Thunderbird Delta: International Footballing Rescue

[deltablue]

Chapter 5: Raith Rovers

In hindsight, rejecting Carlisle (and to a lesser extent, Bury slightly later, both newly relegated League 2 clubs with very good budgets, and strong players, as far as I could see through the attribute masking, low league positions and high expectations being the downsides) was a mistake, but something acceptable soon popped up. It was Raith in the Scottish Division 1. They were 7th in the league, a comfortable 8 points above the relegation playoff spot, and 11 above the automatic relegation spot, just a couple of points beneath 4th, and only a few more each to 3rd and 2nd. The expectation was just for mid-table, meaning I wouldn’t have the pressure of the two English jobs, a very major plus in my eyes.

Even after maxing out the wage budget, to 6.5kpw, we were still almost1kpw over, which would be a pain when it came to building on a squad that was reasonably good but very young. Also a worry was that just over 100k in the bank was projected to turn into 331k of debt at the end of the season (though how the game figured that out with a loss so far this season of just over 12k, and a profit last month of 5 times that, I have no idea!), but that was a problem that would crop up later, and may not even be that big when it came. Alongside all the reasonable positives, we were just one (admittedly very hard to get) promotion to a reasonable top division, and while not a major trophy, there was always the Challenge cup to try and get in the trophy cabinet, so all things considered, really not a bad place to be.

[noikeee]

That's a bit of a flattering job to get after a relegation! Well hardly glamorous but you get what I mean. Good luck in Scotland.

[withnail316]

Hard lines with the relegation, but there's potential with Raith. Really tough league to get out of, though...

[B.W.G]

Shame things didn't go well in the Norwegian first division,best of luck at Raith,hopefully less pressure will be a good thing for you.

[deltablue]

That's a bit of a flattering job to get after a relegation! Well hardly glamorous but you get what I mean. Good luck in Scotland.

Actually there's a slight step down in league, from 2 1/2 stars to 2, though admitedly Raith are quite a bit higher up than Nest-Sotra,and budgets are only a bit larger, so while it's still a good move, it's hardly a massive difference.

Hard lines with the relegation, but there's potential with Raith. Really tough league to get out of, though...

I know, but at Nest-Sotra I broke my 'promoted from a league where you have to be top' duck, plus the previous few times I've been in this league was with sides I'd gone up with, this time I'm with a club already here, so there might be a bit more potential to challenge. Even if I don't, and this ends up being a 'consolidation' club than a 'progression' one, it's still a good option after a relegation, whereas it might not be so good if I left Norway to try and move the career onwards. The cups provide plenty of potential (I even won the Scottish cup last time I was at this level, but though it's not impossible, I don't expect a repeat for a very long time if ever), and I'm far closer to top-flight football than I thought I'd be at this stage, especially how things went before Nest-Sotra.

The potential remains to be seen, as there are numerous young players here who look very good prospects for the future, but not many who look that good right now, so will need to get some budgetary room (even if I don't renew any of the contracts of the few players expiring, I won't have much) to get in more senior players in order to start getting anywhere. Well have to see what happens on that front.

Shame things didn't go well in the Norwegian first division,best of luck at Raith,hopefully less pressure will be a good thing for you.

For me not having pressure early on is pretty important when looking for a new club, the trouble with Carlisle (aside from the timing of the offer) was that they wanted a quick return to League 1, while in 17th (admitedly just 6 points off playoffs). Bury weren't quite so bad (wanting top-half, being just above the drop zone), but as in my experience when arriving at a club mid-season, things don't often improve until the following year, I wasn't too keen on taking the gamble. Coming off the back of relegation makes me especially eager to play it safer for a while rather than try and push on.

[AK22]

You're gradually making your way south again!

[deltablue]

You're gradually making your way south again!

Not that far, Nest-Sotra being near Bergen, which isn't far north of Scotland

Jan 2019

Cowdenbeath 4-2 Raith (SD1)

I kicked things off in Scotland at Cowdenbeath, but had the problem of our only senior goalkeeper being injured for 1 ½ months. Even without having a mediocre at best 18yr old in goal for the time being, we were up again it. They took the lead after half an hour, but otherwise we had been a reasonably good match for them. They pushed on to make it 3-0 in the second half, which was costly as goals from lone forward McNiven, and winger Millar pulled it back to 3-2 late on, before they finished us off with a 4th anyway. However we looked like we could have got something with a proper keeper helping the defence.

Stirling 2-4 Raith (SD1)

McNiven gave us the lead after just 19 seconds at Stirling, which he restored just after their 9th minute equalizer. A win would be very important in terms of keeping us a long way clear of relegation trouble if it took a while for things to get going, and McNiven helped us on our way when completing a hat-trick in the 27th minute, even adding a 4th with 15 minutes left (which meant that he had pretty much doubled his tally for the season in my two games so far), followed by a consolation in the last minute, one of the few times they threatened. Even considering it was against a side that were sent to the bottom, it was a great away win, and it was also good not to have a long wait for my first one at Raith.

Raith 1-1 Arbroath (SD1)

We played an Arbroath team in 3rd, who were ‘just’ 5 points ahead, and took the lead in the 15th minute from the 16yr old Sutherland, admittedly shortly after they had a goal disallowed. As they tried to fight back, the referee evened up the ‘disallowed goal’ score, as useful as a second goal would have been. We survived the rest of the first half, but after coming close to a second goal after the break, they equalized in the 63rd minute. Both sides had chances to win, but 1-1 was the right result.

Feb/Mar 2019

Morton 2-1 Raith (SC)

We went to Morton for a winnable cup game, but we had a couple of early injuries, and went behind. The Division 2 leaders were on a roll, and extended the lead in the 59th minute, McNiven only managing a late consolation.

Raith 0-2 QOTS (SD1)

We also disappointed against Queen of the South, going behind after half an hour, only mustering up a single shot on target, and conceding another later on.

Livingston 0-0 Raith (SD1)

We went to Livingston, who were bottom when I arrived, but had been fighting hard to survive, and if we weren’t careful we might be in danger of dropping to the relegation playoff place, they’d close to 3 points if they won. As it was, we didn’t threaten much, but held out for a 0-0 draw that actually moved us up a spot.

