The New Raith Rovers Thread

[PUNT IT !]

I agree with you, but when it comes to Williamson, as much as I think he has a place int he team, he just isn't a wide midfielder, his positional sense is just all wrong for that.

As long as we do get an additional striker in, hopefully not necessarily a nippy wee guy - we have enough of those - I'll be happy enough. Think we might be fine if we managed to bring in another loanee form somewhere as well.

I agree with that assesment of williamson as well. Although I do think him out wide evry now and again isnt disasterous because as much as hes not in the game much and as you point out being a striker his positional sense isnt too sharp, he still pops up with the odd goal. But definately not too effective out there.

Aye I would expect a wee loanee or too, not that I mind them, there a brilliant way of getting good players in on the cheap, but hopefully 6months or year long... none of this 30days pish!

[Wardy]

I don't think Williamson particularly knows where hsi best position is either. It would be interesting to start him alongside Walker or Davidson in midfield to see how he get on down the middle. He has played there a few times, and although he doesn't put enough tackles in, if he gets running on the ball and finding players he could be ok. I'm really a fan of Williamson, but as other have said he has contributed with a few important goals this season.

Hill has indeed upgraded his contract and will now be will the club on a full-time basis. Good news!

[Paco]

I don't think Williamson particularly knows where hsi best position is either. It would be interesting to start him alongside Walker or Davidson in midfield to see how he get on down the middle. He has played there a few times, and although he doesn't put enough tackles in, if he gets running on the ball and finding players he could be ok. I'm really a fan of Williamson, but as other have said he has contributed with a few important goals this season.

He played central midfield with Walker in the 0-0 draw at Partick, and while his use of the ball was mostly decent, certainly better than Davidson or Simmons on a bad day, the amount of time he lost tackles and gave Partick a counter attacking chance was unbelievable. Big no-no for me.

I agree that I don't think even he knows his best position. He isn't always comfortable on the wing, but then he isn't quick enough or strong enough to play up front.

[Wardy]

My previous post is a bit misleading as I meant to say I'm not really a fan of Williamson. Someone want to retract my red dot.

[CALDERON]

Certainly we have enough players to play there, but I do worry about what we're going to do with it. No new additions to it, the loss of Russell and Sloan and it didn't exactly prove very good supporting the strikers for much of last season. Tade-Walker-Simmons-Smith on the top of their games would be brilliant, but Walker-Davidson-Simmons-Williamson on an off day would spell disaster.

The Smith-Walker-Simmons-Tade midfield would cause alot of teams problems. When playing alongside someone other than Davidson, Simmons can be very, very effective in midfield.

[Broken Algorithms]

Walker seems to have turned into a bit of a midfield engine for us. Play him with anyone and they suddenly improve. Strange given that I didn't expect him to be kept on at the end of last year.

[Yoss]

Walker was still under contract last summer, but I agree, I'd have probably wanted to release him otherwise. I'm very glad now that wasn't possible.

Williamson has had his most effective performances in a more or less free role in the middle with two other midfielders behind him. He can do a job out wide too but I agree Tade and Smith would be first choices. Ideally, if we do find another forward, we'll be playing 4-4-2 with Williamson probably the first player to come off the bench. But we'll see how it goes. In the meantime I'm glad McGlynn sees it much the way I do - if we have indeed signed McNeil, Dyer and Baird as seems likely then all we need is one more forward and that'll be a pretty tidy squad to start the season with. (Whether or not Weir is staying, about which there have been conflicting rumours notwithstanding that he's still under contract.)

[Wardy]

I see Baird was given the assist for the Airdrie goal last night, with a cross for Gemmill. Airdrie's goal against us a couple of weeks ago was also down to Baird's crossing. Hmm maybe McGlynn will try him out wide/striker like Tade. Someone to punt it in the pokey now from 5 yards now please John!

Also cheers for retracting my red dot. Much appreciated.

[Hank Scorpio]

Also cheers for retracting my red dot. Much appreciated.

I'm a nice guy

[Broken Algorithms]

I see Baird was given the assist for the Airdrie goal last night, with a cross for Gemmill. Airdrie's goal against us a couple of weeks ago was also down to Baird's crossing. Hmm maybe McGlynn will try him out wide/striker like Tade. Someone to punt it in the pokey now from 5 yards now please John!

Also cheers for retracting my red dot. Much appreciated.

:lol:The red dot was an accidental misclick from me. Meant to give you a green one instead.

[CALDERON]

I see Baird was given the assist for the Airdrie goal last night, with a cross for Gemmill. Airdrie's goal against us a couple of weeks ago was also down to Baird's crossing. Hmm maybe McGlynn will try him out wide/striker like Tade. Someone to punt it in the pokey now from 5 yards now please John!

