The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Wardy]

29 minutes ago, Stevo Fife said:

That bad aye

[grumswall]

Iv missed that. Good to see you're still kicking about Stevo.

[Beastie Russell]

Wasn’t Frankie only offered a 6 month deal as he was injured in the summer.

doubt if he had many options at that time and probably why it suited both parties to sign a short term deal

[Jilted John]

The Frankie situation is quite a peculiar one. He’s probably the best defender in the squad but he can’t get a game because of the form of the two centre backs in front of him. Even when he’s probably a better player, Berra and Lang haven’t put a foot wrong so can’t be dropped. Add to the fact that Bene, the club captain, can’t get back in either and you can see why he might want to leave.

[pantene proV]

I don't remember Frankie playing as well in defence last season as the 3 centre halves who have played there this season. 

I'd wager Frankie would look phenomenal if he was partnered with Berra though. 

[RRFC1989]

I don’t get the campaign to keep Frankie, especially if he’s keen to go.
As I mentioned, I imagine he’ll be one of the higher earners that is currently warming the bench most weeks and 4th choice for his natural position. That money could be better used to strengthen where we need it most which is currently a CM and a goal scorer.
There us no point keeping someone if money can be better spent.
For those who argue he can cover at full back, I’d like to remind you that we have Young and MacKay (come Jan) that can cover either side. MacKay is no worse at RB than Musonda.
We’re not blessed with a large budget so i’d like to see that money being used to fund someone like Gullan on loan.

[CALDERON]

Young has had 1 friendly where he looked miles off it, and one where he looked decent.

We need far, far, far more than that in reserve to sustain a title challenge. Similarly with Mckay.  I can't remember seeing him play at RB at this level, and he was average at best at level below.

Musonda is a player who can slot in anywhere across the back 4 and be absolutely fine at Championship level.  With our injury and suspension record, that is invaluable.

Edited December 13, 2021 by CALDERON

[Raith Against The Machine]

22 minutes ago, RRFC1989 said:

I don’t get the campaign to keep Frankie, especially if he’s keen to go.
As I mentioned, I imagine he’ll be one of the higher earners that is currently warming the bench most weeks and 4th choice for his natural position. That money could be better used to strengthen where we need it most which is currently a CM and a goal scorer.
There us no point keeping someone if money can be better spent.
For those who argue he can cover at full back, I’d like to remind you that we have Young and MacKay (come Jan) that can cover either side. MacKay is no worse at RB than Musonda.
We’re not blessed with a large budget so i’d like to see that money being used to fund someone like Gullan on loan.

This is fundamentally untrue. 

[pantene proV]

30 minutes ago, RRFC1989 said:

For those who argue he can cover at full back, I’d like to remind you that we have Young and MacKay (come Jan) that can cover either side. MacKay is no worse at RB than Musonda.

Yeah, that's bullshit 

[RRFC1989]

This is fundamentally untrue. 

At centre back, Musonda is another league. At RB however, is a different story. Falkirk away is a prime example that he’s totally uncomfortable there. The barely found his own man from when he came in, pointlessly lumping it up the line hoping someone would be there. People seem to have short memories and are doing a dis-service to MacKay.

[pantene proV]

Whereas you've picked one game where Frankie came on when we were a man down, and not said any games where Mackay played really well at right back. In a league below. 

[Scottydog]

No disrespect to either but Frankie is a better player than both Davie McKay and Young in their preferred positions never mind just McKay at RB. I will agree that if he wants to go then we should spend his wage wisely. I too think having no serious cover for the fullback positions is a massive gamble. 

If there's a chance Tumilty is considering potentially going in June then bringing in another Quality RB or even a player who is comfortable there might be the best option. 

Edited December 13, 2021 by Scottydog

[Beachbum]

 

[TxRover]

Honestly, in my judgement, we sit with:

Dick, # 1 LB/LWB

Young, # 4 LB/# 3 LWB

Berra, # 1 CB

Lang, # 2 CB, potential emergency LB/RB

Bene, #3 CB, #3 LB/RB, doubtful as LWB/RWB due to more limited mobility

Musonda, # 4 CB, # 2 LB/LWB/RB/RWB

Tumilty, # 1 RB/RWB

McKay, # 5 CB, # 4 RB, # 3 RWB

 

Looking at that alone shows that Musonda is a critically useful player…and without him signed, we lack any real decent options at WB.

Granted, by playing 3 CB’s, we can use players like Young and McKay as forward lying wing backs, but we weaken our midfield or have to change Ross from a # 10 then, not a good trade. We lack the midfield players to cover in front of a back three and provide the sort of punch Dick and Tumilty give us.

[Hank Scorpio]

Listen. Young and McKay will not be playing many, if any, league games of football for Raith Rovers this season, regardless of how many times you say it.

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Listen. Young and McKay will not be playing many, if any, league games of football for Raith Rovers this season, regardless of how many times you say it.

Yep, that’s how my numbers look. Do you see something different in what I said? They are both rated as third or fourth (or fifth) choices at their positions. My point was the versatility of Musonda is something not easily replicated or replaced. As long as Tumilty and Dick avoid trouble or injuries, we can live without Frankie...but we are the Rovers.

With McKay, someone should see if Martin Rennie over at Falkirk would like a loan of him. They’re a defensive catastrophe right now, and bringing in a new manager just before the window, will likely be shopping g for help. Being in League One, versus his sojourn so far in League Two, would be advantageous for us in determining if we should re-sign him.

(As for Coulson and Mahady, they haven’t received a lot of time at Cowdenbeath, so while a useful loan, hopefully we can find another spot for them with more playing time.)

[Double Jack D]

Who would've thought at the start of the season that Musonda  would've seen so little game time at this stage of the season. Fair play to the boy if he is becoming a bit unsettled and wants to move, he's 24 and he would feel that he needs to be playing in order to progress his career.

There is no doubt whatsoever that our squad would be weaker if he left. With our injury luck it is only a matter of time before one of the defensive unit is injured and a Musonda-less defence would all of a sudden look threadbare in that scenario.

Also, have to add that leaving presents a risk to Musonda too. The Rovers suits his style of play and if/ when he does get the chance to step in through either injury or suspension there is no reason why he cant make a CB position his own in the Championship run in. Should he and us be successful in that then that puts him front and centre of any shop window. 

[Ro Sham Bo]

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/2819802/raith-rovers-kilmarnock-willie-collum-tommy-wright-christophe-berra-tom-lang-aaron-arnott/

[Broken Algorithms]

John Barnes, BBC pundit involved with Killie TV, is taking it well...

[Specky Ginger]

43 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/2819802/raith-rovers-kilmarnock-willie-collum-tommy-wright-christophe-berra-tom-lang-aaron-arnott/

Once again The Courier leaves the FFP in the shade.