Raith 3-1 Aberdeen (SD1)

Aberdeen were running away with the league (unsurprising given how unexpected it is seeing them here in the first place). After a surprisingly even first half, Russell gave us the lead at the start of the second half. It lasted barely 5 minutes, but after they equalized we pushed on, retaking the lead from Sutherland, the 16yr old’s second goal in what had been a very short career so far. A Bryce penalty a few minutes from the end sealed a fantastic victory.

Hamilton 2-0 Raith (SD1)

Going to Hamilton would be similarly tough, though we put up a spirited showing before being harshly hit with 2 goals late in the 1st half. Otherwise we were average at worse rather than being at all bad.

Raith 1-0 Dundee (SD1)

A tough run continued against Dundee. In a good display, Russell gave us the lead in the 24th minute, and we were unlucky not to have another by the break. We continued being on top in the second half, and there wasn’t even the usual late period of pressure to survive, as we definitely deserved a bigger win.

Apr/May 2019

Raith 0-0 Cowdenbeath (SD1)

The season was winding down when we faced Cowdenbeath, and it showed. There was just 1 shot on target (theirs) from 14 between the two teams, in a stalemate 0-0 between 2 mid-table sides with little worth making an effort for.

Dunfermline 3-7 Raith (SD1)

By contrast it took just 50 seconds to find our shooting boots at Dunfermline, taking the lead from Russell. McNiven extended the lead with 2 goals in as many minutes after half an hour, Slane adding a 4th, though they pulled a couple of quick goals back before the break. In the 69th minute, they were given a penalty, not only did the player responsible get a straight red card, but Callaghan was also sent off for a second yellow after protesting, at a stroke reducing us to 9 men However far from conceding the win as I feared, Allan quickly restored the 2 goal margin, and late on, McNiven and Russell gave us a 7-3 win!

Arbroath 1-4 Raith (SD1)

We went behind at a very strong Arbroath team (yes, I know that’s a strange thing to say) in the 7th minute, but I was amazed at how we turned it around. Stane equalized 20 minutes later, followed by goals for Lindsay and Russell giving us a 3-1 lead, and we even had a 4th from a late own-goal.

Raith 1-2 Stirling (SD1)

We went down to 10 men in the last home game, against already relegated Stirling, but Russell gave us the lead anyway. However we couldn’t hold out for long, and two second half goals gave us a defeat.

QOTS 1-2 Raith (SD1) 200th career match!

The final game was at Queen of the South. It was also my 200th career game. Bryce gave us the lead from a penalty in the 8th minute. Russell extended the lead after 50 minutes, and though they pulled a goal back, we were able to finish the season off with a win.

There wasn’t too much to say about Raith so far. It was mid-table mediocrity pretty much keeping us steady above a relegation battle for the most part, though with strong late form. I’ve had to release all 4 players whose contracts were running out, thankfully not weakening the team too much, but even that (knocking just over 1kpw off the bill, about 1/8) would only just put us around budget. The youth intake gave us yet more promising young players, but we still had enough ‘adults’ that they were mostly kept out of the matchday squad, Sutherland being the main exception. We could probably push on into the top half, but how far and how quickly we’d continue to progress were very open questions indeed.

[noikeee]

Good job keeping Raith there in midtable and closer to the frontpack than the relegation battlers, next season then will be time to evaluate your performance better as you get the transfer windows.

It does seem like a difficult league to get out of... my prediction is you'll just about nail 2nd or 3rd place next year.

[B.W.G]

You did what you needed to do and you kept them in mid-table so its a good start.

[cerud]

Tough on the relegation, but nice that Scotland has seen your potential!

[deltablue]

Good job keeping Raith there in midtable and closer to the frontpack than the relegation battlers, next season then will be time to evaluate your performance better as you get the transfer windows.

It does seem like a difficult league to get out of... my prediction is you'll just about nail 2nd or 3rd place next year.

That seems rather optimistic but hopefully we'll get close.

You did what you needed to do and you kept them in mid-table so its a good start.

Tough on the relegation, but nice that Scotland has seen your potential!

It's a good start, but moving on won't be easy.

Elsewhere

PL Table

CL Final

FA: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle

LC: Man Utd 2-1 (aet) Man City

EL: Liverpool 3-1 Marseille

La Liga: Barcelona; R Madrid; Sevilla

Serie A: Parma(!!!); Juventus; Milan

Bundesliga: Leverkusen; Dortmund; Stuttgart

Ligue 1: PSG; Monaco; Lille

[deltablue]

Summer 2019

I managed to get 1kpw spare in the wage budget (though only by boosting expectations to ‘top half’, which was manageable but not certain. However filling it was another matter. Such was the going rate for both fees and wages that while there were a number of different positions I really wanted to reinforce, I’d only be able to get a few of players in at best, and had to choose carefully, eventually going for waiting for a player from Ireland (which is much tougher to recruit from as young players are less willing to leave), though waiting until January to get him at the end of his contracts. However aside from the fact that he would be very strong when they did arrive, it also meant that I could push the budgets to get a couple of more players in, though it would been going a bit over budget again later in the season. I also had two ‘bonuses’ this year. The first was the ability for the squad to make a fresh start after relative disappointment last season, which I could only do so much arriving in the middle of, and the second was having a well-gelled squad. The legion of promising youngsters might also prove useful if I needed to play a couple more on a regular basis, and if further reinforcements proved hard to get in the future.

Mills

Miletic

Transfers

One to watch:

The players released mean that Sutherland will be moving over to the AP position, leaving a gap that can be filled by a couple of youngsters, but I'd wanted to have someone who was much better right now.

[AK22]

On points, you were nearer the top than the bottom. That's a decent season!

[DazRTaylor]

At least you have a base to build from with Raith.

[deltablue]

On points, you were nearer the top than the bottom. That's a decent season!

At least you have a base to build from with Raith.

We seem to be building on it quite nicely.

Jul/Aug 2019

Raith 3-0 Forres (SCC)

We started against Forres in the Challenge Cup, Bryce and McNiven giving us a 2-0 lead after 10 minutes. Russell made it 3-0 in the 20th minute, but both wingers, Russell and Slane, went off injured later on. The former was thankfully ok.

Raith 1-1p Elgin (SLC)

Elgin were our League cup opponents. An own-goal gifted them a 17th minute lead. We chased the game hard, Amos equalizing in the 40th minute, becoming the club’s youngest ever goalscorer in the process. We weren’t as good pushing for a winner, though Russell had a goal disallowed in extra-time, so it went to penalties. After both sides scored the first 3, our keeper, Stewart, saved their 4th, but we missed the final kick to take it to sudden death. Russell had his penalty saved in the 7th round to send us out to the Division 3 side.

