capt_oats

And a thoroughly deserved win it was. With 10 men too.

Cheers RG. I think Hammell's language about him in his press conference last was interesting. He gives us "competition" and he fits in our short/medium/long term plan. Feels very much like someone we're looking at to offer cover initially and hopefully develop. Which makes sense given he essentially plays Lamie's position. Makes me think (hope) that Blaney's a longer term project rather than the quick, short term fix we clearly fucking need. I mean as it stands, even with Blaney in the door we're probably still light if Mugabi and Johansen are both out for any length of time since as @thisGRAEME pointed out on the other page, Paul McGinn playing centre half won't do.

Aye. Again, for clarity, I'm here for the mid/long term/big picture stuff. Absolutely. It speaks to the point @thisGRAEME's making about depth of squad and how limited our options are to change a game when we've a clutch of actual 16 year olds on the bench to supplement Barry Maguire and Josh Morris. I mean even Deano and Tierney are still only 21.

Aye, to be clear I actually think that Hammell is doing a good job and certainly a better job than I probably expected/feared when it was being reported he was genuinely in the frame along with Valakari. I'd have my doubts as to whether Simo would have fared much better had he got the gig. We've been *in* pretty much every game we've played this season. We've only lost 1 league game by more than a single goal and for all Friday night was a heavy boot in the baws we were in the position where we were 2-0 up. Contrary to what some might think, we're not the worst team in the league. The flip of that is that we're 17 games into the league and since Stevie May poked the ball in with the last kick of the ball we've had Hammell coming out post-game talking about how we need to be better defensively and we'll work on it etc. The fact that we're apparently *not* getting better defensively despite all the good work we're supposedly putting in feels like...a problem. There's a point at which that is surely a conversation that needs to be had. For avoidance of doubt I agree with all of that. For me it's two separate conversations. The state of the squad is 100% more of an issue than the relative experience of Hammell but I suppose my concern is that there's a naivety or idealism with Hammell that could see him influencing his view of what we actually need. By that I mean his chat about 'pathways' and not signing players for the sake of it when he got the job. Like, I'm not suggesting we revert to signing a raft of jobbers for the sake of it but it feels (to me) that there was a conscious decision to trim the squad back with a view to the mid/long term pathways and bigger picture stuff. Arguably it's biting us on the arse now we have a bunch of injuries. I mean, it's pretty difficult to square just bringing a "couple" more players in with how obviously stretched the squad has been for months and how public Hammell has been about it as an issue.

I agree it's totally fixable but the thing that's giving me the fear is whether Hammell has the nous and whether he actually knows *how* to fix it. Like, it's all very well identifying the issues but there's that additional element of executing it. I mean, clearly Hammell is far more experienced in the game than me; a chump who is currently lying on a sofa eating chips who has absolutely no idea what we're actually doing on the training pitch but I can't help but feel there's perhaps a correlation between our poor defensive performances and the fact that not only do we have a first time manager in the dug out but also a relatively inexperienced assistant in Brian Kerr. That's not to throw Kerr under any sort of bus but it just feels from the outside looking in that we're thin when it comes to coaching support as well having to chuck school weans on to the bench. I've said it before but I'd feel a lot more comfortable about things if we had something approaching an experienced head in the mix for Hammell and Kerr to lean on rather than "lazy leg is lazy".

As I said in the match thread I was away having a nice time at the famous Barrowland Ballroom last night and as it goes avoided the score until well after full time so I have absolutely no opinion on the game itself. What I would say is that pre-match I was absolutely convinced we'd lose that so the fact that we didn't I'm still *extremely quiet voice* "yay!". Also, to update the running total we're now +1 points based on the same fixtures in the first round So that's nice. We're 7 points down on last season after the same number of games and have scored 1 goal more and conceded 1 fewer: You can't ignore the context though: 2-0 up against a 10 man Killie with 20 to go then it's absolutely fucking criminal not to win. The fact that we also lost (having come back from 2-0 down) to a 10 man Hearts side when we were level with a couple of minutes to go isn't a good look for Hammell. Since the start of season week in, week out we've had Hammell talking about our defensive failures but we genuinely don't seem any further forward to rectifying any of that. Tbh, I lean on the side of what @YassinMoutaouakil has said in recent posts and I strongly agree with @Busta Nut's post in the sense of what the actual f**k are we doing here? I get that Hammell has been dealt a shite hand and as @Casagolda says you can trace it back to the summer but even still it feels like there's a strong rabbit in the headlights vibe around the club at the moment.

I'll be at the famous Barrowland Ballroom again but I still fully expect Motherwell to ruin my Christmas.

Aye. It was extremely not what I wanted to hear tbf.

I’d guess Daniel Hunter.

Fox confirmed as away on the official. Squad: GK: Kelly, Oxborough, Connelly DF: O'Donnell, Lamie, Mugabi, Johansen, McGinn, Blaney, Penney MF: Maguire, Spittal, Slattery, Cornelius, Tierney, Goss FW: Van Veen, Efford, McKinstry, Moult, Morris, Shields Injured: Carroll, McGinley

Tbh, on one hand I didn't expect Hammell to come out and fully outline our recruitment plans to the press. He's done that once already with Snodgrass and it didn't end well. On the other hand acknowledging that we're short but also saying we're only looking at another couple isn't exactly a confidence filling soundbite.

