SuperHans

You see you didn't say you'd like Easton to get the job, you said you'd be "amazed if he didn't get he job". I didn't ask why you wouldn't want Young or Aitken, I asked why you'd be so "amazed" if Easton didn't get the job. Offering you a chance to back up your opinion. You've heard our Chairman explain that the development team will remain and have a bigger part and focus in the season to come. From that you've decided that, in your opinion, It would be amazing if Easton didn't get the managers job. I'm really chuffed for you that you have an opinion! Well done and your opinion is your own but it's really not got me worked up this morning. I'm just interested in why you'd be so shocked if our board appointed someone that was a lot more qualified than Craig Easton?

I don't know if it's too early but seems like you've had a good scoopful already. So we bring Easton up to first team and who do we bring in for the Dev Team? Easton has no experience of first team management and has won the East of Scotland Development League. Is that the credentials you think would be enough to take over a full-time team that have just been relegated that must come straight back up? The Chairman said there would be more focus on the Development squad and they'll be relied upon much more but if you managed to assume that he meant Easton will be the new manager then fair play to you Sherlock but as far as I'm concerned, I'd be amazed if Easton did get the job!

Ah ok so you'd just be "amazed" if Easton didn't get the job. Would you be flabbergasted if Young got the job or dumbstruck I'd Aitken got the job or apoplectic if McGlyn came back? Please enlighten me to why you would so shocked if Easton didn't get the job?

Seriously?? You wouldn't want someone like Young or Aitken to get the job but rather have Craig Easton? The guys done a good job with the Dev team but he's won a league that was pretty average and no where near the standard we'd be playing at in League 1. Granted, he's great for the club and I'm happy that Young did say the Dev Team will remain a priority and having Easton there will be good for him to develop his career and keep the team churning out players but let's calm down a bit.

McCall made it clear last week on Radio Scotland that he'll do everything he can to bring Ayr back up. Also mentioned how he told the Chairman NOT to go full-time after they were promoted as he felt they weren't ready for the jump yet. The drop in league could be the perfect time to get something put together in order to mount a title challenge.

Positive news! Ayr Utd and Airdrie both full time squads. Smaller budget which will mean relying on the Dev Team as Young had said. I'd imagine all of their contracts would be safe and then it's a case of trying to re-negotiate with players that were originally on 2 years deals and if there is anyone from last seasons squad worth trying to keep hold of. I do know that McHattie was on about £600 per week from us and still getting £500 per week from Killie as part of his contract negotiation for being released. I can't imagine he was one of the higher paid players in the team seeing as M'Voto was meant to be a high profile singing and Johnson would have been taking something similar as well. Won't be sad to see the back of those lads and just hope there's some loyalty shown from players like C. Barr, Cuthbert and Bene

So what do you want to happen in an ideal world? They all sit there on camera begging for our forgiveness? All gather in the board room and lock the door, pop open the cyanide pills and one by one end their reign of terror on our club? Did you expect Young of come out and point the finger at other board members? "Wasn't my idea, it was all Eric's fault!" He's said he's going to stay on and I agree, managerless, chairmanless and playerless would be a great position to be in right now... They know that they have 1 shot to get this right or they really will be on a sticky wicket. Let's just hope they've got the bottle for it. Coming out and addressing the fans would suggest they are willing to be more transparent and let us at least see what's going on.

I think if they were interested in a controlling stake then they would already have one. And if we were community owned, how would we fund ourselves? When there's tax bills needing paid and we need the cash, how will the community sort that out? What community would be big enough to finance a full-time football club? Who would the community be?

He'll have his trips to Perth City Council to look forward to now! That is all you need to be, hence the reason we have an elected 'fans representative' on the board... In our case we actually have 2! One recently elected and one invited on because of the job he did when he was he fans rep. What I will say is that Davie Wann was much more involved in working with supporters groups and had a much more hands on role. The board don't want to hold their hands up completely and apologise and admit everything they've done this season was wrong. If they did that then there's no way back for them and they would have to walk. If they walk, who do we bring in? Where's this never ending que of local Raith fans with the time commitments and the finances to become directors of the club?