Hamilton 4-2 Raith (SD1)

The league kicked off at Hamilton. They took the lead in a hectic first minute, and though McNiven equalized after half an hour, they retook the lead before the break. They made it 3-1 early in the second half before a goal pulled another back for us, finishing us off with a late 4 as the defence had been shambolic.

Dunfermline 0-2 Raith (SCC)

We went to Dunfermline in the second round of the Challenge Cup, and held out as they missed a bunch of first half chances. However we took control in the second half, and two McNiven goals saw us through, however he was also injured for a few weeks.

Raith 0-0 Falkirk (SD1)

We had two more injuries in the first half an hour against relegated Falkirk, though were still clearly on top (not too impressive though) and were unlucky not to win.

Livingston 0-0 Raith (SD1)

We also struggled to turn pressure into goals at Livingston, this time due not to good defending, but terrible attacking efficiency, as McNiven’s absence was proving costly.

Raith 2-1 Cowdenbeath (SD1)

A point-less Cowdenbeath were the only team below us, and we also had our regular attacking 3 back together with McNiven fit again, Russell back on the left and Slane making his first start on the right after his own injury. It was defender Cam McDonald (one of 2 defenders with that surname) who gave us the lead after 12 minutes. They equalized before the break, but McNiven marked his return by restoring the lead in the 54th minute, finally giving us a win this season.

Sept 2019

Raith 4-1 Dundee (SD1)

McDonald also gave us the lead against Dundee, it was disappointing when they equalized, as at the moment it was the difference between 8th and 4th (just 2 points off top), so it was great when Russell gave us the lead early in the second half. Late goals from O’Donnell and McNiven even took us up to 3rd!

Raith p0-0 Hamilton (SCC)

We were back to ‘pressure but no goals’ against Hamilton in the Challenge Cup, and in the shootout, Stewart saved their 1st and 4th penalties, while we scored all of ours to go through.

Dunfermline 0-2 Raith (SD1)

We went to table-topping Dunfermline and were amazed to take the lead fromMcNiven in the 32nd minute. It was a reasonably interesting match, and very even, but left-back Mills scored another a few minutes from time that took us took up top!

QotS 1-1 Raith (SD1)

It was the first of 3 away games in the league, as next we went to Queen of the South. It was a tenser, higher-paced game, McNiven giving us the lead again in the first half. We looked good to just about hold on, but though they equalized later, we remained top.

Morton 1-3 Raith (SD1)

We went behind in the 15th minute at Morton, but equalized from McNiven 9 minutes later. We still needed a win to avoid slipping to 3rd, but were frustrated for a long time. Slane finally fired us ahead, and with 10 minutes left, McNiven sealed a great win.

Oct 2019

Raith 1-0 Arbroath (SD1)

McNiven gave us the lead in the 10th minute against Arbroath. We looked comfortable until he went off injured at the end of the first half (thankfully ok), and we survived a far tenser second half.

Raith p1-1 Stirling (SCC)

Attentions turned to the Challenge Cup as we played Stirling in the semi-final. It was a dull game in normal time, but they took the lead in the first minute of extra-time. We were missing the suspended Russell, but his replacement Laing fired us level in the 118th minute. They missed their 3rd penalty, while Slane missed our 4th. However their 5th was also missed, and Patton fired us into the final!

Raith 1-1 Hamilton (SD1)

We now faced a top of the table clash with Hamilton. We went behind in the 24th minute, but that brilliant youngster Sutherland equalized in the 37th minute. We had a few chances to win in the second half, but a draw still suited us rather more than them. It didn’t hurt that it meant setting a new record of 12 games undefeated.

Falkirk 1-1 (SD1)

We had an awkward start at Falkirk, but McNiven still should have fired us into the lead. As it was he was having a rare off day, to the point that though the alternatives were very limited, I gambled on taking him off. Slane finally gave us the breakthrough in the 67th minute, but they soon equalized to deny us the win.

We had a poor start to the season, so it was amazing to see us suddenly rise to the top. However that was only by taking advantage of the fact that no one else was really stamping their mark on the league, and based on solidity rather than brilliance (unusual for a Deltablue team), as shown in the fact that we've drawn the same number of games that we've won, as well as needing penalties for 2 of the 4 victories in the challenge cup. The league was also tight enough that I couldn't be too confident about any individual match. A lack of depth (especially up front, but also midfield to a lesser extent), beyond having a load of promising youngsters, was also a potential issue if we were hit with a few injuries/suspensions to the wrong players. Walshe's arrival in January would be a great help, but otherwise I was expecting to have a massive fight to cling on to top, if we didn't fall away. However being top at any point was far more than I was expecting this year, and we also had a Challenge Cup final to look forward to. Whatever happened in the tough fight ahead, so far this had been an excellent season.

[cerud]

It may be hard to hold on to, but having that top spot must feel good

[SRL88]

Cracking start to the campaign.

[deltablue]

It may be hard to hold on to, but having that top spot must feel good

Oh yes! While I'm often cautious when analyzing things, as I was above with all the reasons not to be too excited, I must admit that personally I'm getting excited at the prospect of a potential cup/promotion double season, and even being reasonably close will be considered a very strong year Being unexpectedly top with everyone having played each other at least once is always excellent going.

Cracking start to the campaign.

Absolutely delighted with the position we're in. Just a few seasons ago being in this position seemed years off, maybe it won't be long until I earn top-flight football, even if it isn't for next season.

[AK22]

Watch out Celtic, Raith are coming!

[AcidBurn]

Nice start hopefully you can keep it going.

[deltablue]

Watch out Celtic, Raith are coming!

Maybe not yet.

Nice start hopefully you can keep it going.

Cheers, though there is some good and bad news. After 6 league draws in a row we've lost top spot at the end of November, but at least won the Challenge Cup, and the unbeaten run in all competitions stretches to over 20 games. I was meant to go much further but my glasses snapping in half when I was drying them after a bath this evening has put paid to that. Also had problems in contract negotiations. Could only offer top scorer McNiven 'backup' status at best for some reason, and a wage he was never going to accept, and in the case of another (though not quite as important) player, he wanted a wage increase after a number of league games, but that option kept being highlighted in red however low I set it at (even in the range the board seemingly would allow) and I couldn't do it. Not the best of evenings to put it mildly.

