’s never played football before. Dick has never been incredible but was a 6 or 7/10 every week, but right now doesn’t look like he belongs in the league. Stanton and Williamson look like good enough signings, both individually have played well in all their games, but they’ve not really embedded themselves in the team yet for me. Where were they in that first half while we were aimlessly knocking it around the back 3? Spencer, Tait and Hendry before them would’ve been shoving the centre backs off the ball. Very lazy clearance from Stanton that leads to Arbroath’s equaliser yesterday too.

We probably all have our own ideas on what would solve all our ills but I don’t think we have 11 players right now who deserve to be playing. Varian was a scapegoat for much of the fanbase, he isn’t playing yesterday and we get even worse. Benedictus now probably the one who most would drop for next week and I have sympathy with that but it won’t magically solve everything. Any way we turn now we have players who don’t really deserve to play, in the starting line-up.

All we can do is use next week to get a bit of confidence back (we’re not so bad we need to be worried, are we?) and start again. Play-offs are still there to be played for, but six point gap or not I’m officially giving in on the league. Right now I wouldn’t even bet against a Grant Murray style season where we were top on Christmas Day and avoided the relegation play-offs by two points…

[Scary Bear]

18 minutes ago, Paco said:

The only hope we can have is that yesterday is the low point. McGlynn watched the same game as us and is clearly absolutely fizzing, ‘not standing for that’ isn’t a phrase he uses lightly. Also made reference to us ‘throwing it away’ and last week basically called out the likes of Zanatta for coasting along even while we were just about staying unbeaten. His head isn’t in the sand but I think he’s at a loss on how to turn it around, guys who have been great for 50 games like Tumilty have just fallen off a cliff in terms of performance. What can a manager do about that?

Brad Spencer has been a big loss, we genuinely must have had a handful of shots on target since his injury six full games ago, but we were more than capable of turning in dreadful performances with him playing too so it isn’t the major factor. Zanatta was the best player in the league two months ago and now looks like he’s never played football before. Dick has never been incredible but was a 6 or 7/10 every week, but right now doesn’t look like he belongs in the league. Stanton and Williamson look like good enough signings, both individually have played well in all their games, but they’ve not really embedded themselves in the team yet for me. Where were they in that first half while we were aimlessly knocking it around the back 3? Spencer, Tait and Hendry before them would’ve been shoving the centre backs off the ball. Very lazy clearance from Stanton that leads to Arbroath’s equaliser yesterday too.

We probably all have our own ideas on what would solve all our ills but I don’t think we have 11 players right now who deserve to be playing. Varian was a scapegoat for much of the fanbase, he isn’t playing yesterday and we get even worse. Benedictus now probably the one who most would drop for next week and I have sympathy with that but it won’t magically solve everything. Any way we turn now we have players who don’t really deserve to play, in the starting line-up.

All we can do is use next week to get a bit of confidence back (we’re not so bad we need to be worried, are we?) and start again. Play-offs are still there to be played for, but six point gap or not I’m officially giving in on the league. Right now I wouldn’t even bet against a Grant Murray style season where we were top on Christmas Day and avoided the relegation play-offs by two points…

Add Berra to your Varian/Spencer chat, and it’s the spine of our team which has been affected by injuries/suspension for a while. Throw in the loss of Tait who was our star midfielder. We’re just not playing well at the moment. 

Maybe the cup will give us a chance to focus on another competition and get our mojo back. 

This season felt good up until December. I was starting to believe we might mount a title challenge or at least give the play-offs a go again. The fans and team were in  harmony again, so it’s disappointing to see fans turning on individual players when things aren’t going our way.

I still believe we can make the play-offs again. We haven’t become a bad team overnight. We just need to find ways of dealing with things when key players get injured or suspended.

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by Scary Bear

[roverthemoon]

The encouraging thing is the support isn't turning on players in person, it’s just the usual doom merchants on here berating individuals. Even yesterday after a dreadful second half the South Stand didn’t turn on the players. It was more disappointment than anger at the final whistle. Think most sensible folk realise that even if we’re in a very sticky patch, singling out individuals or abusing the team won’t help and this group has got us up challenging. 

[Ro Sham Bo]

To be fair I heard a handful of folk slaughtering McGlynn and the players when I was leaving the ground. 

I would say apathy was the prevailing mood though. 

 

[renton]

11 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

Add Berra to your Varian/Spencer chat, and it’s the spine of our team which has been affected by injuries/suspension for a while. Throw in the loss of Tait who was our star midfielder. We’re just not playing well at the moment. 

Maybe the cup will give us a chance to focus on another competition and get our mojo back. 

This season felt good up until December. I was starting to believe we might mount a title challenge or at least give the play-offs a go again. The fans and team were in  harmony again, so it’s disappointing to see fans turning on individual players when things aren’t going our way.

I still believe we can make the play-offs again. We haven’t become a bad team overnight. We just need to find ways of dealing with things when key players get injured or suspended.

 

I suppose the other argument is that maybe we weren't a good team to start with and this is a reversion to the mean after we got our two good months out of Dario Zanatta?