Welcome to another month of FM19 action in sunny Kirkcaldy. We’re a bit punch-drunk but we’re not on the canvas quite yet!
Tough games and winnable ones coming up.
We need at least 6 points I reckon in these next 4 league games before we enter the split and the last 5 league games between 6th and 12th placed teams. 50/50 I think on whether we can stay up.
A few bits before we get to our first game.
Gavin Robinson 2nd in Young Player of the Month in the Premiership 🙂 Think he’s ahead of McIntosh because he’s played more games in February.
Continental A got – last one coming up…
Continental Pro Licence this time next year then 🙂 Solid 2* Reputation now 🙂
The Friday night game sees Dundee Utd lose – they are in range if we can play really well.
As we play Rangers on the Sunday there are a few games on Saturday first, including Motherwell away to Ross County…
A big result for us as Ross County win in stoppage time. Rangers is now a free hit 🙂 Celtic also pin back Hibs at the very top. and Killie go past Rangers into 3rd…
5th March 2023 – Rangers (H) – Ladbrokes Premiership
We welcome Rangers to Stark’s Park and the BBC Scotland/Sky Sports/Whoever has Scottish football by that point’s cameras as we’re live on TV today 🙂 Rangers are 4th and have tough games recently, two losses versus A.C. Milan in the Europa League 1st Knockout Round, a loss to Motherwell(!) and a draw last time out 0-0 versus Championship Falkirk…
Pretty much full strength (Except for Hunter who can’t play as he’s owned by Rangers) – Small injuries have been cleared up (Skelly, Grimshaw & Crookes) so lets do this. Rangers go 4-2-3-1 Wide – They have household names (At least in Scotland), lets go create an upset!
FT Raith 0 Rangers 1 (Morelos 48) Att 8,867 (4,434 Away)
is it an omen? – the sun is out for the first time in months 🙂 Rangers in Orange today, looks weird. Not many highlights, though Gael Kakuta had a good chance after getting behind the back line after a long bomb just before 20 minutes. A few set pieces for Rangers but nothing doing. 0-0 at the break.
Hamilton on for Black at half time as a normal CM(S). Rangers are slightly on top I’d say. And a spring drizzle has started… 1-0 Rangers, 48th minute, quick break, Morelos with 2 bites of the Cherry. 70 mins, Kris Mitchell on for Matthews, pushing Skelly on. Marshall on for Chrzanowski, Crookes to CD(BPD D). That’s a shame – 1 slip-up by the defence. 1-0 Rangers.
So, Aberdeen in the Cup Replay next up in 3 days. We were the better team at the theirs, lets see what we can do.
Our Reserves beat Deveronvale 4-1; Kyle Benedictus, Aaron Welsh (21yo ML ) and a brace from Liam Ross the goals.
Of course – the first choice Keeper gets injured… Fuck off game. Ross Stewart (2* CA) will be getting some game time. TBF he wouldn’t have played against Aberdeen as they own him, but nevertheless FM can do one.
8th March 2023 – Aberdeen (H) – Scottish Cup Quarter Final Replay
The second big club in 3 days come to Kirkcaldy – an Aberdeen side that we possibly should have beaten at theirs. They beat Dundee Utd last Friday 1-0 – lets see if we can get to the Semi’s
Hunter back in midfield, Mitchell for Matthews on the right, Stewart in goal. Have a go lads! Aberdeen go 4-2-3-1 Wide.
FT Raith 1 (Robinson 18) Aberdeen 3 (McIntosh 39, 79, Dunne 45+1) Att 6,627 (1,799 Away)
It’s not raining again!! And in the 5th minute we get a good chance – al lovely ball over to Skelly from Chrzanowski, but he overruns it a bit. But we do take the lead! 18th minute, a lovely through ball from Mitchell & Robinson runs onto it and scores well. 1-0 Raith. We’re looking good going forward this evening. Nearly a goal on the counter – Skelly galloping inside, his cross to Mitchell saved really well. The Aberdeen keeper is really keeping them in this. Then out of nowhere it’s 1-1 – McIntosh with the goal after being slipped in. And just before half time it’s 2-1 Aberdeen – Dunne with a header direct from a corner. 2-1 Aberdeen at the break – FFS Lads, sort it out!!!
Marshall on for Crookes at Half Time, he’s better going forward. 60 minutes, Hamilton for Grimshaw, Bigirimana for Hunter, going 4-5-1. Again we’re getting chances, just not putting them away. And of course we get caught with a through-ball. 3-1 Aberdeen, McIntosh again. And that’s how it finished. I think we may need to go down to come back up stronger, we’re just not good enough defensively.
