Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[IrishBhoy]

Thanks for that result earlier Motherwell. I’ve got family over in Ireland giving me no end of abuse now, after years of me telling them St Mirren would win the Irish League at a canter. 
 

All kidding aside that’s a really poor result, the home tie especially with the Motherwell fans turning out in excellent numbers to support the team. It would be too reactionary to call it anything other than an upset though, and I don’t think it will have too much bearing on how Motherwells season pans out. For all the good results we’ve had in Europe like St Johnstone beating Rosenborg or Aberdeen beating Groningen, there’s always been results like Hearts getting beat by Birkirkara or Kilmarnock getting embarrassed by Connahs Quay.
 

I’m sure we will have to endure our footballing media, as well as OF fans on Twitter, coming out with tropes that we are ‘the laughing stock of Europe’ or such nonsense over this result, when in reality nobody in Europe particularly gives a f**k about a Conference League qualifying match. Always makes me laugh when I hear things like that, as if football fans in France, Spain or Germany are sitting with their friends saying things like ‘Scottish football must be shite btw, Motherwell just got beat off Sligo Rovers’. 

Edited July 29, 2022 by IrishBhoy

[Phillips455]

Cant believe that after everything we done last season to get into Europe, Alexander treats it like the bloody League cup group stage. 

 

Just woke up and somehow I'm feeling a bit more angry about the situation.

[joewarkfanclub]

5 hours ago, IrishBhoy said:

Thanks for that result earlier Motherwell. I’ve got family over in Ireland giving me no end of abuse now, after years of me telling them St Mirren would win the Irish League at a canter. 
 

All kidding aside that’s a really poor result, the home tie especially with the Motherwell fans turning out in excellent numbers to support the team. It would be too reactionary to call it anything other than an upset though, and I don’t think it will have too much bearing on how Motherwells season pans out. For all the good results we’ve had in Europe like St Johnstone beating Rosenborg or Aberdeen beating Groningen, there’s always been results like Hearts getting beat by Birkirkara or Kilmarnock getting embarrassed by Connahs Quay.
 

I’m sure we will have to endure our footballing media, as well as OF fans on Twitter, coming out with tropes that we are ‘the laughing stock of Europe’ or such nonsense over this result, when in reality nobody in Europe particularly gives a f**k about a Conference League qualifying match. Always makes me laugh when I hear things like that, as if football fans in France, Spain or Germany are sitting with their friends saying things like ‘Scottish football must be shite btw, Motherwell just got beat off Sligo Rovers’. 

I take your point to an extent.

However, its not reactionary from most Motherwell fans. Its the culmination of watching 18 months of eye bleedingly bad football and 7 months of rank rotten results.

These 2 games were just the straw that broke the camels back.

[Allroy for Prez]

I’m torn between being “done till he’s gone” or turning up in Paisley waiting on them getting off the bus to hit them with the worst abuse.

I’ve a horrible feeling that the board will give him a few more games which is beyond pointless. 

[IrishBhoy]

17 minutes ago, joewarkfanclub said:

I take your point to an extent.

However, its not reactionary from most Motherwell fans. Its the culmination of watching 18 months of eye bleedingly bad football and 7 months of rank rotten results.

These 2 games were just the straw that broke the camels back.

Yeah you will know better than me to be fair. I was using reactionary more in the context of the state of Scottish football as a whole, but I accept Motherwell fans haven’t been happy with Alexander or the team for a while now. 
 

One of my work mates is a big Well fan and he’s been saying similar to yourself. 

[Handsome_Devil]

It's also worth noting the majority were willing to give him a fresh start if he acknowledged his role in the problems and made changes. If he'd done this and we'd still lost to Sligo, surrounded by building blocks, you could even have had a debate then if he could actually create a new side.

But his refusal to do this, instead doubling down, means there's no way back. The fact it's the identical pattern to every job he's had just made his contract extension all the more mental, as was pointed out at the time.

[The Marly]

Maybe we'll have a relegation rival after all. Welcome. 

