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Post by stewmelrover on Nov 5, 2016 19:09:03 GMT
Agreed. It's not often that I would offer Darren Young advice, given the top job he has done; but Fisher has to start next week. (Please!) Can't fault the team for effort, but we really should have beaten that mob. Such charming neighbours we have: So nice to see that their old habits die hard...
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Post by d7 on Nov 5, 2016 19:17:11 GMT
Well I'm going to start with a positive because there are a few people going to get it later in this post. So here goes - you can't say you didn't get your money's worth today. The game had pretty much everything except a good Rovers result, but you couldn't take your eyes off it. Value for money it certainly was.
Once again we warmed up at the wrong end of the ground and in front of the away fans. So not off to the best of starts. The pitch looks in great condition I have to say and given that it is November, and people have had plenty to say about the pitch before, then well done to the grounds people. Today's programme showed the away team as Peterhead. A minor cutting and pasting error no doubt but if they had done that to us then we'd have plenty to say about it. Not taking away from the great work the programme people do week in, week out. Writing nonsense like this takes a bit of doing and your efforts are appreciated.
First up then - Darren. That team selection today was an absolute joke. An absolute joke. Whatever pettiness is being harboured towards Fish (harboured, Fish; I'm on fire tonight (fire, bonfire night who writes this stuff?!!?)). Seriously Darren, you've had your fun and you've certainly made your point. But enough is enough. Get Fish back in the first team, starting next week. And, given that Darren probably doesn't come on here and read this crap, Tony/Ronnie/Tee/Mossie - you guys who probably have influence at the club need to get that message across. If you need to act as peacemaker or go-between then get it done.
And so to the game. They started brightly, a bit like Alloa last week, they were right at us from the off and didn't let us settle. They had a couple of half chances in the first few minutes and certainly gave us something to think about. We started to play a bit and on about 10 minutes won a corner. McBride, our sole corner taker, lumbered over and hit a poor-ish cross into the box. The ball got played back to him and he hit an even poorer cross which was easily cleared. Next thing you know, their striker is 1 on 1 with......Mark Ferry. Oh my God. I would have fancied myself against Ferry to be fair. He was turned inside and out and then inside again to the point where he ended up on his @rse in the penalty box. That left the striker clean through and to be fair he finished smartly enough for 1-0.
So let's just analyse that a bit. A rank bad decision in having Ferrry in the starting 11 is then compounded by an even poorer decision to leave him as the last man. That's basic stuff Darren. What is even worse is the fact you left probably our best player (after my hero Boyd) on the bench!
After that we came back into it a bit. A good cross from the right was headed past by Ross Stewart. Ferry then dragged a shot just wide from the edge of the box. And Willis sclaffed a shot just wide too. So we did have our chances.
Then disaster struck. So my son is late again today and I toddle off to get his tea. There's a queue like an execution at the wee hut thing so I stands at the door watching the game. They win a free kick on their left hand side. A decent enough cross goes in and we don't get a good header on it to clear the danger. The ball falls to the striker and he finishes for 2-0. Couldn't see from where I was who attempted the clearance but it was an old failing coming back to haunt us.
I then spent what seemed like the rest of my life in a queue for a cup of tea. Again, I don't really want to have a go at people who are providing a service to us but jeez some basic organisation down there wouldn't go amiss. I'll leave it at that. And the tea when I did get it went down well with number 2 son, so fair play.
The rest of the half was fairly even. We had some half chances and they looked dangerous on the break. They were very cute too and conned the ref all through the game. All sorts of niggly wee trips off the ball, jersey pulling, play acting etc, all in evidence and all going unpunished. I hate seeing that and I'm glad we don't resort to it but on a day like today we maybe just need to be prepared to mix it a bit. And if you need to do that then you need people like Fish in your team. I might have mentioned that earlier.
Into the second half and it was a similar pattern. Darren waited for about 15 minutes before hooking Ferry and replacing him with Fish. It was just about an hour too late.
