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Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons


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I can't believe he keeps convincing teams to make him first choice. Championship, no worries, but not top flight.

He's the new Mark Brown.

The whole thing with Samson is just weird. We had Ripley & Twardzik on our books last season, Samson got out his deal with Killie, signed for us in mid-September then sat on the bench until we played Hearts at the end of April and County at the end of May. So 7 months without a first team game.

We released Twardzik in January and actively chose to extend Ripley's loan at the same time to the end of the season so we clearly didn't fancy him as a first choice then. It kind of feels as if having brought him in and not played him that we're obliged to give him a shot.

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If I was to handpick a No.1, it wouldn't be Craig Samson.

However, we went through a four year spell of being utterly spoiled with goalkeepers. John Ruddy and Darren Randolph. Top class.

Then, we had to suffer the best part of three seasons of utter shite in Lee Hollis, Gunnar Nielsen and Dan Twardzik.

I'd put Samson in the middle of those two groups. Solid, if unspectacular. He's probably the best we'll get for the budget we're going with these days.

Edited by Desp
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Samson should not and cannot be our No.1 next season, he's done nothing at any club to suggest that he's got what it takes. There are some goalkeepers who just aren't first choice picks in a top flight team and Samson is one of them, just like goalkeeping dud-in-chief Stevie Woods wasn't one of them.

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They usually say those who cant play teach, Woods was an abomination of a keeper but is one of the best keeper coaches in Scotland, hence why he is main keeper coach at Celtic.  Samson personally i have never rated and said when we first signed i thought he was mince but that said, it looks as if we will start with him but we will bring in another keeper who i hope is far better and ends up being first choice.

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I don't doubt Woods is a good goalkeeping coach, indeed he has a very good reputation as such, but he was hopelessly out of his depth playing for us in the top flight. He's still got a big army of fanboys at Fir Park mind you, usually made up of the "punching waaaay above our weight" and "Mark Reynolds for Scotland" branch of our support. :rolleyes:

Samson, like Woods, like Meldrum, like Nielsen just won't do and a competent and reliable goalkeeper is a must for us.

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They usually say those who cant play teach, Woods was an abomination of a keeper but is one of the best keeper coaches in Scotland, hence why he is main keeper coach at Celtic.  Samson personally i have never rated and said when we first signed i thought he was mince but that said, it looks as if we will start with him but we will bring in another keeper who i hope is far better and ends up being first choice.

 

I'm also hoping that this is the case. Looking at it had we moved Samson on we'd now be in a position where we'd be looking for 2 goalkeepers rather than 1. The balance is whether or not both those prospective options would be better than Samson. Obviously I'm just speculating but weighing it up I get the feeling that we've offered him terms as a kind of insurance, rather than gambling on us being able to bring in two goalkeepers we've retained him as an option where we know what we've got and allows us to focus on recruiting the one player for the position.

 

Given we went through last pre-season with the prospect of Dan Twardzik being our first choice for the opening fixtures then I'd say that we're still in a better position with Samson as one of the two than we were with Twardzik. The question is what sort of level the other goalkeeper we bring in is.

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I remember Stevie Woods for a few things, most of which aren't favourable.  The "Gordon Durie" moment, the 7-1 defeat to Celtic, the absolute horror show he put on in a 5-1 home defeat to Livingston are up there.

 

However, what you'll never take away from me is being at Kilbowie for a League Cup tie against Clydebank in August 1995.  Mitchell van der Gaag gets stretchered off with a broken leg, and we have to use our only remaining sub to replace him.  Yes, it was Stevie Woods.  Running up and down the right wing like Forrest fucking Gump!

 

I was there that day.  Whatever abuse gets thrown his way (most of which would be warranted, tbf), we'll always have that day.  Run Forest, ruuunnnn!!

 

We even won on penalties as well!

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Well that's an out and out lie.

 

No it isn't. There are plenty of Motherwell fans out there who won't to this day hear a bad word said about Woods, they're not hard to find.

 

I remember Stevie Woods for a few things, most of which aren't favourable.  The "Gordon Durie" moment, the 7-1 defeat to Celtic, the absolute horror show he put on in a 5-1 home defeat to Livingston are up there.

 

However, what you'll never take away from me is being at Kilbowie for a League Cup tie against Clydebank in August 1995.  Mitchell van der Gaag gets stretchered off with a broken leg, and we have to use our only remaining sub to replace him.  Yes, it was Stevie Woods.  Running up and down the right wing like Forrest fucking Gump!

 

I was there that day.  Whatever abuse gets thrown his way (most of which would be warranted, tbf), we'll always have that day.  Run Forest, ruuunnnn!!

 

We even won on penalties as well!

I remember that day well, it was scorching hot as well if my memory serves me correctly and Woods coming on at right wing made him look no more out of place than he did in goal.

That was one of the lighter moments in what was mostly a horror show of a time with us.

You always knew with Woods that a f**k up was just around the corner, even his decent games and when he fucked up, he fucked up spectacularly and it always managed to cost us big time. The Rangers cup tie in 1998 was his worst moment in a Motherwell jersey and I said at the time and still do that he should never have played for Motherwell again after that display of sheer incompetence, yet he managed to hang around for another five years afterwards.

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Samson used to get some amount of stick from our fans when playing, mostly down to the fact he was pretty shite in killie colours.

 

Also didnt help that we had just had a few seasons of decent keepers eg Bell and Combe.

 

Much rather have Jamie Mac than Samson. He's no as much as a haddie as everyone makes out, keeper for a bottom six side imo.

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No it isn't. There are plenty of Motherwell fans out there who won't to this day hear a bad word said about Woods, they're not hard to find.

I remember that day well, it was scorching hot as well if my memory serves me correctly and Woods coming on at right wing made him look no more out of place than he did in goal.

That was one of the lighter moments in what was mostly a horror show of a time with us.

You always knew with Woods that a f**k up was just around the corner, even his decent games and when he fucked up, he fucked up spectacularly and it always managed to cost us big time. The Rangers cup tie in 1998 was his worst moment in a Motherwell jersey and I said at the time and still do that he should never have played for Motherwell again after that display of sheer incompetence, yet he managed to hang around for another five years afterwards.

Still, at least you don't let it bother you.

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Stevie woods left Motherwell in 2003 but still has an impressive fan club at Fir Park :rolleyes:

It's a pity we are running out of stands to rename or he'd definitely be getting one.

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To be honest I'd be quite happy starting the new season with Brill and Samson as our keepers. They are both decent enough and will be within our budget.

They are also light years ahead of the likes of Dan/Neilson/Hollis.

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To be honest I'd be quite happy starting the new season with Brill and Samson as our keepers. They are both decent enough and will be within our budget.

They are also light years ahead of the likes of Dan/Neilson/Hollis.

This.

100% this.

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To be honest I'd be quite happy starting the new season with Brill and Samson as our keepers. They are both decent enough and will be within our budget.

They are also light years ahead of the likes of Dan/Neilson/Hollis.

 

Agreed - it's also good not to be still trying to get someone a couple of days before the season starts like last year

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