[AcidBurn]

Maybe not yet.

Cheers, though there is some good and bad news. After 6 league draws in a row we've lost top spot at the end of November, but at least won the Challenge Cup, and the unbeaten run in all competitions stretches to over 20 games. I was meant to go much further but my glasses snapping in half when I was drying them after a bath this evening has put paid to that. Also had problems in contract negotiations. Could only offer top scorer McNiven 'backup' status at best for some reason, and a wage he was never going to accept, and in the case of another (though not quite as important) player, he wanted a wage increase after a number of league games, but that option kept being highlighted in red however low I set it at (even in the range the board seemingly would allow) and I couldn't do it. Not the best of evenings to put it mildly.

That's strange, I had something work in my favour. My players wages go down by £200 if he gets capped not sure why he'd let that clause slip through his agent must be an idiot.

Still unbeaten but a lot of draws could cost you. Would you say they were closer to wins or loses?

[deltablue]

That's strange, I had something work in my favour. My players wages go down by £200 if he gets capped not sure why he'd let that clause slip through his agent must be an idiot.

Still unbeaten but a lot of draws could cost you. Would you say they were closer to wins or loses?

Well it is a pretty common clause, especially among young players. Just a pity the game mini-bugged me out of that option. As for the draws. The last one was definitely closer to a defeat, but the rest were pretty even. At best a case of 'could have won' by taking advantage of a couple of potential chances, rather than 'really should have won'. Nothing unfair about them either way really. Sums up our season so far really, reasonably solid but rarely really shining. Ditto for the league in general, so tight that it's hard for any teams to gain a clear advantage at any point. Will be going up to London tomorrow (depending on glasses situation), just for one night and otherwise out and about until I get back on Wednesday evening, it won't be worth taking my laptop so that'll be it for a couple of day, so might as well put up a small update.

Nov 2019

Formantine 0-3 Raith (SC)

We had a comfortable time at Formantine in the cup. Russell gave us the lead after 10 minutes, and two McNiven goals in the second half gave us the dominance we deserved.

Raith 1-1 Livingston (SD1)

The league battle continued against Livingston. Not for the first time, decent finishing would have given us the lead at half-time. The key attacking trio were all being complete failures, so Cam MacDonald showed them how it was done with a 59th minute header. Sadly a late equalizer gave us a 3rd 1-1 in a row in the league, though we still remained a point clear.

Raith 1-1 Dunfermline (SD1)

We could have no such complaints about a terrible stalemate against Dunfermline, nor that after 4 draws in a row, Hamilton passed us to go top.

Raith 2-1 (aet) Cowdenbeath (SCC Final)

The biggest game of the season so far was against Cowdenbeath in the Challenge Cup final. It wasn’t the most fascinating game in the world. We had a couple of chances before they took the lead with their 1st shot in the 36th minute. Soane managed to equalize before the break in a late push, and there was only one real thing of interest after that, thankfully it was Slane’s 84th minute goal to give us the cup!

Cowdenbeath 2-2 Raith (SD1)

We played them again away in the league in the next game, heading for another draw until Slane gave us the lead in the 52nd minute. In a hectic 10 minute period, they suddenly took a 2-1 lead before McNiven equalizer. Disappointingly not only was it our 5th league draw in a row, but a win would have taken us top again.

Dundee 1-1 Raith (SD1)

We made it 6 at Dundee, though for once it was a relief rather than a disappointment. We went behind in the 37th minute, and only a second half penalty from Patton secured our long unbeaten record.

Raith 4-1 Cowdenbeath (SC)

We played Cowdenbeath for the 3rd time this month in the cup. Amos gave us the lead in the 22nd minute, followed by goals from Patton and MacDonald before half-time. They pulled a goal back in the 78th minute, but McNiven gave us the sort of win we really needed in the league. It also took us to 20 games unbeaten in all competitions.

[snootyjim]

Hopefully you can get back on form soon, still nothing in it at the top.

[noikeee]

Well that's a funny kind of form loss, a run of lots of consecutive draws without defeats. Bit of a bummer that you've dropped the table lead, but I'm pleased that my "optimistic" prediction has so far turned out to be spot on, knew you were building on something good there.

[JackJCFC]

Slight dip in form but its still possible to recover from it, good luck!

[B.W.G]

Your form may have dipped but it's an improvement on last season and your not too far behind either.

[AK22]

Looks like you've passed your 'drawing' disease on to Livingston!

Well done on the cup victory! Always nice to win a trophy

[deltablue]

Looks like you've passed your 'drawing' disease on to Livingston!

Well done on the cup victory! Always nice to win a trophy

Your form may have dipped but it's an improvement on last season and your not too far behind either.

Slight dip in form but its still possible to recover from it, good luck!

Well that's a funny kind of form loss, a run of lots of consecutive draws without defeats. Bit of a bummer that you've dropped the table lead, but I'm pleased that my "optimistic" prediction has so far turned out to be spot on, knew you were building on something good there.

Hopefully you can get back on form soon, still nothing in it at the top.

Thanks all. This is just ridiculous. If it wasn't for the fact we have a trophy in the bag, this would be very depressing, starting to well and falling away. Ploughing on today, and the news isn't great. Livingston were in a similar situation but have improved, and in the meantime we've lost our unbeaten run (15 in the league, 20 in all competitions), and are now on 10 league games without a win, 9 of them being draws. If it wasn't for the defeat we would probably be chasing some kind of world record for draws. As it is if cup matches that go to penalties count we've drawn 15 out of 27 games this season!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still just 5 points off top going into Christmas, which isn't that bad, so while a run of wins can still give us a great chance, it's fair to say that's looking rather unlikely.

[deltablue]

Dec 2019

Arbroath 1-0 Raith (SD1)

The unbeaten run came crashing to an end at Arbroath. As much as I’d love to blame the enforced selection of a youth teamer in goal for a few weeks, the fact was that they had all the chances, scored in the 10th minute, and we never looked like getting anything from what was a mediocre performance from start to finish. If anything they could be disappointed not to win by another at least.

Raith 2-2 QotS (SD1)

Queen of the South were in 2nd, and a good chance to try and make up ground. We grasped it with both hands, unfortunately they belonged to Arran ‘5 Norwich goals from 6 shots on target’ Lee-Barrett. They took the lead after a few minutes, had another disallowed after half an hour, and finally extended the lead in after an hour. Somehow Slane and Laing each scored to give us a point.

