Ayr Utd vs Raith Rovers

[Beachbum]

Goals scored since our last league win at the end of October - 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1. That tells you everything you need to know about the midfield and forwards.

At the other end of the park we've lost Cuthbert for about 6 weeks and our defence leaks like a sieve. Goals conceded since the turn of the year - 2 4 2 3 3 1 1 2.

If only Hughes could see that playing Matthews and Craig Barr in front of the defence would a) give protection to the defence and b) give Callachan the freedom he needs further forward. But I suspect that he'll go with a defensive back five, and that will do nothing to address the problems in midfield.

3-0 Ayr

[Dazzle]

41 minutes ago, McGuigan1978 said:

 

There's some real nice soup at Glebe Park though. Every cloud and all that.

 

The away days are always good down there as well, decent pubs, loads of standing areas and cheaper entry. f**k it let's go back. 

[Broken Algorithms]

Hughes has been in for 2 games and is still getting to know the squad. Not sure why we didn't play McHattie or Matthews, but I'm sure there was reason. Similar goes for 

Frankly, chat of "losing this game and we're down" is fucking mental. Aye, we're struggling for a goal keeper (which it wouldn't surprise me if we sign another in all honesty) and we've been shit since October. But we've still got to play both St Mirren and Ayr twice each. We've got Dumbarton away too which is a chance to pick up points. It's by no means over yet. 

Obviously, I'd rather we a defeat. But we've moaned all season about a manager being shite. We've had a decent squad all season and not been getting the best out of them. I'm still confident we can turn things around. 

[Rovers1992/1993]

I'm still confident we can turn things around. 

Based on what?

[Broken Algorithms]

Just now, Rovers1992/1993 said:

Based on what?

Various factors. We're still only a point behind Dumbarton and Dunfermline. We've got rid of an awful manager, and replaced him with one who has a good track record. Even in the Hibs game things felt far more organised. Even in our squad we have a solid core of players who should be doing better. But there's still time for that to change. Still 33 points to play for with our games remaining. 

 

[Scary Bear]

Hughes has been in for 2 games and is still getting to know the squad. Not sure why we didn't play McHattie or Matthews, but I'm sure there was reason. Similar goes for 
Frankly, chat of "losing this game and we're down" is fucking mental. Aye, we're struggling for a goal keeper (which it wouldn't surprise me if we sign another in all honesty) and we've been shit since October. But we've still got to play both St Mirren and Ayr twice each. We've got Dumbarton away too which is a chance to pick up points. It's by no means over yet. 
Obviously, I'd rather we a defeat. But we've moaned all season about a manager being shite. We've had a decent squad all season and not been getting the best out of them. I'm still confident we can turn things around. 

It's hardly fucking mental. We do still have the teams at the bottom to play 5 times, but the first of these games is Tuesday. We need to win (or at least not lose) the majority of these games to stay out the relegation mix. If we lose, it's an indicator that things are fucked. If we failed to win the next couple of games against St Mirren and Dumbarton it would cement that feeling.

We really need a win.

[Rovers1992/1993]

Various factors. We're still only a point behind Dumbarton and Dunfermline. We've got rid of an awful manager, and replaced him with one who has a good track record. Even in the Hibs game things felt far more organised. Even in our squad we have a solid core of players who should be doing better. But there's still time for that to change. Still 33 points to play for with our games remaining. 
 

Hibs game, we didn't look any more organised than the Hibs games under Locke. As soon as we conceded, we started to panic. Yesterday was just as bad as under Locke if not worse. We have a LB on the bench, a RB playing at LB and CB playing at RB. We won't start picking up points until that gets sorted at least.

That's the sort of mistakes that a relegated team makes. Probably our easiest game by a clear distance between now and the end of the season, is on Tuesday night( no offence to Ayr).

We lose that, how can you then continue to look at the positives that aren't actually there?

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

3 hours ago, pandarilla said:

Massive changes required. We need energy on Tuesday.

Forrest has to start, and I'd put him wherever he wanted to go. He got us going back in September, and could just do something different.

Harkins rested (or dropped, however you want to put it). Moore up top.

Cobble together a defence and give the one or two youngsters we have a chance.

I hope so, it's a floodlit game.

[D'Jaffo]

If Murphy is injured then I'd play Rose in defence. McKenna hasn't impressed me in any games he's played this season and because he's so clumsy he's likely to give away a penalty like he did vs Falkirk and Dunfermline.

[Shibuya]

Fleming
Devlin Mckenna Bala Meggatt
Forrest Cairney Wardrope McGuffie
Moore Harkins

[AyrExile]

2 minutes ago, Shibuya said:

Fleming
Devlin Mckenna Bala Meggatt
Forrest Cairney Wardrope McGuffie
Moore Harkins

That would be my team also apart from maybe Gilmour at right midfield dependant on which one of the two I could decide is least likely to go missing on the night. 

[Shibuya]

If McDaid is available I'd play him on the left.

[pandarilla]

If McDaid is available I'd play him on the left.

First name on the team sheet if he's available.

[WSDR 88]

Brennan is injured..

If Brennan is genuinely injured then fair enough, but that was an absolute nothing challenge/incident when it occurred and because he was having a mare I think he was genuinely trying to hide and put that injury on. That fake hobble he was doing at times yesterday to milk the injury was embarrassing. But if he is genuinely injured, and he's out of the game against Ayr then I'll certainly look very stupid haha

[Rovers1992/1993]

But if he is genuinely injured, and he's out of the game against Ayr then I'll certainly look very stupid haha

I think this will be the case.

[SuperShug1910]

2-1 win for us. Cairney and El Alagui scoring.

[Raith Against The Machine]

If Brennan is genuinely injured then fair enough, but that was an absolute nothing challenge/incident when it occurred and because he was having a mare I think he was genuinely trying to hide and put that injury on. That fake hobble he was doing at times yesterday to milk the injury was embarrassing. But if he is genuinely injured, and he's out of the game against Ayr then I'll certainly look very stupid haha

Most ridiculous thing I've ever read.

[1nickydevlin]

Big farid to score an overhead kick ....scenes when we finally see the nicky roar again .....god its been a while ......

[UpInTheAyr]

That formation yesterday (3-4-1-2) is too complicated for the delicate players we have and the form they're in. Better sticking to a 4-4-2 so as not to confuse them. Back to the basics is what's needed, passing to each other/forward, crosses into the box, shots on goal.

Need to drop a couple of players (Cairney & Harkins) to put the fear into them. Think too many of them are comfortable in knowing that no matter how bad they play they'll still be in the team for the next game. At this point it can't get any worse than it is, so dropping them and putting in the young ones (even if they still lose) won't make that much of a difference.

[Ro Sham Bo]

Harkins ran the show in the last game at Stark's. In fact he almost always does when he plays us. I'd be willing to bet that regardless of his current form he'll do the same this time.