Raith Against The Machine

The Rovers have looked absolutely shattered for the last 15 minutes. Absolutely all of the ball all second half, but the legs went and you've just got the five forwards finding each other in smaller and smaller triangles. Just became like a lot of last season where we had loads of the ball but no route to goal. I don't imagine Ian Murray will be disheartened by the result or anything, they've had a good workout while missing key players, but it really does highlight once again just how important Jack Hamilton is going to be.

If Brody Patterson was slightly braver, I think he'd have had a contract a fortnight ago. He looks good when he gets forward and hits the byeline, but it feels like he needs someone on his shoulders pushing up to get there.

I think the biggest issue today is that it's Sam Stanton, who's not really a holding midfielder in the first place, and there's not a second midfielder in there at all. If you'll indulge some daft numbers chat: Against Linlithgow, Stanton played as the 6, but with McGill as the 8. It meant Stanton could focus on screening the midfield, and then had someone close by to knock it on to. Here, you've got a back four, Stanton as the 6, and then essentially five 10s in front of him. So Stanton has to be the holding midfielder, and the link man. That's never going to be an easy shift for anyone. Ideally, you'd want Brown or Matthews as the 6, with Stanton as the 8, and then you can basically just perm any four from our vast attacking stable ahead of them.

From a distance, squinting with the sun in your eyes... that kit doesn't look so bad. Keith Watson will certainly feel at home. It'll take a few weeks before it stops feeling like a Ross County strip.

Particularly good of Arbroath to get one of the Guide Dog users to design the new kit.

The tartan goes back a good few decades, to be fair. I'm definitely not into the top, but it probably works better as a supporters top than it does as a full kit. I'm not one for wearing football shirts, but the full navy isn't going to be as over-the-score if you're not also wearing navy shorts and socks. It feels like a missed opportunity to me. I've really liked the Joma kits up til now, I think we've had much more 'unique' fare from them, but this feels like too many people have had input on the shirt and all been allowed to pick their favourite bit, chucked on top of off-the-shelf shorts and socks. Change (or remove) just a couple of details and it becomes a much more cohesive piece of kit. It's not a complete eye-sore. We'll get used to it very quickly, and it's not the kind that you're going to dread seeing in photos in a few years if we have a good season. Fingers crossed the away kit has a bit more about it, though.

Why is the trim on the shirt red-white-red but the trim on the shorts and socks just block red?

Looks 10x better without the red.

Yup, that's a shocker.

First of all, I think the photos are all too dark, which makes it very difficult to get a proper look at it, but I'm not a fan. Maybe it'll look better in real life, but it's far too busy. If you're going to go tartan, you've got to dial down the detail everywhere else. Joma back to their two collars on the one shirt trick again ain't it.

Interesting to hear that Murray is going to be asking his fullbacks to get further forward this season. Partly because it gives some absolution to Millen and - in particular - Dick, who were pretty reticent as far as fullbacks go last year. I do think that's closer to Dick's natural game, though, so it'll be interesting to see how he does with a more attacking brief. Also noteworthy is Murray's summary of Scott Brown's injury. He mentions it's a small knock and that they're waiting on scan results. He doesn't sound overly concerned, but he starts that answer by saying "Scott Brown is the same", immediately after saying Connolly is out for another four or five weeks. But I don't know if he means "Scott is the same as Aidan" or "Scott is the same as he was", ie it's nothing serious.

Maybe you should sell some more dreams to pay for a better calibre of club TV.

Bi-po Sham Bo

I think it's quite simple. In that formation, you either play Brown or Matthews, not both. It's four defenders, a blood and guts midfielder, and five forwards. Brown and Matthews are integral, but only one of them at any given time.

I really like this idea, but only if we insist it's local companies only, make them permanent, force the RaithTV guys to memorise them all, and then forevermore use them as geographical markers that only make sense to the initiated, like cricket fielding positions. Instead of 'silly mid-off' and 'short fine leg' you've got "Josh Mullin goes haring down the left wing until he gets to the Mercat, where he cuts inside through Blind Davy's and The Windsor before rifling a shot into the top corner all the way from Rejects".

It's definitely a good option to have, but I think the Rovers are onto their third or possibly fourth different provider in the relatively short time they've been doing it. Nothing catastrophic has gone wrong, as far as I'm aware, there's just been a bit of a fankle with fees and the customer service aspect of it. The club certainly seem to think it's worthwhile, but maybe "not easy to access" isn't the most inaccurate way to describe it.

MULLIN

No.

Trialist centre half, Liam Dick at left back? Other way around?

How much use is he to us if he's somewhere else...?

I can't believe the boy that does these illustrations is even taking the weather into account. Pleased with Watson. The obvious qualifier is that injuries could clearly mean he isn't a success, but as long as he's fit he should be a very good player in the Championship. He's not got any pace, but it's not like we're going to go out with a high line and ask our centre halfs to chase any balls that come over the top. It looks increasingly likely that we're essentially going to line up with two blocks of five. A fairly immobile, deep back four with Scott Brown patrolling ahead of them, and an incredibly fluid, dynamic front five that have all the energy and endeavour you could ask for.

I don't think we've really had any kind of rumour for this one, have we? There was significant chatter pre-Mullin and Smith, and a bit of putting two and two together for Dabrowski, but this one seems like a proper mystery. Exciting!

It makes sense to bring in tried and tested Championship performers, but there's definitely a limit. You can't only bring in Championship level players or you just become a Championship player team. Definitely need a higher calibre for the next couple of bodies in for United to be set apart from the rest of the league.