The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Michael W]

Much as I'm happy to lay into Drysdale and co, we can't keep blaming them when events have now moved on. 

Under Sim, Callachan was sold and Smith wasn't sacked at the end of last season. Both those decisions had a huge impact on how last season, and this one, turned out. 

 

Edited April 19, 2019 by Michael W

[WSDR 88]

[renton]

21 minutes ago, Ding Dang Doo said:

Firstly we've lost games to sides who have regulatory had to field less than the 7 maximum subs and only used 2 of them, Stranraer on Saturday being a prime example. We lost to Brechin away and they only had 3 subs and only used 1. Full time teams should always be fitter than part time teams, just like how teams in higher leagues should be fitter than lower leagues. We have the top league scorer and the reason we have lost the league is due to the defence not our failure to score. Yes we've lost players this season but so had every club and that is not the reason we have lost the league.

Completely agree the squad is awful and that fault lies with the board and Barry Smith. But McGlynn cannot be immune to criticism and it seems that a lot of fans just cannot see fit to say he's in any way at fault. He's brought in some of his own players and taken decisions to use virtually none of the club's own youth. Jamie Watson was binned after East Fife away wherein he was by no way the worst player the day. David McKay will be out of the team on Sunday if Davidson and Benedictus are fit. He's chosen a bang average Rangers midfielder who clearly doesn't give a damn what happens to us this season over any of the club's own youth. I'm not saying if we'd played them it would have made any difference, we'll never know that, but I'd far really see us give that a try. Yes Benedictus was injured but as I said we'd already lost 6 games before with him in the defence so the cannot be used as an excuse. Arbroath had their best defender out when we beat them in December so who knows what would have happened that day had he played.

The commercial side of things there's improvement but that's not saying much. Compare us to the Pars and we're light years behind. Why do we not offer fans the chance to buy tickets for all ticket matches after the game? Or show the live football after in the lounge? You have a captive audience and we just let everyone leave. Even Brechin have a club bar and try to get folk to stay later on. Better going in the clubs own pockets than in Eddie Melville's! We have a social media sponsor but Dunfermline had the same sponsor years ago and we took years to catch onto it.

I think players in higher leagues will be stronger, faster and probably but not necessarily better technically (the lower leagues are full of can't tackle, can't run midfielders who get stuck out wide but have an absolute wand of a foot). The Full time vs. Part time fitness debate I think is not the main thing. Modern Part Timers look after themselves with access to decent facilities. McGlynn's last teams down here weren't fitter because of any full timers we had, but because McGlynn utterly beasted them in the Summer time: Even with out hybrid system we were fitter than a number of better teams once we were up. The main thing about FT vs PT should actually be in terms of organisation and drills. We do fall down on that to  a degree: We play pretty enough football that you couldn't really do without a decent appreciation of where everyone is going to be on a pitch and it's a sign of well drilled tidyness, but middle to back we're a disaster. Partly that's personnel: Wedderburn can't run, Benedictus has been making mistakes all season, Crane has been getting worse as the season wore on, Davo is Davo. none of them trust the keeper. Partly it's the aforementioned injuries - not being able to play guys like Vaughan, Duggan and Hendry (let alone guys we've sold over the last two seasons like Cal and Armstrong) means more pressure on the backline as we don't hold the ball well enough further up the pitch.

I do think McGlynn has made mistakes, some aren't new - a predilection for sticking with guys even though their match form alone wouldn't recommend them for a game - Benedictus above all this season, but also thinking back to him shoehorning Campbell into a defence  in 2010/11 that was perfectly settled and one of the stingiest in Europe. Aye, he's conservative with youth and always has been - then again I don't think Watson is the best example as he's looked out of his depth in most games he's played. He has given game time to Jack Smith and Bowie though. As for Barjonas I'd only disagree to the extant that 'bang average' is doing the lad a favour, but we needed the body in and we don't know how the loan arrangements work: Celtic were certainly pissed that Hendry came in and sat on the bench for a couple of months under Smith. Flanagan does look like an example of rushing in without taking time to assess him properly but then again would he have done that now? Bear in mind Flanagan was on a 6 month contract, Armstong on a 3 month contract and the window was looming....

Commercially they've been trialling buying tickets on line which is a start. Starks is not well suited to getting a big bar in, really anywhere in the current facilities. Not sure what we'd do with that. The lack of even any boozer, let alone one the club owns next to the ground is a major downer for your match day experience if your out for the day. 

As long shot as it seems, we still get another go at promotion. So it's not all doom and gloom yet.

Edited April 19, 2019 by renton

[grumswall]

Obviously not directly run by the club but iv been in the 200 club after games in the past where they've had late ko's on. Not sure if it's a regular thing but the money they take is going back into the club. The ft/pt fitness argument doesn't really hold up to scrutiny these days as Renton says.

