A_Rover_In_The_Burgh

Genuine question, just for a bit of chat. What would be everyone's starting 11 if Rudden is signed, and everyone was fit? It's a tough one I'm going to leave my opinion out for now as I'll just get stick

Rudden would be a great signing and I know we need cover at the back but we also need someone in who can push Hamilton and Vaughan because at the moment there's no one. Difficult to say about Ashcroft after he started for Dundee the other night. If we can get Murray and Watson fit and keep them fit then Corr is and should be used as backup. We need someone who can play at right or left back and challenge Dick and Millen, getting it a bit easy those two as nobody really pushing them for their positions. If we can get the balance right in the team we can win this league, I still believe we have a better team and squad. Just have to watch Partick pushing on now.

Couldn't make yesterday as I'm in Ireland but the back line didn't look good when I 1st seen it. We may as well release Corr and Masson now if they can't even get a game when there's no defenders. Obviously saving Murray and Watson for the league, which makes sense. What we doing if Hamiltons injured now? No options there either?

Embarrassment... You're absolutely bang on, they have been. Played the bottom 3 and Airdrie and taken 2 points, that is embarrassing. One team playing with 10 men and the other with a goalie upfront and you think that's acceptable? At any point this season you haven't turned around and said this formation, Murrays tactics or player choice have not been great? Cause if you haven't then you've no been at the games. Sometimes I honestly feel Murray could put a guy out with a white stick and folk would applaud it. The guy has the biggest budget any Raith manager has probably ever had and we are literally scraping results in every game we've played this season. The fact he still hasn't addressed our biggest issue, our back 4 and brought in another midfielder? We are playing probably our biggest midfield asset in the back 4 and have done for a lot of the season and you wonder why we are losing goals?! Why is that acceptable? We've got 7 defenders, 2 won't get a look in, that being Masson and Hannah so we technically have 5 defenders, we have 11 yes 11 midfielders not including ethan Ross whose out on loan and officially 2 recognised strikers in Vaughan and Hamilton. Smith and Gullan are not strikers by and shape or form. So tell me, does that look like a well balanced squad? Not in my eyes and it's shown, injuries in defence and suspensions have left us with nothing at the back and we pulled someone in from obscurity who we relied on heavily and we will miss because he is probably better than what we have. He leaves and we have a game that week and have literally 2 defenders available, he goes out and gets another midfielder?? Surely you try and bolster the back line or am I just being daft? How many times this season when Hamilton hasn't been fit or started have we been rancid up front, cause there's no options up there. Turner is a great player but it isn't what we need at this moment. We need a defender who can play right across the back line with height and another striker. If you argue that then you're a dafty at best. Just be honest with what you're seeing. We play in patches and not for 90 minutes. When we do play, we can be great to watch but that doesn't win you games. Defence is what will win you games and ours is brutal. At this moment we need to probably play a back 5 to try and stop conceding and start from there. Problem is we don't have enough defenders but it's fine just play one on the 11 midfielders in there, cause that's the best option We have a fantastic team there's no doubting but they aren't being utilised correctly. If you feel playing 6 upfront I nearly all of your games to try and get something from the game is acceptable then go and watch kids football, cause that's where you usually see they tactics employed and even that isn't working anymore. So Murrayballers what next? Gaffers 1 trick for the season isn't working, where do we go from here. Don't call me an embarrassment for calling it like I see it.

Behave, stop covering the glaring cracks that have been there all season. Get yer rose tinted specs off. We haven't won a single game in the league convincingly all season, the defence is brutal with or without Murray. If you can't see that his formation and tactical awareness is lacking at present then you my friend, need to go to specsavers. I mean he played a keeper who only had one leg against Dunfermline we have 2 other keepers. He was so lucky to get away with that. As for tremendous players. I couldn't give a monkeys about what they done 8 weeks ago, it's about what they are not doing now. We have a pool of players, with most being good enough to start, so why not change it up? Playing players for their reputation doesn't cut it with me. They ain't performing and I'm not the only one in here saying that. I hope it does change and I hope Murray becomes a tactical genius but everything the Airdrie fans said about him are quite evident right now. How many games have we finished this season with like 6 upfront Thats not great management. We haven't finished off one team this season in the league. That's down to formation and tactics. He doesn't have a plan B when plan A doesn't work, which it isn't. Honestly don't call me an embarrassment for calling out what's been in front of us all season and we all seen it coming. My posts even when we were winning were the same as this because last minute goals were covering up 80 minutes of drivel.