Also cheers for retracting my red dot. Much appreciated.

Was a decent cross as well (according to my dad, I missed the fucking goal going for a piss)

[Wardy]

Was a decent cross as well (according to my dad, I missed the fucking goal going for a piss)

I never go for a pish during a game incase that happens!

[Wardy]

:lol:The red dot was an accidental misclick from me. Meant to give you a green one instead.

Well obviously...

[Michael W]

The Smith-Walker-Simmons-Tade midfield would cause alot of teams problems. When playing alongside someone other than Davidson, Simmons can be very, very effective in midfield.

It's the best midfield we currently have IMO, and it's a real shame McGlynn won't play it. Davidson/Simmons just does not work in midfield. You can see the pair of them getting in each others way on the pitch, as they're both similar players*. Creativity is also a major issue; whilst Simmons is capable of getting forward and playing some excellent passes, putting the sole onus of creating from the middle on him causes our creative output to nosedive. He's primarily the sitting midfielder, though one who can get forward and support. Likewise, Allan Walker can sit back, but he's primarily the attacking link from midfield.

That said, I wouldn't be too displeased if we brought someone else in to compete with Simmons for a place. He can be very inconsistent at times.

*Broken record alert

[moonhound]

Walker was still under contract last summer, but I agree, I'd have probably wanted to release him otherwise. I'm very glad now that wasn't possible.

really enjoyed watching walker this season, he's been a really good player for us. highlights include his dummy and run up the line at hampden, and his zidane-esque 360 turn against dundee at dens at the end of april, what a guy!!

[Munich95]

we just need someone who can and will lead the frontline for us, hold the ball up, move, and have a an eye for the goal... these type of players dont come for free... if you look at the majority of scores in 1st division they all seem to be sitting arround the 8,9,10,11 mark aprt from the likes of rooney... but even target men like bayne and kirk havent fired in loads of goals. most teams tend to pack the mifeild with attacking forwards and playt 1 up top! a very versatile team, and thats what john mcglynn seems to like and mainly works... but we do need someone whp can turn all our sitters/howlwers from last term into goals and points!

[Yoss]

Interesting paragraph from an Airdrie fan on another thread.

It's the same old story every year under Ballantyne's stewardship. At the end of the season, the players' contracts expire, and the club shows no inclination to sign them up before someone else steps in, meaning we lose almost a full team at the end of each season. Then, two weeks before the start of the new season, the club scramble around in the bargain bin for third-rate duffers and cobble a team together who have no idea of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Invariably we end up with a collection of trash that no-one else wants...but only for one season, mind you. Come the end of the season again, the circle of incompetence is repeated ad nauseum.

We should probably be wary of reading too much into the fact that we happened to stay up and they went down, but that makes an interesting contrast into the way the clubs are being run at the moment, and I'm going to give the board credit here because I think one of the big reasons for our steady improvement recently is the board's willingness to back McGlynn's judgement with two year contracts, at a time when many other clubs are running from year to year - and they've kept backing that judgement despite the occasional mistake as with Joe Dunbar.

So whereas we'd apparently signed Baird even before Airdrie's relegation - and the same thing happened to Airdrie last season with Cardle and McDougall - the only time we've lost out of contract players we wanted to keep was three years ago when East Fife flashed silly money at Fotheringham and McManus. As well as giving us more stability it offer the players more security and makes us a more attractive option for new players and existing ones alike.

(Going further back, remember Barry Wilson left us because we wouldn't offer him a longer deal? He was about to get married and wasn't willing to let his wife leave a good job up north for the sake of a one-year contract.)

[Willie Gray Ate My Hamster]

Does anybody know the whole story behind Dunbar? Why do we keep things like this a big secret?

[Lang Toun Lad]

Weren't we going on 6 month contracts a few years back?

[Raith Against The Machine]

Does anybody know the whole story behind Dunbar? Why do we keep things like this a big secret?

I don't imagine the whole debacle reflects too kindly on the club, so they're will within their rights to keep quiet about it. At least it's over now, and he's left the club. The fact that he's made absolutely no impact in the Juniors or anywhere else means that we've probably not missed out on the next Messi.

It seems silly now to think that we were basically involved in a "bidding war" (although I imagine it was about first team football rather than money) with Dunfermline and Hibs for the lad.

I would wager that that was probably the root of the problem. The Rovers probably promised him a decent amount of first team football to get him to sign, but either he wasn't good enough in training and took the huff, or his attitude wasn't good enough from the off and he was just left out, it's caused problems.