The New Raith Rovers Thread

[RRFC_Liam]

18 minutes ago, Raith Against The Machine said:

Spencer's departure raises a question (and at this stage it is very much a question, it's far too early for it to be a concern) - how are we going to move the ball from back to front? 

Matthews, said in interviews that he’s been learning that role but obviously he’s been injured for most of last season and maybe Arnott might be converted into the ‘deep-lying playmaker’ but who knows we’ll have to see though 

[Raith Against The Machine]

Just now, RRFC_Liam said:

Matthews, said in interviews that he’s been learning that role but obviously he’s been injured for most of last season and maybe Arnott might be converted into the ‘deep-lying playmaker’ but who knows we’ll have to see though 

I didn't know that, that would be an interesting development. A more tactically disciplined and expansive Ross Matthews alongside Scott Brown would be a pretty formidable Championship midfield. 

[SirJimmyofNic]

I'm sure Murray will have had a contingency plan in place for just this scenario of Spencer leaving, as has been said................ let's wait and see

 

[renton]

23 minutes ago, Raith Against The Machine said:

Spencer's departure raises a question (and at this stage it is very much a question, it's far too early for it to be a concern) - how are we going to move the ball from back to front? 

In the early part of last season, we really struggled at times without Spencer to be the 'deep-lying playmaker' beside Scott Brown. There wasn't anyone else in the squad who could comfortably pick the ball up from the back four, and then pick forward passes. Stanton deputised most often, but he's clearly much more comfortable further forward, and doesn't drop into the back line anywhere near as often. 

It left us with a real disconnect. We had the back four and Scott Brown almost cut off from the rest of the side. 

 

Some of that was exasperated by the early doors 4-1-3-2 type formation, with forwards that couldn't really hold the ball up.

I do agree though, unless there is a like for like replacement this will lead to the largest stylistic departure for us since McGlynn came back.

Murray has never seemed as in thrall to possession based play as McGlynn. I could see him going more direct, with the midfield playing as more of a pressing unit behind. We've got the bodies for that.

Suspect we would need to look at another big forward if we were going down the direct approach, as Hamilton becomes a single point of failure that Gullan and Vaughan can't really cover.

[SirJimmyofNic]

4 minutes ago, renton said:

Some of that was exasperated by the early doors 4-1-3-2 type formation, with forwards that couldn't really hold the ball up.

I do agree though, unless there is a like for like replacement this will lead to the largest stylistic departure for us since McGlynn came back.

Murray has never seemed as in thrall to possession based play as McGlynn. I could see him going more direct, with the midfield playing as more of a pressing unit behind. We've got the bodies for that.

Suspect we would need to look at another big forward if we were going down the direct approach, as Hamilton becomes a single point of failure that Gullan and Vaughan can't really cover.

Que Jakubiak 

[baillieinleeds]

4 minutes ago, SirJimmyofNic said:

Que Jakubiak 

When he’s not injured

[SirJimmyofNic]

24 minutes ago, baillieinleeds said:

When he’s not injured

Joking aside, it'll be interesting to see where Spencer, MacDonald, Lang and Young end up at

[baillieinleeds]

9 minutes ago, SirJimmyofNic said:

Joking aside, it'll be interesting to see where Spencer, MacDonald, Lang and Young end up at

Probably starts with an F and ends in K

[RRFC_Liam]

1 minute ago, baillieinleeds said:

Probably starts with an F and ends in K

Or a certain team in black and white if the rumours of Lang and Brad are true that both could be going there 

[TxRover]

40 minutes ago, RRFC_Liam said:

…maybe Arnott might be converted into the ‘deep-lying playmaker’ but who knows we’ll have to see though 

Arnott has been playing AM roles literally every time I’ve looked, so unless IM sees something special there, seems unlikely. also, as much as I like Arnott, he seems to have stagnated the last couple of years, so I’m not sure he’d be here if his contract was expiring.

