Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[CSmith]

The starting line up...

[Busta Nut]

Midfield is fuckin shite

[Swello]

Meant to say on the match thread - I hope the young boy who was unconscious outside the away end and being carried into an ambulance has nothing worse today than a FUCKING MASSIVE hangover - but he was in some state...

[AndyRoss]

Sparra is joined by Craig Holmes and Motherwell F.C. communications manager, Grant Russell to look back on the opening day loss to Hibs, reflect on the departure of Cedric Kipre, look ahead to the meeting with Hamilton, discuss Grant’s introduction of a new club website, cup final/season ticket videos, online ticketing and much more.

http://www.mfc1886.com/mfc-podcast-2018-19-episode-4/

[ah-dee]

https://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/2018/08/04/get-a-free-replacement-on-kipre-printed-tops/
Lovely touch this from the club offering to replace any replica top with Kipre's name and number on the back. 
It's great seeing the club so in touch with the support these days, we have improved so much on that front over the last year.
Well done Motherwell.

thats tremendous from your club. 'well played from both the club and kipre

[WellView]

The Sun reporting we are "tracking," Hearts midfielder Ross Callachan. 

 

[YassinMoutaouakil]

That would be the worst and least understandable signing in our modern history.  

If we play Ross Callachan over Bigi I might genuinely go postal.

Edited August 7, 2018 by YassinMoutaouakil

[capt_oats]

The Sun story 100% reads like a favour to an agent. The language is deliberately vague. We’re apparently “tracking” Callachan and Robinson’s “interested”. There are varying degrees to which that could be true, none of which actually involve us signing him.

The worst part is I could genuinely see Robinson adding him to the stockpile of utterly pointless midfielders he’s amassing.

Edited August 7, 2018 by capt_oats

[WellView]

2 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

The Sun story 100% reads like a favour to an agent. The language is deliberately vague. We’re apparently “tracking” him and Robinson’s “interested”. There are varying degrees to which that could be true, none of which actually involve us signing him.

The worst part is I could genuinely see Robinson adding him to the stockpile of utterly pointless midfielders he’s amassing.

'Well want to bring someone in to anchor their midfield?  

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/3033010/motherwell-hearts-ross-callachan/  

This is heading towards Alice in Wonderland territory.    

 

[Casagolda]

1 hour ago, capt_oats said:

The worst part is I could genuinely see Robinson adding him to the stockpile of utterly pointless midfielders he’s amassing.

That was exactly my initial reaction.

I suppose it depends if Cadden/Bigi or someone leaves between now and Thursday but he’s exactly the type of player you could see Robinson bringing in.

A workhorse who covers a lot of ground but is ultimately fairly limited.  In saying that I noticed he scored 4 goals in 18 starts for Hearts in the league last season- which was more than Rose, Bigi, Grimshaw, McHugh etc managed in the league for us combined.

Still as I said, we’re overstocked with midfielders at the minute so unless one of them is leaving then I can’t see us bringing anyone else in. 

[Desp]

Whenever I hear or read "utterly pointless midfielders" I always think of Craig Clay. 

[capt_oats]

[Swello]

With all the midfielders we have, I'll be interested to see how much game time Gorrin gets in the coming weeks as he settles in - and if Bigi really is part of the plans.  I guess I'm looking for some sign that we are prepared to play a different type of midfielder when the game merits it (ie, when we're at home and/or playing against other "bottom 8" teams).

Watching last season and the start of this, it seems like a ball-playing midfielder is almost viewed as a "luxury" player when i still think it's essential. I get all the "2nd ball" stuff and that we were good at that part but the number of games where that tactic is misfiring and we've got no alternative is frustrating. If you've got a fit, physical team - there is surely protection enough to start someone who has a different role even if they aren't full Thunderdome

Football has changed quite a bit since I guess  - but the best blend in a midfield that I ever saw was when we had Billy Davies, Paul Lambert and Jamie Dolan and as a result, I'd still love to see a midfield where you have someone that can spray passes about all day (like Davies), someone who can make runs and support the forwards (like the pre-Dortmund Lambert) and someone who can break things up and er, kick people (like the much missed and underrated Jamie).  Although unrealistic, the romantic in me would love Cadden, Campbell and Turnball to fit into those roles - but the point is that we are looking totally one dimensional at the moment.