Now you'll know from reading this drivel over the last few weeks that Ferry isn't my favourite player. But to be fair to him today, after his howler earlier on (just checking to see if I mentioned that above; yes I did) he actually did okay. He sprayed a few passes around, had an okay attempt at goal and looked okay in patches, at the risk of massively contradicting myself.
Last week at Alloa, Fish changed the game when he came on - fact. Today, well the game certainly changed again upon his arrival. All of a sudden we were much more direct and had them on the back foot for the last half hour of the game. We were going forward with purpose with Fish linking up defence and attack and making us a real threat.
The last 30 minutes was worth the entrance money alone. Willis got the ball in a decent position in the final third. Ross S was in acres of space in the left hand side but inexplicably Willis went right and a good chance was gone. We had them pinned back and after some clever play, Willis fired in a shot from outside the box. His shot rattled the crossbar and fell to Ross Dunlop who bundled the ball over the line. Everything back to the half way line when the clown of a referee noticed his clown friend of an assistant standing like a muppet with his flag raised. After a wee chat the goal was chalked off - presumably for a non-existent offside.
That seemed to incense the Rovers players and a few tackles started flying in - not before time. Willis went in heavy on one of the delicate flowers in white and that sparked a bit of a handbags type rammy. It was all entertaining stuff.
We went forward again and this time won a stone-waller of a penalty. Willis picked up the ball and I have to say I didn't fancy him scoring. Sure enough he rattled the post and the ball went clear. Still we came forward and then a great cross into the box was flicked in by the head of Ross Stewart for 1-2. And despite more pressure, that was how it ended.
Reidy once again had a great game. He certainly seems to have rediscovered his mojo in the last few weeks and was a deserved man of the match. Ross in goals had a few good saves. His kicking wasn't the best today. The rest of the defence was solid enough and as for the rest of them, where do I start?
Ross Davidson - lightweight. Made a couple of decent passes but was largely anonymous. Ferry - did okay by his standards. Willis - was involved in a couple of things; some of them good but for me it's not often enough and I view him as too much of a passenger and ultimately a waste of a jersey. Connor - anonymous for large parts of the game. Ross Stewart - took his goal well, looked okay in spells but that's about it. Boyd - quiet game today for him. He's too keen at times and doesn't always look up to make a pass. Maybe right enough he can't bear to look up and see what is in support of him. I couldn't blame him for that.
Too many people are in that team and seemingly undroppable or unsubstituteable (if that's a word). That's not healthy and is having an impact on our performance week in and week out.
Referee today was abysmal. In fact he wasn't even good enough to be abysmal. He was conned at every turn by the dubious actions of the white team today and didn't seem to me to be in possession of a full enough set of testicles to make the right decisions. His assistant on the stand side was just sh1te, with apologies if that offends anyone.
The crowd was 1199 which was decent and as I said at the start, certainly got their money's worth. Probably just under half were Rovers fans.
The opposition today were a wee bit lucky to get all 3 points, especially given how strongly we finished. Truth is though we left it too late to really go for it. I thought too you could tell they were a full time team today in terms of their fitness and application. They hunted in packs, not letting us settle and chased everything down. Over the piece they'll feel they deserved the win. For me a draw would have been fairer.
Reading that back I'll probably think I've been a wee bit hard on some people but hey, you get days like that. Overall I quite enjoyed the game despite the result and the things that niggled me. Still 5th in the table which is pretty decent.
Onwards and hopefully if not upwards then at least consolidating in mid table. I'd settle for that. And Fish starting next week.............
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2016 19:37:57 GMT
Well here at Cliftonhill we've had Nazi salutes, Union Jacks, the flag of St.George and 'Rule Brittania'.Welcome to modern Scotland. And our wonderful police leaning on the fence on the far side doing hee-haw about any of it. Commendations to the club today for the crowd organisation at the end of the match. Airdrie fans leaving by the back gate was good work for all fans.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2016 19:44:55 GMT
Don't need to say much after D7's excellent report. Gary Fisher, Mr Young! A no brainer!
