The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Big Berk]

Murray's contract extension came last season, his second in charge. While his first could be construed to be McGlynn's team, last year's was his (Watson, Booth, Cardle, Moon, Fox, Smith, Elliot, plus the emergence of Callachan). So he went on a 15-game unbeaten run with his side and was rewarded with a new deal - not unheard of.

Secondly, Anelka's side took one point from eight games. So, no, this hasn't been worse than then.

But why let that get in the way of an ill-informed rant?

Correction re Murray's team accepted. However I didnt make a comparison with Anelka's team, I asked for one, so maybe your reading skills are lacking, or maybe in your desperation to prove me wrong you showed yourself up: in eight consecutive home games in the second half of last season we got 3 points, a draw against the mighty Alloa and a narrow victory over hapless Morton. I should imagine that a fair minded person might think thats somewhat comparable...

Edited August 10, 2014 by Big Berk

[Rover the Moon]

Correction re Murray's team accepted. However I didnt make a comparison with Anelka's team, I asked for one, so maybe your reading skills are lacking, or maybe in your desperation to prove me wrong you showed yourself up: in eight consecutive home games in the second half of last season we got 3 points, a draw against the mighty Alloa and a narrow victory over hapless Morton. I should imagine that a fair minded person might think thats somewhat comparable...

A draw and win would be 4 points. I'm not saying it's great or even acceptable but nothing, absolutely nothing, is comparable with Anelka's team so there's no point in even bringing it up.

Yesterday doesn't make everything right but it's been embarrassing reading some of the stuff posted on here in the build-up to it. Great to see us win and keep the boo boys quiet for a week at least.

[Yoss]

Okay, here's what I said about Murray at the end of last season:

From a fan's perspective it's been a mostly poor and very frustrating season, and there's no hiding from that. From the club's perspective it's valid to note that financially we've had two decent seasons and the manager is due credit for it - if we're able to pay down a chunk of debt between that and next season's expected windfalls then that's a legacy to the club that's not insignificant. But none of that is a reason to consider him the right man for the future if the trend suggests the team is on a downward spiral.

On the other hand, I really dislike the sacking culture in football, and I don't think a bad string of results - even over half a season - represents an a priori reason to sack anyone either. Serious questions do have to be asked, of what Murray thinks has been wrong and what he can do about it, and it's on that basis that any decision should be made. The board are in the best place to ask those questions and make those judgements and, while my inclination is to stick with the current management team, I'll back whatever decision the board make so long as I think it's made for the right reasons. I accept that many of those calling for Murray's head are not just doing so for bad results alone - Paco, whose opinion I always respect, made some valid points about the recent failings over and above the mere fact of the results, and I don't pretend to have answers to all those points. But it's still not easy from the outside to tell whether those failings are systemic or whether he just go the squad wrong this season and can fix things over the summer. I'll wait and see.

All that said, if we get off to a bad start in the first couple of months of next season, his position would become untenable pretty quickly.

All of that stands. Murray has put a largely new team together, both he and they still have it all to prove - and they deserve the time to do so. I'm not going to overreact to a good second half yesterday, any more than I was going to overreact to a defeat on Tuesday night. I'm still right behind them as it stands, and I want it to work because I like Murray a lot, but we'll see how we're doing after those first couple of months or whatever.

As far as specifics go, it is a bigger squad than last season despite some suggestions to the contrary, which gives us more cover (which we've already needed) with genuine competition for places everywhere except at full-back, and arguably centre-forward. McKeown worried me a bit for the first couple of games, but looked more comfortable yesterday. And I was especially delighted for Fox - not because I thought he was anything like as bad as everyone else seemed to think the other night, but because his donkey-work got more recognition yesterday. You could see from the reaction he got in the dug-out how pleased everyone was for him as well, which was good to see. (Also, the fact that he got subbed for the third game in a row makes me wonder if he's not been fully fit.)

Stewart's pace has given us an extra option we didn't have last season, and maybe so has Scott's forward runs, though the jury is still out on him yet. Cuthbert looks pretty reliable, Perry is better than early reports suggested, Conroy has started reasonably well but we'll need to accept what he is and not expect him to be bombing down the touchline like an out-and-out winger.

I'm loving Nade.

I'm looking forward to the season a bit more, now. Yesterday's second-half has made that much difference, at least.

[CALDERON]

What we saw, for the first time under Murray really, was a reaction from the team.

