Fantalk

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

Smith confirmed as left…

KMac has tweeted his goodbye and is leaving…

Mendy has been confirmed as leaving.

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

Armstrong confirmed as leaving too.

pinky · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 480 Location: isle of south uist

Of the ones indicated as leaving so far, while they are all disappointing, I sincerely hope that releasing MacDonald from his contract a year early doesn’t come back to bite them. It’s all very well saying the club is going full time completely, but given that he was one of the top men for most of last season it would have been good to work out some compromise - at least for the last year of his contract! Unless , of course, there is another reason for him going!
When a similar situation came about with Jason Thomson we were left struggling for a right back for a while! (Delighted with the present incumbent).
Could he not have become a full time footballer but worked part time, given that he apparently works for the family business? After all, there is usually a bit of spare time in the week as full timers, is there not.
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Castle · Joined: 24 Jul 2010 Posts: 4773

Probably find that financially at our level that part time players can be better off than full time players.
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embow · Posted: Sat May 29, 2021 7:17 pm Post subject:

This is the key going forward into next season.

Contract extensions have been offered, and discussions between the club and the remaining out-of-contract players (Brad Spencer & Regan Hendry) are continuing.
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TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

Raith Rovers 2021-2022 Signings and Pre-Contracts:

29 May 2021 (Adding Musonda) (Note, Spencer and Hendry only remaining players offered contracts that have not signed or indicated they are leaving)

Keepers:
Bow (ma-May 2022), J MacDonald (May 2022), Thomson (June 2023, with GK coach role too)

Backs:
Bene (May 2022), Berra (pre-contract, will be Jun 2023), Lang (pre-contract, will be June 2023), K MacDonald (PT-May 2022, but designated for transfer), McKay (May 2022), Musonda (assumed May 2022), Tumilty (May 2022)

Mids/Wide:
Arnott (ma) (May 2022), Coulson (ma) (May 2022), Matthews (June 2024), Tait (May 2024)

Forwards:
Keatings (pre-contract, will be June 2023), Mahady (ma) (thru May 2022), Vaughan (June 2024), Zanatta (pre-contract, will be June 2023)

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

Raith Rovers 2021-2022 Signings:

7 June 2021 (Adding Dick and Connolly) (Note, Spencer and Hendry only remaining players offered contracts that have not signed or indicated they are leaving)

Keepers:
Bow (ma-May 2022), J MacDonald (May 2022), Thomson (June 2023, with GK coach role too)

Backs:
Bene (May 2022), Berra (May 2023), Dick (May 2023), Lang (May 2023), K MacDonald (PT-May 2022, but designated for transfer), McKay (May 2022), Musonda (assumed May 2022), Tumilty (May 2022)

Mids/Wide:
Arnott (ma) (May 2022), Connolly (May 2023), Coulson (ma) (May 2022), Matthews (June 2024), Tait (May 2024)

Forwards:
Keatings (May 2023), Mahady (ma) (thru May 2022), Vaughan (June 2024), Zanatta (May 2023)

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

Raith Rovers 2021-2022 Signings:

15 June 2021 (Removing KMac)

Keepers:
Bow (ma-May 2022), J MacDonald (May 2022), Thomson (June 2023, with GK coach role too)

Backs:
Bene (May 2022), Berra (May 2023), Dick (May 2023), Lang (May 2023), McKay (May 2022), Musonda (assumed May 2022), Tumilty (May 2022)

Mids/Wide:
Arnott (ma) (May 2022), Connolly (May 2023), Coulson (ma) (May 2022), Matthews (June 2024), Spencer (May 2022), Tait (May 2024)

Forwards:
Keatings (May 2023), Mahady (ma) (thru May 2022), Vaughan (June 2024), Zanatta (May 2023)

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

21 June, 2021, injury update:

McKay - Out for another few days, then working back in. Expect to return as early as after Clyde.

Musonda - Out until late-July or early-August.

Lang - Returning at the end of June, very early-July.

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

(Copied from the other channel, where I posted this)

Watched the interview and took some notes…

-JMcG opened by talking about expecting to use 3 or 4 formations this year. Spending a good amount of time with the (lots of) new players going over squad expectations and tactics. Expect the same attacking/passing style game.

-McKay out till after Clyde, Musonda out until late-July or early-August and Lang out for another week or so (very early-July).

-On new players…

—Berra, experienced coach on the field, strong on set pieces, decisive and aggressive, left sided and will take the LCB next to Dick at LB. training four across (Tumilty/Bene/Berra/Dick)

—Lang, good experience against players like Sammon and Dowds where he looked good, strong, has been tracked by us for a while and has a “winning mentality”.

—Dick, was on the list the team created after deciding to go full-time after it became clear that KMac was gone. He was the third choice or so, and has surprised JMcG with just how good he is. Sounds like he’s expected to develop beyond this level.

