Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

Tait hasn’t got off the bench for St. Mirren in their league cup campaign yet.

[ropy]

I quite like the goal kicks played short to Kelly, we then have a man who can make a pass with the ball.  Teams will find us out though.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

5 minutes ago, ropy said:

I quite like the goal kicks played short to Kelly, we then have a man who can make a pass with the ball.  Teams will find us out though.

Kelly can kick it long from the 6 yard line whothout someone needing to tap it to him.

Using 3 players to take a goal kick is like having 2 men taking a corner on steroids. Get the centre backs up the park. Push the opposition midfield back. Stop fucking about deep in our own half.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

1 hour ago, Blink182 said:

Maguire strikes me of Carswell part 2

Behave, Stuart Carswell knew how to make a tackle.

[well fan for life]

22 minutes ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

Behave, Stuart Carswell knew how to make a tackle.

[Busta Nut]

I don't get the hate for the two man corners, I think they work awright.

[Swello]

3 minutes ago, Busta Nut said:

I don't get the hate for the two man corners, I think they work awright.

As short corners go, I like the current ones - they're better than the slow floater that the keeper comes out and grabs easily that we specialise in.

[welldaft]

People are rightly losing their sh1t over the result and performance v Airdrie. But as usual some of the criticism is way over the top. 

Lawless is a target for sure. Based on last season I get it. But actually he has been one of the better performers and was my MOM v QOS. Give it a rest FFS. All too easy.

Also the criticism of SODs. The guy should not have been playing any of these games. He has not has enough rest since the Euros. Says all about our squad depth that he has played. He probably wants too but needs protected from himself. 

We have a weak squad and we have issues in obvious areas, but I genuinely get pissed off at the vitriol posted at individual players. Especially those that deserve some slack. I have had goes at Lamie and Crawford because I think they are not 1st team material. But it seems everyone is fair game right now .

 

[rowsdower]

I don't ask for much, but it would be nice if we had someone who was not shite at set pieces. Not necessarily good, but just not shite. 

 

[Yorky]

2 hours ago, Allroy for Prez said:

Saturday was the first time I’d ever seen O’Donnell in the flesh for Motherwell and even allowing for Euros fatigue and playing his second 90 minutes in the space of a few days, I’d still rather we had Richard Tait in the there.

I doubt many would agree with you.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

2 hours ago, Busta Nut said:

I don't get the hate for the two man corners, I think they work awright.

What is the point of moving the ball half a yard? it doesn't do anything except make it harder because you have to hit a moving ball.

If they just want to draw opposition players out the box there are much better ways than having two of our guys stand in the corner of the park.

[Kapowzer]

3 hours ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

What is the point of moving the ball half a yard? it doesn't do anything except make it harder because you have to hit a moving ball.

If they just want to draw opposition players out the box there are much better ways than having two of our guys stand in the corner of the park.

I'm with you on this one, ball played 1 yard to teammate, 2 defenders close to block, corner taker has higher potential to not get cross in, extra hassle and urgency that doesn't exist if the ball is whipped in initially. The only benefit it seems is one extra defender is drawn out to mark the second man and you'd imagine its a forward so the chance of a counter is reduced. Conversely we also have two players opposed to one is the most useless part of the park with two defenders close to negate any additional threat.

Same thing goes for the two centre half's standing 2 yards outside the 6 yard box if it draws the strikers forward and stops bunching in the midfield I get it and if we had central defenders who are composed on the ball such as Aldred and Pete then again passing it forward opposed to the lottery of a 65 yard kick makes a lot of sense.  We all recognise we don't have the personnel to play like this so why is GA persevering as if he has a point to prove or even worse, an ethos/style we wants to impart.

With respect to O'Donnell, perceived fatigue has nothing to do with the fact he doesn't inspire those around him with authority, composure and confidence. Similar to McHugh, he would better serve his teammates by concentrating on his own form which in C&A is decidedly average since arriving.

[Rod]

The big problem is this thread never recommended Lawless or Crawford and yet the club signed them. The P&B Scouting Network^TM needs to be hired as soon as possible IMHO.

Any zoomers from SO need not apply.

[Neil86]

Noticed Burrows on twitter saying some new faces very shortly, a CAM and CB please. As others have mentioned, wouldn't mind seeing Tony Watt as the 10 either.

