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The New Raith Rovers Thread


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1 minute ago, TxRover said:

Do we? I see us playing more 352 that some other choice. 5 genuine potential starting CB’s says we’ll be playing 3 across the back. Add to the difficulty we had with one up top, and I’m betting we go to a forward duo. With Spencer, Matthews and Tait in the middle, that leaves two spots for all those forwards and wingers we have signed (and perhaps the ocassional use as attacking subs for Tumilty and Dick if we are losing a tight game). We now sign Hendry plus another mid, or two mids, and stop is my thought. Then JMcG Will shop the loan market for some tasty morsels. As noted, Ethan Ross would be the only forward/winger the club would reach out to sign.

I'm not convinced that 5 guys who can play Cb means McGlynn is veering towards a 3-5-2. Especially given Berra is 36, Benedictus picks up Yellows like he's trying to finish a monochrome panini sticker album and McKay is coming back from a season out from injury. 

Add to that those 5 guys also include all our full back cover and a of a sudden regularly playing three at the back looks like a stretch.

... and you know, I'm not convinced he particularly likes playing 3 at the back unless he finds himself trying to make things more compact.

And beyond that, we still don't have an option for a striker who can play as a hold up type striker.

Connolly and Zannata suggest he still wants to regularly employ width beyond the full backs even if it is one guy playing the tip of a diamond.

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I'm not convinced that 5 guys who can play Cb means McGlynn is veering towards a 3-5-2. Especially given Berra is 36, Benedictus picks up Yellows like he's trying to finish a monochrome panini sticker album and McKay is coming back from a season out from injury. 
Add to that those 5 guys also include all our full back cover and a of a sudden regularly playing three at the back looks like a stretch.

So you think McGlynn will waste a tight budget on 5 people for 2 positions?
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Mckay has been out for a year, he will be cover as a cb/rb. Musonda is obviously cover for all across the backline and dick can play cb. That's a back line that can play different formations and cover for injuries. That doesn't really shout out that we are definitely planning 3 atb. It's just an option we have. Cm needs another player, maybe two depending on how mcglynn envisages arnotts development going. We have 2/3 proper wingers, again depending on how mcglynn sees coulsons development going. Vaughan and keatings have played wide left in the past as well though. Up front? Unless I'm forgetting anyone, we have mahady as a 9 type. Squads shaping up nicely, but we still have a few key positions to strengthen.

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5 minutes ago, RRFC1989 said:


So you think McGlynn will waste a tight budget on 5 people for 2 positions?

He literally explains why we might have a need for so much cover in his post. 

I think we need a midfielder to replace Hendry, a wide forward with some pace eg Ross or Gullan and a number 9 forward who can hold the ball up and bring our ballers into play. 

Edited by Ro Sham Bo
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6 minutes ago, RRFC1989 said:


So you think McGlynn will waste a tight budget on 5 people for 2 positions?

As opposed to signing two wide players who'd never start?

CBs by the nature of the position are more likely to pick up bookings and injuries. You need about 4 to guarantee having two available and for the first time in a long time we might actually have a roster that doesn't sacrifice quality for quantity.

However, McGlynn has only really gone 3 at the back when he'd been deliberately been trying to play more defensive, and be more compact.

... and I do not for a minute believe he's going to ask Aidan Connolly to play through the middle as a centre forward.

We need at least another centre forward, if not two. Another option out wide and either Hendry or a Hendry replacement. That's hardly being wasteful in terms of having enough cover to take injuries and suspensions without screwing the team up.

 

Edited by renton
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As opposed to signing two wide players who'd never start?
 

Forwards are versatile and can often play either side and in the middle which he’s proven he’s used before. If we had long-term injuries were to occur then he would likely revert to an emergency loan, not waste on a permanent signing.
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Just now, RRFC1989 said:


Forwards are versatile and can often play either side and in the middle which he’s proven he’s used before. If we had long-term injuries were to occur then he would likely revert to an emergency loan, not waste on a permanent signing.

Aidan Connolly and Dario Zanatta may be "forwards" but I don't think the former is so versatile that we can play him as a number 9. I think Zannatta played more centrally for a bit for Alloa but number 9 is a pretty specialist position. 

Everyone's budget is tight, and maybe he signed Lang on the basis he didn't think he'd keep Musonda, and the latter is too good to let go if you can keep him.

Personally I don't see us playing a 3 on a weekly basis, and I really don't think we can sign another wide/inside forward type like Ross and call it mission accomplished in terms of forward positions and I would personally rate a number 9 as a higher priority than another who can play on the three behind/tip of diamond/wide are type player.

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Pleased to see Spencer stay. On the list of "possible departures" where contracts were offered I'd probably hav placed him behind Armstrong, but it's good to see continuity. If we'd had to replace him as well as Hendry, that would be suboptimal as we've already lost enough players for my liking. He didn't start off the season as a first pick, but he took his chance when it arrived. I admire that. 

