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Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons


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9 hours ago, Ron Aldo said:
9 hours ago, Kapowzer said:
Thanks BBC, would like to see a wee switchup, won't be anything other than a 4-3-3 though.
Appreciate Donnelly has been injured before Covid was a growth in a petri dish ..... and out of form when we have seen him this year. Would be nice to actually see SOD in his preferred position before fully writing him off. McGinley is dugmeat. Still reckon that lineup has two that are still crocked and one is out of favour.
motherwell-selector-2021-8774bf04b42bdb4ce2b8004e01c2c18a.thumb.jpeg.397102f10b620a6189a581d31766e6b0.jpeg

This would be my line up (or similar) every week. I have no idea why we persist with 4-3-3 when our squad is arguably better equipped for 5-3-2.

Stinking.

Woolery has been worth his start most weeks. Neither Carroll or O'Donnell are good enough to be attacking outlets. And none of the midfielders are really guys that want to run beyond a striker.

We have a front 3 that scores goals and wins matches. Sometimes it doesn't work and we shit the bed like at Dens but it is better than setting up barely an attacking threat.

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7 hours ago, rowsdower said:

So, is that us only got two center backs now?

Just watching the game now, looking forward to the swimming.

We're looking short on bodies in general for Satruday. If we lose Maguire to suspension and big Sol to injury from last night's game and don't get anyone back, it looks like the bold Mich'el Parker might even get a seat on the bench.

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5 minutes ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

We're looking short on bodies in general for Satruday. If we lose Maguire to suspension and big Sol to injury from last night's game and don't get anyone back, it looks like the bold Mich'el Parker might even get a seat on the bench.

Mich'el or Robbie Crawford, choose your figher.

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I was going to go all Ecce Romani about Cornelius until I realised that it was the sister who was Cornelia and the brother was Marcus.  The boy Sextus sounds like he has a bit about him, could do a job?

Edit : I’ve blown it the whole family was called Cornelius, I should have stuck my guns.  Mrs Meikle could have been proud.

Edited by ropy
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After 16 games, I'm still not sure what to make of us TBH.

We score plenty of goals, which is great and something that Alexander deserves credit for IMO. I think that Watt, KVV & Woolery are a great mix up front and although Tony doesn't like being out of the centre, I think the setup that we saw last night is our best one. KVV is the one that I'd like to see more consistency from - as both Watt and Woolery are performing well now - but he needs to play in the central role every week. The no-nonsense punting of the staunchest wee man in the squad  improved the forward line instantly.

At the other end of the park, we seem to either keep clean sheets or get pumped. In other seasons, the number of injuries and suspensions in defence would have utterly killed us - we'd be down to playing a half fit Liam Donnelly and a pale, skinny boy out the reserves by this stage - but the fact our squad is good enough to handle  playing different combinations every single week and still perform creditably is a reason why we are in the top half at this point. The most unlikely thing is that SOD is (justifiably) being kept out the team by Bevis Mugabe, who IMO would be on the shortlist for our POTY if it were being judged now. I'd still like to see Ojala and Sol play some games together as I think they are clearly our first choice pairing, but that may never happen at this rate - so thank f**k for Lamie 2021.

Midfield is where it gets messy. In a good summer's recruitment - this is the one that feels like we didn't get it right. Slattery is great - for a guy with not much first team experience, being dropped into a new league and having to carry the midfield has been harsh on him - but he's one of the best shithousers going and can really play a bit too. As a replacement for Wee Alan, we couldn't have asked for much more although it's obvious that he's got a bit to learn yet. Other than that - it's taken until the Hearts game for us to have a combination that looks like it can compete properly. I didn't want us to sign Goss - but he's improved hugely with a run of games and I now get the fear when we don't have his set piece delivery to rely on. Given the number of long term deals we've chucked about elsewhere - I'd imagine midfield will be the main focus in the next 2 windows.

Overall, I'm quite enjoying the season - I don't get so worried about Murderball and I honestly don't have a clue about formations and things with a lower case "x" before them. There's no reason we can't finish in the top half this season.

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45 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

Alan Thompson joining Robbie Neilson’s gang, Motherwell should not celebrate victories.  I headed off to the car last night but I hope the players donned black arm bands and left the pitch with their heads bowed.

