Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Swello]

To be honest, I'm quite disappointed by the almost total lack of Quoteless Transfer Stories^© about us so far this window - apart from that bit about Moult, it's been a desert. Someone with the password to the club twitter account should start following random 4th division english players just to relieve the boredom. 

[Mr. Brightside]

No chance rangers would have paid it though.

Aye paid it in coupons for face painting and pies.

[capt_oats]

14 minutes ago, Swello said:

To be honest, I'm quite disappointed by the almost total lack of Quoteless Transfer Stories^© about us so far this window - apart from that bit about Moult, it's been a desert. Someone with the password to the club twitter account should start following random 4th division english players just to relieve the boredom. 

The Clay to Burton Albion one was the one that stood out for me tbf. #ITK

There was also the McDonald to Australia thing. http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4389205/jones-confirms-strikers-on-radar/?cs=305

 

[capt_oats]

That's yer Lee Lucas extended his deal to the end of the season. No real surprise there tbh.

[BigTamMuller]

Relatively safe option which given the strange nature of the January window I'm fine with, wouldn't imagine he's on a high wage or anything either. Will be interesting to see how the rest of the window shapes up, in regards to any more incomings; Pearson and potentially one more Marvin-esque replacement is the general consensus but depends on what shape and system McGhee wants to mould into for the second half of the season I suppose.

If we can get a taker for Ainsworth I wouldn't be surprised to see him head out, either on loan or permanent. Laing will most definitely be punted again, we've got a settled defence and I just don't see him getting in ahead of Ferguson/Kennedy to cover McManus/Heneghan. We'll probably see a couple of the younger boys sent out on development loans, try and aid their development by being around a first team etc. 

[well fan for life]

I assume Lucas is on relative buttons for wages. Not a bad signing, but I hope he actually stays fit. And also doesn't try and kick someone's legs off again.

[capt_oats]

I assume Lucas is on relative buttons for wages. Not a bad signing, but I hope he actually stays fit. And also doesn't try and kick someone's legs off again.

I think that's it, the fact that he had started the last 3 and had been involved in the last 5 without (as far as I'm aware) being broken made me think a deal was always going to be likely. it'd be quite mental to wait the best part of 6 months for a player to reach fitness then bin him as soon as he starts getting games under his belt.

as others have said it's pretty low risk, the january window is pretty weird. McGhee seems to like Lucas and thinks he has something to offer so i genuinely don't see the harm in giving him another 6 months especially as it doesn't seem to be impacting the scope for bringing a few in.

if nothing else, it's worth mentioning that our results with Lucas involved are fairly decent and by all accounts prior to him being sent off against Accies we were the better side by far.

[well fan for life]

Just now, capt_oats said:

 

I think that's it, the fact that he had started the last 3 and had been involved in the last 5 without (as far as I'm aware) being broken made me think a deal was always going to be likely. it'd be quite mental to wait the best part of 6 months for a player to reach fitness then bin him as soon as he starts getting games under his belt.

as others have said it's pretty low risk, the january window is pretty weird. McGhee seems to like Lucas and thinks he has something to offer so i genuinely don't see the harm in giving him another 6 months especially as it doesn't seem to be impacting the scope for bringing a few in.

if nothing else, it's worth mentioning that our results with Lucas involved are fairly decent and by all accounts prior to him being sent off against Accies we were the better side by far.

 

If he could hit the heights of the Ross County game with any regularity without getting broken I'd sign him on a 3 year deal. He absolutely bossed it that day. I'd probably rather see a midfield with McHugh, Lucas, Cadden & Clay in it these day. Adding in Pearson when he inevitably re-signs and it's a decent option. He might be a bit of a crock but I reckon if you got 10 games out of Pearson until May you'd get 5-6 goals out of him from running beyond the strikers.

[Busta Nut]

I would have punted him, Hardly played and on the last game where he is trying to win a contract he dives in like a 14 yo schoolkid v accies.

 

He does have a bit of talent by the looks of it though, Hope it works oot.

[Casagolda]

Aye, I'd have hunted him as well. He's struggled with injuries and outside of the game against County, where admittedly he was excellent, he's hardly set the heather alight when he has played. We now have Lucas, Clay, Lasley, McHugh and Campbell all fighting over a couple of positions with a return for Pearson also imminent if rumours are to be believed.  

McGhee obviously likes him though, fact he actually defended that ridiculous challenge he made that cost us any real chance of 3 points against Accies says as much. He's hung players out to dry post match for a lot less. 

[Ya Bezzer!]

Lucas has 5 starts and 1 good game.

You need a better than 20% hit rate from midfielders to be anywhere other than trundling around the bottom.  Clay isn't good enough either on what he's shown.

A McHugh/Pearson combo seems like our best bet of pulling away from the relegation area.

[Crilly]

19 hours ago, Swello said:

Did I dream that we turned down a 750k offer for Reynolds? <shudders>

Yes you did.  The actual bid was slightly over half that amount.