Raith 1-1 Morton (SD1)

The first half against Morton was terribly dull, and it got worse when they took the lead early in the second half. Sutherland quickly equalized, and did his best to try and give us a win, but it still wasn’t coming.

Hamilton 0-0 Raith (SD1)

Going to Hamilton, we faced a lorry-load of chances, thankfully hardly any on target, while had some good spells ourselves, and 0-0 was a bit unfair on the game.

Raith 3-2 Falkirk (SD1)

We sparked back into life on Boxing day against Falkirk. It was slow going until McNiven had a goal disallowed in the 29th minute, but Slane and Laing quickly gave us a 2-0 lead. Laing scored again early in the second half, which was just as well as within 10 minutes they had it back to 3-2, but we held on for our first win in a long time. They actually offered me the job in the new year, but although budgets were very good, I wasn’t interested in leaving Raith for a while.

Jan 2020

Cowdenbeath 1-0 Raith (SD1)

We had a great chance to follow up with a win at league whipping boys Cowdenbeath, but went behind to their only shot on target in the 8th minute. After that we really should have got at least a point.

Livingston 4-1 Raith (SD1)

I was worried about a trip to Livingston, and although McNiven gave us the lead in the 7th minute, they kept battering us, and eventually the defence fell in to give them the lead by half-time. Two more goals followed in the second half, giving us a 4-1 defeat that wasn’t undeserved but still felt a bit harsh.

Dunfermline 2-0 Raith (SD1)

We were easily taken apart at Dunfermline, who took a 2-0 lead after 18 minutes. Despite the lack of further goals, they maintained the comfortable dominance.

QotS 1-0 Raith (SD1)

We went behind against league leaders Queen of the South in the 36th minute, and it was looking like another crushing defeat, however we were pretty good in the second half, and were unlucky not to have an equalizer at the very least.

Feb 2020

Raith 1-2 Dundee (SD1)

McNiven gave us the lead in the 20th minute against Dundee, but they otherwise had the lion’s share of the chances, eventually turning the game around with an equalizer after an hour, then going on to win.

Rangers 2-1 Raith (SC)

We weren’t expecting any relief when we went to Rangers in the cup. They took the lead in the 26th minute from a McNiven own-goal, but he equalized in the right end a few minutes later. They soon retook the lead, but it wasn’t as bad as I feared. The bottom line was however that from 20 games unbeaten earlier this season (going back to late last season), we now had a new club record of 6 defeats in a row (though as a more positive landmark, McNiven had at least just beaten his own record for goals in a season).

Raith 2-0 Arbroath (SD1)

We had some luck for a change against Arbroath. An own-goal gave us the lead a few minutes in, and we held out for the rest of the half. We were much more deserving in the second half however, Russell breaking a few months of mediocre performances (which was odd as he has otherwise been rivalling McNiven as our main star) to give us a second goal.

Morton 0-4 Raith (SD1)

McNiven scored again in the 40th minute at Morton, and in the second half we were all over them with an own-goal, then goals from defender Thomson, and captain Angus MacDonald.

Raith 0-1 Hamilton (SD1)

We had a good chance of getting another point or 3 against Hamilton, but after a decent but dull first half, they gradually took control in the second half, scoring in the 60th minute, and Stewart in goal had to keep out a lot of other chances as well.

After the optimism of the early part of the season, this is a pretty depressing update, though at least a couple of recent wins mean relegation isn't too much of a worry, and the cup win is no doubt helping keep job security stable.

[deltablue]

Mar 2020

Falkirk 3-0 Raith (SD1)

After the Arbroath and Morton wins, we were clearly back to the usual rubbish at Falkirk, a good example of the team being collectively mediocre rather than anyone being that terrible, but it was enough as they took the lead in the 14th minute, and scored two more in the second half.

Raith 2-0 Livingston (SD1)

The top half was slipping away, but after a dull first half against Livingston, we brightened up in the second. Russell gave us the lead in the 53rd minute, and McNiven clinched it in the 77th minute, giving us a win I was reasonably pleased with.

Cowdenbeath 2-1 Raith (SD1)

We went to Cowdenbeath to play them for the 6th and last time this season. They had a goal disallowed in the first half, then Slane gave us the lead in the 54th minute. However they equalized after he and Sutherland went off injured, and scored a stoppage time winner. As they still looked set for relegation, it looked like we’d be free of them next year.

Apr/May 2020

Raith 3-1 Dunfermline (SD1)

We had a great display in the last derby against Dunfermline. McNiven gave us the lead late in the first half, and he pushed on to get a hat-trick to put us 3-0 up after 74 minutes, before conceding a late consolation.

Dundee 2-3 Raith *SD1) (SD1)

McNiven looked like he was leaving in the summer, and was determined to go out on a high. He gave us the lead in the 15th minute, and again 20 minutes later, just after they equalized from a controversial penalty. They equalized again a few minutes into the second half, but an own-goal gave us a very good win.

Raith 2-0 QotS (SD1)

McNiven’s form continued when he gave us the lead after 20 minutes against Queen of the South. An own-goal soon gave us another as we cruised to the win.

Arbroath 2-3 Raith (SD1)

Slane gave us the lead in the 36th minute at Arbroath, but they scored either side of half-time to turn it around. McNiven rescued the game for us with two goals to give us a 3-2 win, with another disallowed.

Raith 1-3 Morton (SD1)

We finished the season against Morton, going behind in the 28th minute. Russell equalized in the 49th minute, however they pushed on to win 3-1, a slight downer to what had otherwise been a very good finish to the season.

It started so well, then turned into a disaster for so long. The Challenge Cup was a great success coming just before getting lost in the mess, but it was easy to lose sight of it given what was coming. All those draws didn’t seem so bad for a while but as winter wore on it turned very depressing indeed, as we had just a single league win from early October until the start of February! We did pick up a little after that with more occasional wins, and strong end to the season that made me wonder what on earth was going wrong before! At the end of the day it would have taken just than a few wins more during that terrible run to remain in promotion contention throughout, that’s how competitive the league was this year, which often applies to the Scottish lower leagues in general, where even relegation battlers often provide tough games, and the higher sides can be beaten on a regular basis.

