The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Michael W]

looking forward having Tade on the right and Smith on the left looks like a good combination, both are hard working with a decent amount of pace (Tade more so) and both will track back to support the full backs. Do a bit of work with Tade's final ball and get Smith a run of games will see us with a good amount of width and danger coming from either flank

Yeah, works for me.

Darren Smith should have offered us more than he did last season, but he was very unlucky with injuries and couldn't get a run of games together. Johnny Russell was also selected ahead of him when McGlynn decided to play him out wide rather than up front. You could see it affected his confidence too, as he was unwilling to run at players as he did previously. That said, I would like to see us bring someone in to provide him with competition for his place.

I'm hoping McGlynn will go with Tadé on the right, but I suppose that all depends on us bringing someone in up front. The Baird rumour appears to be probable, but we'll need someone else in too.

[St. Starko]

Website has now announced who McGlynn has released and who is staying next season.

Raith Rovers Football Club has today released details of players who will be leaving the club and those who have been retained for next season.At the end of a season which saw the club retain first division status and reach the semi-final of the Scottish Cup for the first time in 47 years, John McGlynn has decided to retain most of his squad from last season with a mixture of youth and experience including Player of the Year David McGurn, Captain Iain Davidson and Fans favourite Mark Campbell, and Young Player of the Year Jamie Mackie, Graeme Beveridge and Kevin Brown from the Under 19s.

The players who will still be playing at Stark's Park next season are -

Graeme Beveridge, Kevin Brown, Mark Campbell, Iain Davidson, Reece Donaldson, Laurie Ellis, Mark Ferry, Thomas Graham, Dougie Hill, Ross Laidlaw, Jamie Mackie, David McGurn, Jordan McKechnie, Grant Murray, Stephen Simmons, Darren Smith, Gregory Tade, Allan Walker, Craig Wedderburn, Graham Weir, Iain Williamson and Craig Wilson.

11 players will be leaving the club and they include Goalkeeper Gary O'Connor who has decided to retire from senior football and the others are - Lee Bryce, Javier Amaya, James Drummond, Joe Dunbar, Thierry Gathuessi, Chris McDougall, Lyall Shaw, Dene Shields, Robert Sloan and Mark Whatley.

Edited to add: It's interesting that Joe Dunbar has 'left' the club when he supposedly left last season. What is the true story with this lad? I thought we released him at the end of last season to play for a junior team. Then the SFL last summer bizarrely placed an article on their site claiming that he was up for sale, yet I thought he was already gone. Did he just sign for a junior team on loan or something?

Edited May 5, 2010 by St. Starko

[martyn89]

hope williamson's punted, he's a fairy. good goal against aberdeen though. as for simmons, he's a bit of a liability but has a good game now and again, and can pick a good pass IMO but can't understand JmcG's insistance on tryin to fit him in with davo and walker. so i'd probably punt him or bench him for the most of next season.

Couldn't say it any better myself

[martyn89]

Baird Confirmed

http://www.acadvertiser.co.uk/coatbridge-airdrie-sport/2010/05/05/play-offs-2010-brechin-city-v-airdrie-united-preview-65864-26375162/

Read the bit at the bottom.

[martyn89]

Answers all the questions about who's staying and who's going

http://www.raithroversfc.com/cgi-bin/latestnews.cgi?id=3336

Disappointed Amaya's leaving

[Fly-Fifer]

Pretty pleased with the majority of players that Mcglynn has decided to keep for next season but cant for the life of me understand why Weir is staying. He has done nothing all season, I know injuries haven't helped, but we cant rely on him for goals next season and that is the one thing the team needs!

[Hank Scorpio]

Weir staying? Wedderburn? Simmons AND Davidson? McDougall and Amaya are away?

Fucking hell.

[AllanJM]

Pretty pleased with the majority of players that Mcglynn has decided to keep for next season but cant for the life of me understand why Weir is staying. He has done nothing all season, I know injuries haven't helped, but we cant rely on him for goals next season and that is the one thing the team needs!

I'm actually glad Weir is staying. I don't imagine he'll be a regular starter but he is a good player to bring off the bench. He doesn't get us goals but he showed at Pittodrie why he can be a valuable squad player.

[Dazzle]

Weir staying? Wedderburn? Simmons AND Davidson? McDougall and Amaya are away?

