The New Raith Rovers Thread

[raith1974]

2 hours ago, CALDERON said:

I think panic about relegation may be premature, but I'd be wary of the opposite reaction and assuming everything will be fine just because we have injuries at the moment.

This team has struggled to create chances for a while now, and is now starting to concede some shit goals.  Regarding the former, I'm not sure that's going to change without recruitment.

I'm also conscious that there isn't a standout poor side in the league on paper.

I don't think we are objectively a terrible side or anything like that, but we aren't creating very much or scoring, and I don't see a path to that changing dramatically any time soon - and if that's the case you lose more than you win.  The squad is certainly nowhere near as good as some thought pre season.

I don't have the stats to hand, but i can't imagine many teams who sit bottom in mid September go on to have great seasons.  

I'm not so sure. This is a very competitive league. We are bottom of the pile and creating nothing. Slow sideway or backwards build up play. 

Summer transfers of a mixed bag. Three over 30's defenders. Hanlon will be fine, Fordyce jurys out until he gets a run of games and Stevenson I'm sorry doesn't have the pace for LWB.

Gibson has potential but maybe not quite ready, Montague and Nicholson are for the future and need to be loaned out. Jamieson looks lost. 

If we class Byrne as a new signing then I'm not sure what he brings when the going is tough. Nice tidy player, makes simple passes, but no dig, fight or drive forward.

Freeman just looks of it. 

We need to go back to a 4-2-4-1  or a 4-2-3-2. Put Dick a left back, hopefully have Hanlon and Fordyce as our CH pairing and sign a rightback.

Brown and Stevenson in at DCM. Stevenson can play there and may just be our Jimmy Nicholl.

Stanton, Easton and a new right winger as the 3 with Vaughan and a new striker up top. 

[Rover the Moon]

28 minutes ago, raith1974 said:

We need to go back to a 4-2-4-1  or a 4-2-3-2.

We can barely put 11 functioning players on the park just now, let alone 12.

[raith1974]

2 minutes ago, Rover the Moon said:

We can barely put 11 functioning players on the park just now, let alone 12.

Maybe we need to cheat to win a game. Fat fingers hit a 2 instead of a 1.

[Scottydog]

5 minutes ago, Rover the Moon said:

We can barely put 11 functioning players on the park just now, let alone 12.

TBF he never said he was playing a goalkeeper, this might be the big breakthrough, revolutionary.

[pub car king]

36 minutes ago, raith1974 said:

Brown and Stevenson in at DCM. Stevenson can play there and may just be our Jimmy Nicholl.

Stevenson as a DCM might have some legs to be fair. Play him in front of a flat back 4. I think he'd compliment Byrne actually and he'd move the ball forward as well. 

The issue as always will be no availae CB to let Dick go to LB. 

 

[CountryBumpkin]

So instead of midfielders as defenders we're thinking defenders as midfielders? Is this the evolution that was spoken about?

[raith1974]

2 minutes ago, CountryBumpkin said:

So instead of midfielders as defenders we're thinking defenders as midfielders? Is this the evolution that was spoken about?

Speaking to a Hibs fan Stevenson has played DCM and plays it quite well apparently. It's better than playing a LB at LWB, then a LB at CH, with a CM at CH and a RM at RWB.

It may also be better than playing Byrne who has done nothing in CM.

[CountryBumpkin]

An unsurprising piece in the Courier. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/5083466/neill-collins-signings-raith-rovers-spfl-championship/

Quote

"I would just say that we’re really working hard on it,” Collins told Courier Sport. “We’ve got two or three we’re working really hard on. And we’re working hard on trying to get people in who are going to make an impact.

There’s no use bringing in boys who are going to be behind the lads we’ve already got. They need to bring something different. So, we are working – and it’s not just on the loan market. There’s free agents as well.

There are still some out there who are interesting and we’re getting players put to us all the time. It’s unfortunate, the timing of me coming in, just after the window shut. But it is what it is and we’ll make the best of what we can do, between myself, John Potter and Andy Barrowman.”

No mention that they've stopped the refurbishment though, disappointing lack of focus 

Edited Tuesday at 09:48 by CountryBumpkin

[Jilted John]

30 minutes ago, CountryBumpkin said:

An unsurprising piece in the Courier. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/5083466/neill-collins-signings-raith-rovers-spfl-championship/

No mention that they've stopped the refurbishment though, disappointing lack of focus 

Not sure if that was tongue in cheek but I don’t think Neil, Andy and John are doing the refurbishment themselves. I’ve got a mental image of Megwas agent trying to phone them and missing his call due to the sounds of the hammers and drills and saying ‘f**k it, let’s go to Partick!’