Im always mire than happy to eat humble pie if the players produce.

[Ro Sham Bo]

Interesting to see Huddersfield have parted company with Mark Robins. Two wins in thirteen to finish last season then a 4-0 home defeat yesterday to start the new season.

Pretty comparable position to us if we had lost yesterday.

[Raith Against The Machine]

Interesting to see Huddersfield have parted company with Mark Robins. Two wins in thirteen to finish last season then a 4-0 home defeat yesterday to start the new season.

Pretty comparable position to us if we had lost yesterday.

That's a ludicrous situation. I don't know how the Huddersfield fans are reacting, but that Board of Directors must be under serious pressure. To let a guy have the whole of pre-season and then sack him after one game, whatever the result, is incompetence in the extreme.

[Big Berk]

A draw and win would be 4 points. I'm not saying it's great or even acceptable but nothing, absolutely nothing, is comparable with Anelka's team so there's no point in even bringing it up.

Yesterday doesn't make everything right but it's been embarrassing reading some of the stuff posted on here in the build-up to it. Great to see us win and keep the boo boys quiet for a week at least.

I still think in £.s.d. It doesnt change the fact that its still only a win and a draw against lowly opposition in consecutive home games.

I knew you would melodramatically twist with what I said when I mentioned Anelka's team, knowing the infamy associated with it. When are some of you lot going to read what's written with some integrity? I didnt compare Murray's team with Anelka's, his players with the present crop, I asked what the comparison was in the run of results! - quote "league run".

Do you really not understand the difference ?

[Rover the Moon]

I still think in £.s.d. It doesnt change the fact that its still only a win and a draw against lowly opposition in consecutive home games.

I knew you would melodramatically twist with what I said when I mentioned Anelka's team, knowing the infamy associated with it. When are some of you lot going to read what's written with some integrity? I didnt compare Murray's team with Anelka's, his players with the present crop, I asked what the comparison was in the run of results! - quote "league run".

Do you really not understand the difference ?

I pointed out the results of the Anelka team if you read properly - one point in eight games and no sign of a victory at all. 0.125 points per game. Over our admittedly pish run last season we picked up 14 points in 20 games - or 0.7 points per game. We also won away to a Premiership side in the cup and won a cup final. But some seem to think that doesn't matter. That's up to them but there's your facts. Enjoy them.

[ADMO]

Much better yesterday ... Amazing to see what a goal does, first half it seemed nobody wanted the ball, all of a sudden your 1-0 up and a few lads pop up and want the ball, 2-0 and everybody wants the ball, 3-0 up and its like night and day ... Give Murray his credit for whatever he said to the lads, especially at HT, and ofcourse credit to their character to bounce back !

That being said, Murray still has to show we can be a consistent team for me to get over my doubts, especially at home ... All the hard work from this week will be undone if we go and get pumped 5-0 from Alloa next week ...

On a side note, good to laugh at The Sevco today ... Still top of the League hahaha !

[Big Berk]

I pointed out the results of the Anelka team if you read properly - one point in eight games and no sign of a victory at all. 0.125 points per game. Over our admittedly pish run last season we picked up 14 points in 20 games - or 0.7 points per game. We also won away to a Premiership side in the cup and won a cup final. But some seem to think that doesn't matter. That's up to them but there's your facts. Enjoy them.

What bit of 'I wasnt comparing the teams' do you not understand? Broadening the scope to escape specifics is the usual cheap trick on here.

[Rovers_Lad]

I pointed out the results of the Anelka team if you read properly - one point in eight games and no sign of a victory at all. 0.125 points per game. Over our admittedly pish run last season we picked up 14 points in 20 games - or 0.7 points per game. We also won away to a Premiership side in the cup and won a cup final. But some seem to think that doesn't matter. That's up to them but there's your facts. Enjoy them.

winning away to a premiership side a win I felt saved murrays job and winning the lowest ranked cup final doesn't,t take away we were fukin awful from the end of November last year up until the second half of yesterday where we improved a bit

[Rover the Moon]

I asked what the comparison was in the run of results! - quote "league run".

That's where you asked for the comparison and I provided it.

[Rover the Moon]

winning away to a premiership side a win I felt saved murrays job and winning the lowest ranked cup final doesn't,t take away we were fukin awful from the end of November last year up until the second half of yesterday where we improved a bit

And I said 'our admittedly pish form' in the second half of last season. I'm not shying away from it - or the fact we are a long way from the finished article - but you can't just ignore the wins at Easter Road. They happened and should be enjoyed - and Murray and the players deserve credit for them.