The future was very uncertain. Even with so many young players in the squad, the wage budget was exceeded far too easily (even with sliders right at the ‘wages’ end we were 1.6kpw over a 7.8kpw budget) each year, and with a bunch of players being released (including the prolific McNiven) I had to hope it would leave me with at least a bit spare to find a couple of players on, which had proven really tough last time. However there had been sparks of potential from quite a few players this year, promising better times as they developed. It was definitely worth staying for a while, maybe a couple of years, though whether we’d be closer to a relegation scrap than a promotion battle was anyone’s guess.

Personally I wasn’t too worried about the future even if I didn’t make progress. The Challenge Cup was a good thing on my CV, which a decent chance for another. The job offer by Falkirk at the start of the year was followed by SPL St Johnstone also approaching me (though I couldn’t take it), late in the season, and Dundee Utd (who had admittedly just been relegated) afterwards, a reasonably encouraging sign that I’ll have a much improved choice next time, and if a Championship or even League 1 (depending on the club) came in (unlikely, especially as the interest has only been from elsewhere in Scotland, but not far off being a possibility) it would be worth considering.

Squad Stats

Star player: Another great goalscoring season (at least when we were firing) means that though he's not great on paper, he'll be tough to replace, and whether Russell (or any new signing) can will determine next season.

[deltablue]

Elsewhere

PL 2020

CL 2020

FA: Aston Villa 3-2 Swansea

LC: Chelsea 2-1 Spurs

EL: Napoli 6-0 Mainz

La Liga: Barcelona; R Madrid; Malaga

Serie A: Juventus; Parma; Milan

Bundesliga: Bayern; Stuttgart; Dortmund

Ligue 1: PSG; Marseille; Lyon

[noikeee]

Ouch pretty bad second part of the season, looks like you just couldn't make the bad run stop. Hopefully Raith returns to cheerful ways next year.

[deltablue]

Euro 2020

[deltablue]

Ouch pretty bad second part of the season, looks like you just couldn't make the bad run stop. Hopefully Raith returns to cheerful ways next year.

It was more like a bad middle of the season, as we won 5 of the last 7 games, compared to 3 of the first 7, and the really bad run was from October to February. We came so close to the top half having been miles off a couple of months before the end of the season, and were just 3 points off your prediction of 3rd, so a bit of improvement could go a long way.

Summer 2020

Like last year I felt that increasing the expectations to top half (though we just missed out last time, albeit much closer than I thought possible in the spring) was worth having a workable budget, which gave me 40k for transfers when set to 1kpw spare wage budget. The key was to get either a new forward, or winger to allow Russell to move up, only after that could I see what else I could do to plug another gap or two. As it happened McNiven stayed on at the end of his contract, but it was still worth getting in the far better (on paper) player that I did.

Surprisingly I managed to do much more than I thought I would, sticking pretty much on-budget this time, and we looked better than last year (especially with squad depth). In a season anything like the even contest of last year, I’d fancy our chances of a promotion push. As it was having a pretty big club like Dundee Utd come down made that less likely, especially given I’d seen their budgets when they offered me the job, and it was a great many times ours, and probably a lot of the others. Having been just 3 points off 3rd last year, even if a challenge proved tough, a reasonable amount of improvement (winning more than 1 league match in the space of almost 4 months would be a great start) would go very far indeed.

Lilley

Messaoudi

Mills

Waters

Transfers

One to watch:

Even with McNiven hanging on, this guy looks a better prospect up front, though McNiven's goal record will be hard to match. It's great having one as a fall-back option if the other fails to fire, a luxury I haven't had so far.

[AcidBurn]

Lots of draws in the league if you can change a few to wins then next season could be a good one.

[markyosullivan]

I know this is a bit off topic but your 'one to watch' player from your first club has the same name as my dad

[snootyjim]

Look like some decent signings, although I'd forgotten quite how poor the Scottish leagues are! A bit of pace up front never does any harm.

Hope you manage to start moving up the leagues a bit.

[AK22]

Keep plugging away! It will click eventually

[psychonaut]

Raith will come good again, and you'll have the supporters "dancing in the streets of Raith"! Good luck next season.

[deltablue]

I know this is a bit off topic but your 'one to watch' player from your first club has the same name as my dad

Small world

Look like some decent signings, although I'd forgotten quite how poor the Scottish leagues are! A bit of pace up front never does any harm.

Hope you manage to start moving up the leagues a bit.

Indeed it's poor, Flamers was worried about how bad his Marienlyst team was compared to mine and I had to reassure him the difference wouldn't be that great.

Keep plugging away! It will click eventually

Lots of draws in the league if you can change a few to wins then next season could be a good one.

Raith will come good again, and you'll have the supporters "dancing in the streets of Raith"! Good luck next season.

Sadly it's not been a good year.

Jul/Aug 2020

Montrose p1-1 Raith (SCC)

We started the season in the Challenge Cup at Montrose. It was a dull game, livened up in the second half by McNiven’s introduction. He gave us the lead in the 54th minute, and was the focus of what action there was for the rest of the match. Sadly they equalized out of nowhere in the 84th minute, Walshe and Slane missing their penalties in the shootout to bring our defence of the competition to an early close.

Dumbarton 1-2 (aet) Raith (SLC)

We went to Dumbarton in the League cup. We went behind in the 28th minute from a harsh penalty, equalizing from a 69th minute own-goal which summed up how poor the game was. Maguire thankfully scored in extra-time so we avoided another penalty defeat.

Clyde 3-0 Raith (SD1)

The league campaign began at Clyde, and a terrible defensive performance saw them take a 2-0 half-time lead with goals in the 25th and 41st minutes. They scored again 5 minutes into the second half to deliver a crushing 3-0 defeat.

Raith 2-0 Dundee (SD1)

The first home game was against Dundee, and saw Slane give us a deserved lead in the 28th minute, Russell giving us another early in the second half.

Raith 2-1 QotS (SD1)

Stewart had to save an early penalty against Queen of the South, and we were rewarded by Maguire giving us a 12th minute lead. The defence parted to let them equalize later in the half, but Maguire was looking like the player we needed him to be, and he scored another shortly before half-time to give us the win.

Dunfermline 1-0 Raith (SLC)

We went to Dunfermline in the league cup and went down to an 8th minute goal. There was plenty of effort to fight back but shot accuracy left a lot to be desired, as was the fact that the defence could have prevented their goal.