[Londonwell]

12 minutes ago, Crilly said:

Yes you did.  The actual bid was slightly over half that amount.

You sure? I certainly remember it, at least being quoted in the media, as the 750k figure. I also seem to remember the reason we turned it down was because McGhee made such a big deal over it as a red line issue for him sticking around. 

[bunglebonce]

11 hours ago, well fan for life said:

If he could hit the heights of the Ross County game with any regularity without getting broken I'd sign him on a 3 year deal. He absolutely bossed it that day.

I was on holiday so I can't comment on his performance, but he was up against Ian McShane + Martin Woods, which has proved be among the weakest midfield partnerships in the league in a while.

[well fan for life]

Just now, bunglebonce said:

I was on holiday so I can't comment on his performance, but he was up against Ian McShane + Martin Woods, which has proved be among the weakest midfield partnerships in the league in a while.

He has shown wee bits and pieces of his ability in other games. And he was looking decent in the Hamilton game before he assaulted Donati in a 50-50.

Like I said, I assume he's not getting paid that much so can't really complain. 

[dezz]

McGhee suggested there was money in the budget to add a couple of players whilst Lucas' was in his first 6 month deal so assuming the new deal hasn't eaten into that I'm not really complaining about him staying.

If memory serves, Pearson missed a fair few games last season through injury so if he signs on again and the same thing happens, Lucas would do as a replacement. Saying that, if he can get a run of games and show anything like the performance against County he could be a really useful addition to the starting 11.

[Desp]

1 hour ago, Crilly said:

Yes you did.  The actual bid was slightly over half that amount.

Another one in the 'are you sure?' camp.  If it's a Rangers bid of £400k you're on about, that was for Scott McDonald about six months before he ended up at Celtic.

I recall the Rangers bid for Reynolds being not a boot in the arse of £1m, so the £750k figure being thrown out there would be about right.  I also recall McGhee being adamant it was rejected or he was for the off.  

 

[Tamdunk]

1 hour ago, well fan for life said:

He has shown wee bits and pieces of his ability in other games. And he was looking decent in the Hamilton game before he assaulted Donati in a 50-50.

Like I said, I assume he's not getting paid that much so can't really complain. 

In fairness he took a similar challenge in the Caley Thistle game, so probably thought those were just yellow cards in Scotland.

[capt_oats]

re: Lucas, I'd imagine that if the rest of the season goes the same way as the first half then, not unreasonably, it'll be a case of "thanks for your time, all the best with the rest of your career". However given that he'd been involved in the last 5 and completed the full 90 against Aberdeen and ICT without being broken, McGhee clearly likes him and we waited to sign him up on his initial deal then I'm not surprised that we've given him another 6 months in the hope that he can kick on if the manager along with the physio and strength & conditioning departments and the player himself feel that he's now at a level where he can be reasonably considered match fit.

As others have said I can't imagine he's taking up too much of the budget or him being part of the squad is impinging our ability to recruit otherwise he'd more than likely be gone. Similarly there's probably a question of whether or not we'd be able to get a better option in, either as cover or a first team starter, on the money that we're likely to be paying.

It's a case of stick or twist I suppose.  I totally get the argument for chasing him but ultimately given the nature of the January window we could just as easily release a player who seems to have some sort of potential and end up scrambling around on deadline day only to end up with a Morgaro Gomis-a-like. As it is we keep him around the squad and, hopefully, it allows us to focus on recruiting in other areas. If Pearson comes in as well then great but having Lucas on a short term deal to augment the squad doesn't seem like the worst option, if he's affordable of course. In terms of midfield options Pearson himself is 34 and no stranger to an injury, Lasley's 37 and has been getting subbed off with increasing regularity indeed there's probably an argument that this might be Lasley's last season given how off the pace he's looked at times. If Campbell can step up into the first team and perform to a high standard then that's bloody brilliant news all round, I don't really see Lucas extending his deal for another 6 months necessarily preventing that happening though.

For what it's worth re: Lucas and injury, so far it looks like he's missed 7 league games because of injury, in context Lasley's missed 3 injured + 1 suspension and Hammell has missed 9 through injury (his 2 year deal is, of course, another story). Lucas has been available for selection in 13 of the 20 league games so the sick-note claim, while both reasonable and understandable to a point, is possibly a bit distorted on account of his previous serious injuries while he was at Swansea and let's face it a fractured back and 2x ruptured ACLs will keep anyone out for a while. It clearly doesn't alter the fact that he's only been on the park 8 times since he's been at the club and equally he was one of the players on the bench when McGhee suggested he didn't feel he could bring on at Ibrox but by all accounts he seems to have won him over.

[Casagolda]

I see the Peterborough owner is suggesting we tried and apparently failed to sign Shaquile Coulthirst from them. Whilst there's no doubt that's a top quality name, it turns out the boy's yet another striker. 

So are we cutting our losses on Blyth and/or Bowman? Or are we potentially planning for the imminent departure of one of Moult or McDonald?