The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Raith Against The Machine]

If you don't want Lewis Vaughan around, I honestly don't know why you watch Raith Rovers. 

[baillieinleeds]

9 minutes ago, Raith Against The Machine said:

If you don't want Lewis Vaughan around, I honestly don't know why you watch Raith Rovers. 

It’s not that I don’t want him around.  He gets another serious injury and that’s him finished. Not the way we want him to end his career. Quite a plain and obvious reason imo. 

[R.R.FC]

I know the last few weeks have been a non event but I’m actually quite excited for the next couple of weeks. This season finally over, hopefully ownership situation finally resolved positively and sounds like we’ll see the new squad start to take shape for next season quite quickly too.

I may take it all back when Connor McBride signs a new two year deal this time next week…

[Raith Against The Machine]

14 minutes ago, R.R.FC said:

I know the last few weeks have been a non event but I’m actually quite excited for the next couple of weeks. This season finally over, hopefully ownership situation finally resolved positively and sounds like we’ll see the new squad start to take shape for next season quite quickly too.

I may take it all back when Connor McBride signs a new two year deal this time next week…

This is the best bit of the whole year. All the hope, speculation and rumour-mongering but none of the defeats, crushing reality and moany c***s in your ear on a Saturday. 

[Hadji]

52 minutes ago, baillieinleeds said:

If we had two semi decent CB’s Nolan wouldn’t be anywhere near the first team.  No great loss imo. Ethan Ross, Jamie Gullan and dare I say it Vaughan. That’s an expensive injury list right there.  

 

38 minutes ago, baillieinleeds said:

It’s not that I don’t want him around.  He gets another serious injury and that’s him finished. Not the way we want him to end his career. Quite a plain and obvious reason imo. 

Jesus fucken h christ 

[TxRover]

6 hours ago, Hadji said:

Can't believe there's anyone with the opinion that Nolan is worth renewing. 

Who are you signing for the same or lesser cost? If you are signing for a higher cost, where are you cutting?

[grumswall]

2 hours ago, TxRover said:

Who are you signing for the same or lesser cost? If you are signing for a higher cost, where are you cutting?

I'm not sure hagji is Ian Murray tx 

[TxRover]

12 minutes ago, grumswall said:

I'm not sure hagji is Ian Murray tx 

Are you sure?

[Raithie]

10 hours ago, baillieinleeds said:

It’s not that I don’t want him around.  He gets another serious injury and that’s him finished. Not the way we want him to end his career. Quite a plain and obvious reason imo. 

So you want to get rid of him on a 'what if?' basis? 

3 hours ago, TxRover said:

Who are you signing for the same or lesser cost? If you are signing for a higher cost, where are you cutting?

How much is Nolan's wages? Be very specific. 

[R.R.FC]

The below is based on if we have aspirations of pushing for the top 4 in what will be a difficult league next season. Budget may dictate differently, especially with what you would imagine are most of our higher earners already signed up for next season.

Under Contract:

Andy McNeil     
Ross Millen    
Scott Brown     
Ross Matthews    
Aaron Arnott   
Sam Stanton     
Ethan Ross   
Dylan Easton   
Lewis Vaughan     
Jamie Gullan

Keep:

Jamie MacDonald - Experienced solid reliable keeper at this level.

Robbie Thomson - By all accounts a very good coach and as good a number 2 keeper as we would be able to get.

Tom Lang - Was excellent the first couple of months when he first returned from injury but there has obviously been a drop off since then. Alongside an experienced centre back he can be a good player at this level as we saw beside Berra last season.

Jamie Masson - Think he has shown enough promise this season to deserve at least another year. Quite happy with him as either 4th choice centre back next season or possibly going out on loan League Two to get 30-40 games under his belt.

Scott McGill - Not a must retain but given our injury record, having someone that can fill in 4/5 positions to a decent level and be relatively cheap (you would imagine) would be worth keeping.

Aidan Connolly - Pretty obvious one. Obviously another one that has recently dropped off form wise but 25 goals across his last two seasons with us as well as putting in a power of work.

Release:

Ryan Nolan - He’s not the worst centre back we’ve ever had but I think this is one of the areas we need to improve to kick on. Quite happy for him to stick around as 3rd choice centre back but can’t imagine that would suit him.

Connor McBride - Not much explanation needed, just not good enough.

Luke Mahady - See above.

Akio, Goncalves and Ngwenya will also return to their parent clubs and I would not be looking to bring any back.

