Raith Rovers vs. Alloa Athletic

[Wardy]

4 minutes ago, TxRover said:

3-1 terribly unfair to Alloa, I wouldn’t have had much complaint with a draw and could have seen a loss except for a couple of pieces of some quality.

Duku is showing why he was at the level he was at. He’s a useful poacher, but not great with his head and lacks a quality first touch. He has good speed and power though, but needs a sit again.

Armstrong is a pest, and a very frustrating player for both sides, but you need someone like that. However, he need sitting a game or two.

JMac is saving us every game, what a magnificent signing.

Kennedy is going to be some player in the future.

KMac is becoming anonymous again, and once again it’s after Christmas. I’m afraid we need a new left wing back for next season, at least for the second half.

Davo should be considered as a Defensive Mid/Sweeper in front of our CB’s (Frankie and Bene/Nando and Bene/Frankie and Bene). That would negate his speed disadvantage versus the breaks and allow him to use his positional sense better. It would also allow Hendry to play higher up.

Matthews was appreciated in his return, Spencer’s game was not as good, and Tumilty was steady and offered so much more than KMac on the other wing. Bene soldiered on, but should not be a starter next year

We don’t need a new LB Tx Jesus Christ. 

[Raith Against The Machine]

I like you, Tex, your opinions are fucking wild. Never change. 

[TxRover]

1 minute ago, Wardy said:

We don’t need a new LB Tx Jesus Christ. 

Really. last year KMac basically disappeared after Christmas...this year is looking quite similar. Discuss?

[printer]

14 minutes ago, Magic Hat said:

For me he should walk, we are going down whether he stays or goes. 

 

 

I'm beginning to come to the same opinion. We have nobody of the required quality on the bench, which is why these eleven players are having to do so much, and that's down to the manager's recruitment failure.

Playing Hetherington as a left wing back is nonsense. I don't have a problem with that formation, but keep him centre and put someone else out there. Malcolm could do that job.

Although Robbo does well at right wing back, he too is not in his most effective position. Thay we're having to play him there, at least in part, is back to poor recruitment and the squad not being balanced or strong enough.

 

[Scottydog]

3 minutes ago, Zen Archer Esq. said:

Hank.... 

 

I think it was aw weak attempt at sarcasm. 

[R.R.FC]

9 minutes ago, CALDERON said:

Alloa defended really well for large parts of the game, but I was really surprised to hear the commentators say it wasn't a 3-1 game. We absolutely dominated that 2nd half and were probably the better team in the first, albeit with a lack of quality in the first period. 

 

Agree with this. Said it at half time, we were nowhere near as bad us some tried to make out. We certainly weren’t brilliant but it wasn’t a terrible display. Our final ball was poor but we were getting in decent positions and we know with the quality we have if we keep patient and doing the right things, it should eventually pay off. I was pretty confident we’d score and thought once we got the equaliser we’d go on to win. 

Was surprised to hear the commentator say McGlynn would be more annoyed at half time today than at Arbroath last week. We were awful at Arbroath first half (and second half) today wasn’t like that.

Important and well deserved win in the end. This league is ridiculous, at half time we were 6 points off 9th and only 8 points clear of bottom. 45 minutes later we are 2nd and would be 6 points behind Hearts in the unlikely event we won our two games in hand.

We certainly weren’t at our free flowing best but I think coming from behind and grinding it out should do a lot for the mentality of our young side. Now to Friday to see if we can finally string two results and positive performances together. 

 

[grumswall]

Really. last year KMac basically disappeared after Christmas...this year is looking quite similar. Discuss?

He was out with covid before the rest of the squad and our games have been stop start for a period. Its hist first season up in the championship but he's largely been good enough. It would be better if he had some competition, but he hasn't been injury prone etc so it's fine to just have musonda or bene at a push to play lb.

Davo is is far to slow and turns slower than a tanker. His days at cm, cdm etc are over.

[R.R.FC]

3 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Really. last year KMac basically disappeared after Christmas...this year is looking quite similar. Discuss?

Kieran MacDonald hasn’t been at his best recently but I thought today was his best game since Ayr away. Got forward well and put in some good deliveries. A few runs he made stretched and pulled the Alloa defence wide even when he didn’t always receive the ball it created space for others. Never gave much away defensively either.

[Raithie]

9 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Really. last year KMac basically disappeared after Christmas...this year is looking quite similar. Discuss?

We're Raith Rovers, players will be inconsistent. If we had consistent players playing out their skin week on week they'd not be with us for long. 

