R.R.FC

We had 3 wins from 3 at this stage last season and McManus looked great...it's still very early doors. Dunfermline don't have Gary Locke or John Hughes managing them though so I'd imagine you'll do pretty well.

Can't see Dundee United having cash to buy him. And if they did, I'd be surprised if they spent it on an attacker. They already have Keatings, McDonald, N'Koyi, Fraser, Stanton, McMullan and King. Don't agree with some others that we couldn't win the league without Vaughan but we would have to be incredibly lucky with injuries and we have a much, much better chance with him in the team. He's definitely our best player right now though and it's great seeing one of our own youngsters excelling and enjoying himself. Really hope we keep him for the rest of the season as I think he's worth more to us than any fee we'd bring in.

It's not helpful to the young players to just chuck them all in for their first competitive start together. Needs to be a mix with some experience to help them through. Also, as much as this competition is a farce a home defeat to Brora helps nobody. I'd go with Brian McHattie Davo McKay Thomson Barr Berry Matthews Thorsen Spence/Buchanan Osei/Court That still leaves us resting Lennox, Bene, Murray, Robertson, Callachan, Vaughan and one of Spence or Buchanan.

Staying full time was absolutely the right thing to do. History favours full time teams in this league. Furthermore, you're worried about Vaughan leaving scuppering our promotion chances, I would bet good money he'd already be gone if we'd went part time. Same goes for Benedictus, Callachan, Matthews, Barr and Buchanan I'd say. I also think our arrangement with the Michael Woods Centre (a big selling point and advantage for us) is dependant on our use of the facilities being through the day. A hybrid FT/PT model would require night time training which I'm not sure would be part of the original agreement.

I liked him a lot, good signing for Dumbarton. I'd say that's 2 good, 1 average and 1 poor signing from their Rovers 2016/2017 relegation squad pillage.

Wow. I don't know what the f**k has happened here the last 24 hours and I'm not sure if I hate it or love it.

Surely if the hospitality isn't making money it's up to the board to negotiate a deal or come up with a way it does make money rather than dropping it altogether? Plenty of clubs smaller than us can run a successful, profitable hospitality package

I think we'd have lost Barr either way. As good a player as he can be, if you are running with a reduced budget and squad you can't take a risk on someone who has averaged less than 15 games a season over the last 3 years.

Was definitely under John McGlynn he was in the youths. Was there at the same time as Jamie Mackie and Lee Bryce. Was a better technical player than both but don't think he had the physical side to breakthrough at that point. He's only 26, so too young to have been involved in the first team during Calderon's reign.

Barry Smith really needs to up his shirt game to match the quality of signings.

He sounds exactly like a young Bene!

^^^ John Hughes IMO. Poor Bobby Barr...

Euan Murray has just signed for us, any good?

Interesting that Mark Stewart signed a new contract with a relegation clause 3 days after Vaughan went on loan to Dumbarton. Is it standard practice to have that in our contracts or were the board more aware of the relegation danger than the loan suggests?

Not as disappointed with that as I would have in the previous 2 years. Not really surprising given the circumstances when he came back into the team but I didn't think he hit the heights of previous seasons. Number of injuries he has had are bound to take their toll at some point also. Replacement is obviously key to how much of a loss he'll be. If we were able to replace him with someone like Ben Gordon I would be happy enough.

Looking, lazily, at players he has worked with previously, based on what we need and who is available I'll take a guess at one or two of the following: Ben Gordon Jason Marr Willie Dyer/Daryl Meggatt Mark Docherty Greig Spence/Chris Duggan Thats based on him having a totally unimaginative signing policy which I'm sure/hope won't be the case.

Would agree, if we can keep the 7 signed up players, we'll have a very good base for League 1. I'd imagine Benedictus should definitely stay now, Smith worked with him at Alloa and Dundee. Looks like he always worked with Stewart at Dundee and he would of had Davo there too, though I don't think Davidson is under contract.

The biggest rumours about our new manager have been around Dick Campbell and Gary Bollan yet we've got some people saying they wouldn't take Alex Neil or Ray McKinnon .

Fans being pissed off at the prospect of Dick Campbell then the board appointing the manager who actually finished behind him last year would just be so this season...

I've not read the article but if he's not said he's leaving then I'll struggle to take any optimism from it.

The article says we have 7 players signed up for next season. I thought the consensus wasn't we had 10?

I'm exactly the same, after last year I don't feel safe calling any rumour bullshit. Only plus side is given his track record Dick Campbell doesn't really fit the working closely with the youth team requirement. But then again I didn't think Gary Locke met the 'outstanding candidate' description last year...

It says it all about our board in the last 12 months that I actually think there's a chance we'll appoint Dick Fucking Campbell.

I get the point that we need to unite behind the club at some point and create a positive atmosphere. However, we were only relegated 5 days ago and since then we haven't heard anything from Drysdale and our chairman is still trying to maintain they didn't make a mistake in appointing Locke. I think after the season we've endured we're allowed to be pissed off for more than 5 days.

How many players have moved directly between ourselves and the Pars permanently in recent times? I can't think of too many. Craig Wilson, Andy Tod, Joe Cardle. I can think of a few loans and loads that have played for both but doesn't seem too common for players to move directly between the two.