capt_oats

Don't be mad, don't be mad, not like I had a choice I was busy thinking 'bout Gotts Gotts, Gotts I was busy dreaming 'bout Gotts Gotts, Gotts I was busy thinking 'bout Gotts (Gotts) Gotts (Gotts), Gotts (Gotts) Phil Hay's yer man for Leeds stuff.

We were first rumoured to have been interested in Gotts at the start of the month so one thing I think we can say is that we've been true to our word in terms of making a proper go at getting our targets. The majority of our signings seem to be players we've been in dialogue with for a while before they've been announced. Anyway. Deadline day eh? I was busy thinking about Gotts, Gotts, Gotts I was busy dreaming about Gotts Gotts, Gotts (XCX) Head was spinning thinking about Gotts Make it happen Burrows.

#clout

We've not even done a "more International recognition" tweet for Donnelly. Disappointing. Standards slipping.

Mentioned earlier but the loan window to the seaside leagues runs through to the end of September. So there's a chance we may end up loaning out after the official window closes. Unrelated but that's Donnelly been called up to the NI squad.

Aye.

Do we trust Pete O'Rourke lads? Football Insider too.

I think it was @thisGRAEME who called whoscored a "wild ride" when it came to their numbers and pointed out that any algorithm that had Shane Duffy coming out of things looking good probably needs a bit of work. But as a general point, and given I don't have WyScout access, it is what it is and it's probably worth taking with a pinch of salt but equally it's an interesting read.

To bring things back to Ojala for a second. Looking at the numbers on WhoScored.com he had more interceptions, clearances, blocks and won more aerial duels than any other Motherwell player. That seems...quite good?

You can add Morrison to that list as well. He was quoted as saying he needs to play games. Happy to be corrected but I've a feeling that the loan window for the clubs in the seaside leagues extends through to the end of September. So there's a chance some of those players might move out on loan after the window officially shuts. Cornelius has been coming back from an injury I think. The fact that Crawford hasn't played a minute of football since Airdrie probably puts a question mark over him (along with us giving Grimshaw a run out in midfield rather than use him). Lawleff's last start was the loss to Dundee but it feels pointed that he hasn't actually started a league game yet - he's played 25 league minutes in total (but started all but one of the LC games) and was an unused sub against Livi and bounced from the squad completely at the weekend. Maybe that means something, maybe it doesn't but as you say if we bring in another wide player or an 'across the front 3' type like Roberts then it probably raises a question.

Aye, I think it's interesting that from what we've seen of the way Alexander seems to want to set up defensively that the various comments and #numbers have him as "a solid defender who defends his box well". In a broader sense, rewinding back to the start of the window the thing that people were getting worked up about was the idea that we'd be going into the season with Bevis and Lamie as our first choice CB pairing (even more so when they announced the squad numbers). On the face of it we've addressed that particular issue plus we've added O'Connor for some cover and I'd say it also explains Mugabi's 1 year contract extension that some folk on Steelmen were getting bent out of shape over at the time. I may be wrong but I think Lamie has also done enough to show that he's fine to have around as a squad option. Going back to the points @superward and @Antiochas III made yesterday: It's a bold strategy but it's hard to disagree that this is what's happened. Alexander was quoted last week saying "Ideally, in a beautiful world we’d have six to ten friendlies to get them up to speed before competitive action but that’s not the scenario." The game against Dundee was our 11th of the season (including the two bounce games). I was listening back to @thisGRAEME's Patreon season preview last night and it still feels pretty much on the money in terms of where we are.

He did but it seems wild to think that we're going to be sat with a squad of potentially 29 bodies after his whole pitch about his preference being having a small squad. Even accounting for him saying “We want to carry, maybe, two or three more players than we first planned because of the issues with Covid - they are not going away." it's hard to square that large a squad with the numbers we had last season. All things considered I'd have thought a squad of 25-26 probably sounds right for what he's said previously. The full quote from his press conference: What's the script with loans to the seaside leagues btw? Can they still happen outside the window?

