Raith Rovers star explains 'flat' early season form which led to Ian Murray's shock sacking

Despite leading Rovers to second place in the Scottish Championship last season and a subsequent Premiership play-off final spot – they lost 6-1 on aggregate to Ross County – and being on an extended contract until summer 2027, former Airdrieonians manager Murray’s services were dispensed with on August 4 by the Stark’s Park board who stated: “Results and performances since the turn of the year have fallen short of expectations.”

And former Ayr United star Mullin told the Fife Free Press: "At the start of the season there might just have been a wee lull coming back from the play-offs.

"Maybe that loss wasn’t out the system as much as it had to be.

"We could maybe have addressed it a wee bit earlier in the season but we’ve got a great squad, great experienced pros to help us through where we fell short last season.

"It came as a shock to all the boys as much as the fans that the gaffer was away.

"We’re players, we need to do our job. A lot of the boys were gutted but we obviously had a meeting and the board came out and told us their reasons.

"We work for the club so it’s one of those ones where the gaffer has probably gone through the same situation in his career.

"You have a day or two to kind of dwell on it and then it’s back to business.

"I’m sure the gaffer received plenty of messages from all the boys because he was a great guy.”

Mullin was then asked why he felt Murray had done so well in charge of Raith last season.

He added: "I’m a winger and what I specifically admired about Ian Murray was his approach, he let you go with total freedom and play the game. It worked.

"He trusted his players and I think that’s why we did so well.

"He got us within touching distance of where we wanted to be last year but it wasn’t meant to be.

"I’ve no doubt the gaffer will be back in a job very soon.

"I think to be honest we can’t thank the gaffer enough for what he did for us last year.

"He’s a great guy, great person. I had a great working relationship with him, so it’s obviously sad to see him go.

"But John Potter and Mickey have got the job now so we need to buy into what they’re wanting to do until a new manager comes in.

"That’s all we can try and do, just take on new ideas.

“It’s not much different under John Potter and Mickey, maybe just a wee formation change, a couple of wee tweaks. We need to give that 100%, try and get through the next couple of weeks and keep at it."

When asked if the players had been told a time frame by the Raith board in terms of when they hope a new manager will be in place – fourth-placed Rovers’ next game is a league encounter at early leaders Ayr United this Saturday – Mullin added: “We’ve obviously just been told that we’ll be kept up to date.

"But you don’t want to start asking questions, so we’re just coming into work every day and grafting as much as we can for Mickey and Pottsy.

"We just want to do well for whoever’s in charge, whoever’s coming in.

"That was Ian Murray’s message when I spoke to him: ‘Just go and shine, kick on and do what you do’.

"That’s the kind of guy he is. So you just try and take that message on board and do it.”