Raith Against The Machine

I think it's difficult to judge any player on his performances in an Ally McCoist team. You only have to look at the decline of Nicky Law and the rise of Kane Hemmings to see McCoist's affect on the players under him. That said, I'm not sure Perry covers the positions that we need cover for, unless he can slot in at full back. Given all the evidence available, Donaldson doesn't have the technique to be part of a Championship squad this season. His versatility is a real plus, and physically he's come on leaps and bounds, but I don't think he's good enough as things stand. Understandably, he wanted regular first team football, and he'd never get that here, particularly if he wants to play centre half. Today's going to be an interesting one. I think Wednesday night was a demonstration of our 'attacking' system for the coming season. The 4-2-3-1. Obviously the back four remains the same, something that everyone is comfortable with, and that might be why Murray played around with the defence. Against St Johnstone, I think we'll see the 'defensive' system, for use against Rangers et al. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some variation of a back five, looking at the players we've signed and this new link with Ross Perry. Certainly if it's a back four for these sort of games, I'd be surprised if Craig Barr isn't in the defensive midfield role, rather than at centre half.

55? Oh man, I've lost all the respect I had for Craig Barr.

The Chase is pish, mate.

I don't imagine the keeper is here playing for a contract, if he is a listed trialist. It'll be some boy doing Murray a favour because Cuthbert is unavailable and McGurn isn't fit. We actually seem to have another boy here in gloves too, working with McGurn and the other. Four goalies for a friendly. Taking nae chances.

Getting beat, but it's been a fairly even game. Two penalties for the first two goals. Both probably were fouls, but very soft. It's pretty apparent that this is the fourth and fifth choice centre halves for the Rovers, and they're out of match practice. We've managed a couple of chances, and there's been a glimpse or two of some nice passing, but for the most part it's been the standard you'd expect from the first game of pre-season.

Fraid not. Bench is on the far side, and I haven't seen a team sheet. I couldn't even tell you who the signed players on the bench are. If McGurn isn't listed on the bench then one of the trialists might be a keeper. McGurn is doing some drills with a bloke that isn't Cuthbert, or the usual goalie coach.

That's what I get for trying to predict a line up... The system is about right though, from what I can see. Elliot playing with a sort of free role behind Nade. Stewart on the left, Archie Campbell (I think) on the right, with Fox and Callachan holding. Back four is Matthews, Bates, Ellis and McKeown. Laidlaw in goal.

I'd like to see us line up: Cuthbert Thomson Watson Barr McKeown Moon Callachan Anderson Elliot Scott Nade That's the system I'd expect us to use in games that aren't against Rangers/Hibs/Hearts. When we expect to have our backs to the wall, I suspect we'll see Hill back into the back four and Barr sitting in front, protecting and doing little else.

Many folk heading through for this game against Edinburgh City on Wednesday night? I know it clashes (by fifteen minutes) with a World Cup semi-final, but I'm still buzzing for it. More importantly, is there a decent Indian near Meadowbank...?

I, for one, have had enough of the boo boys like you.

So, we won, right? #championsinwaiting

Sounds like the Rovers should be re-purposing half the Railway Stand into an Indian restaurant. Huge demand for it, lots of money to be made. Get big Shaun Dennis in to manage the place, call it the Radge Mahal.

Anderson

I think it looks increasingly like we'll be playing with a 4-2-3-1, with Nade at the peak, almost playing as a false nine. While I'm not sure he'll be dropping all the way into the midfield, he might spend a lot of the game with his back to goal, with Elliot directly behind him picking up the short passes. It looks like alongside Elliot we're looking for pacey options (ie, Stewart, Campbell, Anderson) to charge into the box. That's obviously a fairly attacking option, especially as the two sitting midfielders look to be any two of Moon (fairly attack minded), Callachan (fairly inexperienced) and Fox (fairly shite). I wonder if games at Ibrox and in Edinburgh might not see us line up with a back five. Hill, Barr and Watson in the centre, with McKeown and Thomson as wing-backs. We've then got Scott to take the place of one of the pacier guys in the middle of the park, to offer us a little more solidity.

Wasps1 will be along soon with the exclusive.

Can he play upfront? #maga

Along with Lewis Coult, by the looks of it. Has a side ever gone an entire season without scoring?

On the latest Fifa, can you basically create a team (ie, the Rovers) from scratch, like you used to be able to do with Pro Evo? I'm sure they've got the Creation Centre thing going, but I've never used it. Any good?

I'm quite impressed that Spence has decided to opt for playing every week over a more comfy full-time gig either with us or (as rumoured) with the Pars. If he was quite as #nandos obsessed as people like to make out, he'd have stayed full-time without a doubt. Obviously he comes across as a complete bellend on Twitter, but I do feel like that's a difficult way to judge someone. Would everyone have a better opinion of his attitude if he tweeted about going out for a run every now and then, or how he was just off to/back from training? I'm not sure, but it makes me wonder. That said, I'm not too disappointed to see him go. He'll score goals for Alloa, and I'm sure he'll get at least one against us, but I feel that on the balance of probabilities, the strike force we start the season with will be stronger without him than it would be if he'd signed on again.

Stewart last played for Derry City, so chances are it was his clearance that we were waiting on.

In all seriousness, Mark Stewart should at least give us the option of real pace through the middle, which we didn't have last season. I'd still expect us to bring another striker in, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a young-ish guy on loan. Elliot, Nade and Stewart have very different styles of play. The challenge will be finding combinations that really click, but the payoff could be huge.

McKeown Stewart

Have to agree. Whilst Mullen looked perfectly adequate at this level in the brief time we saw him, the fact that he's signed for East Fife speaks volumes.

Depends how long it is, I suppose.

The article in the paper said that he'd "impressed" against us, not that he'd scored. I'm not even entirely convinced that the "exciting" player and the "international clearance required" are the same bloke. I'd be surprised if they were, because it'd have to have been either somebody who was on loan from outside of Scotland, left Scotland after they played us (and are now returning?) or we played a whole host of European games that I missed...