The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Hank Scorpio]

I'd be disappointed if Baird went to a non-SPL team, but he deserves a chance to at the very least have a go at getting to the SPL, and we cannot offer him that unfortunately.

[pub car king]

Statement on the official site tonight basically ota a part time full time mixture forthefirst team but the juries still out on thr youth set up.

[Paco]

Another disappointed by Dyer's exit, he's had a fine last few months. He's not a world beater but a good player for our level. A side like Morton could do a lot worse than him.

Wish him all the best. Can only assume it'll be a part-timer or Reece Donaldson to replace him, neither of which is an improvement. As long as we don't put Laurie there permanently...

[sonicsco]

For anyone doubting whether Baird is staying or going, you need only watch this video...

Definitely waving goodbye, and is that even a few tears I see there? Thanks for everything Bairdy.

I too would like to see Casa stay, but maybe we just can't afford him. I'd have thought we'd have a similar-ish kind of budget for next season than this. Granted we've made a loss but Dunfermline/Hibs and Cowden is about 15-16000 punters over four games rather than Ross County and QOTS which is 7-8000.

Baird also did this at the end of the thistle game at the end of last season so you never know what the future holds.

[sonicsco]

McGlynn not say in the interview on the offical site that casa got on the pitch on saturday so he could say good bye to the fans. so that will be him away in the summer.

[HoBNob]

Hopefully!

You might even see a couple of the current full-timers revert to PT for a season or two. Depends if they can get other clubs and whatnot. I would have loved to see us keep Jason Thomson, but I'm now thinking it's very unlikely. We can't justify 'breaking the bank' for a player, so to speak.

Dunfermline.

I really,really,really hope you do :lol:In a season as bad as ours has been it's quite something that Thomson was one of the worst players, he is hanging.

[Michael W]

I really,really,really hope you do :lol:In a season as bad as ours has been it's quite something that Thomson was one of the worst players, he is hanging.

He's been excellent for us. Maybe he's just not an SPL player.

[Raith Against The Machine]

I would've thought that Dunfermline needed a right-back who could defend, and we needed one who could attack, and that's the main difference.

[Broken Algorithms]

He's been excellent for us. Maybe he's just not an SPL player.

Much like Martin Hardie...

[ribzanelli]

Now that we are reverting to part time maybe we can bring Mark Ferry and Craig Wilson back?

[HoBNob]

He's been excellent for us. Maybe he's just not an SPL player.

That is true, but but he didn't look like a player at all lad.

I would've thought that Dunfermline needed a right-back who could defend, and we needed one who could attack, and that's the main difference.

He wasn't particularly good at either, but he was specfiacally horrible at defending.

He will now score a 30 yarder next season

[RoversMad]

He wasn't particularly good at either, but he was specfiacally horrible at defending.

Specfiacally

??????????

I know it's poor Craic to pull up bad spelling but WTF mate?

[Paco]

I really,really,really hope you do :lol:In a season as bad as ours has been it's quite something that Thomson was one of the worst players, he is hanging.

I would've thought that after this season a Dunfermline fan of all people would know the difference between an SPL player and a First Division one.

[renton]

This full time/part time mix opens some opportunities but certainly closes some other doors to us.

Firstly, from the existing squad, it gives us a chance of keeping McGurn, Hill and Ellis - the first is part time anyway and the latter two have both been part time before and I doubt would have much trouble going part time again. Hill I believe has a decent trade as a plumber, Ellis as a driving instructor. Whatever detractors they may have, I firmly believe that both have done good jobs for us, and Hill in particular still has a good few years in him. We should try our best to keep him and build a defence around him. Donaldson is almost certainly first choice left back now, but right back could be more problematic. Thomson might stay assuming no other offers are forthcoming, and we might be his best chance to get his career back on track in the short term.

In midfield, it is far more difficult. Where full time deals are available I wouldn't be surprised if they were on reduced deals. Iain Davidson has been at the club for a bloody long time now. He's also likely to be one of the more senior and better paid players. When he's been available this year, he's been outstanding - so I wouldn't be surprised if he's attracted interest from other clubs. I could see him going to one of the likely promotion chasers.

Alan Walker is another one who'd possibly think about moving on, could he go part time or exist on a reduced full time wage with us? A big decision for him but I'd like to keep him, he can play two positions with decent consistency and is an important player for us, I feel like we should try and keep one of our existing central midfielders if at all possible. However, any decisions in midfield are constrained due to Joe Hammil's two year deal. It's obvious to all and sundry that he wants to play centre midfield so it may be a case of sticking him there and building a midfield around him. In which case we'd be looking to Callachan in particular to fill the role beside Hammil and provide some energy and dig. The fact that he got a run out against Morton, was put out on loan for some first team action and has featured this season suggests that he may be rated by McG and we should definitely keep him on. A decent player and a low risk for the club.

Out wide requires a major overhaul. Hammil cannot play there and Williamson and McBride will surely be in the cull. Apart from another Hearts loanee, this is almost certainly a position we'll go shopping for. Albeit no names immediately come to mind.

Up front we have Graham and perhaps Wall from the youth team. Baird will attract offers and if he is to stay it won't be because we are offering him the best financial deal going. Only the fact that he might like it at Stark's and seems to have a decent rapport with Graham might keep him here. I doubt we'll see Clarke or Casa again so a position we'll be shopping for again.

All in all, I'd expect any full time players we have next year to come from the current crop of players, the squad to be rebuilt with part timers and youth players. So probably a 65:35 split part time: full time if it comes to it. This is not necessarily a disaster for us. McG has proven before that he can coach his part timers to within an inch of full time fitness. Assuming McG has his eye on certain players and moves quickly we shouldn't be unduly concerned. Yet.

