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Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons


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Agree on all that from Casagolda. At 3-1 down and having had a man sent off the last thing you need or want from your captain is flying into a needless tackle when he's on a booking himself. Having said that I thought there was a delay in suspension for 2 yellows and that it was only straight reds that meant missing the next game? With McHugh it's not the first time he's been done for throwing himself into a tackle so he should know better.

I posted in the match thread about the attacking options, it's definitely a problem. Moult, like Erwin before him benefitted massively from having McDonald beside him and whether like for like or a different type of forward we're still looking at a net loss in the attacking third. If we're really looking at running with just Moult, Fisher and Bowman as #9s and Tanner a 2nd striker then we'll struggle. So far this window we've been linked unrealistically or otherwise with Greg Stewart and Michael O'Halloran (and possibly a couple others of that sort of profile) while Robinson's been very clear that we're not done in terms of business it's safe to say we're definitely lacking quality and, dare I say it, a bit of experience in defence and up front.

I get the impression that Robinson's not daft and is more than aware that we need to add a couple more and it's telling that he's said specifically that he still wants a defender and a forward. Watching that game yesterday it's difficult to argue that those areas definitely need to be improved. The question for me is whether or not he or the club are able to bring in players who are able to offer enough to make a difference.

It's interesting to read that about McGinn, I hadn't seen it mentioned but then I don't really read the papers. You can say that the jury's out on Robinson at the moment but unlike Baraclough I think he's got a clear enough idea of what he wants from his team and I think his eyes are wide enough open that he can see where our flaws are.

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A suspension for any red is the next game in that competition, a red for violence etc is a suspension of the next game in any competition, the totting up of points leading to a suspension sees a two week delay.

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Not too surprised to see McManus retire, he's 35 and obviously age and injuries have caught up with him over the last year. I would expect us to be looking at bringing in another centre half before the window shuts.

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Think it's a bit of a shame his career has just ended in this abrupt unceremonious way. He seems to be hated by large sections of our support but imo as far as Motherwell centre backs go he's been one of the better ones in recent years. Maybe didn't live up to hype of former Celtic and Scotland captain Stephen McManus but I'd rather remember him for his goal at Ibrox in the playoffs than his recent brainfreezes against Rangers and Edinburgh City.

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55 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Think it's a bit of a shame his career has just ended in this abrupt unceremonious way. He seems to be hated by large sections of our support but imo as far as Motherwell centre backs go he's been one of the better ones in recent years. Maybe didn't live up to hype of former Celtic and Scotland captain Stephen McManus but I'd rather remember him for his goal at Ibrox in the playoffs than his recent brainfreezes against Rangers and Edinburgh City.

Agree with that. He had barely missed a game for us but that injury just seems to have completely finished him. Seems like he's given pre-season a shot to see how he feels but the pre-season friendlies he was involved in and the BetFred game against Edinburgh City didn't fill you with confidence. 

Robinson's also been on a mission to reduce the average age of the squad so it's possible that like Lasley he's straight up said that he'd be unlikely to be a first pick and he's decided that calling it quits to focus on coaching makes sense. He's never struck me as a guy who'd be OK with sitting on the bench tbh. Like Craigan I'm sure he'll be able to top up his salary with media work, he already does co-comms on Celtic TV games I think?

Mentioned it in the post above but as far as I'm aware there's been no official announcements re: Project Brave and which clubs are being awarded "elite" status so it's curious that the club have chosen to highlight Project Brave in the press release. Not to mention him announcing his retirement at an SFA event alongside Malky Mackay.

Quote

McManus played once during the Betfred Cup campaign this year, but has decided to call a halt to his playing career to take up a role within the Academy as the club prepares for the new era under the Project Brave initiative.

Interested to see who the centre half that comes in now will be and to what extent McManus retiring frees up cash on the playing budget. The only other obvious outgoing would be Bowman as far as I can see. We're clearly in need of a couple of bits of quality to be added to the squad. Given we were playing Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday I wondered whether or not we might see a bit more movement around the squad given we have a free week between games.

Edited by capt_oats
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I'd imagine there will be a big drop in wages from a senior first team player to a youth coach, so you'd think it would free up enough to bring in a (younger) replacement.

On the whole McManus was a decent signing for us I think - by no means perfect but probably better than his biggest critics would have you believe.

I was also intrigued by the mention of Project Brave, considering it's been a dirty word as far as the club have been concerned so far - interested to see what has changed..

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For a very limited footballer hes had quite a decent career. A guy who gave his all and that season where I think he got in to double figures for us was he was fantatstic. Strachan would often play him when half fit though which was rediculous given he wasnt the most mobile.

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On Cadden, I'm actually surprised nothing has happened before now given that contemporaries like Hall and Leitch disappeared off to the reserves of English teams at the first time of asking. I think he has the potential to be a decent player down south and he seems to me to have the physical build/athleticism to live with the step to a higher level. I know nothing about him but from the outside, he seems like a fairly level headed boy in the same way Murphy was and I'd guess he'd not jump at a move unless it was a decent prospect of 1st team football.

If Hull as a decent Championship team really were interested in him as a 1st team player (and remember, this was a quote-less transfer story in the Sun) and backed it up with a good offer to MFC, I can only see it ending one way....

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I was surprised we appealed Dunne's sending off against County tbh. While he may have genuinely been trying to win the ball it looked clear that he took the boy out, the tie went in our favour so it's one I'd have thought we'd have been as well taking on the chin. Carson's was worth a shot but it's not exactly a shock it hasn't been downgraded.

Interesting that Dunne's 2nd red has been completely rescinded rather than just being bumped down to a yellow as it suggests that they're of the view that there was no foul. I'd have thought that'd raise definite questions about Cummins and simulation.

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