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Post by d7 on Nov 5, 2016 20:04:26 GMT
Gary Fisher, Mr Young! A no brainer! Absolutely spot on Jimbo. Should have saved myself a paragraph or 10 and just have said this!
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Post by bucky on Nov 5, 2016 20:12:43 GMT
This games was won and lost in midfield. Airdrie deserved the win even though we raleighed in the last 10 and looked like we had a good goal chalked off.
Airdrie have come off the back of some good wins are were always going to be up for a battle in midfield to impress the new manager and what does Young do stick three powderpuff old pals in the middle of the park. Fisher starting was a no brainer and the reason why we picked up in 2nd half after he came.
I would have stuck my mortgage on Willis missing that penalty as he has missed two before this.Shocking.
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Post by stewmelrover on Nov 5, 2016 20:13:20 GMT
When is Wallace back? With Fisher in (do please do it Darren!) and Wallace back, we have a huge match next week. I think 'must win'is appropriate.
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Post by d7 on Nov 5, 2016 20:19:59 GMT
When is Wallace back? With Fisher in (do please do it Darren!) and Wallace back, we have a huge match next week. I think 'must win'is appropriate. Definitely be good to get Wallace back. I'm sure he's just finishing his therapy course to rid himself of the recurring nightmare where he keeps waking up remembering how Parry scared the sh1t out of him as he comes out for a cross. Whatever caused him to miss the game today he is a handful and we missed him.
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Post by d7 on Nov 5, 2016 20:21:41 GMT
How come every fan who comes on here can see the difference Fish makes to the team? How can we see it but the folk picking the team can't? It's baffling!
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Post by chris on Nov 5, 2016 20:22:11 GMT
I loved the guy who was giving the nazi salutes over the top of a union flag with a poppy on it.
Really makes you wonder about the future of the human race
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Post by charlestheoptimist on Nov 5, 2016 20:55:19 GMT
The fire in the belly was only on show in the last 10 minutes - you could feel the crowd starting to get really behind the team and willing them on - maybe too much respect given early doors to them when we should have got the crowd fired up and really went for the jugular. We seem to have a midfield bankruptcy, not only in this game but in recent matches as well , where the opposition seem to interlink better. The players gave it their all in the end and hopefully will use the last 10 minutes as a Launchpad - bring on Stranraer to the slaughter !!
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Post by stewmelrover on Nov 5, 2016 20:57:55 GMT
Yep, the middle-aged shaven-headed man in the red shirt. Watched him give Nazi salutes for about ten minutes. Union flag with a poppy on it; and the owner gives a Nazi salute. Nice.
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Post by teekasule on Nov 6, 2016 0:17:01 GMT
I was going to write a big review but Im now heading up the loft to play guitar... only real major plus point today was the drummer was absent.
also Fish 100% and probably Ferguson should have started imo.
think I may book a birthday party for the next home game .....
kasule rock.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2016 11:21:43 GMT
Well here at Cliftonhill we've had Nazi salutes, Union Jacks, the flag of St.George and 'Rule Brittania'.Welcome to modern Scotland. And our wonderful police leaning on the fence on the far side doing hee-haw about any of it. Commendations to the club today for the crowd organisation at the end of the match. Airdrie fans leaving by the back gate was good work for all fans. Why would our police get involved? A union flag or St George's flag is not a crime, Rule Brittania is not offensive?
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Post by thelaird70 on Nov 6, 2016 11:50:33 GMT
I enjoyed the game today but I cannot understand why Willis gets a start every week or is allowed to take penalties. I agree that Fisher should start every game.Also I make the point yet again why do we have to wait for the defenders to take throw ins when we have players free. By the time we wait available players are covered. I think we at least deserved a draw as Airdrie are no great shakes for a full time Club. I had no hesitation in choosing Alan Reid as man of the match. What a shift he put in and what a great servant to the Club.
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