rambunctious Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 I dunno about nowadays but Kenny Wright was driving taxis five years ago. He picked me up in town and drove me back to Blackwood after a night out. Ah, so you're from Blackwood? That's explains so much. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lambies Doos Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Beaten by a fukin Barrow 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Hahn Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 If only Dom Thomas were there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 The knicker-wetting is starting early on Steelmen Online, lads. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desp Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 It's going to be a fun run up to the weekend with that lot. I honestly couldn't care less whether we lost 1-0 or won 10-0 against Barrow or Gateshead. They were training games. Nothing more, nothing less. The full focus should be getting sorted for the first league of the game of the season. Even the league cup stuff I'm not that bothered about. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swello Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 This is the bit where "with all these new players, we'll need to be patient" crashes headlong into "WE MUST WIN EVERY PRESEASON GAME OR THE WHOLE SEASON'S FUCKED!!!!!!11!!1" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casagolda Posted July 11, 2017 Author Share Posted July 11, 2017 You can never to read too much into pre-season results, good or bad, likewise the performance of our new signings in such matches. It is essentially a fitness exercise after all and by the sounds of things we've fielded two different teams in two different formations and made a lot of changes over the course of the last two games, on the back of what supposedly has been some pretty intense fitness work in between. The fitness work in training will probably start to slow down now you'd imagine with more emphasis on shape ahead of the league cup starting but even then I still expect the cup games to be fairly experimental in places. You'd hope as we progress through the 4 league cup games though that some semblance of structure, patterns of play and understandings etc will develop and become evident as we head towards the league season opener against Rangers. Looking at the squad I have to admit I'm still slightly anxious about the 'quality' we have in the last third of the pitch, at both ends. Our strongest back 4 doesn't really look much different to last seasons for me, with only Kipre and Dunne being added so far on 1 year deals. However, you would of course hope with McHugh and Bigirimana in front of them and a competent keeper behind them the defence might not be under as much pressure next season as they were last with our powderpuff midfield and bombscare keeper. In the final third we've already lost 3 of last seasons top 5 scorers in McDonald, Ainsworth and rather depressingly Marv(who left in August), if you add Moult to that list it's a lot of goals and quality to try and replace in one window. Still very early days mind you, a long way to go in the window and a lot can and probably will happen before it shuts. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reid Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 Apparently you've taken Eli Babalj on-trial. He was on-trial with us, we asked him to stay for our trip downsouth. He said we either signed or he wouldn't go. We said bye. The end. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 (edited) I really don't get people who wilfully pitch up at friendly games then complain. It should be clear to them what they're signing up for when they walk through the turnstiles: a practice game that really doesn't matter much. It's like turning up at a band rehearsal and whinging that it's not a full production show. The point it seems impossible to reconcile is between the expectation of some fans and the purpose of the fixture to players, management & staff. I'll be honest and say I think we should be beating Gateshead and Barrow, training game or not but I'm hardly fussed that we didn't. I wasn't at the game last night but following it on Skybet before I went in to play 7s there was a point deep into the first half where we were sitting on 1-0 down but on well over 60% possession however we didn't seem to be creating many chances, the flow of the game was such that we were winning the ball quickly off Barrow when they tried to attack but our build up wasn't resulting in chances. That in itself is telling. Firstly, it's been a long time since we've been the sort of side who keep hold of the ball and secondly, either the ball wasn't sticking up top with Fisher there or we were lacking the creative wherewithal to break down a defence. Things could go either way as far as I can see, it could click as a fair amount of our best football, chances and goals have been through us passing the ball (Bigi's vs Livi for example, Bowman's vs Stirling as well) rather than HOOF and chase, or it could go a bit Baraclough where it just doesn't work and while we're not getting pumpings we're not creating enough good chances (or taking them) to win games. Like Casagolda I'll admit to being a bit anxious about both the attacking and defensive thirds but with Dembele not having signed and McManus not starting it'd appear that there's a defensive spot up for grabs and Robinson's regularly talked about wanting to add another striker once he gets a few bodies out. Personally I'm not sure the sort of striker he's after is necessarily the sort of striker we need. I don't think it's a player with pace should be the priority but rather a player who's able to create. It all depends on who he's looking at I suppose. We hit the post, hit the bar and should by all accounts have had a penalty and Bowman tried to emulate van Basten so that's something. The goal we lost it looks like we got caught sleeping at a set piece early on, it's not like Carson's chucked one in either. Anyway, highlights from the Barrow game below. Edited July 12, 2017 by capt_oats 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjw Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 I really don't get people who wilfully pitch up at friendly games then complain. it's should be clear to them what they're signing up for when they walk through the turnstiles: a practice game that really doesn't matter much. Its not often I agree with Tam Cowan but his view that people shouldn't be getting money taken off them for these games is correct.A couple of quid to cover stewarding maybe but charging £12 just gives people the idea they are at a match. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 (edited) 19 minutes ago, mjw said: Its not often I agree with Tam Cowan but his view that people shouldn't be getting money taken off them for these games is correct. A couple of quid to cover stewarding maybe but charging £12 just gives people the idea they are at a match. True but Stirling Albion was a fiver and kids went free, and though we ended up winning quite comfortably (2nd half more than the 1st granted) you still had folk seething that they weren't seeing a Motherwell side playing 100% and treating it like a competitive game. Edited July 12, 2017 by capt_oats 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjw Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 True but Stirling Albion was a fiver and kids went free, and though we ended up winning quite comfortably (2nd half more than the 1st granted) you still had folk seething that they weren't seeing a Motherwell side playing 100% and treating it like a competitive game. A fiver to see Dom Thomas turn the game sounds like a bargain to me. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swello Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 I remember heading down the Annan league cup game last year which was ostensibly our 2nd competitive game of the season and it felt every inch a pre-season game - I'm expecting the same on Saturday and don't have high hopes that the team will be up to much until the Autumn at the very earliest. The early league cup group setup puts a mentality in place for the Premiership (still can't get used to that shite name!) clubs to treat these games as an extension of pre-season and basically hope that they do enough to get through the group and build sharpness for the "real" kickoff in August. If we view the Rangers game at Fir Park on the first day of the season as the thing that is being aimed for, then we are still only midway through the process. One of the (only) things I liked about the Group stage when it was announced was that it would replace meaningless pre-season games with meaningful pre-season games but what we are seeing in the current round of knicker wetting is that the focus turns to games that would have been seen as bounce games in the past. I love the club's social media approach - but giving these early games the full treatment serves to give them a status that they don't deserve. Happy to be corrected but I can't remember pre-season games getting this level of scrutiny before... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onthefringes Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 (edited) Some valid points from Casagolda, capt_oats and Swello with regards expectations on attending pre-season friendly fixtures. Whilst I buy into the score not being of major importance, last night was woeful. We were bullied, outfought - that's unacceptable given, we were looking at the likely team line up for our first competitive fixture on Saturday. Defence was shapeless. No creativity, no pace - the list goes on. I remain unconvinced on recruitment despite the fanfare. Being fed the line 'emphasis on intense training prior to going on the pitch' - how fit do you need to be to pass a few yards to your teammate? As for the hoofball favoured by some - these UEFA pro-licences are working in our favour right? Edited July 12, 2017 by Onthefringes 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 There's yer Dom Thomas away: http://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/2017/07/12/dom-thomas-departs/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisGRAEME Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 57 minutes ago, Swello said: Happy to be corrected but I can't remember pre-season games getting this level of scrutiny before... You may be right, but I'm pretty sure football fans have been absolute melts for decades. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 I'll say this for Thomas, the genuine rage and seethe he managed to generate from Motherwell fans on account of his Celtic-minded social media presence is pretty impressive. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Pete Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 I'll say this for Thomas, the genuine rage and seethe he managed to generate from Motherwell fans on account of his Celtic-minded social media presence is pretty impressive. Fair play to him. We're well known Tim sympathisers ourselves. Hail hail. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swello Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 I doubt it will ever come to much - but for the club to get a "substantial sell on" clause out of it (I assume by waiving training comp?) sounds like a decent outcome for the player, Killie and us.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Pete Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 I doubt it will ever come to much - but for the club to get a "substantial sell on" clause out of it (I assume by waiving training comp?) sounds like a decent outcome for the player, Killie and us.... Aye in a couple of years when he's released on a free to sign for Clyde you can get 25% of the f**k all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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