I think we are Henry's replacement and two strikers away from a squad. Perhaps another winger to come in as well. 

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We need a big striker, if not 2 for competition to complement Keatings and Vaughan. We need a left winger, fingers crossed Ethan Ross and a centre mid to replace Hendry.

With preseason starting on Friday I get the feeling that some are already signed and might be announced tomorrow. 

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1 hour ago, raith1974 said:

We need a big striker, if not 2 for competition to complement Keatings and Vaughan. We need a left winger, fingers crossed Ethan Ross and a centre mid to replace Hendry.

With preseason starting on Friday I get the feeling that some are already signed and might be announced tomorrow. 

Not sure we’ll sign a big striker or two versus seek a couple on loan. We need a right winger more than a left, but I’d still take Ross.

Striker, especially Big Striker or No.9 is one of the easiest positions to fill, and the most difficult to fill well. There are acres of candidates and damn few successful players, so it’s a game of panning for gold or offering to play alchemist for a bigger team. Don’t suppose Fulham would like to loan us Bowie, would they?

As for 4 or 3/5 in back, let’s look at something…the team (excludes JMac)

3 Keepers signed

5 CB and 2 FB signed

5 Mids signed (although Coulson is generally seen as a LW)

3 CF, 1 LW, 1 RW

So the defenders total 35% of our signings, the CB’s alone are 25%. To me that says 4-3-3 or 3-5-2, and the latter would (in my opinion) better support JMcG preferred build from the rear strategy.

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8 hours ago, raith1974 said:

We need a big striker, if not 2 for competition to complement Keatings and Vaughan. We need a left winger, fingers crossed Ethan Ross and a centre mid to replace Hendry.

With preseason starting on Friday I get the feeling that some are already signed and might be announced tomorrow. 

There is also the loan market to consider. One or two will arrive after the league Cup group matches no doubt. 

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Not sure we’ll sign a big striker or two versus seek a couple on loan. We need a right winger more than a left, but I’d still take Ross.
Striker, especially Big Striker or No.9 is one of the easiest positions to fill, and the most difficult to fill well. There are acres of candidates and damn few successful players, so it’s a game of panning for gold or offering to play alchemist for a bigger team. Don’t suppose Fulham would like to loan us Bowie, would they?
As for 4 or 3/5 in back, let’s look at something…the team (excludes JMac)
3 Keepers signed
5 CB and 2 FB signed
5 Mids signed (although Coulson is generally seen as a LW)
3 CF, 1 LW, 1 RW
So the defenders total 35% of our signings, the CB’s alone are 25%. To me that says 4-3-3 or 3-5-2, and the latter would (in my opinion) better support JMcG preferred build from the rear strategy.

IMG_2361.jpg
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6 hours ago, TxRover said:

Not sure we’ll sign a big striker or two versus seek a couple on loan. We need a right winger more than a left, but I’d still take Ross.

Striker, especially Big Striker or No.9 is one of the easiest positions to fill, and the most difficult to fill well. There are acres of candidates and damn few successful players, so it’s a game of panning for gold or offering to play alchemist for a bigger team. Don’t suppose Fulham would like to loan us Bowie, would they?

As for 4 or 3/5 in back, let’s look at something…the team (excludes JMac)

3 Keepers signed

5 CB and 2 FB signed

5 Mids signed (although Coulson is generally seen as a LW)

3 CF, 1 LW, 1 RW

So the defenders total 35% of our signings, the CB’s alone are 25%. To me that says 4-3-3 or 3-5-2, and the latter would (in my opinion) better support JMcG preferred build from the rear strategy.

To build from the back using a 3-5-2 requires that one of your centre halves is comfortable stepping out, since they end up being the free man. So we need to have a CB who can step up between the lines, pull an opposition player out of position and move the ball on with a good range of passing.

Think I'd prefer a midfield diamond or a double pivot in midfield to do the same job.

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We absolutely need another centre forward. You don't go from having Ugwu, Gullan, Vaughan, Duku to just relying on Vaughan and an injury prone Keatings*. Forget Mahady. Oh and Zanatta, Connolly and Ross (who we've not even signed but people speak like we have) aren't forwards FFS. 


*according to Inversnecky fans. 

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4 minutes ago, Raithie said:

We absolutely need another centre forward. You don't go from having Ugwu, Gullan, Vaughan, Duku to just relying on Vaughan and an injury prone Keatings*. Forget Mahady. Oh and Zanatta, Connolly and Ross (who we've not even signed but people speak like we have) aren't forwards FFS


*according to Inversnecky fans. 

"Forward thinking players"Gary-Locke-2.thumb.jpg.f0fa21cefa2428bb7fb109cf87422d1d.jpg

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