Undecided:

Liam Dick - May be reading too much into Murray’s post match comments yesterday but he mentioned liking having versatile players in his squad and names Liam Dick as one of those so I think he’ll stay. I’d be okay with that on the basis it was as cover and competition for both left back and centre back but not starting. He’s not a bad player, just feel like we need a more dynamic option down the left unless we move away from wingers who cut inside to out and out wingers who hug the touch line and provide the width themselves.

Brad Spencer - Really didn’t think last season I would be putting him in the undecided section. He’s been a very good player for us but this has been comfortably his poorest season. All things being equal I would still keep him but I would imagine he would be one of our higher earners and will have other options, not one we can get into a bidding war to keep.

Greig Young and Kieran Mitchell can be grouped together. If Dick leaves I’d be tempted to keep Young as back up, he’s looked fine whenever I’ve seen him but Murray will know better. Likewise Mitchell, I’d keep him as a squad option based on the limited amount I’ve seen but wouldn’t be too upset either way.

Obviously, we are 7th for a reason, we haven’t been good enough. Part of that is down to injuries (we have seen the difference in Partick and particularly Inverness since they got full squads back) but we also must improve in certain areas. However, I do think 4/5 quality additions in the right areas would make all the difference, I don’t think we need wholesale transformation.

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by R.R.FC

[Dalgety Rover]

Euan Murray…..

[Michael W]

2 hours ago, Raithie said:

So you want to get rid of him on a 'what if?' basis? 

We currently have five players that have missed large chunks of the season through injury, or even all of it (Matthews). The only one of those not under contract for next season is Tom Lang. 

The lack of players' availability is one of the reasons the club is hemorrhaging money - medical bills and bringing in other players to compensate. It is never a guarantee that a player will get repeatedly injured, but at some stage you have to ask whether the risk is worth it. Players that have repeated injuries will generally continue to get them, and we cannot afford a repeat of this season, especially when we run with a small squad. Not saying I would allow Vaughan to leave specifically, but I would certainly not stand in the way of allowing at least one of Vaughan, Matthews, Gullan or Ross to leave given their injury history. That list there is in preference order of who I would most like to keep. 

The amount of injuries this season has been an absolute disgrace; it can't continue. And one way of trying to sort this out is, unfortunately, to allow the players that are often unavailable to leave the club. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Michael W

[Ro Sham Bo]

1 hour ago, R.R.FC said:

The below is based on if we have aspirations of pushing for the top 4 in what will be a difficult league next season. Budget may dictate differently, especially with what you would imagine are most of our higher earners already signed up for next season.

Under Contract:

Andy McNeil     
Ross Millen    
Scott Brown     
Ross Matthews    
Aaron Arnott   
Sam Stanton     
Ethan Ross   
Dylan Easton   
Lewis Vaughan     
Jamie Gullan

Keep:

Jamie MacDonald - Experienced solid reliable keeper at this level.

Robbie Thomson - By all accounts a very good coach and as good a number 2 keeper as we would be able to get.

Tom Lang - Was excellent the first couple of months when he first returned from injury but there has obviously been a drop off since then. Alongside an experienced centre back he can be a good player at this level as we saw beside Berra last season.

Jamie Masson - Think he has shown enough promise this season to deserve at least another year. Quite happy with him as either 4th choice centre back next season or possibly going out on loan League Two to get 30-40 games under his belt.

Scott McGill - Not a must retain but given our injury record, having someone that can fill in 4/5 positions to a decent level and be relatively cheap (you would imagine) would be worth keeping.

Aidan Connolly - Pretty obvious one. Obviously another one that has recently dropped off form wise but 25 goals across his last two seasons with us as well as putting in a power of work.

Release:

Ryan Nolan - He’s not the worst centre back we’ve ever had but I think this is one of the areas we need to improve to kick on. Quite happy for him to stick around as 3rd choice centre back but can’t imagine that would suit him.

Connor McBride - Not much explanation needed, just not good enough.

Luke Mahady - See above.

Akio, Goncalves and Ngwenya will also return to their parent clubs and I would be looking to bring any back.

Undecided:

Liam Dick - May be reading too much into Murray’s post match comments yesterday but he mentioned liking having versatile players in his squad and names Liam Dick as one of those so I think he’ll stay. I’d be okay with that on the basis it was as cover and competition for both left back and centre back but not starting. He’s not a bad player, just feel like we need a more dynamic option down the left unless we move away from wingers who cut inside to out and out wingers who hug the touch line and provide the width themselves.

Brad Spencer - Really didn’t think last season I would be putting him in the undecided section. He’s been a very good player for us but this has been comfortably his poorest season. All things being equal I would still keep him but I would imagine he would be one of our higher earners and will have other options, not one we can get into a bidding war to keep.