McGill would be the obvious short term project at DM…we’ve seen him play both FB and Mid, so it’s in his range. He may “want” to be a No. 10, but a quality DM is a role he could really make a name as. We haven’t seen nearly enough of him to tell if he can do that role, but IM has worked with him for much longer than last season, so he knows what he’s got in McGill.

Meanwhile, we have 19 players, and if we can reasonably assume Masson, Mitchell and Arnott will see loans this year, at least until Christmas, that leaves 16 players; 2 GK, 3 Defenders, 7 Midfielders/Wingers and 4 Forwards (using the RRFC position titles). The reality is we need:

Goalkeepers: Need one, probably a starter.

Defenders: Depends, do we sign a starting LB and convert Dick to CB? Irregardless, we need at least one CB, preferably 2 or 3 (Dick could be one of these) and cover at FB (ideally one player that can cover either side) plus perhaps a starting LB.

Midfielders: We need another midfielder or two, perhaps a DM, we’re decent on the offensive options.

Forwards: It wouldn’t be surprising to see one more, perhaps a younger player (could be Mitchell).

[ohnononowheredidRossgo]

Good luck to Brad, he's been a great player for us and was a fantastic signing. I actually feel/felt he lacked the physicality or dynamism of our midfield last season. Agree with the charver about that says we'll likely got a little more direct and I imagine we'll be a fitter more aggressive side next season across the park.

IM said on numerous occasions we were too soft last season. I'd imagine we'll bring in one more deeper lying midfielder and if it's Regan Hendry I'll sit naked in the bath crying with happiness.

If we go with what we've got in midfield we'll need a little more luck than we had last season fitness wise. Also think we'll bring in experience in the centre half positions this year.

[bagpuss]

Disappointed re Brad leaving but if he was in any way seriously  invested in re-signing  we'd be well over the line by now. He was an integral part of JM's teams but he didn't seem as important to Ian Murray so I'm not that surprised.

 

He's been a great player for us overall so I wish him all the best (unless he turns up at East End)

[RRFC_Liam]

5 minutes ago, bagpuss said:

He's been a great player for us overall so I wish him all the best (unless he turns up at East End)

Agreed

[Hank Scorpio]

There is literally zero chance we will sign Regan Hendry. 

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

Just seen Hendry on Pratt Street.

[ohnononowheredidRossgo]

Just now, Hank Scorpio said:

There is literally zero chance we will sign Regan Hendry. 

 

[baillieinleeds]

Just now, OhnononoGeordieMunro said:

 

[raith1974]

We need to stop fixating that every player that leaves us will end up at East End or Falkirk. Its likely the Falkirk may be shopping in a market that can't afford a Jamie McDonald or Brad Spencer. Dunfermline will have targets but they had Lang previously and it never worked out for either parry and anyway he may try and get a lower end Prem gig. McDonald may also hold out for a 2 year reserve gig at a lower Premiership team. Brad may play against us this season but more likely to be a west coast team and Young will be lucky to get anything above mid table league 1 due to zero experience. 

[pub car king]

Don't know why Spencer has dragged this out to the 11th hour he probably knew where he was going before now especially if its 12 miles along the road. 

Conversely unless anyone knows otherwise we haven't offered more than the extension we were contractually obligated to when others are getting 2 and 3 year deals. That said could be down to the McGlynn school of economics involved and we don't value him that much. 

[RRFC_Liam]

4 minutes ago, raith1974 said:

We need to stop fixating that every player that leaves us will end up at East End or Falkirk. Its likely the Falkirk may be shopping in a market that can't afford a Jamie McDonald or Brad Spencer. Dunfermline will have targets but they had Lang previously and it never worked out for either parry and anyway he may try and get a lower end Prem gig. McDonald may also hold out for a 2 year reserve gig at a lower Premiership team. Brad may play against us this season but more likely to be a west coast team and Young will be lucky to get anything above mid table league 1 due to zero experience. 

I think the rumour of Brad and the pars is simply based on that him and Benedictus are apart of the same Agent company