Livingston 2-0 Raith (SD1)

Our poor away form (especially defensively) continued at Livingston. They were just about the better team, but we should have done something about at least one of their two goals.

Sept 2020

Dundee Utd 3-2 Raith (SD1)

Our poor away form this year wasn’t likely to change at Dundee Utd, even with McNiven gave us a 4th minute lead. They soon equalized, and took the lead after 35 minutes, but it wasn’t over. Maguire levelled it in the second half, but they went on to win 3-2.

Raith 1-0 Stirling (SD1)

We had won both games at home so far, but struggled away in both league and cups. Maguire had a goal disallowed after 20 minutes, which eventually demoralized him enough for McNiven to be brought on, and he managed to keep up our winning form with his 72nd minute goal.

Raith 0-1 Dunfermline (SD1)

We lost that good home form against Dunfermline. We really should have taken the lead in the first half, and fell away after they punished us with a 55th minute goal.

Arbroath 3-1 Raith (SD1)

Our away form didn’t improve at a strong Arbroath, who easily ran up a 2-0 lead in the first half. A Mills corner was deflected in for an own-goal, but any chance for a comeback was dashed by red cards for both Moffet and Walshe. Amazingly we just conceded one more, in stoppage time.

Oct 2020

Raith 2-1 Falkirk (SD1)

We were much improved against bottom club Falkirk, McNiven and Waters giving us a 2-0 lead after 18 minutes. We faded a bit after that, but though they pulled a goal back in the second half, there was little threat of losing the win.

Raith 2-0 Clyde (SD1)

There was a lot of disappointment all round against Clyde, even before they took the lead in the 41st minute. The second half saw Bryce get sent off, and Patton go off injured, as we went down to a 2-0 defeat.

Dundee 4-1 Raith (SD1)

Angus McDonald was the latest member of the ‘early bath’ club after half an hour at Dundee, when we were already behind. Messaoudi managed to equalize before the break. Sadly they took control in the second half, going 3-1 up after 20 minutes, going on to win 4-1.

I had genuinely been intending to keep going until the end of the following season, or this if things kept on being genuinely that depressing, unless something good came up in England. As it happens just after the Dundee disaster, A certain club sacked their manager. It was very unlike me to suddenly jump ship to chase something I wasn't even linked with, but I'd always had a feeling that it would be tough to progress in Scotland, and England would be a better bet, it was just a matter of trying anyway and being absolutely sure. As it happened I got what I wanted, and when you see what you'll understand why I decided to leap.

Chapter 6: Ipswich Town

Ipswich were only just above the drop zone, which was odd as they had a very strong championship squad, some players much better than I remember having at this level. Unfortunately that came at a price, a wage bill of just under 240kpw, which though it was slightly under the budget, I knew was far too big, about double what I take to be sensible at this level. Thankfully there were some reasonably high earners I'd find it acceptable to get rid of (sadly not all with expiring this season), but it would still be a difficult task getting the wage bill down while maintaining a decent squad. Even if I could, 250k in the bank was expected to turn into 5M debt at the end of the year, and deep financial troubles would persist for a while.

[AcidBurn]

If/when you sort out the finances I'm positive it'll turn out to be a great move.

[b101]

great read so far deltablue, loving the perseverance and the move to Ipswich is definitely a good one . Also loving Norwich's past positions, Champions League, 17th, Champions League... Delia must be doing a lot of half time pep talks!

[deltablue]

If/when you sort out the finances I'm positive it'll turn out to be a great move.

It should, you guys only know my short and disappointing time here on FM12, but other than that, from FM07 things have always gone pretty well. Up to the PL at least, often with trophies, the high points being the FM09 'Golden Squad' (The only team in my FM career history to get near the Magical Milan in terms of glory), and the FM11 'Silver Squad' which found it much harder to win, (though did bring about a CL and PL title, as well as both when I returned especially for one last season before FM12), but was taken up from mid-table in League 1 and remains my favourite achievement on FM, with some of my favourite players (again only really matched by that Milan side). I always get excited every time, and dreaming of potential glory far stronger than the usual 'take it as it comes, but X would be nice' for other clubs.

On the financial side, I actually do have a crop of players that probably have good sale value (for the first time in the career), there being 11 worth 1M+ (up to 3M). While I don't want to lose any, not least since I'm very much an 'anti-selling' manager, a couple of wise sales could do much more value in terms of mostly compensating for large short-term losses than simply letting so many people go to slash the wage bill without doing much about dropping to the forecasted 5M in the red by the point (plus we'd probably still be losing money afterwards, though not at the same rate). This is definitely a promotion-capable side, especially next year (as I've posted numerous times about there being limited improvement when taking over a team mid-season), which would obviiously be the best way out of the financial problems. Not easy finding the balance, but hardly the worst 'big problem' to have.

Surprise move- on a selfish level I'll note for future reference that it's possible to leap from SD1 to the Championship- if I ever get to SD1 that is!

Good luck with Ipswich, should be a good challenge managing a sleeping giant.

Even I think 'sleeping giant' is going a bit far, but they definitely have the potential for pretty good things, which I've done with them a lot. I did have two trophies in my favour when applying (Norwegian 2nd Division, which helped me get in the SD1 in the first place, and the Challenge Cup) as well as 'favourite club' which helps. But having moved from Airdrie in the same level in FM12 (having taken them up, as my only achievement thus far in that career) to West Brom (admitedly in League 1), it's doable.

great read so far deltablue, loving the perseverance and the move to Ipswich is definitely a good one . Also loving Norwich's past positions, Champions League, 17th, Champions League... Delia must be doing a lot of half time pep talks!

Not so much loving Norwich's past position's, especially the CL qualifications , but part of the joys of this job is the chance to gun for them, at least in the long term.

[DazRTaylor]

That is a great career move. Once the finances are sorted, Ipswich is a terrific club to manage - I had a lot of fun with them in FM12. Also, they have an excellent youth system - I had a steady stream of youngsters come through.

[B.W.G]

Best of luck with Ipswich

[deltablue]

That is a great career move. Once the finances are sorted, Ipswich is a terrific club to manage - I had a lot of fun with them in FM12. Also, they have an excellent youth system - I had a steady stream of youngsters come through.

I'm actually expected to bring through youngsters, though even here I've rarely ever seen any that good. Letting go all but one player whose contracts are expiring will save 60kpw, but more's needed. Will see who other clubs are interested in to plan the necessary sales.