—Connolly, small/short/fast/pest, a near replacement for Armstrong, good crosser.

—Zanatta, didn’t get much time last year and is behind on his condition and form, but working to catch up, experienced working with Dick (insert own joke here), very quick.

-Raith will be selective on loans, need best value for £. Expect “another couple”.

-“Couple of guys up on trial right now”.

-“One or two more signings”.

-in the preseason, the young guys will get plenty of chances. Specifically name checked Coulson, Arnott and Mahady, but not Bow.

-Standards are important in avoiding a 2nd season slump.

-Scouting opponents is very important at this level, and switching to a full-time side helps JMcG have the opportunity to get to some of the weekday evening games that used to occur during practices when we had part-time players.

-Came back to suggest 2 or 3 formations this year. Emphasis on a month of training before the season to drill tactics and learn via repitition. Players need to automatically know their 3 or 4 options in any circumstance when playing our style.

-Losing Hendry is a minus, no matter how you spin it, but Matthews, Spencer and a Tait all learned from him and are stepping up.

-With the extra CB’s, we can easily change between say 3 and 5 back during a game. It affords us tactical chances we didn’t have the last couple of years.

- We’ve had nearly three years now of evolving the flowing play culture, and are still always looking to learn and develop. We look to develop our flowing , attacking style more.

-JMcG is now learning from how opponents respond to us and plan against us versus from others teaching/mentoring him.

-The Davo testimonial game versus Hibs will be just another pre-season from the player rotation point of view. Davo has something on the horizon in football.

-Pre-season is a time to float players around, expect to see everyone and don’t draw any conclusions from the line-ups.

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

Raith Rovers 2021-2022 Signings:

23 June 2021 (Adding Mitchell and status reports)

Keepers:
Bow (ma) (May 2022), J MacDonald (May 2022), Thomson (June 2023, with GK coach role too)

Backs:
Bene (May 2022), Berra (May 2023), Dick (May 2023), Lang (operarion, out until early-July) (May 2023), McKay (hamstring, out until after Clyde match) (May 2022), Musonda (knee operation, out until early-August) (assumed May 2022), Tumilty (May 2022)

Mids/Wide:
Arnott (ma) (May 2022), Connolly (May 2023), Coulson (ma) (May 2022), Matthews (June 2024), Spencer (May 2022), Tait (May 2024)

Forwards:
Keatings (May 2023), Mahady (ma) (thru May 2022), Mitchell (ma) (thru May 2023), Vaughan (June 2024), Zanatta (May 2023)[/b]

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

Raith Rovers 2021-2022 Team:

27 June 2021

Keepers:
Bow (ma) (May 2022), J MacDonald (May 2022), Thomson (June 2023, with GK coach role too)

Backs:
Bene (May 2022), Berra (May 2023), Dick (operation recovery, out for Clyde) (May 2023), Lang (operation recovery, out until late-July) (May 2023), McKay (hamstring, out for Clyde) (May 2022), Musonda (knee operation, out until mid-August) (May 2022), Tumilty (May 2022)

Mids/Wide:
Arnott (ma) (May 2022), Connolly (May 2023), Coulson (ma) (May 2022), Matthews (toe, out indefinitely) (June 2024), Spencer (May 2022), Tait (May 2024)

Forwards:
Keatings (May 2023), Mahady (ma) (thru May 2022), Mitchell (ma) (thru May 2023), Vaughan (June 2024), Zanatta (May 2023)

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA

Raith Rovers 2021-2022 Team:

1 July 2021 - Pre-Queen’s Park and adding Poplatnik

Keepers:
Bow (ma) (May 2022), J MacDonald (May 2022), Thomson (June 2023, with GK coach role too)

Backs:
Bene (May 2022), Berra (May 2023), Dick (May 2023), Lang (operation recovery, out until late-July) (May 2023), McKay (hamstring, doubtful) (May 2022), Musonda (knee operation, out until mid-August) (May 2022), Tumilty (May 2022)

Mids/Wide:
Arnott (ma) (May 2022), Connolly (May 2023), Coulson (ma) (May 2022), Matthews (toe, out indefinitely) (June 2024), Spencer (May 2022), Tait (May 2024)

Forwards:
Keatings (May 2023), Mahady (ma) (thru May 2022), Mitchell (ma) (thru May 2023), Poplatnik (loan till June 2022), Vaughan (June 2024), Zanatta (May 2023)

badpress139 · Joined: 19 May 2015 Posts: 2394 Location: Glenrothes

McKay played 90 mins of a bounce game on Monday and will now be considered for this weekends game.

TxRover · Joined: 02 Jun 2018 Posts: 3205 Location: North Texas, USA