Television chiefs might not have fancied Raith’s chances of a Scottish Cup upset this weekend, but Rovers boss Grant Murray certainly does.
The Kirkcaldy club head up the A9 tomorrow to face Premiership side Inverness Caley Thistle with a place in the competition’s final four at stake, although it is the only one of the four quarter-final ties not to be screened live on TV across the next three days.
But while the executives at the BBC or Sky may have decided to overlook this particular match for special attention, Murray has his full focus on trying to mastermind another famous cup shock.
“They probably felt that a game like this against a Premiership side that are chasing for Europe was not worth showing.in the previous round us putting out Rangers was a big tie but that’s outwith ourselves,” he explained.
“It’s how they see it and what games they’re going to show.
“But it won’t change us.
“It does not bother me whether it’s on the telly or not.
“I wouldn’t say we’ve got nothing to fear, but we’ve got to use the experience at Ibrox to our advantage.
“It’s about getting it into the guys that we’re 90 minutes away from a national semi-final, and if we put on a performance we know we’re capable of doing then it gives us a chance.
“If the lads go out and give it everything like they did at Ibrox then you never know what can happen.
“It’s not often Raith Rovers make a Scottish Cup semi-final and I think players understand that.
“Inverness were in a final last year and missed out on winning, so a lot of these guys will be desperate to get back to a final.
“The only way they can do that is to go out on Saturday and put us out, but we’re going up there to try and stop them.”
Murray was on the playing side of the last Raith team to reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup back in 2010 and most Rovers fans will remember Laurie Ellis’ header in the quarter-finals against Dundee which helped take that squad to Hampden to face Dundee United.
“A lot of the players will know about 2010 but not many of them will have been involved,” he added.
“There was probably myself, Laurie, Davie McGurn and Dougie Hill.
“Some of these games were probably outwith our reach at the time before a ball was kicked but we were there on the day to do different on what was predicted. “We were underdogs in every game we went into that season, we were lucky we didn’t get put out in the first game we played in against Airdrie.
“You need things like that can carry you and give you that momentum that can get you to semi-finals and finals.
“But that’s irrelevant to this week, it’s what we do on Saturday at 3pm.”
Inverness suffered a disappointing defeat to struggling Motherwell last weekend, although Murray insists that is unlikely to have any bearing on how they approach this weekend’s tie.
“Inverness’ result last week might give them a kick up the backside, certainly,” he continued.
“But on the flip side of that I don’t think Inverness losing games or dropping points will matter because they will be fired up for this one.
“They are at home against a Championship club in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup, they will be favourites and they are a big club battling for Europe at this moment in time so we know how big a task it will be to get through.
“One thing’s for sure, John will have them ready to try and get their club into a semi-final.
“Because of where they’ve come from, Inverness have gone into games as underdogs over the years and now they’ll be massive favourites going into games.
“That’s how good a side and how good a squad and how good a club they are at this moment in time.
“They are probably a club a lot of people fear playing.
“We’ve got to accept that we’re underdogs and we’ve just got to go up there and get on with it.
“We get on with the same job and prepare properly.
“We’re here on merit, it’s as simple as that, and we’re not here to make up the numbers either.
“We’re in with a chance of getting to a national semi-final and it’s going to take everything.
“It’s going to take a good performance, hard work, luck, it’s going to take Inverness playing poorly all of those things.”
The Rovers squad are due to travel up to Inverness this afternoon and stay over ahead of tomorrow’s tie, and Murray is grateful at the club’s board for finding the cash to allow the players to prepare properly.
“There are restrictions and it has to be within reason but the board have allowed us to go up because they realise how big a game it is and how much the players are looking forward to it,” he concluded.
“It does make a difference, we know what it’s like on the day for clubs to travel up to Inverness.
“Some teams do it and some teams won’t do it.
“It can play a big part if we get up there early and prepare properly.
“As long as the guys are switched on, give it everything and play to their potential, it gives us a chance.”