Aye, it's not like they've ever beaten Bayern Munich away, like a truly big club...

Exactly

Best of luck with Ipswich

Cheers, been good so far.

Nov 2020

West Ham 1-3 Ipswich (CH)

I was thrown in the deep end at Ipswich with a trip to 2nd placed West Ham. They took the lead in the 19th minute, then kept pounding away, but the ancient Ben Foster in goal held firm. Late in the half, Greek forward Vellios struck twice to turn it around. Early in the second half, he had a 3rd disallowed, but immediately completed his hat-trick anyway, and it always makes me smile when one of my teams (especially if it’s the same player, even more so for a hat-trick) does that, as if to say to the referee ‘screw you, I’m getting my goal anyway’. As hard as West Ham pushed, there was no way back for them. The win would only have been sweeter had it been in the playoffs, as we owe them a couple on that score.

Ipswich 4-2 Leicester (CH)

Vellios also fired again early on against strugglers Leicester. We were on top enough that we should have had more by the break, and were punished by a 50th minute equalizer. However that didn’t stop Vellios, as he put us 3-1 ahead with 2 goals with 15 minutes left. Captain Shane Duffy even made it 4-1 with a couple of minutes left, before a Leicester consolation.

Derby 2-2 Ipswich (CH)

The first half at Derby was much quieter, though they took control in the second half, taking the lead after an hour. We were then very lucky to have a humiliating own-goal disallowed. Late on, Vellios and Luke Hyam scored to suddenly give us a 2-1 lead, but we didn’t deserve to be that lucky, and an immediate equalizer still left us with a decent result.

Ipswich 1-0 Southampton (CH)

Vellios didn’t add to his tally against Southampton, but a 29th minute goal from right-back Stringer gave us an unimpressive but still quietly deserved win.

Burnley 4-4 Ipswich (CH)

I was worried about going to Burnley, as though they were in the relegation zone, they had a very strong squad. Portuguese forward Joao Costa gave us the lead midway through the first half, but they levelled it by half time, and in the second half pushed on to get a 3-1 lead, then 4-2 after Vellios pulled one back. Costa gave us a very late 3rd, and Vellios snatched a literally last-gasp equalizer, giving us an unlikely draw.

Dec 2020

Ipswich 1-2 Brighton (CH)

The great start ended against Brighton. They took the lead after a few minutes, and though Vellios equalized in the 8th minute, they soon regained the lead. We soon woke up and fought back hard, and with so many good chances I was very unhappy that we couldn’t at least equalize.

Stoke 6-2 Ipswich (CH)

We were completely torn apart at Stoke, who went 3-0 up after half an hour, and had a 4th before the break. Silva pulled one back just 14 seconds into the second half, though an injury leaving us a man down stopped any chance of a Derby-style comeback. They ran up a 6-1 lead before Irish forward Collins gave us a second consolation. As the old joke goes, we won’t get much consolation from that.

Ipswich 2-3 Peterborough (CH)

I wanted to bounce back against Peterborough, and it looked good when Vellios gave us an early lead. However they equalized, then snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time. Silva equalized with 20 minutes left, but they still went on to win, and in truth, we hadn’t put enough effort into it.

Ipswich 2-0 Huddersfield (CH)

We thankfully returned to winning ways against Huddersfield. A quiet first half was followed by a good spell early in the second that saw Irish winger Forde give us the lead in the 47th minute. Silva extended it in the 65th minute, followed by a few Huddersfield chances as we were put on the back foot for a while. It soon petered out and we claimed the win.

Ipswich 1-0 Swindon (CH)

We had quite a few injuries going into a match with Swindon, including having a 16yr old youth (who would probably be decent, but nothing special) up front. We exchanged chances throughout the match, claiming the win from a 34th minute Forde goal, though it was a very close thing at the other end as they tried to equalize.

Bristol City 1-1 Ipswich (CH)

We went to Bristol City on Boxing Day, and they floored us with a goal after half an hour. They kept us on the ropes for most of the game, but the aforementioned youngster, Learoyd, despite carrying a knock, marked his 2nd game for the club with his 1st goal to give us an 82nd minute equalizer.

Birmingham 2-2 Ipswich (CH)

We also conceded early at Birmingham, and when they scored again in the 56th minute, it looked like we were set for a massive beating. Joseph-Monrose pulled a goal back after an hour, signalling a good late push. It looked like it wouldn’t be enough but Hyam gave us the mother of all deep-in-injury-time equalizers.

Ipswich 3-2 Leyton Orient (CH)

The last game of the year was against Leyton Orient. Despite a good start we went behind in the 38th minute. Vellios equalized on the stroke of halftime, and we went on to take the lead from Forde in the 50th minute. They equalized in the 68th minute, but another Forde goal gave us a win.

Despite a poor start to December, it's otherwise been a pretty good so far, with plenty of wins and hardfought/lucky points. While our rise up the table has faltered a bit recently, hopefully it can continue.

[snootyjim]

Dodgy little spell in the middle there, but looks like you're back on form, if not quite as impressive as your start!

Playoffs might be a bit optimistic, but it's a good platform for next year if nothing else.

[deltablue]

Dodgy little spell in the middle there, but looks like you're back on form, if not quite as impressive as your start!

Playoffs might be a bit optimistic, but it's a good platform for next year if nothing else.

It's still managable if we have a good second half of the season given we've risen well so far (they were in the relegation zone when sacking their last manager, and just a point above in 20th when I took over) I remember SRL88 having a similar gap to make up with far less time left in the season, I mentioned he could still do it (though it was a long shot) and he did. Normally I'd just be happy with the improvement, but aside from the fact that a swift promotion would help dodge a looming financial bullet, if there's one place I'm allowed to dream, it's here

Even if we don't do it, I do fancy our chances of a challenge next year, but given I'll need to make a few sales in the summer, as well as needing to plug some gaps left by those and releasing a bunch, it depends on who I feel we can afford to keep. A 240kpw wage bill will have to be pretty much halved (releasing players will cut 60kpw, and the top two earners are on 50kpw combined) and leave a few gaps to plug, and I'd prefer to see it much lower, but also I think I can raise a few million from some players (each) to help cover current and short-term losses so we'll see how many players I'm able to keep.

[noikeee]

Great career move to Ipswich, the Championship should be much better than the correspondent division in Scotland, bit of a club with history too. Shame about the debt however...