Source: Team_Talk
Raith boss rues fixture congestion
Raith Rovers manager John McGlynn claims his Scottish Cup dream has been usurped by an Irn-Bru First Division fixture nightmare.[LNB] The Starks Park side are preparing for their first Scottish Cup semi-final in 47 years against Dundee United at Hampden on Sunday.[LNB]However, due to a combination of cup success and bad weather this season, league games have piled up to guarantee a hectic end to the campaign for the Kirkcaldy men.[LNB]Although Raith beat Ayr United 2-0 at Somerset Park on Wednesday night to take them in to seventh place and six points away from a relegation play-off spot, McGlynn insists the fixture congestion is taking its toll on his threadbare squad.[LNB]"It's a nightmare for us," he said.[LNB]"It's been difficult up to now but it's going to get a lot more difficult.[LNB]"After the semi-final, we have Airdrie on the 14th, Queen of the South on the 17th, Partick on the 19th, Dundee on the 21st then Dundee again on the 24th.[LNB]"Then it's Airdrie on the 26th, Queen of the South on the 28th and we finish with Ross County on the 1st of May.[LNB]"So although it has been a heavy load on the players, it's going to get worse.[LNB]"The win at Ayr means that at least we can enjoy the next few days leading up to the Scottish Cup game but no sooner will have that come and gone then we will be back in to the number of games that we have to play.[LNB]"We are not out of the mire, so to speak, with regards to the league so the fixture backlog is going to have an effect on our players.[LNB]"It is having an effect now and with not having the largest squad it's a strain on each and every one of the players.[LNB]"We have players who are not 100% fit but to their credit they are going on the park.[LNB]"The lads have always rallied round and dug in deep so I have nothing but admiration for the squad and I know that they will respond on Sunday."[LNB]McGlynn claims the Scottish Football League has offered the Kirkcaldy club sympathy rather than help over their plight.[LNB]He said: "We have spoken to the SFL but with no success whatsoever.[LNB]"They have said that they sympathise but are not extending the league.[LNB]"We could get dragged in to a play-off situation which could make it very difficult to play more fixtures by extending the league and we may have a Scottish Cup final to play on May 15.[LNB]"That would certainly pose an issue for the SFL with regards to cramming games in to a short period of time.[LNB]"So I don't think there is an easy answer to it but we seem to be suffering the most due to the amount of games cancelled in the winter.[LNB]"But the cup results so far spur us on ahead of Sunday.[LNB]"We know we did it over two games against Aberdeen in the quarter-finals and it speaks volumes that we went to Pittodrie in the replay and beat them.[LNB]"Before that we showed the character to beat Dundee, who were big favourites, and that shows the belief.[LNB]"We do realise that Dundee United are the form team in Scottish football.[LNB]"It looks like they have a European spot tied up and they are looking to push Celtic all the way to the end of the season for second place so we realise we have a big task ahead.[LNB]"But we feel we can cause them a few problems."