[lellywong]

We never start well when we lose the coin toss and play towards home stand in first half. After we scored knew we would win confidence came back and goals came. Well done rovers up to second

[Scottydog]

When the commentary team asked for a motm I was struggling but thought Davo had done at least as much as Kennedy and Tummilty who were the only other real candidates, his goal would have  secured my vote had I posted.

Not a vintage performance in any manner and a very poor 1st half but I don't think J Mac touched the ball in the 2nd 45 until we took the lead. 

Reagan had a much better 2nd half as did Kennedy and K Mac looked to be coming back to his self. 

Not great but a great 3 points. 

[Leggy Blonde]

On 25/02/2021 at 13:20, Chubbychops said:

Alloa win here.  Think this is the start of Rovers slide.

[Waspie]

19 minutes ago, renton said:

I dunno, we certainly enjoyed a lot more possession and build up, but for large spells we lacked Any quality in our crossing, and we have a certain amount of baked in brittleness at the back which always leaves Rovers fans fearing the worst.

As you say, equaliser came at a point where we looked short on ideas and Davo really dug us out a hole. Alloa didn't seem to have much of a game plan after that for getting back in front.

That's a fair point and I can see that Bene and Davidson in particular is potentially an issue. But today we never offered enough of a threat to see how brittle they are. With the players we have we need the ball to give them a platform to play and we didn't have that on Tuesday or today. Grant and Trouten are both talented players but they aren't going to do it as a centre midfield pair. 

Raith might have struggled for spells but there is clearly plenty of threat out wide and in attack. I was never particularly confident we'd be able to see that out, although I was starting to wonder just before you scored . 

[Wardy]

15 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Really. last year KMac basically disappeared after Christmas...this year is looking quite similar. Discuss?

 

5 minutes ago, Raithie said:

We're Raith Rovers, players will be inconsistent. If we had consistent players playing out their skin week on week they'd not be with us for long. 

This. Plus we will never be in a position to just dump players for those kind of reasons. 

Edited February 27, 2021 by Wardy

[Kevchenko]

Couldn’t come out our shell at all after going ahead. A few times we have done that this year rather than trying to continue to press forward. As well as we defended in the first half, you can’t expect to hold out against wave after wave for a full game.

Was more impressed with Raith today than the earlier game. Although clearly not great in the first half, I thought they remained patient in the second and didn’t panic at all and got their deserved reward in the end with the win.

As others have said, having a player like Heatherington out wide is a huge error that sits with the manager.

Unfortunately, I think that’s curtains for us this season, can’t see how we don’t finish 10th from here.

Disappointed with another week of extremely poor refereeing, can’t believe with him blowing up for every single little niggle, that he doesn’t give a foul on Cameron in the lead up to Raith’s second goal. Heatherington‘s booking was a joke, as was the ref then not sending him off for the handball. Thought the penalty decision was nonsense as well!

Raith TV was brilliant, for me the best I’ve seen this year. Good comms with just the right amount of home team bias (!), really good interview with Spence, and I thought the replay system was excellent. £12 I would spend again in a heartbeat.

[Leggy Blonde]

22 minutes ago, TxRover said:

3-1 terribly unfair to Alloa, I wouldn’t have had much complaint with a draw and could have seen a loss except for a couple of pieces of some quality.

Duku is showing why he was at the level he was at. He’s a useful poacher, but not great with his head and lacks a quality first touch. He has good speed and power though, but needs a sit again.

Armstrong is a pest, and a very frustrating player for both sides, but you need someone like that. However, he need sitting a game or two.

JMac is saving us every game, what a magnificent signing.

Kennedy is going to be some player in the future.

KMac is becoming anonymous again, and once again it’s after Christmas. I’m afraid we need a new left wing back for next season, at least for the second half.

Davo should be considered as a Defensive Mid/Sweeper in front of our CB’s (Frankie and Bene/Nando and Bene/Frankie and Bene). That would negate his speed disadvantage versus the breaks and allow him to use his positional sense better. It would also allow Hendry to play higher up.

Matthews was appreciated in his return, Spencer’s game was not as good, and Tumilty was steady and offered so much more than KMac on the other wing. Bene soldiered on, but should not be a starter next year

Nah. Alloa worked hard and defended well until we got our goal, then it all fell apart for them. We made life difficult for ourselves with poor touches and final balls, but dominated possession especially in the second half. Armstrong in particular being particularly guilty of a lovely bit of skill/turning his man and winning the free kick, but then immediately putting the ball straight out of play.. 

Rovers stuck to the task and dug out the result though which given recent form is encouraging to see. 

