The Toun Clock

I count 8 genuine central defenders for us, 4 of which were signed by Peter Grant. Mark Connolly, Paul Watson, Lewis Martin, Ross Graham, Rhys Breen, Vytas Gaspuitis, Leon Jones and Paul Watson all guys who can play centre half. Aaron Comrie has also been in there this season but he's a full back. Lewis Martin is a long term injury and in Grants interview today he confirmed Lewis McCann and Iain Wilson are on there way back but no mention for Martin. He didn't play a single minute last season either so unlikely we'll see him anytime soon but that still leaves us with 7 CB's, Rhys Breen also hasn't kicked a ball for us yet and Leon Jones has only played 70 mins.

I've watched Connolly a few times for Dundee Utd. He's maybe not Premiership level but I'm sure he'll be okay for us. More just the timing that is odd, we've kept 2 clean sheets with the back 4. I can only assume that with injuries we'll be going back to the 5 defenders tonight and Connolly will go into the central 3 with Watson and big Vytas. Despite singing Ross Graham's praises in the papers he maybe isn't all that confident slotting him back in for this game. If Edwards is the unnamed 4th injured player then that's a concern he was really good on Saturday. If he is then I expect we'll line up like this in a 5-2-3 with Cole and Thomas playing just off O'Hara. Bench is going to be Mo Hutton, Marv and Disco Deek: OFW Comrie/Watson/Connolly/Vytas/MacDonald Dorrans/Pybus Cole/Thomas O'Hara

Is it sold out like? Or did Raith put a time limit on when ticket sales stopped?

Just signed Mark Connolly on loan from Dundee Utd. Another centre half, although probably better than what we already have.

To be fair to Peter Grant, our terrible away form isn't his fault. We've only played two league games under him.

Aye a draw is no good. If we lose tomorrow then Sheilds or Whittaker should get it for the QoS game and the club can properly advertise the role, hold actual interviews and appoint the one they felt was the best. They’ll have a whole international break to do it before we play Killie. Draw tomorrow and he’ll definitely get the QoS game.

Like the opposite to Jimmy C away to Hearts circa 2000. One goalie, 9 defenders and Kevin O'Hara just sitting in front. I like it!

Would be a struggle for any to stand out. I think O'Hara would be our only recognised striker and then he might have to play Dom Thomas in place of Kennedy and possibly another in the middle with like Reece Cole. That leaves the bench threadbare, I don't even know if we could fill it. On Saturday our bench was a goalie, a right back, a centre back, two central midfielders, a winger and a striker. Can't think of anyone that wasn't included apart from youngsters and most are defensive minded. I don't recall reading that Lewis McCann was injured, he's a striker but might not be available. Defensively we looked pretty sound on Saturday but going forward was the issue, now with 3 of our most offensive players out it may well be another 0-0. RE Kai Kennedy - I wouldn't be surprised tbh. He's only played a handful of games although he was injured initially, then caught COVID then had another spell if isolation after that. However I would agree that he still wasn't getting enough game time when available. If I'm being honest I expected a bit more from him. He's very good at running and drawing fouls etc but there's been little end product. He either holds on to it one moment too long or tries to beat another man. Not many balls put in for Todorov and Co to attack either.

He's a total slaver

Sounds like we might be down to the bare bones for tomorrow. Todorov, Wighton and Kennedy all expected to miss out after picking up knocks in the Hamilton game. Apparently 4 notable players didn't train on Monday.

Popadom hands has done pretty well in the last two games tbh. Still doesn't fill me with bags of confidence but I honestly didn't see us getting two clean sheets any time soon.

Not sure who's in charge of posting on the clubs official site and if they're a poster on here... I'm very sorry, but it's regularly utter mince. Every article has at least one glaringly obvious typo/mistake like a £ sign in the middle of a word or a number. A quick read over would solve that. I said it on here a few weeks back that since admin we had some really good times where the club and fans were really connected and a real positive feeling around the club. I genuinely thought we might have had a similar connection that Motherwell have with their fans but instead it's been atrocious.