Oh - and because it's literally impossible to show this too many times - goal with added football:

 

Edited August 7, 2018 by Swello

[weemac]

34 minutes ago, Swello said:

Football has changed quite a bit since I guess  - but the best blend in a midfield that I ever saw was when we had Billy Davies, Paul Lambert and Jamie Dolan and as a result, I'd still love to see a midfield where you have someone that can spray passes about all day (like Davies), someone who can make runs and support the forwards (like the pre-Dortmund Lambert) and someone who can break things up and er, kick people (like the much missed and underrated Jamie).  Although unrealistic, the romantic is me would love Cadden, Campbell and Turnball to fit into those roles - but the point is that we are looking totally one dimensional at the moment.

This has been the very same point I was discussing with my dad the other day and you have managed to put it in writing far better than I could.

Looking at our midfield options I would class bigi, Turnbull and possibly gorrin in the davies role.

Cadden in the lambert role and every other bugger in the dolan role.

Admittedly that was the best midfield I've seen in my lifetime but only Campbell would get anywhere near that midfield and I'm still not convinced he's at the levels of dolan when he was at his best yet. He's the potential to be a better player than dolan was but he's being asked to be our most creative player most week. 

I was quite happy with our summer transfer business up until we signed Sammon. Now this is nothing personal against the fish but all summer we were meant to be signing a striker who could play wide and was different to what we had, which in my head translated as we will play different ways in different games. However when we signed Sammon it signalled that we would be sticking with our limited yet reasonably successful style of play.

Robbo is playing a risky game though as when playing a less easy on the eye style of play then most fans will accept it if it provides results, but when it doesn't work its in to the eye bleeding territory and the goodwill quickly disappears.

 

[Al B]

The thing about that goal in the example above, is that no-one does anything that's actually difficult. It's a pure example of a balanced midfield, with everyone concentrating and paying attention, knowing what they are doing.

I get that that's it's own type of "difficult", but what I mean is it doesn't involve someone beating 4 men and smashing top bins, or Higdon-ing a volley in from 30 yards...the things that generally take up "budget". At it's essence it's just a pure example of if you have the ball, give it to someone wearing the same clothes as you. If you don't have the ball, don't stand next to people wearing different clothes.

[MJC]

Robbo has a lot of credit in the bank with the support because of two wonderful cup runs last season which contained some big, significant victories along the way. Rightly so as well as that's nothing to be sniffed at. We reached two cup finals and comfortably avoided relegation largely by playing a robust, combative battling style which other sides couldn't match....having Louis Moult win us several points early on in the campaign undoubtedly helped too.

This summer though was the time to kick on and we needed to address the fact that the side has zero creativity in it and I think we've fallen way short on that front. We being in journeyman carthorse Conor Sammon who becomes a first pick alongside another one in Curtis Main ahead of Danny Johnson; bring in Gorrin who starts the season as second fiddle to Grimshaw and Rose and we are now apparently after another central player in Callachan? I'm sorry but that's not what we need at all.

Edited August 7, 2018 by MJC

[Londonwell]

Read the thread thinking, surely Robinson’s not gonna sign yet another beige midfielder, he’s not stupid.

Then remembered that we bid actual money for Simon ‘fucking’ Murray. Now I just don’t know what to think.

Get this transfer window closed and let’s get back to bodying half of Scotland

[PauloPerth]

24 minutes ago, Al B said:

if you have the ball, give it to someone wearing the same clothes as you. If you don't have the ball, don't stand next to people wearing different clothes.

Hang on..  just writing this down to pass onto our manager after Saturday.

[Mr. Brightside]

We should’ve signed Usain Bolt, hoof the ball over the top of defences for him to run into. Right in our wheelhouse imo

[Desp]

1 hour ago, Al B said:

At it's essence it's just a pure example of if you have the ball, give it to someone wearing the same clothes as you. If you don't have the ball, don't stand next to people wearing different clothes.

I think this is my favourite Scottish Football quote since that one from Ebbe Skovdahl. 

Superb work, Al.