[Brashy's Boots]

3-1 terribly unfair to Alloa, I wouldn’t have had much complaint with a draw and could have seen a loss except for a couple of pieces of some quality.
Duku is showing why he was at the level he was at. He’s a useful poacher, but not great with his head and lacks a quality first touch. He has good speed and power though, but needs a sit again.
Armstrong is a pest, and a very frustrating player for both sides, but you need someone like that. However, he need sitting a game or two.
JMac is saving us every game, what a magnificent signing.
Kennedy is going to be some player in the future.
KMac is becoming anonymous again, and once again it’s after Christmas. I’m afraid we need a new left wing back for next season, at least for the second half.
Davo should be considered as a Defensive Mid/Sweeper in front of our CB’s (Frankie and Bene/Nando and Bene/Frankie and Bene). That would negate his speed disadvantage versus the breaks and allow him to use his positional sense better. It would also allow Hendry to play higher up.
Matthews was appreciated in his return, Spencer’s game was not as good, and Tumilty was steady and offered so much more than KMac on the other wing. Bene soldiered on, but should not be a starter next year

You been sitting outside in the snow, ya madman?

[TxRover]

29 minutes ago, grumswall said:

He was out with covid before the rest of the squad and our games have been stop start for a period. Its hist first season up in the championship but he's largely been good enough. It would be better if he had some competition, but he hasn't been injury prone etc so it's fine to just have musonda or bene at a push to play lb.

Davo is is far to slow and turns slower than a tanker. His days at cm, cdm etc are over.

Fair enough, we’ll see if KMac continues to improve going forward.

Davo’s days at CB are more limited by his ponderous nature, IMHO.

30 minutes ago, R.R.FC said:

Kieran MacDonald hasn’t been at his best recently but I thought today was his best game since Ayr away. Got forward well and put in some good deliveries. A few runs he made stretched and pulled the Alloa defence wide even when he didn’t always receive the ball it created space for others. Never gave much away defensively either.

Given his feed to Gullan, OK, but he wasn’t that influential before that, despite some people opining that he was providing starch in the midfield area.

22 minutes ago, Wardy said:

 

This. Plus we will never be in a position to just dump players for those kind of reasons. 

Don’t want to dump him...but, he’s remaining part-time and appears very streaky, nice for depth, not so great for a starter....but, yes, that’s often the kind of players at this level. That being said, I’d like to see a little depth there, so a CB/LB would be nice...provide depth and competition.
 

15 minutes ago, Leggy Blonde said:

Nah. Alloa worked hard and defended well until we got our goal, then it all fell apart for them. We made life difficult for ourselves with poor touches and final balls, but dominated possession especially in the second half. Armstrong in particular being particularly guilty of a lovely bit of skill/turning his man and winning the free kick, but then immediately putting the ball straight out of play.. 

Rovers stuck to the task and dug out the result though which given recent form is encouraging to see. 

I agree that until about the 65-70 minute mark, it looked like an Alloa win. The Davo goal was more than a bit fluky, and without that goal, I’m not sure we tie the game, let alone win, so or late “domination” was due more to Alloa’s response to our score than something we did.

[TxRover]

Just now, Brashy's Boots said:

49 minutes ago, TxRover said:

3-1 terribly unfair to Alloa, I wouldn’t have had much complaint with a draw and could have seen a loss except for a couple of pieces of some quality.
Duku is showing why he was at the level he was at. He’s a useful poacher, but not great with his head and lacks a quality first touch. He has good speed and power though, but needs a sit again.
Armstrong is a pest, and a very frustrating player for both sides, but you need someone like that. However, he need sitting a game or two.
JMac is saving us every game, what a magnificent signing.
Kennedy is going to be some player in the future.
KMac is becoming anonymous again, and once again it’s after Christmas. I’m afraid we need a new left wing back for next season, at least for the second half.
Davo should be considered as a Defensive Mid/Sweeper in front of our CB’s (Frankie and Bene/Nando and Bene/Frankie and Bene). That would negate his speed disadvantage versus the breaks and allow him to use his positional sense better. It would also allow Hendry to play higher up.
Matthews was appreciated in his return, Spencer’s game was not as good, and Tumilty was steady and offered so much more than KMac on the other wing. Bene soldiered on, but should not be a starter next year

You been sitting outside in the snow, ya madman?

That was last week...the house was down to 2C before the electricity came back on. Feverish, perhaps...deluded, what Rovers fan isn’t...mad, I am technically an Englishman...

[grumswall]

Davo gets away with how slow he is because he's playing at cb. The game would pass him by in midfield. That's pretty much the reason he has played cb for the past few seasons. He has never considered himself a cb from what I'm led to believe.