In addition to this, Ben Banks reporting we expect to make two brilliant additions before Hibs, probably taken from Alexander's press conference. Dean Cornelius out injured as well. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Neil86

[Gianfranco]

What is the point of moving the ball half a yard? it doesn't do anything except make it harder because you have to hit a moving ball.
If they just want to draw opposition players out the box there are much better ways than having two of our guys stand in the corner of the park.

My guess is moving the ball lets you fire in an out-swinging cross with less chance of the ball going out for a goal kick.

Statistically the attacking team will win the first header more times when it’s an in-swinging cross compared to an out-swinging cross but it’s more likely to be a goal scoring chance from an out-swinger. Or at least it was the case about ten years ago when I googled it during a pub fitba argument/debate.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

The ticket office phoned me this morning to check if I'd got my Annan tickets through yet. Honestly thought they were going to ask me to play centre mid when I first picked up the phone.

[Guest superward]

1 hour ago, Gianfranco said:

My guess is moving the ball lets you fire in an out-swinging cross with less chance of the ball going out for a goal kick.

Statistically the attacking team will win the first header more times when it’s an in-swinging cross compared to an out-swinging cross but it’s more likely to be a goal scoring chance from an out-swinger. Or at least it was the case about ten years ago when I googled it during a pub fitba argument/debate.

Yeah I think that's it. In theory a better angle for an out swinger and also pulls another man out from the opposition. 

But it also pulls someone else out for us. 

If anything I'd just like to see the corners vary. 

[Gianfranco]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/motherwell-boss-graham-alexander-hopes-24600291.amp

From steelmen but GA expects us to make two “brilliant” signings. I suspect most of us will still have never of heard of them.

I hope they’re brilliant b*****ds.

[capt_oats]

23 hours ago, Desp said:

@capt_oats must be busy this morning.  Was expecting a list of every available Finnish centre half, with accompanying You Tube highlight reels.

Aye. I was busy with my actual job yesterday morning so I've missed all the post-Airdrie fall out.

I doubt I've much to add other than we were always running this risk by taking our time with the signings and having massive fucking gaps in our defence and midfield not to mention actively treating these group games as pre-season.

Say what you like about Robinson's signing policy but we never lost a LC group game under him (in fact prior to Wednesday the only group game we'd lost was the very first one against Rangers in 2016).

1 hour ago, Neil86 said:

Noticed Burrows on twitter saying some new faces very shortly, a CAM and CB please. As others have mentioned, wouldn't mind seeing Tony Watt as the 10 either.

In addition to this, Ben Banks reporting we expect to make two brilliant additions before Hibs, probably taken from Alexander's press conference. Dean Cornelius out injured as well. 

Here's the quote from The Record:

Quote

He said: "Before next week we hope to have at least two more players in, which will certainly strengthen us, the players in mind that we're talking about.

"They will be brilliant additions to the squad, they will improve us, and we just need to get them in as soon as possible, really, to give us that full week before the big kick off in the league.

"Hopefully they will be with us ASAP and then we'll have to see if they're ready to play games.

"I don't think at the moment they've played any pre-season games at their other clubs, so we'll see how we go with that."

Link

"at their other clubs"? Hmmmm...so they're not free-agents then?

I mean, calling them "brilliant" additions is setting us up for a fall. The Thread will be the judge of whether they're "brilliant" or not thank you very much.

Edited July 23, 2021 by capt_oats

[Neil86]

1 minute ago, capt_oats said:

Aye. I was busy with my actual job yesterday morning so I've missed all the post-Airdrie fall out.

I doubt I've much to add other than we were always running this risk by taking our time with the signings and having massive fucking gaps in our defence and midfield not to mention actively treating these group games as pre-season.

Say what you like about Robinson's signing policy but we never lost a LC group game under him (in fact prior to Wednesday the only group game we'd lost was the very first one against Rangers in 2016).

Here's the quote from The Record.

"at their other clubs"? Hmmmm...so they're not free-agents then?

I mean, calling them "brilliant" additions is setting us up for a fall. The Thread will be the judge of whether they're "brilliant" or not thank you very much.

possibly a premier league loan, or championship even? Based on nothing more than the English teams not being long back and probably not many games under there belts.