Arbroath v Raith Rovers

[TxRover]

4 hours ago, SotesBornalichtie said:

Problem is that if we don't start picking up points before the end of Sept/early Oct we may be so far adrift that it will be nigh on impossible to make 8th place by the end of the season. 

The teams in the top half of the league are not going to have catastrophic collapses…

Really, do tell. Last year put paid to that theory.

[1320Lichtie]

Aye it’s just about us game to game no point worrying about everyone else. We have 32 games to get another 38 points. 

[grumswall]

Aye it’s just about us game to game no point worrying about everyone else. We have 32 games to get another 38 points. 

Are you actually much worse than last season? Obviously don't have a nouble type and have lost the likes of craigen and Thomson but I'm not aware of too many key players leaving?
Both teams seem to have similar issues with not having a proper goalscorer so it's sure to be a classic.

[lichtie23]

6 minutes ago, grumswall said:

Are you actually much worse than last season? Obviously don't have a nouble type and have lost the likes of craigen and Thomson but I'm not aware of too many key players leaving?
Both teams seem to have similar issues with not having a proper goalscorer so it's sure to be a classic.

Miles away currently. In both quality and confidence 

[1320Lichtie]

3 minutes ago, grumswall said:

Are you actually much worse than last season? Obviously don't have a nouble type and have lost the likes of craigen and Thomson but I'm not aware of too many key players leaving?
Both teams seem to have similar issues with not having a proper goalscorer so it's sure to be a classic.

We massively lack a striker too: it’s painful how much we are lacking uptop

 

I think we are better in midfield and at the back on paper to be honest. I think Oakley will be better than Thomson and Tait is clearly a better player than Craigen you can tell that after one game… Nicky Low is a big miss but Scott Allan is obviously a class act.
 

The problem is we seem like an unhappy group and Dick is making so many bizarre decisions. A sub he made last weekend actually got booed, never seen that happen before, not just to Dick but I can’t remember the last time the home support would’ve booed a substitution made by an Arbroath manager. Never see it but I think everyone has had enough of it

 

Add that in to the fact ToB has been sent off twice in 5 games, Scott Allan is now suspended, Nicky Low is posted missing and nobody knows what’s happening with him and Michael McKenna is also out injured at the moment. We’ve had to deal with a few injuries so far. Had zero consistency and to be honest have looked absolutely dreadful. 6 games played, 3 goals, 1 a penalty and 2 bundled over the line. We are a million miles off it and it has been the worst possible start we could’ve had. 
 

So yeah right now we are a whole lot worse than we were last year but I can’t help feel like it’ll come good at some point because there’s a lot of good players in our squad who are just not at it just now 

[CALDERON]

I thought it was mental last season just how much Nouble dragged Arbroath up the pitch.  Not just the goals.  His very presence forced a huge amount of the play up that end of the pitch.

Obviously they are much more than just him, but even without the likes of Hamilton I can see how they are struggling.  On paper than squad looks similar to the issues we have - functional and decent squad in all areas apart from the one that ultimately matters most.

Should be a cracker.  

[TxRover]

33 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

We massively lack a striker too: it’s painful how much we are lacking uptop

 

I think we are better in midfield and at the back on paper to be honest. I think Oakley will be better than Thomson and Tait is clearly a better player than Craigen you can tell that after one game… Nicky Low is a big miss but Scott Allan is obviously a class act.
 

The problem is we seem like an unhappy group and Dick is making so many bizarre decisions. A sub he made last weekend actually got booed, never seen that happen before, not just to Dick but I can’t remember the last time the home support would’ve booed a substitution made by an Arbroath manager. Never see it but I think everyone has had enough of it

 

Add that in to the fact ToB has been sent off twice in 5 games, Scott Allan is now suspended, Nicky Low is posted missing and nobody knows what’s happening with him and Michael McKenna is also out injured at the moment. We’ve had to deal with a few injuries so far. Had zero consistency and to be honest have looked absolutely dreadful. 6 games played, 3 goals, 1 a penalty and 2 bundled over the line. We are a million miles off it and it has been the worst possible start we could’ve had. 
 

