Raith Against The Machine

Overall, I was relatively impressed with Pixellot. Maybe it was low expectations, but for a fiver that was alright. As mentioned previously, it loses the ball when it's booted into the air, and struggles to find it again if it's on the far side. I imagine grounds with a higher camera position will find that's less of an issue. Disappointing that it missed one of the goals, and you'd hope that kind of thing can be improved, but it caught the vast majority of the goalmouth action. I suppose it'd be a bit different if it was a league game and it happened to cut off the only goal in a tight 1-0, right enough.

Our papier mache striker, unfortunately. Although the good news is he's back on, for the moment. I really hope he can get a good six months injury free, so we can really get a good feel for how suited he is to proper first team football. Mahady came on for Duku at some point too. He's really not a wee laddie.

We've just put on a number 21, I think for Hendry. Certainly he's gone into the middle of the park. I don't think we have a number 21 currently, so f**k knows who that is? Maybe that's Arnott and the number 25 and his numberless compatriot were one and the same. It's getting very Alexandre Dumas out there.

Both are from Fife Elite. The same two trialists we've had all pre-season, but apparently Arnott signed a deal this morning. It's 5-0. Short corner on the far side to create a better angle, in-swinging cross was met with a not-particularly-decent header and the keeper somehow let it squirm past him and over the line in the bottom corner. Possibly Anderson assisted by Coulson? Thomson has just made a good save from a 20 yard effort. I think that's Brechin's first shot on goal.

It's 4-0. Quinn Coulson got the goal, showed really good composure as the ball dropped to him in the box. Three goals in pre-season will do his confidence no harm at all! We've made some substitutions. I missed them as they happened, but Thomson is back in goal. It looks like Anderson for Tait was a straight swap. Coulson came on for the trialist right back, and we've got a new configuration in defence. Armstrong to left back, MacDonald and Davo in the middle, Benedictus right back. Smith on for Tait now too.

Either the trialist has changed, or the trialist's jersey has changed. Our right back was wearing number 25 in the first half. Thanks to the limitations of Pixellot and its allergy to zoom we didn't get a good look at him, but I think it's a different player on now. I'm wondering if first half wasn't actually Arnott who's now signed, and this unknown starlet is the true "trialist".

Ethan Ross has a decent effort turned away by the keeper, in a move that unfolded in a pattern I suspect we're going to see a lot of this season. Hendry/Matthews plays a simple, hard pass into Duku who has his back to goal. Duku has a choice of three runners all swarming forward. He lays it off, and the runner has the cjoic eof a shot himself or a ball across to one of his colleagues. It's nice to see a clearly planned strategy like that working, even if it is against League Two opposition. By Christ, I've missed the football.

And there's another one. Matthews with a lovely ball in for Ethan Ross. The back line all stating and facing forward as Ross went streaming through. Not quite sure what happened with it hitting the post and rolling across the line, but it looked like a tidy enough finishing across the keeper to the back post. Very composed. Not sure how much the defence is going to learn this afternoon, unless things take a drastic turn. Good for the chemistry and the confidence of the attack, I suppose.

The mobility and fluidity in this attacking midfield three is causing Brechin all sorts of problems. The back line is setting itself alongside Duku, but the midfield hasn't dropped back, leaving a huge amount of space. Ross, Tait and Armstrong having a field day.

Lovely goal that. Ethan Ross certainly looks lively. Loads of energy, and he's been fairly direct so far. Took the ball off the left flank there, cut inside and kept going as the defence expected the shot, only to play Tait (I believe) in with a reverse pass. Tait's first touch was a little too heavy and stopped him taking the shot, but he chipped a great wee cross to the back post for Duku to nod over the line.

The trialist is indeed at right back. I only caught the first couple of minutes of the Rovers' audio, but I believe the other trialist who's been on the bench, Arnott, has signed a contract. Early signs seem to be that Pixellot loses track of the ball if it's hoofed into the air. That might be something of an issue in our lower leagues...

Haven't seen the line-up published anywhere. Looks like... MacDonald Trialist, Benedictus, Davidson, MacDonald; Hendry, Matthews Armstrong, Tait, Ross; Duku I'm just guessing that the trialist is at right back. Seems its a lad from Fife Elite, rather than some exotic import.

It makes sense. McGlynn has reiterated that he's keen on the 4-2-3-1, and it's only really Armstrong who's naturally a wide part of that "3" (and Anderson, I suppose, although he's just as likely to appear anywhere else these days). Another wide player gives us a little bit more balance and variety.

On the contrary, further midfield reinforcements bring us one step closer to Regan Hendry's natural final form - Beckenbauer-esque libero.

Raith Rovers sign Ethan Ross from Aberdeen on loan until the end of the season.

I'd expect to see the number of loan signings across the league really ramp up this week as we get closer to competitive football. Real balance to be struck for clubs with the need for a strong first team going up against the very clear need for tight purse-strings. I think we can expect a midfielder to come in from somewhere, and I wonder if McGlynn's in the board's ear to try and get another full back in too.

I call it "The Anti-Drysdale".

I'm absolutely here for us naming four goalkeepers in a match day squad.

I've really missed this. I'm much more comfortable when my mood is determined by the health of 20 men I've never met, rather than the health of the entire nation.

I think there's a very real difference between McGlynn knowing his best defence, and the defences he's playing in these friendlies. I think McGlynn might've said as much in this week's Review. I suppose the one big question mark is where Musonda fits in the pecking order, but we'll not get clarity on that until he's fit again.

Don't worry, I'm sure Anthony Stokes will be along any minute to help us out.

One of the trialists is a full back. I don't know more than that, he could be left sided only, but it's another option.

I know these are unprecedented times for planning a pre-season, but any more injuries and there are some serious questions for McGlynn and the strength & conditioning team. I'm not hearing about other teams losing players to muscle strains left and right.

Still no sign of Frankie Musonda today, and Mendy returning to the bench means it's the return of the back four. I'd guess it's a 4-2-3-1 with Duku on his own again now that Ugwu's injured. It could potentially be a 4-4-2 with Anderson up front, but I don't see it. Seven subs; two goalkeepers, two trialists and three "reserves" in Mendy, Coulson and Smith. We could really do with some of these "minor" injuries clearing up.

The aqueduct.