Raith Against The Machine

He's asked "Why are you the owner?", in light of his comments about shutting the club. He says "I'm not the owner" (which is semantics) and then gives a rundown of all the corporate structure which obviously confirms he is the ultimate owner. Once again, he hasn't answered the question. He's answered "how" he became the owner, but not why. He's just said "you can own the ground and the company, but the fans own the football club" which is a nice sentiment, but is literally untrue. The fans own very little. I will say, his tone is much more conciliatory than the one you could read in his Courier comments. I don't think there's going to be any sort of bombshells here.

In response to the Courier interview, firstly he writes it off as "you'll always got a backlash sooner or later" and then lists a load of folk who've been in charge of the club over the last 30 or so years. Also says he's not read the Courier article, and that he was promised he'd get a copy but it wasn't forthcoming, although it is obviously available online. Refutes the "you can go and watch 41 other teams" comment. Doesn't deny that he said it, but says that the meaning was misconstrued. Doesn't actually address the substance of his comments. On the "just close the club" aspect, refutes the accusation that he'd a dictator by waffling some nonsense about living in Asia and how there's a culture of consensus, and then says he wouldn't need to do anything to "close" Raith Rovers other than walk away, because the club has lost £2m since 2005. Which... doesn't answer the question.

Some thoughts as I hear them on the Sim interview. First of all, no detail given on the mechanics of how this works, but Sim claims the whole debacle has been, financially, separated from the club.

To be fair, that presumably includes "wide forwards" like Scott Tiffoney, so you'd have to include the likes of Zanatta, Ross and Connolly in a like-for-like comparison. What they do have though, is Brian Graham, who by himself represents a huge resource that we just don't have. Now, we're not alone in that, pretty much every club in this division other than Thistle would kill for a 30+ year old striker who still scores goals, but it feels like a profile that the Rovers in particular would benefit from. The likes of Gullan and Connell are really having to learn by experience only, they've not got that more mature head alongside them that would be hugely beneficial.

Of course, there's a long line of football agents being involved with the governance of Scottish football clubs, and it's always gone really, really well.

He's our only right back of any description.

Milne and Tiffoney doubling up on Ross Millen? I can't wait.

I think I need to buy a bigger telly. Chris Iwelumo doesn't fit on this one.

That's an incredibly good header. McFadden waxing lyrical about the cross but it's actually a fairly awkward height. Dowds makes it look good.

Stuart Bannigan is only a few follicles away from the previously-unprecedented Paul McGowan levels of "get that shaved man, for f**k sake".

I don't think it's the place of K107 to be doing the club's PR for them, just in the same way Alan Temple's interview with John Sim earlier in the summer was legitimate journalism from the Courier. If the owner of the club is willing to give interviews, it's not up to the local media to decline them because what he says is offensive or controversial. The onus should be on the club to control their own messaging and, if an interview is going to be useful in communicating to the support, making sure it's done in house. Although I appreciate that's made very difficult when the owner has made it very clear that he'll be doing and saying whatever the f**k he wants.

Just the thought gives me the fear. What's he speaking on this time, the merits of apartheid?

There's a line in there somewhere about not being on the board in case of a conflict of interest. Why should the board of a football club, and the fans of a football club, have conflicting interests? I see also now that the Jags Foundation have been told they're not welcome (as an organisation) at Firhill. Really healthy, engaging fan ownership in effect there. I feel for the Thistle fans here. It's bad enough for fans of a lot of clubs with dysfunctional and despotic owners, but to have that scenario play out under the banner of "fan ownership" is galling, to say the least. Hopefully there is a route for those with the sprit of the Jags Foundation to usurp the leadership at the Trust and take places on the club board, but I wouldn't put a penny on that being a painless process.

"We're too inept to be board members" is an incredible opening gambit

I'm stunned.

In one of the early games, I'm guessing probably against Stirling Albion, Easton lost the ball twice in fairly quick succession trying to be too cute, too close to his own goal. I don't think he's done it again since, but it's still colouring some people's perception. To be fair, I do think it's a part of his game that you've just got to live with, he takes those chances and the majority of the time they come off, but I also imagine it's why Murray left him out against Aberdeen and Dundee.

While we're talking about styles and approaches, I thought the Rovers were noticably more direct today. Not that they reverted to just aimless long balls, but the ball was moving quicker. First half especially it didn't come to anything, but there was much less of the pointless passes into a backwards facing midfielder. Easton dropping in definitely helped in that regard, and it freed up Sam Stanton a little more. There was a piece in the Courier that suggested something like (and I'm paraphrasing, so apologies for any misrepresentation) "Keeping the ball isn't a problem for the Rovers, because Nolan, Brown and O'Riordan are at the top of the league for passes and passing accuracy" and while those stats are obviously correct, it's the three guys who've played centre half for us knocking the ball to one other. Spencer will make the biggest difference to that dynamic because he excels at taking the ball from the defence, but the key now is going to be moving it out of the midfield and into the forward(s). McGlynn built the first half of last season on goals from everyone except his striker, but I don't fancy watching that play out again. I don't think Murray will change the personnel going to Hamilton next week after today's result, but I wonder if he'll fiddle with the approach. Personally, I'd be inclined to take Ethan Ross off the left and give him a free role to roam about wherever he likes, with Gullan on strict instructions to stay within the width of the box.

I hope Liam Dick takes some confidence from his goal today. He had a decent wee run after scoring at Rugby Park last season, and hopefully he can do the same now. I don't think he's a bad player, but I do feel like he does almost nothing on instinct. He plays like he's always having to think about where he is, where he should be, what pass he should be making. It's those split-second delays that seem to limit him a lot of the time.

Trivia question: which is bigger, Alan Lithgow or all of Linlithgow?

We needed that. You can't come up against a team that poor and not win.

I cannot believe it's taken until the 89th minute for Jai Quitongo to be booked

I can't believe a game with this little quality has had three goals in it. Absolutely no chance we reach full time without a red card for someone, too.

Was Jaze Kabia not highly rated at Falkirk last season? I know the Falkirk frame of reference is badly skewed, but he's done nothing beyond repeatedly clipping Liam Dick's heels all afternoon.

Nolan in particular looks more assured than he did last week, which was itself a step up from the week before at Cove. Still not a world beater, by any means, but doesn't look out of his depth either.

You know those small sided training games where you need to complete a certain number of passes before you can shoot? It feels like our wide players are locked into a version of that which involves three players feigning a cross before anyone is actually permitted to deliver one.