Greg Marshall doing his bit on Goss and Johansen.

Aye, it's as of 1st May 21 (top left). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Motherwell_F.C._managers

Nah, to be clear I wasn't disagreeing with your point. I think that broadly when you look at his managerial career it shows up pretty well.

Declan Gallagher? This Declan Gallagher? As a few of us said at the time, it really looks like his peak was the 19/20 season we had him. I'd be surprised if he keeps his place in the Scotland squad much longer.

On Woolery I'd re-up @thisGRAEME's point yesterday about the adjustment/intensity thing. Alexander's mentioned the "fragmented" pre-season with various players coming in at different stages of fitness and IIRC Woolery did an interview not long after he was in the door where he said himself that he was behind. It seems relevant that since he's been here he's started all but one of our games and it feels like the more he's played the less effective he's been. Hopefully the international break gives a chance for various players to re-set. I'll not lie, I'm now pretty curious to see who the 2nd of the 2 players we've been talking to is. Or more specifically I'm interested to see what position they play. Broadly we seem a work in progress. The front 3 have been chopped and changed as have the midfield 3...I mean did anyone envisage us going into a game with O'Hara and Grimshaw as two of the midfield 3 and Bevis at RB a couple of weeks ago? I didn't. In that respect, it's not a surprise that at the moment we're anything but fluid. Even taking KVV out the front 3 means we've lost an out ball and a means to get the ball to stick up top. That touch yesterday where he pulled the ball and killed it stone dead was a great example of what we miss when he's not there. Especially if we're set up to have midfielders landing on 2nd balls. However if we're doing enough to win games then cool. It's better than the position we were in this time last season where we were having 60 odd % possession and losing 1-0.

I was looking at the same thing just there and by my count it's 22 games. P 22 W 10 D 5 L 7 F 28 A 29 Pts 35/66 (53%) Win % - 45% Loss % - 31%

Out of curiosity what shape was TW playing when he had Goss in the team? Reason I ask is that if we're sticking with a 3 in the middle then having him alongside a fit Donnelly and Slattery, especially Slattery, probably gives us an amount of snideness that could offset Goss' defensive limitations enough to just let him float around pinging Hollywood balls around the joint. To @YassinMoutaouakil's point, I'd see Slattery as the 'deep lying playmaker' with Goss more advanced in this arrangement. Also, as a general point...Tony Watt on 3 goals in 4 league games, small sample size but given what Alexander did for Cole last season is there an argument that he's a manager who can get goals out of famously non-scoring forwards?

To the point of him being pragmatic. Given it was such a point of contention (along with the short corners) it's not gone unnoticed (by me anyway) that we've pretty much sacked off the playing out from the back patter. I mean possibly it went out the window as a "bad idea" when Liam Donnelly was caught on the edge of his box by Ali McCann and gave Stevie May a free run at goal but either way, since we parked it we've won two games. Small sample size and everything granted but after 4 games last season we were racking up dem possession stats but were sat on 2 points. So aye, it's very much a case of it is what it is for me. It's clearly a massive work in progress and being polite most of the players who maybe weren't great "on the ball" today were players who we absolutely know "aren't great on the ball". Also...10 year contract for Tony Watt please.

Back to back wins lads.

At the risk of being a dick and quoting myself I'd now like to add Stephane Omeonga to that list.

As @Ludo*1 says, away fans are £24 so us charging £20 for the East stand doesn't really help him much. It also makes it a bit rich for the usual suspects on Motherwell Twitter to be getting bent out of shape about Livi's £25 ticket.

May just be a turn of phrase but I noticed Alexander said we're talking to "a couple of clubs about a couple of players". Clearly we know one of them now but suggests that the 2nd player isn't a free agent either. Incidentally, he's talking about players coming in and knocking those into the starting XI on to the bench. None of yer 12-18 recruitment patter for the bold #Grezza.