Cove vs Dumbarton 🥶

[CoveRangers1922]

Firstly, for all fans attending layer up. Last week against QotS it was about -5 with the wind chill (fair play to this guy). Balmoral isn't exactly warm at the best of times but from now until March it's arctic.

Cove come into this fixture with 1 defeat in their last 14 in all competitions. A run which has included 5 draws and 8 wins. Performances of late have been much better than the start of the season and at times (QP, Peterhead, Rangers B) akin to how we played last season.

We're now utilising width in Shay (who has vastly improved), Milne, Yule and Masson and both Rory and Mitch are banging in goals. Dare I say it even Vigurs has improved in the last month although he still doesn't do enough for me.

Sons have had a poor run of late with 5 losses and 2 draws before a good away win at Alloa and a late cup winner.

The first league encounter this season between the sides was a lot tighter than the scoreline suggested. 

 

[The Moonster]

I expect a comfortable 2-0 home win.

I said that about the Alloa game and ended up with egg on my face so hopefully I'm scraping omelette from my eyes on Saturday night again. 

 

[Jan Vojáček]

Was having a late night chat about the most famous people your name yesterday and it prompted me to find a website ranking the most famous Frasers. Apparently Fraser Fyvie is the 13th most famous Fraser globally. I'm thinking I might mention that to him pre-match - will keep his mind off the football.

https://playback.fm/people/first-name/fraser

Anyway, I'm not holding out any hope at all for this one. We probably should've taken something from the game in August - but it feels like we've regressed since then whilst Cove have improved. Delighted to see them finally killing off 'Rangers B' last night mind you. Good job lads.

I'd be absolutely elated if we leave with a point.

[CoveRangers1922]

9 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

I expect a comfortable 2-0 home win.

I said that about the Alloa game and ended up with egg on my face so hopefully I'm scraping omelette from my eyes on Saturday night again. 

 

Sometimes when you are expected to win it doesn't always happen. League 1 has shown that more often than not. Wouldn't surprise me if Sons came away with a point(s)

Looking forward to seeing Callum Wilson again. He's impressed me so far but will have a tricky opponent in Shay Logan. Pig, Paton or McKee against Vigurs and Fyvie will be a interesting CM battle.

[The Moonster]

1 minute ago, CoveRangers1922 said:

Sometimes when you are expected to win it doesn't always happen. League 1 has shown that more often than not. Wouldn't surprise me if Sons came away with a point(s)

Looking forward to seeing Callum Wilson again. He's impressed me so far but will have a tricky opponent in Shay Logan. Pig, Paton or McKee against Vigurs and Fyvie will be a interesting CM battle.

Wilsons been off the boil a wee bit in recent weeks and it does look like his confidence has taken a wee bump, but I'm hoping the last couple of results are moving things in the right direction for him. I think Paton will be injured, it'll be Pignatiello paired with one of Geggan or Carswell, with McKee probably playing in front of them. 

[Boghead ranter]

2 hours ago, Jan Vojáček said:

Was having a late night chat about the most famous people your name yesterday and it prompted me to find a website ranking the most famous Frasers. Apparently Fraser Fyvie is the 13th most famous Fraser globally. I'm thinking I might mention that to him pre-match - will keep his mind off the football.

https://playback.fm/people/first-name/fraser

 

Can't believe my dad's not on that list.

[microdave]

The last game I didn't either attend or stream was when we played away to the top of the league and we beat Montrose 2-1 back in August. I won't be able to attend or stream on Saturday so hopefully the outcome will be the same.

[BallochSonsFan]

12 hours ago, Boghead ranter said:

Can't believe my dad's not on that list.

Not so much famous, more infamous?

[The Moonster]

12 hours ago, Boghead ranter said:

Can't believe my dad's not on that list.

The people who made that list clearly weren't around when the brains were handed out. 

[microdave]

Delighted to see Paul Hartley getting the manager of the month award ahead of this game.

[Jan Vojáček]

2 minutes ago, microdave said:

Delighted to see Paul Hartley getting the manager of the month award ahead of this game.

Mitch getting Player of the Month too.

If we can't beat the double cursed Cove tomorrow then we'd be as well packing our bags for the trips to Elgin next year.

[The Moonster]

McGeever, McLean and Syvertsen out, but Paton is back fit which is good news. 

 

[CoveRangers1922]

48 minutes ago, microdave said:

Delighted to see Paul Hartley getting the manager of the month award ahead of this game.

Ultimate curse!

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Lynch’s crossing is absolutely horrific but I’d be tempted to keep Pig in midfield tomorrow, hopefully Paton is fit enough to partner him so we can relegate Geggan to the bench.

[CoveRangers1922]

2 hours ago, Jan Vojáček said:

Mitch getting Player of the Month too.

If we can't beat the double cursed Cove tomorrow then we'd be as well packing our bags for the trips to Elgin next year.

Haha. They should sack off these awards (or that's what I'll be saying tomorrow night at 5pm if we lose!)

Mitch is progressing as the season goes. A relatively slow start by his standards in terms of goals in first 10  league games but now has 8 goals in 15 along with 5 assists. Would likely have had more but Rory has taken, and scored, all 5 penalties.

Fancy him to get on the scoresheet tomorrow.

I haven't heard of any injuries on our side. Rory I hope was just rested mid-week and should start tomorrow. He only got the last 20 minutes against QoS last weekend.

Edited December 3, 2021 by CoveRangers1922

[the snudge]

5 hours ago, The Moonster said:

McGeever, McLean and Syvertsen out, but Paton is back fit which is good news. 

 

Shocker. 

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Astounded Schiavone is on the bench and Stokes is starting up front himself. Either Schiavone is injured or Faz has lost the plot. I’m also hoping the graphic is wrong and it isn’t Lynch at CB with Pig at RB. 

[Jan Vojáček]

Seriously hoping that graphic is a red herring and Lynch will be at RB, Carlo in CM and Carsy at centre-half.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

10 minutes ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

Astounded Schiavone is on the bench and Stokes is starting up front himself. Either Schiavone is injured or Faz has lost the plot. I’m also hoping the graphic is wrong and it isn’t Lynch at CB with Pig at RB. 

I should add that Geggan is lucky if he has produced anything over a 5/10 performance all season and we have two superior players who could replace him sitting on the bench. Faz suffers from that same thing Aitken did scaredtonotplaytwodefensivemidfieldersitus - a right c**t of a condition that.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

We didn’t play terribly but there was a real inevitability about that. We created very little bar a couple of attempts from Stokes which weren’t exactly guilt edged chances. Another week where we make an arse of it at the back and gift the opposition a goal which pretty much killed us off, I really do hate our defence, there isn’t a single player amongst them that I rate and you are pretty much guaranteed an individual mistake that leads to a goal every week which negates any sort of positive display they turn in for the other 89 and a half minutes they are on the park. 

I didn’t really expect to win today but it’s another game where we were comfortably beaten without creating any real chances. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t massively concerned with the direction we are heading. The manager needs to do a lot of work to turn this season around, we have looked like relegation fodder for the last 2 months and I’m struggling to work out whether it’s a case of players who aren’t good enough or a manager who isn’t getting the best out of them.