Edited by ropy
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37 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

This is even better than when Scott McDonald gets publicly upset every time the SPFL account posts those two goals on his birthday. 

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This is fucking great. "The way Motherwell celebrated was an absolute disgrace. There was no respect."

Is this cúnt thick? Respect? what the fúck is he on about?

I'd love to see him cry about it on telly.

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To lose a title on the last day of the season understandably must leave a mark that would last a lifetime , but the fact that most of his saltiness is about us celebrating winning is absolutely magnificent. He must see our players celebrating every night when he closes his eyes .

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1 hour ago, Swello said:

After 16 games, I'm still not sure what to make of us TBH.

We score plenty of goals, which is great and something that Alexander deserves credit for IMO. I think that Watt, KVV & Woolery are a great mix up front and although Tony doesn't like being out of the centre, I think the setup that we saw last night is our best one. KVV is the one that I'd like to see more consistency from - as both Watt and Woolery are performing well now - but he needs to play in the central role every week. The no-nonsense punting of the staunchest wee man in the squad  improved the forward line instantly.

At the other end of the park, we seem to either keep clean sheets or get pumped. In other seasons, the number of injuries and suspensions in defence would have utterly killed us - we'd be down to playing a half fit Liam Donnelly and a pale, skinny boy out the reserves by this stage - but the fact our squad is good enough to handle  playing different combinations every single week and still perform creditably is a reason why we are in the top half at this point. The most unlikely thing is that SOD is (justifiably) being kept out the team by Bevis Mugabe, who IMO would be on the shortlist for our POTY if it were being judged now. I'd still like to see Ojala and Sol play some games together as I think they are clearly our first choice pairing, but that may never happen at this rate - so thank f**k for Lamie 2021.

Midfield is where it gets messy. In a good summer's recruitment - this is the one that feels like we didn't get it right. Slattery is great - for a guy with not much first team experience, being dropped into a new league and having to carry the midfield has been harsh on him - but he's one of the best shithousers going and can really play a bit too. As a replacement for Wee Alan, we couldn't have asked for much more although it's obvious that he's got a bit to learn yet. Other than that - it's taken until the Hearts game for us to have a combination that looks like it can compete properly. I didn't want us to sign Goss - but he's improved hugely with a run of games and I now get the fear when we don't have his set piece delivery to rely on. Given the number of long term deals we've chucked about elsewhere - I'd imagine midfield will be the main focus in the next 2 windows.

Overall, I'm quite enjoying the season - I don't get so worried about Murderball and I honestly don't have a clue about formations and things with a lower case "x" before them. There's no reason we can't finish in the top half this season.

Aye, I get that Alexander is probably not for everyone and for some his face just doesn't fit for whatever reason but when you consider the rebuild over the summer and what actually needed done it was a lot. To that point it was always going to be a work in progress or transitional season - and barring the midfield (which tbf feels almost incomplete by choice unlike the defence and forward areas) the way things have gone I'd say has probably been better than expected.

He currently has a win % of 47.6% over his Motherwell career (43.7% in the league this season) and at the moment after 16 games we're averaging 1.5 ppg. Even allowing for that run of 5 without a win over the course of the season to the split that sort of average puts us on 49.5 points - which in most seasons is a Top 6 sort of number.

You can use Airdrie, Rangers and Dundee x2 as sticks to beat with but broadly at the start of the season if you'd said that on December 1st we'd be clear in 5th, double digits above the play-off spot and 8 points clear of 7th with Tony Watt top scorer in the league most would have taken it (and Joel Sked would have had an aneurysm on The Terrace preview pod).

Alexander made a comment in his post-match last night that piqued my interest (around 3 min 17s):

Quote

"We looked at ourselves harshly four weeks, four games ago and we decided to go a different way how we played and we wanted to be on the front foot and we wanted to take control of our games. We might not always win but we want to take control of how we perform and the players have done that in 75% of the games so far."

Spoiler

In our last 2 home games we've had 20 shots on goal in each of them (against the teams directly above us in the league in 3rd and 4th). I don't know if that's a result of the change he's talking about but given the criticism that was coming his way about sitting back and trying to contain teams that feels like a positive change of sorts.

Edited by capt_oats
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