welldaft

No disrespect to Livingston but is any surprise we are struggling this season when our transfer strategy seems to be signing players that cannot get a game for them. I like to think for the most part I focus on the positives and I have spent the last few season defending Robinson and acknowledging his achievements. at a time when many others in our support never have and probably never will. To be fair some are the type that would literally not acknowledge us winning the title.. But these last few weeks are starting to test my loyalty to the Manager and some of the players. I was out walking the dog when my mate informed me we had signed a midfielder from Livingston who clearly they were happy to let go. It did not improve my mood much. We need 2 or 3 quality additions to the squad in all 3 key areas of the pitch. But it appears as if the money earned from Turnbull and Europa Cup run are being earmarked for other projects. I get that. I don’t want to see the club back in trouble and this season more than most we need to be prudent. But even using the money from getting arguably a round further in Europe than we would have been expecting would allow us to bring in 2 quality players and players that actually would slot into 1st team or be thereabouts. These next 2 weeks will tell us a lot about the team and squad. No one will be surprised to see us lose to Aberdeen and Hapoel Beer Sheva but it will be the manner of these defeats. Or better yet if we manage to get a result in one or both games then perhaps we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. A concerned Well fan.......

Hate to break it to you but H B Sheva are perhaps similar to Aberdeen on a good day but V Plzen have won 5 league titles and 4 runners up in the Czech league. That would suggest to me they are a step up from Aberdeen. Still clearly a much better draw than Beşiktaş and certainly Basel.

I actually though he did well in a few of the league games but agree he is more of a squad player and I suspect that was always the case until injuries mounted up. Even the free header Coleraine had 1st half before we scored was a poor attempt to mark his man and it was his man. A better side and we are 1-0 down before we even get into the game. We seem incapable of defending crosses into our box. And at the other end getting on the end of crosses in the opposition box. Basically a recipe for disaster every time we are up against sides that are better than us.

The Czech mob at home would be our only realistic chance. But after last night and this season form no chance we will get past Hapoel Beer Sheva. They are not as good as they were a few years back but they are still ranked double the coefficient points of Aberdeen and just below Rangers. So like playing a team between Aberdeen and Rangers away. Right now we would struggle to beat Berwick Rangers away ! We got an extra round than we probably expected due to Coleraine beating Maribor at the death. An extra 100-200k Euros when costs and bonuses are factored in. Every little helps with no crowds.

Well that was chronic. Sure the pitch was awful and the ref even worse but neither should have been allowed to be an issue after going comfortably 2 goals in front. Both penalties were not only in the soft category at least one if not both were in the WTF category. Wee baldy p***k. Love big Trev. He has a poor record saving penalties and then goes and saves 3 in a row. Deserves a medal. Glad to be thru but after tonight do not expect us to get any further. Decent wedge and helps coefficient but in all honesty that was a painful watch. Robbo being brave in post match interview but he must be raging. I suspect club budgeted for us to go out this evening as we were likely to have been non seeded. So there is that I guess.

This is very poor from Motherwell. Second half we have been abysmal

There you go

Usual great defending from dead ball

If Lang could stop fkin fouling...

Reality is that Motherwell rarely win any game comfortably regardless the opposition. More than that we have lost many times to lower league teams in cup competitions. So although we all recognise that Coleraine is a favourable draw many of us have been at Albion Rovers / Ayr United / Forfar etc. I expect it to be a tough game but the advantage we have this time around is we have played 8 competitive games whereas normally we would be either friendlies or league cup stages. Which makes the chance of an upset even greater. The one thing we have not done in Europe is beat a team seeded higher than ourselves. Something that is done on a semi regular basis as Coleraine proved against Maribor in the last round. For that reason amongst others it would be great to get through tonight and have a go at Hapoel B Sheva (most likely). Then the pressure is off to an extent. That said with the play off draw tomorrow chances are we will get a very tough and unwinnable tie in any case. But would be good to know what the prize is if we win tonight and again next week.