Hmmm.... From Hammell's press conference today:

That's a pretty layered question. As I've said, I reckon our market at the moment (and generally tbh) is players who have either been frozen out or are surplus to requirement. With Scott he can play wide and potentially through the middle. We're short in both those areas and going by the press reports he's just been told to f**k off by his current club. Also, based on Hammell's recruitment thus far bringing back a former player doesn't seem that wild a shout given 3 of his 4 signings have been exactly that. So...would we be interested? Sure, it wouldn't be a massive surprise. Should we be interested? While not quite the extreme sick-note status of Moult and Aarons, Scott still hasn't really played that much fitba' since he left. He was injured in his first training session when he moved to Hull, needed surgery and was out for ages. He was injured (again) during the summer. That's before you get into the whole conversation around his alleged (lack of) conditioning while he was at Hibs. Based on his time at Hull and his loan at Hibs I'd be surprised if his stock is particularly high. As far as I can see's not kicked a baw for Hull since his loan at Hibs finished but he and his missus seem to have been having a lovely time cutting about on Hull's dime going by his IG. Good for them. Here's his playing time by club: That said, we know from his time at the club he probably has a higher ceiling than say, Connor Shields and he's a technical player with a good first touch. Bring him home.

Yeah, I know. The post was about who’s currently contracted for next season (and beyond)

That's Fox away per Scott Burns...

Yikes! 3 posts in a row? Sorry. Anyway, I was doing a bit of digging there and it turns out we were in for/had an interest in Stockton back when he signed for Hearts from Tranmere in 2017 which would have been Robinson's first season. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/cole-stockton-reveals-talks-motherwell-hearts-move-823023

Tbf, that's not strictly true. Prior to his taking the huff this season he'd scored 41 goals in 99 games over the 20/21 and 21/22 seasons. 26 goals in 50 games last season had his stock pretty high but it seems no one was up for paying the fee Morecambe were looking for. Those two seasons definitely stand out as being an exception for him though. The story is being reported by Alan Nixon so you can take as much or little of a pinch of salt with that as you want. We've been quoted as also having an interest in bringing him in on a PCA. https://insidefutbol.com/2022/12/19/ross-county-make-bid-for-motherwell-and-forest-green-rovers-target/587859/ We were the Scottish club quoted as having an interest in the story that ran on December 11th re: Forest Green so there’s been a bit of chat about him on our thread https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/league-one-club-rivalling-scottish-premiership-outfit-for-morecambe-talisman/

There you go.

Aye. That's why I'm inclined not to make a thing of it. Like, it's up to the club to *update* as they see fit. If they've not then I'm sure there's a reason. Looking at the timeline he signed the new deal on 24th February but only managed 1 appearance from the 9th February (90 mins against Hibs in the SC). He'd started 22 on the bounce in the league up to that point:

In terms of the summer I think it depends on what Hammell's broader plan is and, I guess, if he's still manager. The fact that as yet we've not announced his successor as Head of Academy makes me half wonder if we're perhaps keeping his old job free for the moment in case things go sideways. I'd make an argument that January may be about us getting deals over the line with a view to the short-term rather anything . The market really is looking at players who might offer something and fit what Hammell's trying to do but for whatever reason are out of favour at their current clubs or they're part of bloated squads that are looking to be trimmed. Either way, finding ourselves in the position where we've conspired to have Nathan McGinley, Josh Morris and Connor Shields signed up for another season is some laugh. Nothing against any of those players like. Morris presumably signed in good faith for his former manager only for #Grezza to be emptied a fortnight later, Connor Shields was the sort of punt a lot of our fanbase have been advocating that we take for years - there's a lot of graft there but he seems better than the Championship but it's not quite worked out for him here. McGinley? Like others I don't think he's quite as bad as a section want to make out but it's hard to view that 2 (TWO) year extension as anything other than a weird pass/agg f**k you to Jake Carroll from Alexander and he's probably an awkward fit for Hammellball. Especially when you look at Penney being the type of full back Hammell brought in - even with the best will in the world that's not Toby. Add the likes of Lamie, Mugabi, Johansen and Barry Maguire into the mix and that's almost half your squad. It's not exactly a solid looking foundation to be looking at. That said, the flip is that all of those players (McGinley, Morris and Shields included) are perfectly serviceable squad players. It's about trying to get to a place where that's how they're being used rather than relying on them in the starting XI week in, week out.

2.5 year deal for Blaney leaves the contract expiries looking like this: 2023: Fox, Connelly, O'Donnell, Carroll, McGinn, Johnston, Devine, Cornelius, Goss, Efford, Speirs 2024: Kelly, Oxborough, Lamie, Mugabi, Johansen, McGinley, Maguire, Spittal, Slattery, Van Veen, Morris, Shields 2025: Blaney, Tierney, Miller By position this is who's contracted for next season: GK: Kelly, Oxborough DF: Lamie, Mugabi, Johansen, McGinley, Blaney MF: Maguire, Spittal, Slattery, Tierney, Miller FW: Van Veen, Morris, Shields Total: 15 OOC: GK: Fox, Connelly DF: O'Donnell, Carroll, McGinn, Johnston, Devine MF: Cornelius, Goss, Speirs FW: Efford Total: 11 Loans expiring: Moult (Burton), McKinstry (Leeds), Penney (Ipswich)

Tbh, it's also the fact that Blaney is, by all accounts, a left sided centre back which is where we've got Lamie playing who's not only currently our vice captain but also our most consistent CB (low bar as that is). I mean, we've been a CB light since we cut Ojala loose in the summer without replacing him so for that alone #welcomeShane.

Mentioned this the other week but I noticed Bevis put up a photo dump from November on his IG and had his knee in a brace and crutches. Is there a chance we might be looking at another CB on top of Blaney if Big Bev is out for any length of time? Much like @Handsome_Devil Blaney isn’t exactly the profile of CB I was expecting and that isn’t in any way a slight on him. #welcomeshane and all that. To be clear, everything I’ve seen about Blaney looks positive eg: @gregthewellfan’s reports and @RandomGuy.’s radar but he definitely feels more of a project than someone who’s going to drop into our defence in January and sort us the f**k out.