[Ding Dang Doo]

I think players in higher leagues will be stronger, faster and probably but not necessarily better technically (the lower leagues are full of can't tackle, can't run midfielders who get stuck out wide but have an absolute wand of a foot). The Full time vs. Part time fitness debate I think is not the main thing. Modern Part Timers look after themselves with access to decent facilities. McGlynn's last teams down here weren't fitter because of any full timers we had, but because McGlynn utterly beasted them in the Summer time: Even with out hybrid system we were fitter than a number of better teams once we were up. The main thing about FT vs PT should actually be in terms of organisation and drills. We do fall down on that to  a degree: We play pretty enough football that you couldn't really do without a decent appreciation of where everyone is going to be on a pitch and it's a sign of well drilled tidyness, but middle to back we're a disaster. Partly that's personnel: Wedderburn can't run, Benedictus has been making mistakes all season, Crane has been getting worse as the season wore on, Davo is Davo. none of them trust the keeper. Partly it's the aforementioned injuries - not being able to play guys like Vaughan, Duggan and Hendry (let alone guys we've sold over the last two seasons like Cal and Armstrong) means more pressure on the backline as we don't hold the ball well enough further up the pitch.
I do think McGlynn has made mistakes, some aren't new - a predilection for sticking with guys even though their match form alone wouldn't recommend them for a game - Benedictus above all this season, but also thinking back to him shoehorning Campbell into a defence  in 2010/11 that was perfectly settled and one of the stingiest in Europe. Aye, he's conservative with youth and always has been - then again I don't think Watson is the best example as he's looked out of his depth in most games he's played. He has given game time to Jack Smith and Bowie though. As for Barjonas I'd only disagree to the extant that 'bang average' is doing the lad a favour, but we needed the body in and we don't know how the loan arrangements work: Celtic were certainly pissed that Hendry came in and sat on the bench for a couple of months under Smith. Flanagan does look like an example of rushing in without taking time to assess him properly but then again would he have done that now? Bear in mind Flanagan was on a 6 month contract, Armstong on a 3 month contract and the window was looming....
Commercially they've been trialling buying tickets on line which is a start. Starks is not well suited to getting a big bar in, really anywhere in the current facilities. Not sure what we'd do with that. The lack of even any boozer, let alone one the club owns next to the ground is a major downer for your match day experience if your out for the day. 
As long shot as it seems, we still get another go at promotion. So it's not all doom and gloom yet.

Some good points and get where you're coming from with a lot of it. If we don't go up I'm prepared to give McGlynn the summer as simply put we don't have the money to get rid but my fear is we end up exactly where we were this season or worse if he gets it wrong. Negative I know but it's hard not to be after the past few years.

[Ebanda's Handyman Services]

1 hour ago, grumswall said:

Obviously not directly run by the club but iv been in the 200 club after games in the past where they've had late ko's on. Not sure if it's a regular thing but the money they take is going back into the club. The ft/pt fitness argument doesn't really hold up to scrutiny these days as Renton says.

Open to all supporters after the game and as you point out; every penny goes back to the club. 

[Specky Ginger]

57 minutes ago, Ebanda's Handyman Services said:

Open to all supporters after the game and as you point out; every penny goes back to the club. 

Also open this Sunday. Showing the game live for those not heading to Arbroath. 

[Rovers_Lad]

Links Market,barbeque ,few bottles of beer or Arbroath v Rovers live on BBC Up Yer Kilt

Wont be the latter

[RR35]

Links Market,barbeque ,few bottles of beer or Arbroath v Rovers live on BBC Up Yer Kilt
Wont be the latter

Go enjoy your links market then you miserable sod. I bet your the type of guy to try and haggle a guy at the waltzers. Attitudes of many at the moment is disgusting

[Frank conner]

The fans have been nothing but loyal throughout the last 3 seasons considering what we've had to put up with. Its certainly not the fans fault what has happened recently. 

[Rovers_Lad]

31 minutes ago, RR35 said:

 

Go enjoy your links market then you miserable sod. I bet your the type of guy to try and haggle a guy at the waltzers. Attitudes of many at the moment is disgusting

 

Nah,i,ll pass,cant remember the last time I was at the market TBH.Besides i,m way past going on the waltzers 

No sure what attitude your expecting from many.

 

[CALDERON]

Support and crowds have been fine lately, quite good actually considering the circumstances. 

[Wullie McNaught]

The fans have been nothing but loyal throughout the last 3 seasons considering what we've had to put up with. Its certainly not the fans fault what has happened recently. 

Frank, you’re not going to like this but I agree with you. X

[baillieinleeds]

Go enjoy your links market then you miserable sod. I bet your the type of guy to try and haggle a guy at the waltzers. Attitudes of many at the moment is disgusting

What’s disgusting? The fans have given their devotion to the club. The squad simply have no affinity for the club or they’d bust a gut winning as many games as they could. But nah!! So why should the fans give their loyalty week in week out. When this lot on the field don’t

[Ro Sham Bo]

To be fair, at least Rovers only rob you of £15. The links market is another level completely on that front.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

4 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

To be fair, at least Rovers only rob you of £15. The links market is another level completely on that front.

TBF in Kirkcaldy the coconuts stay at the Links Market, in Edinburgh they are used as projectiles.

[grumswall]

TBF in Kirkcaldy the coconuts stay at the Links Market, in Edinburgh they are used as projectiles.

You mean to say you don't have the pic of begbie, chucking the coconut up in the air, that was shown on a view from the terrace last week? Poor show zen.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

1 minute ago, grumswall said:

24 minutes ago, Zen Archer said:

TBF in Kirkcaldy the coconuts stay at the Links Market, in Edinburgh they are used as projectiles.

You mean to say you don't have the pic of begbie, chucking the coconut up in the air, that was shown on a view from the terrace last week? Poor show zen.

Poor show, I do this shit for f**k all, if you want proof of everything I say you lot better be shelling out some serious wedge.

[grumswall]

Poor show, I do this shit for f**k all, if you want proof of everything I say you lot better be shelling out some serious wedge.

I still demand a refund.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

8 minutes ago, grumswall said:

1 hour ago, Zen Archer said:

Poor show, I do this shit for f**k all, if you want proof of everything I say you lot better be shelling out some serious wedge.

I still demand a refund.

If you didn't keep the receipt...………