Raith Rovers manager Ian Murray is hoping to start more formal contract negotiations with some of his Raith Rovers stars “in the next 10 to 14 days”.
Murray recently told Courier Sport that discussions had been held with some players and that the club was putting those talks on hold until after the trip to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup.
That hasn’t quite gone to plan as full focus has been on a late bid for play-off football as well as preparing for Sunday’s SPFL Trust Trophy final versus Hamilton Accies.
A number of key players are out of contract in the summer but the Rovers boss – like he has with most things – has learned to be relaxed about the situation.
All he asks is for his players to be upfront with him.
Busy period
“We’ve had such a busy time since Ibrox, then focusing on the game last Saturday. Then a cup final comes around,” Murray tells Courier Sport.
“But I’d like to think that over the next 10 to 14 days we’ll sit down with some boys and have a chat.
“But we also need to identify targets, we need to improve the squad as well.
“There’ll be some players who want to leave, I’m pretty sure, because they want game time.
“That’s fine, I totally understand that, but there will also be a lot of players that will want to stay.
“That’s what contracts are for, it works both ways.
“All we really ask, we’re pretty straight up and honest with them, just be honest with us.
“It’s not really going to affect team selection, we want to win as many games as we can. “We want to play the players who we think can win those games.”
Murray took time out of the game after his first move into full-time management.
That hiatus after leaving St Mirren led to a spell coaching in Norway where he found “a different environment”.
He also praised the Airdrie owners for how much they helped him deal with certain situations.
Laid-back style
“I’ve learnt over the years not to get too wrapped up,” adds the Rovers boss. “I used to take it quite personally, it annoyed me, it frustrated me.
“I think it comes from going to Norway, where it’s a different environment.
“My time at Airdrie was fantastic, I learnt so much from the owners Paul Hetherington and Scott Russell, they were fantastic for me.
“They really taught me a lot, not just about football but about handling situations and how to manage people – not just in football but outside it.
“It gave me a different thought process.
“The pandemic, as well. You literally had no control: it was go with what you have, put more trust in people, trust in the players.
“I think when we’re young managers we’re obsessed with being in control and we’re obsessed with doing things the right way.
How barebones Raith Rovers preserved astonishing SPFL Trust Trophy record to reach ANOTHER final https://t.co/EtZok7WSYr pic.twitter.com/eJhZOnM4lM
— The Courier Sport (@thecouriersport) March 22, 2023
“My temperament and laid-back style probably frustrate the life out of some people. And that’s fine, totally fine.”
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