[Brashy's Boots]

26 minutes ago, CountryBumpkin said:

An unsurprising piece in the Courier. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/5083466/neill-collins-signings-raith-rovers-spfl-championship/

No mention that they've stopped the refurbishment though, disappointing lack of focus 

I made the point before - we were told throughout the managerless phase that recruitment activity at the club continued unchanged, so I presume NC arrived to a list of names under consideration, some of whom will already have been sounded out by Potter etc. I'm sure too that NC arrived with some names of his own to consider once he'd had a look at the squad.

Well, he's seen the squad in training and in competitive matches and between him and Potter, must know what's missing. I'll therefore be disappointed if we don't have anyone in this week, given it's an 8 day window. If recruitment activity truly was continuing all along, we should be able to act quickly. Other clubs are taking in loans now - we should be too.

[CountryBumpkin]

1 minute ago, Jilted John said:

Not sure if that was tongue in cheek but I don’t think Neil, Andy and John are doing the refurbishment themselves. I’ve got a mental image of Megwas agent trying to phone them and missing his call due to the sounds of the hammers and drills and saying ‘f**k it, let’s go to Partick!’

Entirely tongue in cheek based on nonsense comments earlier and on twitter that focus should be on the pitch and not off it.

[CountryBumpkin]

3 minutes ago, Brashy's Boots said:

I made the point before - we were told throughout the managerless phase that recruitment activity at the club continued unchanged, so I presume NC arrived to a list of names under consideration, some of whom will already have been sounded out by Potter etc. I'm sure too that NC arrived with some names of his own to consider once he'd had a look at the squad.

Well, he's seen the squad in training and in competitive matches and between him and Potter, must know what's missing. I'll therefore be disappointed if we don't have anyone in this week, given it's an 8 day window. If recruitment activity truly was continuing all along, we should be able to act quickly. Other clubs are taking in loans now - we should be too.

Aye, the article pretty much says that. Collins has identified areas of weakness and they're looking to address it with loans and/or free agents. 

Though while the recruitment team have identified players, the manager needs to give the final say on them and check them out for himself rather than just go on reports. I'm pretty sure going by reports was how we ended up with Frederiksen

[Double Jack D]

To be fair to Collins, it will take him a while to fully implement his plan which could take us through the January and next summers window to get to a stage where he is able to fully put his stamp on the team.

His point about coming in after the window has shut is precisely what was so ridiculous about the timing of sacking Murray and would obviously lead to the recruitment situation we have now. Anyway, we are where we are so hopefully a few decent bodies come in to freshen up what we have and provide some much needed depth.

He may have to somewhat temper his plans for his desired system in the meantime and put together something that suits what we do have. Last season it was only really the Scott Brown at centre half which was the square peg in a round hole. On Friday night there were several mis-shaped pegs all over the pitch and we deservedly got our totties as a result.

If he keeps trying to do just to play a system we don't have the players for then he might not last until the end of the January window.

 

[ShaggerG]

2 hours ago, raith1974 said:

Maybe we need to cheat to win a game. Fat fingers hit a 2 instead of a 1.

Did your fat fingers hit a 1 instead of a 0 with your first formation?

[pub car king]

I went back for the first time since after the Airdrie game and listened to the post match interview again. 

Ian Murray says everything that has been raised on the last 10 or so pages on here. None of it seems to have been addressed despite "working away in the background". 

Just in terms of physio etc did we have a complete change of staff during the summer? 

[CountryBumpkin]

6 minutes ago, pub car king said:

I went back for the first time since after the Airdrie game and listened to the post match interview again. 

Ian Murray says everything that has been raised on the last 10 or so pages on here. None of it seems to have been addressed despite "working away in the background". 

Just in terms of physio etc did we have a complete change of staff during the summer? 

I believe new physio and new sports scientist this season. The rest, Potter, Cameron, Thomson and Orr remain from previous years.

[LargoRover]

You have to reflect back again now at the timing of Murrays sacking.

Say we hadn't pulled the trigger then, we may have been able to keep squad morale higher, fit returning players into a known system and perhaps attract new signings into a stable environment with a manager in place. Results may have improved and squad strengthened. 

Worst case, we would still be where we are today but external perception would be different. Out of 2 cups, bottom of the league, one penalty goal scored and strong squad. We would then likely be more attractive to players and managers that something was changing with just cause.

Timing and foresight is everything.

[Stardog_champion]

I’ve been out of the way for a while. What’s the talk about Gullan and McGill? If so I’d take Scott McGill back in a heartbeat. What’s the script with Gabby McGill? I take it he isn’t what we’re looking for. It’s a pity Collins couldn’t bring some up and coming young strikers from Barnsley on loan. 

[mrpaddyx]

I see that Levein has been sacked at St, Johnstone, wonder if Murray is heading there? 

[pub car king]

12 minutes ago, mrpaddyx said:

I see that Levein has been sacked at St, Johnstone, wonder if Murray is heading there? 

Would be amazed if he didn't apply, wether he'll get it is another story