Scottish football wouldn’t be what it is without its penchant for the unexpected.
But the sacking of Ian Murray after just one league game is surely right up there amongst the most surprising dugout developments of recent times.
The former Hibernian and Rangers defender had Raith Rovers punching above their weight for much of last term and firmly in a Championship title race.
The rollercoaster campaign finally ended in bitter disappointment with the Premiership play-off final defeat to Ross County.
However, the general consensus was that, faced with the budget advantages of overwhelming favourites Dundee United, it had still been a successful season.
The aim is obviously to go one better in 2024/25, but Murray will no longer have the chance to lead the Stark’s Park side back to the top-flight.
According to Raith’s statement, he has carried the can for results and performances ‘since the turn of the year’ falling ‘short of expectations’.
There is no denying that Rovers’ high point under Murray came at the tail end of 2023.
They suffered just two defeats in 28 games in all competitions between July and January 2 of this year.
Rebuilding after dashed dreams
Top of the Championship at Christmas, ‘Murrayball’ – the name given by fans to their manager’s attacking game-plan – was working and the dream of promotion was on.
But the Kirkcaldy outfit faltered and the reality was that Raith had over-achieved in giving themselves a shot at the title.
Recruitment has been impressive this summer. A lack of experience has been addressed with the arrivals of Lewis Stevenson, Paul Hanlon, Callum Fordyce and, on a permanent deal after a loan, Shaun Byrne.
But Hanlon has been injured and Rovers went into Saturday’s curtain-raiser against bogey team Airdrie without the ex-Hibs man and skipper Scott Brown, and with Lewis Vaughan, Euan Murray and Sam Stanton short of match fitness.
In a tight game, the Diamonds came out on top, as they did in four of five meetings last season, and the Raith board acted instantly.
The reaction online from supporters mirrors the shock expressed in many other parts of Scottish football.
Getting just one league game, and away from home against a fellow play-off contender from last term, appears extremely harsh.
The board may counter with, ‘better now than later’ when the transfer window is closed and perhaps more damaging defeats have come and gone.
Sometimes on such occasions the things that are unsaid are more important than the words and platitudes used.
Question marks
Some have questioned whether there is more to it than meets the eye.
Have relationships become frayed? Have there been differences of opinion over tactics? Or team selections? Or signing targets?
If it has just come down to not meeting expectations then perhaps, just one game into the new league season, the bar has been set too high.
Whatever has brought things to a head, Raith will now be under pressure to get their next appointment right to justify what many from the outside looking in have viewed as a baffling decision.
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