It's actually embarrassing but this has been coming all season. Every bloody game pretty much we finish with 6 players upfront, it's a joke. The formation and personnel starting needs completely changed. A good few need dropped Easton, Vaughan, Byrne, Connolly, cannae drop the defence as they are all injured Woeful, again all comes down to poor management decisions in my eyes. Murray really worries me with his inability to spot the glaring issues in front of him. Defence and a striker, instead he brings in another midfielder?! Maybe Matthews is crocked again, who knows but we are over run with midfielders. So poor

2 at the back. This is going to be 3-1

I just feel that Murray is a one trick pony at present.

Shambolic just don't play any defenders I absolutely hate this formation as well, doesn't work at all.

Two defensive midfielders against the bottom team that on both occasions we've had to throw the sink at in the last 10 minutes to get anything from the game. I thought folk who supported teams in this league would be well aware that position, 9/10 means feck all. Incase folk haven't realised it but our defence is rank and in my eyes needs as much protection as it can get, plus Brown wouldn't just sit there unless asked, that's not his remit but he does play CB so I'm sure he'd be a good fit in there. Are people not looking at the amount of goals we conceed? A cleansheet guarantees no defeat. When raith won the league back in 92 we played a back 5 in all our games McStay Coyle Sinclair Dennis McLeod Being tough to beat, sets up skilled players to do their job and we have them in abundance. Just my thoughts.

Sorry I didn't make it clear, that would be my choice. I'm well aware Murray will not do it. I'm just trying to provoke a chat in relation to the choices we do have. Something needs to change because the last 5 or so games we've been pretty shite and its not all on the players, formation and tactics need looked at as well as its just not working and in truth hasn't all season. There's only so many times you can throw the dice and win before your luck fades and that's exactly what has been happening in the last few games. Against Airdrie, we looked absolutely clueless and was pretty much the case away to Arbroath as well. So to me that all tells a story, that in pretty much every game we've won, we've had to change formation, so why not start with the formation that is winning us games and that has been 3-5-2. Nobody can argue with that unless you like 85 minutes of fairly shite football followed by 10 minutes of carnage? I'd prefer to try and win games comfortably. I feel we have the players to play 3-5-2. Maybe against Airdrie we match their 4-3-3? One big issue we have is the lack of height in our centre half's and that was shown again by Todorov scoring with a header at the weekend. I also feel that we don't have a prolific striker or one that can cause any issues if Hamilton is out via strength and hold up play to link up with our midfield. The problem we have now is we have such a strong team when fit, who do you play? as they could all have a shout to start. If fit on Saturday the team I feel that may start; Dabrowski McGill Brown Corr Dick Byrne Connolly Turner/Matthews Easton Hamilton Smith

I'm not an Airdrie fan but I feel he'd be a big loss if Hibs did decide to pull him back from his loan. Due to his age if he was to be sold on by Hibs in years to come, would you guys not get a development payment from that?

I reckon going forward, we just don't defend, we're shite at it anyway. Team; Dabrowski Watson Murray Byrne Brown Connolly Stanton Turner Easton Vaughan Hamilton All in

Every possibility?! Would be intrigued to hear what his fellow colleagues thought of him? It would maybe make sense in terms of not offering him a longer contract as well. We're not flies on the wall but the fact he's chipped in with goals and Murray hasn't went all out to get him maybe paints more of a picture when you stand back and look at it.

From a Raith perspective, could Megwa not have fucked off to the Middle East a week before now He's a crackin player. He literally had our left hand side in his pocket. Makes me wonder how Murray never used his Hibs connections and brought him to us? Good luck with the rest of the season

He had a fair few set-twos from what I seen. Away to Arbroath he was arguing with Dick a fair bit, against Airdrie I seen him arguing with Bryne and telling him where to go. He definitely does talk, no doubt about it. He's tenacious, hard in the tackle, not shy in going for headers but isn't the tallest so lost a fair few, can shift when needed ie quick and pitches in with goals. He's a good acquisition in my eyes. I really liked him but as others stated he didn't solve our conceding issues. I'd have liked to have seen him paired with Watson but that was why he was brought in. Good luck to him. Hope he doesn't come back to haunt us

