Casagolda
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Posts posted by Casagolda
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15 hours ago, Swello said:
Losing Watt has clearly weakened us in the short term, there's no hiding from that - but I'm looking forward to seeing Tierney again and looking forward to seeing Efford for the first time as I was 40 miles from Fir Park by the time he came on on Sunday.
I thought Efford looked bright the first 10 mins he was on but he then just sort of disappeared.
Showed a bit of pace to get to the byline and fire a a cross in. Few minutes later he done a wee Cruyff turn and forced the first(only?) save from Joe Hart with a decent enough strike that won us a corner.
I left after the 4th and the only other time I actually remember him touching the ball after that was when he fired a horrendously overhit 4 yard pass to O’Donnell straight out the park.
A mixed bag you could say. I’m not sure what combination I’d go with up front here to be honest, Van Veen(cause he’s the only striker we’ve got) plus a couple of others and just hope something finally clicks up there.
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6 hours ago, Kapowzer said:
For me at present our best team is:
----------- Kelly ------------
SOD -- Bevis -- Sol -- McGinley
-- Cornelius - Slattery - Goss --
----------- Tierney ----------
--------- KVV - Woolery ------
I’m not really sure what our best team is at the minute but I’m almost certain that Ojala should be in it.
Chuck him in there and I wouldn’t be upset to see that team start at Tannadice.
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I don’t necessarily disagree with the points either @Al B or @thisGRAEMEare making.
I thought after the 6-1 drubbing by Rangers on Halloween things seems to really click for us and outside of the Dens Park disaster, we were looking like a pretty decent side in November and December.
The winter break coupled with the loss of Watt seems to have interpreted our momentum somewhat and we look like we’re struggling to find the right balance at the minute. As has been said, there’s definite shades of the 19/20 season when we lost Cole and Scott in January.
On the bright side, Tierney looks a top talent and him combining with Woolery tonight is hopefully a sign of things to come. It also shows a strength in depth we didn’t have back then when we were bringing on the likes of Manzinga, MacIver and Ilic.
It definitely feels like we do have a decent group of players that aren’t quite being utilised to their best at the minute and I suppose it’s really on Alexander to find the right shape/balance to fix that.
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Were we actually that bad?
Away to a St Mirren side who’ve won 3 games on the bounce since the break and had a weeks rest before tonight. We had more possession than them, twice as many shots on goal, more than double the shots on target etc.
Like aye it wasn’t a great game of football or anything but we were nowhere near as bad as people are trying to make out and more than worth a point.
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I'm not really sure what to think of us at the minute.
Like Graeme, I thought first half was quite promising yesterday. We were doing a good job of pressing Hearts and stopping them from getting any sort of rhythm. They created very few chances and the goal itself was self inflicted. The additions of Slattery, Shaw and Tierney seen us play some good football as well when we landed on it but unfortunately KVV fluffed our two best chances-he really needs to be burying that header.
The latter two sadly both tired 2nd half(probably due to lack of game time at this level) and once the 2nd goal went in you never really felt there was a way back into it for us. I don't think we chucked it or anything but we simply didn't have the quality to break Hearts down and if anything looked more in danger of being picked off again on the break.
On the Van Veen chat- while I'd agree he can be frustrating and hasn't been great since the break he's got 7 league goals this season, the rest of the squad has 10 between them. Mugabi is our current second top scorer and the only other player with more than a single league goal to his name this season.
No harm to Joe Efford but it's a lot to expect from a guy coming from the Belgian 2nd tier to come in and fix that. I had hoped with a month to find a replacement for Watt we would have something up our sleeve towards the end of the window but sadly I reckon Lamie out and another defender in is about as much as we can expect tomorrow.
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It's been some turnaround from Lamie, I’ve gone from desperately wanted rid this time last year to being slightly disappointed by this news.
He’s hardly put a foot wrong when called upon this season but it’s obvious he’s 4th choice centre back and by all accounts he wasn’t happy at only being offered a 1 year extension. If Dundee are offering first team football and more security then you can’t blame him for taking it.
Good luck to him.
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We've played 300 odd mins since the winter break and I think Liam Kelly's genuinely only had one save to make.
