Raith Rovers boss Dougie Imrie on 'luxury' of great squad depth compared to previous job at Greenock Morton
Having battled along manfully in his previous managerial job at Greenock Morton between 2021 and 2025 under limited resources and with a playing squad often stretched to the limit by a lack of depth, Dougie Imrie now finds himself in the enviable role of having two players for every position in his pool at Raith Rovers.
Imrie, 43, whose astute summer rebuilding job at Stark’s Park saw him add 12 new signings while losing 15 players (including loans), has Rovers flying high in the table and on course to mount a serious promotion bid from the William Hill Championship this season as they have accumulated 13 points from six matches.
The popular gaffer, who led Raith to victory in last season’s KDM Evolution Trophy, was asked by the Fife Free Press if he thought his current strong squad depth felt like a luxury compared to what he had at Cappielow Park.
He said: “Listen, it's different infrastructures. Morton had a certain way.
"For me, as a young manager, it's certainly set me in good stead.
"The challenges I faced there in my career will help me going forward, for sure. We did the best we could there.
"We went every day, every week, every month, every season. You've got to stand up to the challenges.
"You can't lie down and get your belly tickled. You've got to fight.
"That's certainly what we did at Morton. I'm not going to say it was easy, but I didn't allow that to bother me. I knew the challenges every season.
"We did the best we had to make sure we punched above our weight every season. Obviously, I'm disappointed to see them where they are now (bottom of the Championship with one point from six games).
"I'm not there any more, so I don't really worry about that.
"I'm certainly really enjoying my time here at Raith.
"Over the summer, the board have been brilliant. You've got to take your time when you're building squads.
"I do have two players for every position. Two adequate players for every position that can come in and out and not change the team or its dynamic. So as a manager, that's great to have.”
Raith’s fine recent league form culminated in last Saturday’s comprehensive 4-0 home victory over Arbroath.
Imrie was asked if – given the comfortable nature of that result – he would be tempted to just go with the same starting 11 for this Saturday’s latest league fixture at fellow high flyers Partick Thistle.
"I think I'm a pretty fair manager,” he said. “I think the boys I'm playing at the moment are playing really well. Again, it's about that continuity.
"The boys are playing well. They deserve to keep the jersey.
"Unless anything changes on the training field or anything, we'll wait and see what happens.
"I would expect there will not be a lot of changes in my team.
"That's not to say that come Saturday I'll change my mind and change all of them! We'll wait and see, we'll see what happens.”