So yeah right now we are a whole lot worse than we were last year but I can’t help feel like it’ll come good at some point because there’s a lot of good players in our squad who are just not at it just now 

Tait won’t replace the passing and vision that Low brings you, but he’ll add an attacking edge from outside the box and make the others better in a similar way as Nicky can, unfortunately. Both of them together, at any point, could be troublesome.

[clashcityrocker]

36 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

I can’t help feel like it’ll come good at some point

Agreed - think by early to mid Oct we will hit the track running - we are fortunate to have a lot of very good, high quality players in the squad.

Once the key players are back from their injuries and suspensions we will soon start winning games - but as everyone has stated, we need a couple of quality new signings to complement the squad - I think this will happen within the next 3 weeks.

In the meantime, Sept is going to be a rocky and testing month.

[Tattie36]

Far too late if we’re talking about getting going in October. We could easily be 10+ points off 8th by then.

We simply have to start winning (or drawing at the very least) right now or we’re in big big trouble.

[ecto]

23 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

No ToB and or Scotty Allan, no Mikey McKenna and Nicky Low will no doubt be nowhere to be seen 

 

Gaston

 

Oakley

Little

Hammy

Hancock

 

Tait

Jacobs

Stewart

Hilson

Linn

 

Shanks 

 

No doubt Fosu will play though DC seems to love him. That teams very suspicious but we’ve got absolutely f**k all else.
 

I’d probably play Gold if he was fit and the only boy we’ve got worth putting on off the bench is Dylan Paterson. Grim 

Don’t mind this, tbh

[Rovers1992/1993]

Are you actually much worse than last season? Obviously don't have a nouble type and have lost the likes of craigen and Thomson but I'm not aware of too many key players leaving?
Both teams seem to have similar issues with not having a proper goalscorer so it's sure to be a classic.

You’ve answered your own question there if Arbroath are much worse by saying you’re aware that almost a third of the their starting 11 left recently [emoji23]

[Raith_Raver]

1 hour ago, 1320Lichtie said:

We massively lack a striker too: it’s painful how much we are lacking up top...

So yeah right now we are a whole lot worse than we were last year but I can’t help feel like it’ll come good at some point because there’s a lot of good players in our squad who are just not at it just now 

Identical to our own situation.

[Ro Sham Bo]

35 minutes ago, Rovers1992/1993 said:

You’ve answered your own question there if Arbroath are much worse by saying you’re aware that almost a third of the their starting 11 left recently

Craigen and Thomson left because they weren't getting a game. 

[Ro Sham Bo]

6 hours ago, timlichtie said:

Got to play Isiaka as Raith apparently turned him down. A debut hat trick for sure.

Yep. He looked lost in the friendly he played for us against Kelty, and the fact he couldn't get a contract with us when we had only one forward speaks volumes. However, if he is ever going to score a goal for you, it will surely be on Saturday. 

[Hank Scorpio]

9 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

Yep. He looked lost in the friendly he played for us against Kelty, and the fact he couldn't get a contract with us when we had only one forward speaks volumes. However, if he is ever going to score a goal for you, it will surely be on Saturday. 

I hadn’t realised that was who Arbroath had signed. He looked absolutely hopeless that day. 

[lichtie23]

6 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

I hadn’t realised that was who Arbroath had signed. He looked absolutely hopeless that day. 

Oh yay! 

[Rovers1992/1993]

Craigen and Thomson left because they weren't getting a game. 

Well that’s not true. Thomson missed the first half of their first game against Ayr. Came on at half time, missed their second game against ICT due to injury i’m presuming as he wasn’t even on the bench when they couldn’t fill it. Then he played every minute in the rest of the games up until he left.

He left as championship football was getting to be a bit harder to juggle with his family life.

The point I was making though was the poster had asked if they were actually worse but Craigen, Nouble and Thomson were away. All 3 of them were integral to their success last season.

[Lichtie78]

Certainly wouldn't say Craigen was integral to our success last season.

[grumswall]

You’ve answered your own question there if Arbroath are much worse by saying you’re aware that almost a third of the their starting 11 left recently [emoji23]

I haven't really paid much attention to the comings and goings at gayfield so thought I'd ask the people who would know based on what I did know. I also know that Hamilton is at dunfermline as well for full clarity on what I did know.

[Smokerson]

Craigen was in and out our team for his entire spell with us and I always got the feeling he thought he was better than he was. Thomson will be missed more.