For the most part, bar some occasional lapses, we look an organised and well drilled unit. The opposition are struggling to create a great deal against us and that's a decent starting point. However, you can clearly see the big Tony Watt shaped hole in our attack.
It reminds me ironically enough of this time a few years ago when we signed Watt. We had a fairly settled front three before the break then we lost Cole as well as Scott in January and we were left struggling to adjust. Admittedly we're not quite at Manzinga and Mugabi up top at Livi stage but we've tried 3 different combos in our 3 games back so far and none of them have really worked.
Suppose it depends on whether Alexander thinks in time something will click with those already at his disposal or if a proper alternative to Watt is required.
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If we're planning long(er) term then I can see why another centre back would be a target for Alexander.
I think Ojala is a class act and our best centre back but he's 32 as well as seemingly fairly injury prone. Lamie limped off against Hibs back in early December and the only time he's been heard of since is was when he was being linked with a move to England in the summer. While the transformation in Mugabi under Alexander has been such that I simply can't see him signing a new deal here as he's bound to have better offers.
Which basically leaves Sol, who while excellent when fit has also had his problems with injuries even in his relatively short time here. So if we're looking beyond the next 4 months then I can certainly see why Alexander is looking at other centre back options.
I wouldn't say it's a pressing concern at this moment in time but you can't fault Alexander if he's looking a window or two ahead.
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Tierney looked very promising and showed he has a role to play even at this early stage. Sadly it also looked like he injured himself in the build up to the winning goal.
The front 3 sans Van Veen and Watt didn’t really click, as mentioned elsewhere we lacked a focal point(and quality) in the final third until Van Veen came on. Given his penchant for bookings and his injury record, we surely have to look into bringing in another forward option before the window closes.
Like others, I find it bizarre that Slattery continues to be over looked when based on both ability and performances he’s our best midfielder. Also find it strange that one of the best crossers of the ball at the club was playing centre back while McGinley continues to amble up and down the line not offering a great deal.
Can only assume there’s more to it than meets the eye. Overall though I thought we were the better team who deserved to go through and did so job done I suppose.
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I was confident we’d bounce back with a win here but got to admit I’ve got the fear a bit now after seeing that team.
Obviously no idea of who’s fit or who’s got knocks etc but having your best centre back, best central midfielder and best striker all sitting on the bench seems like a bold strategy. Good to see Shaw and Tierney involved though.
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The 6-0 game was some laugh though eh?
Biggest domestic victory I can remember in my 20 odd years going to Fir Park. Can only think of the Flamutari game where we gave someone a bigger doing,
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Surprised to see some of the comments about Rudden on here.
I saw most of the game on Friday as well as seeing him on a few other occasions and he’s always looked to have plenty of promise. He’s a nuisance, got good movement and even with little service the other night he still got himself into a couple of excellent scoring positions.
He’s 21, if we’re offering him a 3 year deal it’s presumably because of the player Alexander thinks he can mould him into rather than the player he currently is. With the attributes he has you certainly see why Alexander likes him.
I’d be happy enough to see us take a punt on him, think it could turn out to be a shrewd investment.
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Same front 3 as against Livi for me.
Shields played well, got an assist and should have had another had Woolery’s touch not let him down. He’s got a goal and an assist in his last 3 starts so is surely due a wee run in the team anyway.
Would have no issue with Watt coming on btw if we need a goal or that. Rightly or wrongly though, there’s going to be question marks over his commitment now. Knowing Alexander, I imagine he would leave it up to Watt to win his place back rather than simply handing it to him.
Fwiw, I think if he’s here till the end of the season he’ll get his head down and crack on. However I still expect him to leave before the end of the window.
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Take it Jordan Roberts is away then?
See he’s been removed from the club site. Can’t say I’m overly disappointed if true, he done us a turn in his loan spell last season so can understand Alexander wanting another look but it was a small sample size and the bar was pretty low.
Not being Seedorf or Hastie will only get you so far and he’s never really looked like forcing his way into the team this season.
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I find it hard to get overly worked up about the pre-contract stuff.
United and Watt have agreed a deal, they’ve used the press to try and force our hand to let him go early. It happens, you’d be naive to think we haven’t done similar to our advantage in the past.