If we get through and this becomes a problem I fully expect that UEFA will help support the relocation to a neutral venue. On the assumption that we are not allowed entry into Israel or have to quarantine on arrival as more likely. I hope it is an issue and a bye would be fantastic but again I expect a neutral venue would be the solution.

I think I read it will be available on BBC Ireland website. I assume there is a difference between that and being on an actual TV channel ? If it is a stream I fuckin hope that Verizon Digital Media are nowhere near it !

This. Especially in the tie at Fir Park. A right eye opener how cynical they were against a wee team like Motherwell. Of course it helps that the referee was on hand to make sure they got through to the next round. He was quite a well known Referee iirc. Maybe not then but certainly had a decent career. Edit to add - how good was that team and how well did we play in that game. How many chances Created away v B Dortmund v home to St Johnstone on Saturday....changed days....

You could have said exactly the same about DT. Yet he did sign an extension knowing that it would protect the club and make little difference to his future. And it played out exactly that way. Not disagreeing with your point necessarily as Campbell may well take that view. I hope he does not and that he gets his move when the time is right and the value is right. In the meantime he can instantly earn a little more cash. Quite sure we would build in a caveat around potential transfer value so we would not stand in his way if a good offer materialises.

I am hoping the club will do all it can to get him to extend contract on the basis that like Turnbull when valuation is met we will not stand in his way. Of course easy for me to say that. He has now seen Scott and Turnbull move on and definitely on many multiples of their Motherwell wage. He is as deserving of a move as both the aforementioned if not more so but I would hate to see him leave for compensation or nowhere near his true value. Hopefully we can get past Coleraine and use that money to give the wee man an incentive to renew contract. Of course it may be taken out of our hands if another club launches a bid. Q is how much is wee Al worth ? And before anyone says only whatever any club is prepared to pay I would suggest somewhere between Scott and Turnbull. Right now we need him as he is by far the most reliable player in midfield and without his goals we would probably still be winless and on 1 point !

Clearly the secret to winning games is to be second best, have less shots and possession. We have been doing it all wrong dominating possession and having more shots on goal. Just be a average and that will get you over the line. Who knew...... Big Bevis mind. Becoming a Cedric Kipre replacement and I for one am pleased at that. Oh and finally do not sell Alan Campbell and get a contract extension asap.

Just play a St Mirren D side. If anything like the Czech side you will get top 6 no problemo. To add I always liked Erwin at Motherwell. Felt he left too soon to go to Leeds but can understand why he did. Hope he is successful but not against us of course.

Not too early at all. Ironically thanks to Coleriane the Europa draw has been kind to us. We have a better chance to get through to next round than were we unseeded as was expected up until the last minute of the last round. Absolutely Coleraine will prove a difficult task just as the Czech team were the other night. However they are part time and if we play anywhere near to our abilities we should progress. Our league form has actually been OK for the most part. We certainly merit a few more points than we have. That said this is another home game v a team of similar standing / standards and to lose this and suddenly we start to look like Hearts. Conversely as the Saints fans know they had an horrendous start to last season and still managed to get top 6. But we could do with 3 points or 1 but with a decent performance to take into the Coleraine tie with some confidence.

Clarke has to admit this was shite. But he won’t. He will maintain the system worked. Top of the league. Clarke is some jammy barsteward.

They will equalise and to be fair they will deserve too

Norway will will literally put 6 past us if we get that far. McTominay at the back is a bombscare. Only positive from last 2 games are Dykes and Marshall. McKenna to be fair has been solid. The rest. Our midfield has been so poor over 2 games and yet that is cited as the strongest part of the team.

Get Armstrong off also and move McTominay forward. One is likely to get sent off and the other give away a goal. This is now dire all over again

To be fair he is. Shocking that he is playing as a defender when we have decent defenders on the bench.

Clipped his heels in the box = penalty. Lets go on and make this comfortable.........but this is Scotland. Problem is if this was Czech 1st team - ouch. Clarke will probably think he is a tactical genius by beating a Czech C team.

This.