[Michael W]

I think only one of Walker or Davidson will be kept. Which one will stay I don't know, but if other clubs offer deals then that could make our decision for us. Losing one of them in isolation we can deal with, but we're more or less starting from scratch in midfield next season if both go. Our midfield has long been a problem area, but I don't want us to just chuck a bunch of new players in there and expect it to be ok. That isn't going to happen.

Of the two, I'd rather Walker stayed. I think he's been excellent since he was put back in the middle, and he's a better player than Davidson is. He can also play two positions in midfield, and we're going to need that flexibility next season so McGlynn can again avoid playing the youths.

However, I expect McGlynn will see it differently. Walker being put back in the middle only arose because Davidson got suspended, and he only stayed there because Laurie Ellis suffered a bad injury meaning Grant Murray had to move back to CB. Had neither of that happened, we would have finished the season with J. Walker on the bench and Murray/Davidson in the middle. I don't like it, but McGlynn plays with two sitting players and I suspect he will do all he can to keep Davidson.

I would be more than happy to see Davidson move on. He's a player I've never rated and despite the hyperbole surrounding his performances this season, I still don't rate him. For all that's said about him breaking up play etc, he hasn't helped us stem our rate of conceding since he returned to the side.

However, I'd rather he stayed than Joe Hamil, and I'm very annoyed that we are losing our best players whilst he remains here. He isn't a left-sided player, and I don't think he has it in him to play in the middle either. He shows good technique at times and is good at keeping possession, but he's far too culpable of going missing. He gives our full-back hell by pissing off into the middle at will too.

Dyer has gone, but hopefully we'll manage to keep the rest of our defenders. God knows what's going to happen up front, though.

[Broken Algorithms]

I would be more than happy to see Davidson move on. He's a player I've never rated and despite the hyperbole surrounding his performances this season, I still don't rate him. For all that's said about him breaking up play etc, he hasn't helped us stem our rate of conceding since he returned to the side.

I'd be inclined to disagree. I think we've looked a fair bit stronger with Davo in midfield breaking up attacks. He also has an eye for a decent pass which others might not look for. I'd say that we've still be conceding goals, but how often have we seen goals go in as a result of headers or set pieces? We really need a solid defender who can give us security against set pieces.

[Michael W]

I'd be inclined to disagree. I think we've looked a fair bit stronger with Davo in midfield breaking up attacks. He also has an eye for a decent pass which others might not look for. I'd say that we've still be conceding goals, but how often have we seen goals go in as a result of headers or set pieces? We really need a solid defender who can give us security against set pieces.

For me, it's Jason Thomson's arrival more than anything that turned things around. Finally having an attacking threat from RB since Craig Wilson lost form in the second half of last season has seen us scoring goals at a fairly good rate.

I don't see Davidson breaking up attacks, so to speak. I see him running about like a headless chicken, which often leaves us open. I'm going to have to put that one down as 'we all see the game differently'. I think that barring his long diagonal pass (which I will admit is very good), his passing is otherwise poor. He has an annoying tendency to offload the ball too quickly with a backpass, or hopelessly lump if forward. He is one of the main root causes of our style of play, which perhaps explains a part of my disdain for him. McGlynn sees this differently, obviously, but it wouldn't be as bad if he was even paired with an attacking player more often.

Set pieces are a team problem, and I can only attribute that to the loss of Campbell - he won everything. Maybe losing Simmons and Tadé hasn't helped there either. I don't know if we've just been spoiled by having players like Marv and Campbell there, or if something really is amiss. Maybe a bit of both,. but it's something we need to look at.

[roverthemoon]

Agree that set pieces are a huge problem. Oh to have a Campbell or a Marvin type player in there. I think Davidson should definitely be kept. I think accusing him of being a headless chicken is very harsh. He gives us a strong presence in there and I'd rather he offloaded the ball quickly or passed it back than lost possession. He plays the game simply which is exactly what I like about him yet he can pull out a great diagonal pass like he did on Saturday at Morton.

As always it's just down to people seeing the game and players differently. I think the question to ask is whether getting rid of him we can bring in someone who is going to be better. Given ourresources I would seriously doubt it. I'd definitely keep him

[Rovers_Lad]

Another one in the keep Davo camp.Were a much better team with him.Walker for me has not had a great season.

[Paco]

For me there were three major reasons behind our upturn in form after the pathetic performance away at Hamilton - the signing of Jason Thomson at right back which finally gave us someone who could carry the ball forward and actually cross it unlike Reece, the fact we had four capable strikers with two to come off the bench at all times as opposed to throwing Reynolds on to do nothing, and the spark of Jamie Walker.

The most worrying thing is that all three of these factors are fairly likely to be gone by the start of next season....

We absolutely rely on a full-back who can get up and down the pitch, whether it's on the left or the right it's absolutely imperative to the way McGlynn's sides play. Donaldson was decent for the first few months but even at that, how many times would be hit the bye-line and cross the ball? Rarely. He'd stop and pass it backwards, or cut back and play a weak cross on his left foot. Thomson has solved that problem in the role Craig Wilson played to great effect for a few years. If we can have at least three strikers who are capable, finances permitting of course, that would be nice too. Our title challenge last season fell apart because we had nothing on the bench and it was similar until Casa and Clarke got upto full speed this season as well. Reynolds was a poor signing which left us with nothing to help Graham and Baird out with.

None of us really know of course what the budget is but it's definitely the sensible option to return to a mix. McGlynn made a mistake in the summer but it seems he knows it. Hopefully the other mistakes are a case of lesson learned as well.