[steelman1991]

I’m torn between being “done till he’s gone” or turning up in Paisley waiting on them getting off the bus to hit them with the worst abuse.
I’ve a horrible feeling that the board will give him a few more games which is beyond pointless. 

Already given my ticket away.

[one m in Motherwell]

So, did he make it back across the Irish Sea?

[Cptn Hooch]

How does the fan ownership thing work in the sacking the manager situation? A board would usually be reluctant to patch a manager with 3 years left on his deal due to the hefty payout, not sure if the fan ownership means these things are overlooked more in favour of fan opinion.

[thisGRAEME]

26 minutes ago, Cptn Hooch said:

How does the fan ownership thing work in the sacking the manager situation? A board would usually be reluctant to patch a manager with 3 years left on his deal due to the hefty payout, not sure if the fan ownership means these things are overlooked more in favour of fan opinion.

Basically anyone that pays a fiver a month thinks they have a right to tell him he's getting the bullet, is the long and short of it.

[Lord Snooty]

I think it's fairly standard that the manager will get until late October at least, unless it goes seriously tits-up after the first few games.

[well fan for life]

2 minutes ago, Lord Snooty said:

I think it's fairly standard that the manager will get until late October at least, unless it goes seriously tits-up after the first few games.

I mean I reckon the tits are pretty skyward at this point so why hang about. 

[vikingTON]

8 hours ago, AndyX said:

Because if you take away these 2 clubs, there is really not much difference between these two leagues. 

But there's no grounds to take away two clubs from the Scottish results - other than to give your nonsense claims the thinnest veneer of plausibility.

Quote

On a night when Irish teams have beaten a Scottish team and a Slovenian teamyou're showing some ignorance to refer to them as 'bottom-feeding trash'. That's all I'm saying.

40th in Europe, behind Kosovo that didn't even exist until 20 years ago. 

The objective UEFA verdict confirms the fact that Irish domestic football was and remains then bottom-feeding trash. 

[Richie]

Its not even anger anymore, its just WTF.

What is it he's not seeing?

We tried the same tactics for about 135 mins of that tie ( that's even before we get to the prior 6 months).

Nothing against Alexander as an individual, but something is clearly wtong and there needs to be a fundamental change of approach.

Also, the post-match was a bit concerning to me as I was sensing

1) Low expectations/aspirations

2) A nonchalant attitude to a very worrying -relegation threatining- run of form.

Whilst I get Motherwell are just a step on his career journey and he has limited resources etc which may (even subconsciously) make him have a more dispassionate view of things than fans, he needs to understand, or at least display, the atiitude that this type of form and ergo relegation is unnaceptable.

For all we give it the 'Our wee Club' patter - and there is a time and a place for it I guess - It send out a message that we are the meek, plucky wee underdog etc and lowers expectation/standards.

We are a firmly established top flight club, only 2 other clubs have survived it longer and relegation is a disastrous prospect.

The club's/players'/manager's attitude should reflect that on and off the pitch.

 

[ropy]

There is a block of 5 league matches then the ICT tie.  If the club don’t react now then that is a sufficient enough body of work to assess the start of the domestic season.  2 wins, a draw and progression in the cup saves his job?

[Pettigrew]

11 hours ago, well fan for life said:

 

I hope this makes the podcast.  

It absolutely did.  Highlight of the whole debacle.

[MP_MFC]

I think it's fairly standard that the manager will get until late October at least, unless it goes seriously tits-up after the first few games.

Usually aye but if you look at our fixtures, if we don’t have a decent points haul by mid September then we’re potentially looking at no wins until mid November as we get into a really rough patch and given his form, that’s not going to happen.

[stu92]

The only benefit I can see to keeping Alexander in place for another few weeks is that it gives us time to get a shortlist to replace him sorted. I would’ve had faith in Lasley and Ross to oversee things for a few weeks, not sure I quite do with Hammell and Clarkson. 

[elvis]

Don't worry lads yous will be gifted 3 points on Sunday guaranteed.