Fucking hell.

Who is McDougall?

[Raith Against The Machine]

We don't really have a choice with Weir, he's under contract. He could easily still go to Australia, as the rumours are suggesting. It's not like he's been offered a new deal, so until such times as a deal in Australia is signed, he'll "be with us for next season".

I would've invited Amaya back for pre-season, but I doubt we'll see him playing football in Scotland again. He'll be away back to Spain, most likely.

Joe Dunbar is a story that will never be fully explained, I would imagine. It seems he was under contract, there was a disagreement, and both parties dug their heels in.

[johnnymac]

We don't really have a choice with Weir, he's under contract. He could easily still go to Australia, as the rumours are suggesting. It's not like he's been offered a new deal, so until such times as a deal in Australia is signed, he'll "be with us for next season".

I would've invited Amaya back for pre-season, but I doubt we'll see him playing football in Scotland again. He'll be away back to Spain, most likely.

Joe Dunbar is a story that will never be fully explained, I would imagine. It seems he was under contract, there was a disagreement, and both parties dug their heels in.

from what i heard dunbar had signed a two year deal, but then was not turning up for training etc. he was fined the max but we wouldnt give him the pay off of his contract so we basically held on to his registration and the wee b*****d took a wage for a year and a half for f**k all. dont think it was a fortune but could maybe of got us another part time player.put it down to experience i suppose.

as for amaya when he had his chances which i give you were limited i dont think he did enough.

hopefully a few strikers to come in the door though

Edited May 5, 2010 by johnnymac

[Rovers_Lad]

hopefully a few strikers to come in the door though

Its fekin imperative considering we`ve let our under 19s top scorer go

I take it Williamson is still under contract?if not why has he been kept?

Wedderburn and Simmons should have been shown the door

[Paco]

And as ever the website doesn't tell us how long people are signed for. That really fucking winds me up.

No surprises there at all. Wouldn't have kept Weir or Williamson - unfortunately both were under contract, although I imagine McGlynn would've kept Williamson anyway. Weir staying might just discourage McGlynn from getting any forwards in with the exception of Baird and a loaneee, which I think is a mistake.

I'd've liked Davidson to go but we all knew that wasn't going to happen, so we'll all be crying on here come August about our midfield having no balance as we continue with square pegs in round holes trying to keep Walker, Simmons and Davidson in the same side. No doubt with Williamson on the other wing. We need a left midfielder for me, not a slight on Darren Smith as on his day he's a very capable player but he does get injured a lot.

Really don't know why we bothered with Amaya. Wasn't brilliant by any means when he played but was no worse than others we played up front this season, I would've liked to see him get a few games back-to-back to see what he was made of, but never mind. Our squad then, including under 19's, is:

Goalkeepers

David McGurn

Andrew McNeil - not officially, but seems certain

Ross Laidlaw (u19)

Defenders

Mark Campbell

Grant Murray

Dougie Hill

Laurie Ellis

Craig Wilson

Craig Wedderburn

Willie Dyer - not officially, but seems certain.

Kevin Brown (u19)

Reece Donaldson (u19)

Midfielders

Stephen Simmons

Allan Walker

Mark Ferry

Darren Smith

Iain Davidson

Iain Williamson

Jordan McKechnie (u19)

Jamie Mackie (u19)

Graham Beveridge (u19)

Attackers

Gregory Tadé

Graham Weir

John Baird - not officially, seems certain.

Tam Graham

[Broken Algorithms]

Its fekin imperative considering we`ve let our under 19s top scorer go

I take it Williamson is still under contract?if not why has he been kept?

Wedderburn and Simmons should have been shown the door

Three points. Firstly, Bryce wasn't a first team regular so it didn't really affect our striking options. I really don't understand this Simmons and Williamson-bashing: Williamson scored us a few vital goals last season and was on fire before he got his injury. Give the lad more time, bearing in mind he is only 21 and has a bit to learn. Simmons has been a decent player and only really needs to sort out his discipline: he can pick a pass and scores the occassional goal. As for Wedderburn, I'd imagine Wedderburn is signed only due to the fact we need players for our reserve team and so it will get him experience and he might make an appearence on the bench. I don't rate the lad but I can understand why John McGlynn kept him on.

[raith_94]

I'll alwaaays believe in Rob Slooooaaan.