Wow! Falkirk knock Rangers out on Pens after being down to 10 men for an hour!! We face Hearts next in the league – we need something from somewhere… We get £18k for the loss.
Good to see our 4 youngsters in the Scotland set-up.
11th March 2023 – Hearts (H) – Ladbrokes Premiership
We welcome a Hearts side today that is in 9th and struggling – we need 3 points, can we somehow start finishing our chances??
Marshall in at left back for Crookes, Mitchell starts on the right as Matthews picked up a knock. McGuff gets a go in goal (We have 4 keepers at the club all at 2* CA) – Just need a bit of luck. Hearts go with the same formation, 4-1-4-1 DM.
FT Raith 0 Hearts 3 (Clare 22, 38, 74) Att 8,867 (4,434 Away)
Sunny again as we move into spring, and a Marshall free kick nearly goes in within 2 minutes. But Hearts take the lead in the 22nd minute – Clare with a header than hits the underside of the crossbar, then off the Keeper’s leg and in… 2-0 in the 38th, same man, played on by Chrzanowski, gets a tap in. 2-0 at the break, what the fuck do I do with this bunch of wankers?
Miller & Mitchell off at HT, Hamilton & Hazard on, 4-3-3 Wide. 65, no highlights, Ferrier on for Grimshaw, going 4-4-2. Clare gets his hat-trick in the 74th, Ferrier hits the post in the 77th. 3-0. Going to have to try something else.
I think we’re going down – Motherwell salvage a point though an own goal in the 93rd minute… Putting a friendly in versus Civil Service for the International Break.
We’ve had the youth intake – they are all shit (not one 3*+PA amongst them)
They did beat our U18’s 1-0 though, Anderson with the goal. Think there will 5 I sign.
Friendly – Civil Service 1 (Collins 1) Raith 2 (Ross 52, Ferrier 86) Att 1,071 (393 Away)
Yes – we had guys on International duty, but seriously…. Very lucky, though we bossed the game and had 21 shots only 9 were on target…
Gavin Robinson scored against Liechtenstein – 3 in 7 for Scotland 🙂
Our Reserves drew 2-2 with Rangers Res, Kylian Hazard and 19yo STC Craig Wright with the goals.
25th March 2023 – St. Mirren (H) – Ladbrokes Premiership
We welcome a St. Mirren side in 7th, 6 points behind Inverness CT with 2 games before the split and 10 goal difference left, meaning in reality they will be in the bottom half for the last 5 games. Like us they are in a bad run, 4 losses and a draw in their last 5 league games, so can we potentially get something today?
Back to what we were playing around with in January – 4-1-3-2 Narrow, Control football. Liam Ross (Who is getting better quickly) in as a TM(S) with Gav Robinson having the freedom to just do what he does. Twin Mezzalas with Miller as the DLP in the centre, Grimshaw as a ball winner DM, normal wingbacks and Crookes & Innes the centreback partnership. Stewart in goal, Leitch is back soon. St. Mirren go with a 4-2-3-1 Wide.
FT Raith 1 (Miller 33) St. Mirren 2 (Vassell 77, Cullen 88) Att 4,073 (663 Away)
Similar kits today… Very quiet start but Liam Ross pulls up lame in the 18th minute – Ferrier on. St. Mirren picking the Yellow cards up early on. And Raith take the lead in the 33rd minute! A Bigirimana corner headed by Robinson against the post, Miller on hand to tap in. 1-0. St. Mirren pushing hard towards the end of the half but we go in 1-0 to the good.
Slight change to the midfield – switching the Mezzalas to BBM (Bigirimana) and CM(A) Black. We get to 60 with just an offside highlight for St. Mirren – Hamilton for Black, CM(S). St. Mirren hit the post soon after, and we break, Ferrier scuffing the shot. We lasted until the 77th minute. 1-1, Vassell at the back post after a missed header by Innes… Murray on for Grimshaw as an Enganche, 4-3-1-2 Positive. Kick off highlight, nearly 2-1 St. Mirren. We are so fragile. 2-1 St, Mirren, 88th, Cullen – walked through us. Think I’m done with this team, time for a change.
Time to look further afield. I think I might wait until June/July 2023 to see what’s about, and from then it will be a post per season as we go towards FM21 (I won’t be doing a save in that until databases are available I think, unless Vanilla has a few more playable ones in there.
With that I will focus on the FM20 (Currently with Dundalk) journey as I rue leaving Berwick when I did – It was a really bad mistake, one I won’t be making again. See you soon.