Far too many fans on here are happy to just shrug their shoulders about them as if they didn't matter but they were both in my top 10 moments of being a Rovers fan in the last 25 years. If you've had so many better ones that they don't register or matter then good luck to you.

They may have saved Murray's job but that's football. Alex Ferguson relied on Mark Robins and a cup win at Nottingham Forest to keep his job in the early years at Man Utd. It happens. f**k sake, we've won our opening game - something which we didn't do for about 15 years at one point - and there's still whingeing. It's ridiculous.

[Michael W]

We've lost our opening game something like once in the last 7 seasons now - it's not exactly a fantastic achievement.

I'm glad we won yesterday but there's a long way to go before Murray regains the trust of the support I'm afraid. Patience was exhausted last season and it won't take much for the knives to be straight back out. A good run will restore some goodwill, but a lot of damage was done last season and that doesn't just vanish when the season finishes.

Our start could've been a lot worse than the one we were given and I think there's a good opportunity to rack up some points. If we can do so, I do think that some goodwill and confidence will be restored.

[philpy]

We should have scored 4 yesterday. 3 isn't good enough. GTF Murray.

[Enigma]

We should have scored 4 yesterday. 3 isn't good enough. GTF Murray.

^^^

Completely missing Michael's point. One swallow does not a summer make etc.

[Rovers_Lad]

And I said 'our admittedly pish form' in the second half of last season. I'm not shying away from it - or the fact we are a long way from the finished article - but you can't just ignore the wins at Easter Road. They happened and should be enjoyed - and Murray and the players deserve credit for them.

not ignoring these wins it just doesn't mask the crap we watched from November up till second half yesterday

Far too many fans on here are happy to just shrug their shoulders about them as if they didn't matter but they were both in my top 10 moments of being a Rovers fan in the last 25 years. If you've had so many better ones that they don't register or matter then good luck to you.

not saying they didn't matter

They may have saved Murray's job but that's football. Alex Ferguson relied on Mark Robins and a cup win at Nottingham Forest to keep his job in the early years at Man Utd. It happens. f**k sake, we've won our opening game - something which we didn't do for about 15 years at one point - and there's still whingeing. It's ridiculous.

I,m not whinging we,ve won our opening game

We've lost our opening game something like once in the last 7 seasons now - it's not exactly a fantastic achievement.

I'm glad we won yesterday but there's a long way to go before Murray regains the trust of the support I'm afraid. Patience was exhausted last season and it won't take much for the knives to be straight back out. A good run will restore some goodwill, but a lot of damage was done last season and that doesn't just vanish when the season finishes.

Our start could've been a lot worse than the one we were given and I think there's a good opportunity to rack up some points. If we can do so, I do think that some goodwill and confidence will be restored.

good post

Edited August 10, 2014 by Rovers_Lad

[Paco]

Can only laugh at those who said not to overreact to one bad result, overreacting to one good result.

Very pleased we won yesterday, I said after the game on Tuesday that October is decision time and I stand by that. We have two away games with the other two part-timers coming up either side of the Hearts match. After that we'll have played the three part-time teams and Hearts - we'll have a clearer picture of where we're at after that, before a real review after Qos in October when we've played everybody.

Yesterday certainly helped ease some serious fears I think we all had, happy clappers included. They're not all gone by any stretch of the imagination, and indeed I think a key difference between yesterday and much of last season was the opposition missed their first half chances - certainly they had them, but the scoreline staying 0-0 gave us the opportunity to take the game to them rather than chasing it. But overall many of the worries I know I had weren't too prevalent yesterday. There's certainly still more than a few doubts, but the second half yesterday was encouraging.

Let's see if we can keep it going against Alloa next week. We'll need to score at least two to win as it's inevitable Spence will get at least one...

[Ebanda's Handyman Services]

Can only laugh at those who said not to overreact to one bad result, overreacting to one good result.

A positive overreaction is nowhere near as potentially damaging as a negative overreaction.

[Yoss]

Sorry if this has already been covered elsewhere, but I was just having a belated look at the bbc's season preview, and they seem to think that Gary Glen has already moved on. Or at least, he's mentioned as "former Raith Rover man Gary Glen" in the Livi section. He'll be missed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/27793738