Thanks for the memories; a Rovers player that can take corners and freekicks are like buses; none for yonks then Sloan AND Walker. Perhaps there ain't room for both and if so, McGlynn's made the right choice.

I heart Robert Sloan though. Will be taking in a game he's playing in next season for sure.

What price a belting freekick at the home end at Starks next season for whoever wins the playoffs?

Good stuff about Baird though.

[renton]

Three points. Firstly, Bryce wasn't a first team regular so it didn't really affect our striking options. I really don't understand this Simmons and Williamson-bashing: Williamson scored us a few vital goals last season and was on fire before he got his injury. Give the lad more time, bearing in mind he is only 21 and has a bit to learn. Simmons has been a decent player and only really needs to sort out his discipline: he can pick a pass and scores the occassional goal. As for Wedderburn, I'd imagine Wedderburn is signed only due to the fact we need players for our reserve team and so it will get him experience and he might make an appearence on the bench. I don't rate the lad but I can understand why John McGlynn kept him on.

Agree with you, still think we should be looking to bring in at least one more striker in addition to Baird, give us at least three dedicated CF spots with Williamson and Tade able to play in there when and if necessary, seems evident that we won't be looking at any more midfielders, and if the Dyer thing is true, then I'd guess with him and Ferry, that Ellis will be the extra CB spot for cover, shame because I'd like to have tried to keep Armstrong. I'd assume the other position well be looking to add is another wide player then.....

So all in all, seems like our summer transfer business will be relatively little.

[pantene proV]

Not too happy we'll be continuing with same midfield dilemmas next season but i've already covered why we don't need Simmons AND Davo.

No real surprises in the releases either, Amaya was always a marked man when his refusal to run towards the corner flags was discovered.

I'll trust McGlynns judgement on the under 19's lack of progression as i've never watched any of their games, Bryce may have been a useful sub option but it seems the squad is being trimmed of bit part players and in preparation of more frequent team players arriving.

Would still like to see a striker who can hold the ball up at the edge of the box instead of at the corner flag though.

[Michael W]

No real surprises then, pretty much as expected.

Out of those staying, I'd only have got rid of Davidson and Weir (who was under contract anyway). Williamson has far from impressed me, but he's scored us a few vital goals. He'd be a decent enough player if he's just stick to where he's meant to be playing and got fucking involved in the game. We could do with BA Baracus chucking handfulls of Snickers at him as well to try and man him up a bit.

I reckon we'll see a left midfielder signed and maybe another striker. I hope McGlynn's learned his lesson about trying to plug the gaps with loan signings from last season.

Edit: I'd probably have got rid of Wedderburn too.

Edited May 5, 2010 by Michael W

[martyn89]

No real surprises then, pretty much as expected.

Out of those staying, I'd only have got rid of Davidson and Weir (who was under contract anyway). Williamson has far from impressed me, but he's scored us a few vital goals. He'd be a decent enough player if he's just stick to where he's meant to be playing and got fucking involved in the game. We could do with BA Baracus chucking handfulls of Snickers at him as well to try and man him up a bit.

I reckon we'll see a left midfielder signed and maybe another striker. I hope McGlynn's learned his lesson about trying to plug the gaps with loan signings from last season.

Edit: I'd probably have got rid of Wedderburn too.

I'm glad he's kept wedderburn, i'd of kept bryce too as a fringe players.

I think McGlynn will need to wheel n deal and really bolster the squad. Disappointed we never flogged Weir, Simmons and Williamson though, I feel that Tade is a better version than Weir, Simmons isn't as good as Simmons and less tempermental. Then there was one, Williamson has scored 1 or 2 important goals....but we could replace him for a better player (easily).

My worry is that we've released 11 players (yes some are just kids)!!! I believe we had the smallest squad in the league, can McGylnn bring in 6,7maybe 8 players (thats not inc. McNeil and Baird)

[CALDERON]

Went to the Brechin vs Airdrie playoff game tonight to see how the lad Baird got on.

Started off pretty well, played some neat passes and a few neat touches. As the game got on however, he started playing deeper and deeper and was almost playing at right back! He certainly isnt the out and out striker we crave. Seems a bit poweder puff, and going on first impressions, I dont think he looks that much different that who we already have.

I shall reserve judgement until I have seen him in a Rovers shirt though!