So now I'd go if Murray isn't fit Dabrowski Masson Corr Dick Byrne Connolly Turner Brown Smith Mullin Hamilton Shake it up a little If tiffoney did come in then I'd put him in place of Smith. If Stevenson was to come in then; Corr Dick Stevenson if Murray isn't fit. Alternatively taking all possible injuries into account; McNeil Masson Corr Dick Byrne Brown Connolly Turner Smith Easton Hamilton

Well start him at right back and by half time we'll be playing that 3 at the back I want to see

I'm clasping at straws with Gullan . I feel bad at times but I just don't see the same player as his 1st stint with us. Maybe right back? We do have McGill who is a midfielder, could we maybe play him as a midfielder for once? Or am I being crazy?

I feel trying Gullan there and if he's pants boot him. He's offering nothing up front. I get Brown can play a ball out but we didn't need that against Airdrie. We just needed the ball up the field. As for Easton, would just like to see him in there with the support of Brown and Byrne. Both offer defensive cover for him.

I swear he went 4 at the back. McGill was on the left of the 4 and Smith went to the left wing and Gullan went up top. Byrne and Matthews were in the middle Connolly on the right. McGill definitely did not go out to left wing.

I do feel that Easton has added a lot to his game ovee the last six months. He does sometimes try and do too much but the same can be said of Lewy. I think it's one of those things when it comes to talented players. They have sometimes too much belief in themselves. I don't think trying it would hurt. Even playing Mullin on the right and Connolly on the left who are both capable of covering in there if he's further up. I'd just like to see the 3-5-2 started and if it doesn't work so be it, I will put my hands up. I just feel we've played our best football with that formation.

It looked to me like McGill was at left back. His use of subs on Saturday was perplexing and not thought out in my eyes. Like why would you even put Brown in to the back line when chasing the game? It made no sense? It should have been Byrne Matthews and Brown in the centre with Smith on the left Connolly on the right. As much as Vaughan was having a poor game I'd have left him on with Hamilton, certainly not putting Gullan up there, he's rank rotten upfront. The back line should have been Millen O'Reilly and Dick. Murrays complete lack of tactical and a formational change to try and outwit Airdrie was worrying. We all knew, or I thought we did, that we had to change it up for this and he didn't and well the rest is history. I do think Easton should be tried in there. He is our most creative player on his day. Stanton is more consistent though. Stantons injury is huge but I really believe that we do have a squad capable of filing in there or should.

I feel we are all overlooking Easton playing in the creative role in midfield. I don't see how it shouldn't be tried. Plenty other options on the left. He fits the bill perfectly in my eyes. He's added a lot to his game over the last 6 months or so. For QP Dabrowski Masson Corr Dick Byrne Gullan Brown Easton Connolly Hamilton Vaughan If O'Reilly signs him in front of Masson. When all fit then it will probably be A back 3 of; O'Reilly Watson Murray or Dick I do feel it needs to be mixed up a little. We haven't dominated games like I feel we are capable of doing and certainly not finishing them off. I'm no the gaffer though and I can't see him changing his formation unless chasing the game but didn't at Airdrie for the 1st time this season when chasing the game.

Don't think there's a thread?! This will be a tough one after the convincing defeat against Airdrie, we shall see how they bounce back. QP results haven't been great recently but we've not performed convincingly against them either. This will be interesting as no Millen, Stanton and probably no Murray or Dabrowski. Also O'Reilly might be away as well? Easton, Lewy, Smith, Byrne and Mullin were all pretty poor against Airdrie. I think it's an absolute no brainier that Hamilton has to start for this, if fit? Gullan has been woeful every game I've seen him in. I don't think he's a striker in any shape or form. Does he offer anything in midfield? I feel bringing him on upfront is just a waste of a sub 99% of the time. Personally I feel something needs to change in terms of formation. It's really doing nothing for the team and I think people are finally seeing that 4 in midfield doesn't suit how we play. It is Murray so I doubt the formation will change though. Team for me against QP; McNeil O'Reilly Corr Dick Byrne Connolly Matthews Brown Smith Hamilton Most likely as far as guessing Murrayball; McNeil McGill O'Reilly Corr Dick Connolly Byrne Brown Easton or Smith Vaughan Hamilton Completely changes if O'Reilly isn't signed up. Masson in the centre maybe? Fingers crossed for this one.