Greig Young and Kieran Mitchell can be grouped together. If Dick leaves I’d be tempted to keep Young as back up, he’s looked fine whenever I’ve seen him but Murray will know better. Likewise Mitchell, I’d keep him as a squad option based on the limited amount I’ve seen but wouldn’t be too upset either way.

Obviously, we are 7th for a reason, we haven’t been good enough. Part of that is down to injuries (we have seen the difference in Partick and particularly Inverness since they got full squads back) but we also must improve in certain areas. However, I do think 4/5 quality additions in the right areas would make all the difference, I don’t think we need wholesale transformation.

 

A fair summary. If we sign a new centre back and left back and then keep Dick as cover/competition for those two spots that would be fine by me. With our injury history he would end up playing more weeks than not anyway and it'd also give us a viable option of a back three at times. 

[Ro Sham Bo]

23 minutes ago, Dalgety Rover said:

Euan Murray…..

Expected to sign for the Pars again I believe. 

[Ro Sham Bo]

17 minutes ago, Michael W said:

We currently have five players that have missed large chunks of the season through injury, or even all of it (Matthews). The only one of those not under contract for next season is Tom Lang. 

The lack of players' availability is one of the reasons the club is hemorrhaging money - medical bills and bringing in other players to compensate. It is never a guarantee that a player will get repeatedly injured, but at some stage you have to ask whether the risk is worth it. Players that have repeated injuries will generally continue to get them, and we cannot afford a repeat of this season, especially when we run with a small squad. Not saying I would allow Vaughan to leave specifically, but I would certainly not stand in the way of allowing at least one on Vaughan, Matthews, Gullan or Ross to leave given their injury history. That list there is in preference order of who I would most like to keep. 

The amount of injuries this season has been an absolute disgrace; it can't continue. And one way of trying to sort this out is, unfortunately, to allow the players that are often unavailable to leave the club. 

Gullan or Ross I would agree with, but I think any time Matthews has been has mainly centred around this injury which by all accounts has been sorted. I would like to think we'll get a decent return from him next season. 

[Michael W]

1 minute ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

Gullan or Ross I would agree with, but I think any time Matthews has been has mainly centred around this injury which by all accounts has been sorted. I would like to think we'll get a decent return from him next season. 

Fingers crossed that it has. It has been fortunate that Brown has been an excellent signing, or else the impact of Matthews being unavailable would've been much worse. 

Matthews is one of the ones whose injury records keep leading me back to McGlynn as significant contributing factor. 

[baillieinleeds]

41 minutes ago, Michael W said:

We currently have five players that have missed large chunks of the season through injury, or even all of it (Matthews). The only one of those not under contract for next season is Tom Lang. 

The lack of players' availability is one of the reasons the club is hemorrhaging money - medical bills and bringing in other players to compensate. It is never a guarantee that a player will get repeatedly injured, but at some stage you have to ask whether the risk is worth it. Players that have repeated injuries will generally continue to get them, and we cannot afford a repeat of this season, especially when we run with a small squad. Not saying I would allow Vaughan to leave specifically, but I would certainly not stand in the way of allowing at least one of Vaughan, Matthews, Gullan or Ross to leave given their injury history. That list there is in preference order of who I would most like to keep. 

The amount of injuries this season has been an absolute disgrace; it can't continue. And one way of trying to sort this out is, unfortunately, to allow the players that are often unavailable to leave the club. 

I got tear soaked seethe when I mentioned Vaughan. Christ “ dare I say it Vaughan” was all I said. 

[SanStarko]

1 hour ago, Michael W said:

The amount of injuries this season has been an absolute disgrace; it can't continue. And one way of trying to sort this out is, unfortunately, to allow the players that are often unavailable to leave the club. 

The issue with that is who's going to take an injury prone player who's on good money.  Gullan and Ross were two of the contracts Sim called out in the AGM if I remember right, which would suggest they're on a decent amount of money.  

Which means we're stuck with them until their contracts end.  Which might be fine if it turns out all the surgeries this season has properly fixed the issues for them, or if Murray's idea about what's causing the issues is right.  But that's a big if.

[Dalziel8]

12 minutes ago, SanStarko said:

The issue with that is who's going to take an injury prone player who's on good money.  Gullan and Ross were two of the contracts Sim called out in the AGM if I remember right, which would suggest they're on a decent amount of money.  

Which means we're stuck with them until their contracts end.  Which might be fine if it turns out all the surgeries this season has properly fixed the issues for them, or if Murray's idea about what's causing the issues is right.  But that's a big if.

You’re right. Unless they get fit and start putting in stellar performances, we are ‘stuck’ with both until at least January.

[baillieinleeds]

13 hours ago, Hadji said:

 

Jesus fucken h christ 

What’s your point??