I would doubt that he was just ignored after not getting the job. A man with the respect and knowledge of the club would have been told one way or other what the situation was. He was exactly what we needed back then just like Calderon and Jimmy Nic were. Is he needed now? We've all moaned about how things need to be freshened up at the club and how things need to change. But then we want to play it safe and go back to an older manager. Ellis would be a premature appointment for me, no proven record of actually managing a job. He's done a great job for us as assistant and proved his worth at Dundee Utd. Not ready for the job yet. Whatever way the board go, it's going to be scrutinised. It will split opinions and it will be a gamble. However, how can the board make decisions on players futures at the club today if they don't already have a candidate in the wings. What would be the point of releasing players or getting players to stay of they don't fit into the new managers plans? It's not like they've had since Saturday to work out what to do for a manager, I'm sure Hughes was always going to leave the club unless he had any real success. Darren Young's appearance at Starks on Saturday could be a clue to who's coming in next.

Fortunately I am not Gary Locke! Yes managers have conversations like that with players and usually the response is, "show me you're worth it". If anything, although the loan agreement to Dumbarton was a mistake, the loan itself was a success. He got his first team games, he got his goals, performances were good. But where was this for us? He was coming back from injury, he had spent a year out of the team but clearly something was stopping him breaking through. And if he's not willing to do it because he doesn't get on with the manager then I'd say he's got a lot more to learn because that doesn't work out as well when you move up the leagues.

Regardless of who the manager is, no player should ever dictate to the management team. Vaughan has potential, people in the game know this. His goals at Dumbarton and his performances have obviously put him in a good light but for what we've had out of him versus what we've put into him, I don't see why we should all be so worried about him leaving. If he leaves we'll get something for him, if he stays then I'll be hoping to see some of this form that he showed at another club. Vaughans performances didn't merit a start and obviously his attitude or performances at training didn't merit him getting back into the team. Something didn't click with Locke but what happens if he doesn't click with the next manager? There's 2 sides to this story, the board have made a huge mistake, but I'm sure there's more to it than meets the eye.

He stared the season in good faith with Locke and for one reason or another fell out of faith with the management team. Youngs comments in his interview even suggest that he was more valuable than Locke. "He wasn't in the managements plans for this season but would be for the next one" what is that supposed to mean? If a manager doesn't like him then he won't play him, were the board already anticipating Locke to be gone by the end of the season? I wanted more from Vaughan and he proved a very valuable point to the Rovers. However where were these performances when he was given the chance for us? Any player with a point to prove will do it if they're good enough. For me, our valuable player is Matthews. He's been consistent through both managers and shown professionalism throughout, kept his spot in the team, scored goals, set up goals and defended when needed. If Vaughan doesn't get on with the next manager what happens? He's one player and right now it's almost like he's 'bigger' than the club. If he wants to go then he can. He's shown his value and he's under contract, if the right offer comes in then I'd take it. I'd rather do that than have him playing the victim with another manager because he's not getting a game.

Exactly my thoughts when he said that. My other worry was surely they won't go out and sign a manger on a 4 year deal like ICT did this season. For me the Director of Football role has never been more appropriate. Only problem is that we're not in the financial situation to bring one in unless we cut our cloth even more.

I'll look forward to the pelters I get for this post, but what had Vaughan actually done for the Rovers since he's come through? The whole Vaughan love in, has really got on my nerves this season. Granted he'd come back from an injury the season before but on the games I saw him play this season, he didn't cut it. He's scored 9 career goals for the Rovers and his last one came in 2015! The Chairman didn't go into too much details regarding the Dumbarton deal, and Locke was an awful manager but I get the impression Vaughan saw himself as more valuable and important than the management team at the time. Creating problems due to not getting selected and although he made his mistakes, if Locke ruled him out of his plans for this season then it would suggest Vaughan wasn't doing what he needed to get himself back in the team. Is this the type of player we want in our dressing room? He scored 4 goals for Dumbarton, yes 1 or 2 of them probably had some factors to us getting relegated but 4 goals in the Championship in 15 games isn't exactly the returns of a striker that's setting the heather on fire. Arguably Court has had a bigger contribution to this season than Vaughan did and he only played in 4 games! Setting up a goal at Easter Road and scoring v Ayr! If losing Vaughan meant keeping players like either of the Barr's or Kevin Cuthbert then I'd pack his bags for him.