Raith Against The Machine

If the boy at the back of the South Stand, who keeps calling anyone and everyone "a cunt", wants to spend his Saturdays at the pictures instead, I'll buy his popcorn.

For all the talk of Nouble he's been involved very rarely in a positive sense, beyond one great touch to take control of a loose pass. Michael McKenna has looked much more dangerous, albeit without really getting a huge number of chances either. It's been far from our most comfortable first half performance of the season, but we've mostly kept Arbroath at arm's length. A little less knicker-wetting from some in the South Stand and it'd feel a little better too. Most of our forays up the park have come to an end with Varian on the ground and the referee looking away nonplussed, but we've knocked it about very well at times. The interplay within the midfield and with the fullbacks has been excellent.

Not literally, Ethon.

Berra complaining about that yellow card

Varian's getting nothing out of the referee. They've all been shouts that you could debate so I'm not crying conspiracy, but he's going to need to adjust his game to suit. "Shove 'um back!" as the man says.

Varian ahead of Poplatnik is a bold choice, once again. I don't know if it's a case of seeing Varian as a sort of false nine, who's presence makes more room for the likes of Zanatta and Connolly. You'd expect to see Poplatnik sooner rather than later if things aren't going our way, certainly.

Mullin should be away there. The rest are all fair enough bookings for pushy shouty aggression but he's got his hands up.

Guid patter.

Fifteen grand, it seems. Well remembered.

We owed Cowden compensation on account of how much training and development they'd given him. I wonder if we might be able to get a refund on that.

Would a five figure fee for Ethan Ross be the most the Rovers have spent on a transfer since Paul Hartley in 1997? Other than an undisclosed fee for Kieran MacDonald which wasn't rumoured to be much, and a "four figure fee" for Craig Winter from Dumbarton, I can't think of any others this side of the millennium we've actually handed over cash for.

If they sack Grant soon I'm sure Petrie can get them up to ninth by the end of the season.

Ethan Ross has signed for the Rovers until the end of season 2023/24, after leaving Aberdeen in the summer. He'd toured about a few different places but hadn't signed up, largely because of the compensation due to Aberdeen, if reports are to be believed. Something of a coup for the Rovers to get this one over the line.

If we had a squad of 19 or 20 fit and fighting first-teamers I'd probably agree with you, but as it stands, it's a case of better-the-devil-you-know, for me. While BRS might not win any player of the year awards, he's a known quantity. We've got enough to do in January without taking a gamble on a like-for-like replacement for him too.

I think that's the right choice. Provides continuity through January when we'll likely have to make at least a couple of moves already, but I'm not convinced he's done enough to warrant anything beyond the end of the season.

That's some statement of intent. Not a move I can say I expected from the Rovers, but credit where it's due. He's still young and still needs time to develop, he wasn't outstanding every week last season, but he's more than good enough to play Championship football, and who knows where his ceiling is. I can't think that there's anyone else out there who would be a better signing with the windows closed.

If this thread pivots to Father Ted memes, I will be very pleased.

It'll take a recovery from injury and a recall from loan, but there's potential for "Lew, Fonkeu, Zanatta too, and Mahady".

Unless I'm very much mistaken, he'd be the first Cameroonian to play for us since Thierry Gatthuessi, the only player I can recall John McGlynn subbing before half-time just for being utterly dreadful.

Norwich paid £428,000 to get him from Club Brugge a few years back. He's 24, he's played very little football, and the three or four guys who both follow Weymouth FC and have an internet connection are somewhat... uncomplimentary about his fitness, ability and attitude... I don't know about you, but I'm fucking buzzing.

They need that stand to seat all the surplus centre halfs that Peter Grant has stockpiled. (The away team are changing in the concourse of that stand behind the goal, so it's Red Zoned)

"Can I play centre half anymore?" "Of course you can!" "Well I couldn't before..."

Does he have a moustache?

*googles British players who moved abroad relatively recently and might've chucked it*

That was a lovely wee run from Mitchell that was only stopped by a body check that one of the Flyers would be proud of. I can't say I've seen enough of him to really judge on technical ability, but Arnott looks physically ready for senior football, which isn't a particularly common asset for players who've come through our academy system, in its various guises.