WELCOME RETURN TO MATCH PLAY

EAST Fife boss Dave Baikie has cursed last week's free Saturday for contributing to his side's weekend defeat against Dumbarton.
While Sons were booking their place in the next round of the Scottish Cup with a fine victory over Raith Rovers, the Fifers were left facing a junior team in a bounce match at Dalgety Bay.
Baikie told the East Fife Mail this week he felt not being in competitive action the previous week had cost his side at the Strathclyde Homes stadium.
"We always knew it was going to be a tough game because as well as them having a good record at home, they also had a game last week and we did not, which I thought was a big disadvantage," he said.
"But we started well enough and had a couple of good chances.
"John Martin took his run a bit too wide and the keeper was able to make a save and then Paul Ritchie had a good shot which went over the bar.
"I'm disappointed to have been beaten, obviously, but there's still a long way to go in this league yet and there are around five or six teams that can still win it, so we're just going to keep going."
The Fifers' warm-up jinx struck again on Saturday when Craig O'Reilly suffered a stomach muscle strain, meaning Paul Ritchie made the starting XI.
"We were watching the players warm up and Craig didn't really seem to be running too freely," explained Baikie. "The longer the warm-up went on, the worse he began to look, so we let the physio have a look at him.
"He said it looked like a muscle strain in his stomach and if he played, he could have been out for two or three weeks, so we had to make the change."
Ironically Dumbarton's winning goal came from Fifer Craig Winter, a player for whom the East Fife boss made an offer last week, which Dumbarton refused.
But Baikie said he'd not given up hope of landing his man just yet.
He said: "He still stays locally and we'd heard the travelling was getting too much, so we made an offer through the proper channels which was turned down.
"I think the fact they are playing Celtic in the cup has a lot to do with it as well, because he wants to be involved with that.
"But now he would probably have to be the one who instigated the first move and ask for a transfer, and we'd look at it again. I'm still interested in him.
"But we're looking for a couple of players to come in over the next few weeks."
Baikie added: "Ideally, I'd like two or three because we have players playing out of position, so we need to look at that."
One who seems unlikely to return to Bayview is Gretna hot-shot Kenny Deuchar, who has asked for a transfer.
The manager had said Dr Deucher was someone he would like to bring back but this week, he said as yet "nothing has happened".
Unbeaten at home in the league, East Fife's run of difficult games continues this Saturday when Campbell Money's Stenhousemuir visit.
Baikie says he expects a difficult 90 minutes.
"Stenhousemuir are one of those five or six teams I was talking about that can win this league and they play some good football as well, so it will be hard," he said.
"But to be quite honest, I'm just glad we've got a game under our belts again."

20 December 2006

What a load of pish from Baikie, he should have his team ready whenever, wherever and whoever they play

You are right Alfie boy. Baikie's excuses are pathetic. This reminds me of the crap he came out with about expectations being too high and some of the fans having 'delusions of grandeur'. Has he ever said: I picked the wrong team, or I got the tactics wrong? No, never. It is always someone else's fault.

Good afternoon pop pickers

Baikie is full of excuses and shite, he does pack a good punch though.
Will probably be foggy this weekend so he blame the weather.
Merry Christmas

moan, moan, moan, ...Baikie must go... heard it all before. Get a grip guys - nae wonder people think Fifer's are miserable.

Am no sayin Baikie must go, I am just askin for a wee bit o honesty. If we played crap, then maybe he should say it was the wrong tactics used. I would respect him for that, its when he comes out wi such excuses.
I dont disagree wi Baikie when he states that there are probably 6 team that can win the league, I want him to study the opponents and apply the right tactics to go out and win, as we have a good squad o players to actually win the league.

FFS,some folk are never ever happy.Think back to a year ago when some of us were freezing our b@lls off standing on the mound to what we have today.
I know what I would rather have.

How much good do you think it would do if he came out and said 'I fucked up'????? It may affect morale etc and theres no point in that now is there.

Jose Mourinho would protect & take the pressure of his players by accepting the responsibility when results have gone against them and it does not seem to have effected morale at Stamford Bridge.
Sometimes a wee bit o honesty works.

Whats done is done and we lost to Dumbarton, end of story, I don't care if there's excuses or not, I only care about the next game and preparing for that.

I don't think they could print that in the papers though!

Have to admit that he is a wee bit negative at times.His previous comments of making us a hard team to beat and whichever team scores first usually goes on to win doesn`t do him any favours.
TBH,I feel we need to start playing for the whole game,not for one half.

Yeah your right Allison, prepare and be ready for the next match wi the right tactics to gub however we play no excuses

Allison Chains and "No excuses" in the same sentence. Methinks someone knows a thing or two about rawk music.