If we'd won on Saturday then I'd have expected us to take a few more than the abandoned game but not now, lucky if we take any more than last time and I already know of at least 8 people who refunded their ticket. I know we've changed shape and now have two back to back clean sheets but we're rank rotten. That Hamilton defence have somehow managed to concede more league goals that we have this season yet we weren't even close to scoring against them Let's turn it on his head. Pars somehow beat Raith but that buys Peter Grant until at least Christmas. Rovers fans comfortable with that? In all seriousness, Raith have nothing to worry about. We've looked a lot better changing goalie and going to a solid back 4 who have done well in the last 2 weeks, no doubt about it. Dorrans looked good on Saturday but middle to front still isn't great. Can't score and actually not creating loads either.

Ach a lot of nonsense from them. Definitely club volunteers who will just toe the line, same people that do the post match interviews etc.

Who said about the booing, the ParsTV commentators? Ridiculous if they did, I was there today and it was bad. It wasn’t as bad as it has been but it was boring auld p*sh. Aye both defences were decent. Gaspuitis was a rock and I’m glad to see him playing over Graham. Ross Graham was keeping an international footballer out for weeks, it’s insane. The centre half jerseys now belong to Watson and Gaspuitis and it’s up to others to change that. Thought the number 3 for Accies was just as good as Gaspuitis but at the other end. Josh Edwards also very good today for the Pars. Wondered the same. When we won that free kick I was sure he’d take it.

I thought the defence looked pretty good today. OFW, Gaspuitis, Dorrans & Pybus we’re all decent and Edwards had a really good game. Dorrans was really composer and got stuck in when he had to, he’ll come good, just needs more legs behind him sitting deeper so that he had a bit more freedom. After the ICT draw last weekend I figured PG had secured more time but I think a win today was vital for him. If you’d asked me last week I’d id accept 4 points from the Accies and Raith games then I’d have taken it. I did think we’d win today and possibly take a draw next week but I see enough today to suggest a good team with good attacking players will finish us off, Accies weren’t great today but they had some really close chances. Won’t be going to Starks and a defeat there surely has to put end to this experiment.

Update on Rhys Breen from courier. Had his initial isolation after coming from America, then done his hamstring, then got covid and then a family member got covid so was nearly a month in isolation. Should be back in October. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/2599421/rhys-breen-dunfermline-rangers-peter-grant/

If we get a result on Saturday against Hamilton then I reckon we'll travel better than we did for the abandoned game. Lose on Saturday and we might take less than the abandoned game.

Aye the boy Cole has a creative eye in him, he's not a bad player but he's not your hard hitting central midfielder that will be flying into tackles, not from what I've seen anyway. I only seen the highlights from Saturday but his pass through for Wighton at the death was really good and almost won us the game. I think he will come good. I really can't wait to have Iain Wilson back fit, that will be like a new signing.

OFW tends to do the basics well but now and again will be beaten by an effort that your Gran could have saved. Deniz sometimes struggles with the basics but has the ability to pull off an absolute worldy save. The defenders in front of them have given little protection (until Saturday) this season.

The only way the wolves will be away from PG's door is if the team can build on last weekends draw and put together a run of results. If we go on an unbeaten run for a few games then he might have a bit of a cushion to lean on but at the moment it's game by game for me. I will be there backing the boys on Saturday, win that and even take something from the Raith game then I'd imagine things will look a bit more positive.

Hopefully the more they play then the better they can be as a pairing. The big one for us will be getting Iain Wilson back fit whenever that is likely to be, he's got the legs, the technical side and physicality as well. I think when PG signed Dorrans it was because he knew he would have Wilson available but unfortunately the lad hasn't kicked a ball, even in pre season.

Would be shocked if he changed the defence after a clean sheet, also sounds like big Vytas done well so can't see him dropping out. Breen hasn't played 1 minute for us and also hasn't been in the squad since we got scudded by Rangers, can't see him being involved unless from the bench.

Anything but 3 points on Saturday and our point against Inverness is irrelevant. We need to build and fast. If we win on Saturday it could really get some fans paying attention again and might travel to Kirkcaldy better than we did for the abandoned game. Lose and we might take even less.

IMO the draw has bought Grant another game. Hamilton look equally as crap this season although have managed more points and a win. Unbelievably they've also managed to concede more goals than us although have also scored more. For me this is a must win, fail to beat Accies then time is up. Someone on Twitter suggested he should get at least the Accies and Raith games but if we don't win on Saturday he doesn't deserve the Raith game.