For Watt to commit so quickly in what will likely be the last big contract of his career(turns 28 in a few days) suggests to me whatever United are offering him must be some package. As much as I wanted him to stay, I’m glad we haven’t tried to match it.
Yesterday was a good win and the fact we done without Watt or Slattery, Lamie, Carroll, Ojala(bar the last 10 mins) shows that we’re a well drilled unit. We’ve constantly had to change the defence and midfield this season but the results/performances for the most part have largely stayed the same.
It’s definitely a blow to lose Watt, especially half way through the season but nobody’s irreplaceable. A lot folk thought we’d struggle to replace Devante Cole this summer and we’ve not missed him a at all so far this season.
The common denominator for both was that they had the best spells of their career under Alexander. As such, I don’t have any real worries about us moving forward and trust Alexander to replace Watt with minimal fuss or disruption to the team as a whole.
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KVV now only two league goals behind Watt…
Considering he’s surely had less minutes and Watt’s also notched a couple of pens so far this season I can see why the club aren’t bowing to Tony’s demands. Get as much as we can for him next month, play the budget Bergkamp through the middle and invest the money in another decent winger imho.
Another good win today and an excellent first half of the season overall, some job Alexander is doing.
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Cornelius looks to be growing in confidence the more minutes he gets. Didn’t quite appreciate it at as much at the game but the composure and technique for the goal was outstanding. Keep him around and see how he develops over the coming months.
On a related note, it was great to see Donnelly back. I’d pretty much written him off ever getting back fit and was sure he’d be away in the near future but I thought he had a fine game yesterday. Especially considering his lack of game time recently.
With Slattery surely due a suspension, if Donnelly can keep himself fit it’d be a real boost to the midfield. Where it appears we now seemingly actually have options!? With Tierney still to be added as well.
We certainly weren’t great yesterday but you won’t hear me complain about us cantering to victory in 2nd gear without the likes of Ojala and Slattery. What a fine job Alexander is doing.
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I don’t expect him to get it but I’d be disappointed if he left now.
I think he’s done an excellent job. This time last year we were an absolute mess, sitting at the bottom of the table and getting scudded 5 zip by Killie/Accies(who both ended up getting relegated).
Fast forward a year and we’ve just beaten Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee Utd without conceding a goal as well getting a well deserved point at Easter Road. We’re only 5 points off 3rd and 12 points clear of the play off spot.
The improvement in guys like Mugabi and Lamie under him has been genuinely unbelievable. He’s also managed to get the most out of guys like Watt and Cole who have both enjoyed the best scoring spells of their careers under Alexander.
Looking at our squad at the minute it’s in a pretty decent place overall. Kelly, Slattery, Woolery, Shields and Solholm all tied up long term on 3 year deals with Tierney soon to follow. Ojala, Carroll, SODS, Goss and KVV are contracted beyond the end of the season as well.
Considering he’s only had one proper window and less than a year in the job, makes the turnaround even more impressive. Personally speaking, I like Alexander and I’m quite intrigued to see what he could do with a bit more time and a few more windows.
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I clocked that from Alexander as well.
The last two games at Fir Park have been great fun imho and even despite the conditions I felt we played some decent stuff again last night. If KVV had his shooting boots on or the ball hadn't died in a puddle in front of SODS we could/should have won that far more comfortably.
We've been aggressive, on front foot, creating chances and actually taking the game to the opposition. All the while still retaining a solidity and structure that makes us difficult to beat. It's like Alexander-ball meets football and it feels like we've found a nice blend between the two.
Guys like Woolery and Goss seem to be getting fitter now which is massively helping the whole playing football thing. Having Goss as well as Slattery in the middle makes retaining possession much easier(Maguire too tbf). Woolery's ability to drive with the ball at speed makes us dangerous in transition as well and his last few performances have surely been his best since he arrived.
Tony's goal was worthy of winning any game, him knocking his pan in flying through puddles up front on his own for the last 10 mins makes you think you're watching a different player to the 'lazy waster' type we were promised when he signed. Even despite his performances last season I can't imagine anyone would've believed he'd top the League scoring charts come December. He seems to love it here and I'd love for him to stay but it'd be also be hard to begrudge the guy a big pay given his efforts since he's been here.
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I actually think McGinley’s looked a bit better recently with Goss in front of him.
With Goss not being the most defensive minded, I think having the solidity of McGinley behind him works quite well. There’s less emphasis on Goss defensively and not as much need for McGinley to deliver quality into the box. They compliment each other quite well.
With Goss out and Grimmy in front of him, it was an absolute shitshow on Saturday. Grimmy offers little on the ball so the emphasis was on McGinley to provide the quality and he was sadly lacking. At least half a dozen times he attempted a cross or a pass that didn’t land within a 10 yards radius of a Motherwell player.
If Goss isn’t back for tomorrow, I’d definitely be having Carroll in as a must. We could also get Barry Maguire off set pieces which would be an added bonus.
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5 minutes ago, Swello said:
The game against Hearts at Fir Park where Lasley had been sent off and Ojamaa absolutely terrorized them on the way to a 3-0 win was one of the best individual performances that I've seen. Shame that like a lot of stuff from that time, it doesn't seem to exist outside of the SPFL vaults which they only show occasional goals from.
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Moving away from the XG chat, has there been a bigger turnaround from a Motherwell player in recent years than Rickie Lamie?
This time last year I wanted rid altogether. Now I have no worries over him stepping in when required, he’s hardly put a foot wrong this season and was my motm again yesterday.
That’s now a goal and 2 assists in his last 4 games as well.
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On 06/11/2021 at 18:14, Casagolda said:
worth noting that for all the abuse he gets, that's Goss now got 2 assists(both from open play) in his 5 starts this season.
That’s now 3 assists in 6 starts for Goss. Well 4 technically as I think his miscue for the 1st also went down as an assist..
What a difference from set pieces though when him and Slattery are over them, we looked like scoring from just about every delivery yesterday. Goss’s ball in for the 2nd in particular was absolutely top drawer.
I was vehemently against his signing but I do remember Alexander saying he had ‘untapped potential’ and that he thought he could get more out him. Which to be fair he has done with the likes of Devante Cole, Tony Watt etc. He’s also getting something most thought wasn’t possible out of Lamie and Mugabi so fair play to Alexander in that regard. For all the stick his tactics take at times, he does seem to be a good man manager who’s able to get the most of out individuals.
The midfield yesterday is by far the best it’s been all season. Energetic, aggressive, snide when required but also had the composure to get the ball down and pick a pass.
Being on the front foot and pressing from the off helped as well. Shields was an absolute pest throughout and delighted to see him get his 1st goal. Also thought Woolery had his best game in a Motherwell strip as well.
Essentially it was the best performance of the season by far as we absolutely battered Hearts from start to finish.
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I'd absolutely stick with Bev at RB against Hearts.
Think Ojala and Sondre have the makings of an excellent partnership and I'd like to see them get a run of games together. Was worried when Ojala went off but to be fair to Lamie he never put a foot wrong when he was on and did well to set up the 2nd.
Still far from convinced by the midfield but worth noting that for all the abuse he gets, that's Goss now got 2 assists(both from open play) in his 5 starts this season. He also swung in the set pieces for our goal against Rangers and our 2nd today.
Also hopefully the clean sheet will be a boost to Kelly's wavering confidence, the double save 2nd half was outrageous.
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Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons
in Scottish Premiership General Chatter
Posted · Edited by Casagolda
I think some of the stick he’s getting at the minute is probably a bit over the top but at times he really doesn’t help himself.
He’s got 7 league goals this season and 3 of them have been headers in the 6 yard box. His double at Pittodrie were both good instinctive volleys from inside the box as well. Only really his free kick against Livi I would put in the spectacular category.
The problem I think as @Al B has been saying is he just won’t keep it fucking simple. See if he just brought the ball in, laid it off to somebody and got his arse in the box- he’d be a very good striker.
Unfortunately at 30 you can’t see him changing now. Which was fine when we had Watt, who could help compensate for his poorer games.
Now though, we look to have backed ourselves into a corner with our January business as he’s literally the only striker at the club.