Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Busta Nut]

1 hour ago, Blink182 said:

 

 

I get that times are tough but a professional football club in the top league in Scotland advertising for a role that is salary free just doesn't sit right with me. It's embarrassing.

Considering we are fan owned, having a supporter liaison working quite substantial hours (I'd guess) for free we are basically looking for someone who loves the club and is most likely retired or not working to try and fit that in. With all due respect I don't think that will leave many candidates suitable for the role available. 

 

1 hour ago, Swello said:

I know some other clubs have this and I can see from the club's point of view why having a bullet-taker (for free!) would be a great thing - but I don't see what's in it for the SLO themselves.

You would spend your days and nights dealing with constant hassles between the Bois and Boab Park on one hand and fielding 4 page emails about the airflow rate of the hand driers in the main stand gents from old roasters on the other.

 

1 hour ago, capt_oats said:

Did our last attempt at filling the SLO position not see them have a meltdown and resign after something like 2 days? And that was with Burrows still at the club fielding Tweets from his reply guys.

As you say, I genuinely can't see what the appeal would be in actually taking that on.

I agree with @Blink182's general point that if you're asking someone to do work for you then fucking pay them but I'd be curious to know if it's a salaried position at other clubs who have them in place - I know Celtic and Rangers have their own SLOs but based on scale they're not exactly comparable. The one that springs to mind is St Johnstone as I've seen frequent references to their SLO in their threads and Twitter.

Beyond that I'm not sure what other clubs have this role filled.

Similarly, is there a reason this is being advertised via The WS rather than the club?

 

51 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

From memory, last time the job description was absolutely mental with the SLO being expected to be attending meetings at Fir Park during the week or something (while still unpaid)?

Tickled at this;

Maybe that's the role of a... comms manager?

 

38 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Found the job description from the last time....

https://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Motherwell-FC-SLO.pdf

Aye this is mental what they expect from a volunteer.
There is a reason that anyone it appeals to cans it when they realise how fucking tough it will be dealing with simpletons.




 

56 minutes ago, camer0n_mcd said:

 

Update on the contract situation 

Bin the idea of them both.
We need to fill gaps, we can't hang around like a wee cucked virgin.

[Handsome_Devil]

I appreciate there's probably all sort of nuances I just don't get but getting to this stage and still having two key players waiting as long as they want to accept or decline our contracts seems mental.

They've had weeks to weigh up their options and not being there for pre-season should have been time to say cheerio.

[thisGRAEME]

47 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

I mean, not to flog this particular dead horse but how many positions is that we've got that are currently vacant at the club just now?

We don't appear to be advertising the Comms or Chief Exec role anymore so that's two off the list I guess, just leaves Steelman and the point of contact for moans on twitter now.

[camer0n_mcd]

28 minutes ago, Busta Nut said:

Bin the idea of them both.

We need to fill gaps, we can't hang around like a wee cucked virgin.

Disagree, we're not in the position on or off the pitch to be making demands to players 

[Busta Nut]

3 minutes ago, camer0n_mcd said:

Disagree, we're not in the position on or off the pitch to be making demands to players 

So it's better to just hang about and see how they feel?

We need to look after ourselves, we're not making demands. We've offered something. They've not yet accepted so it's time to move on. If they decide they can't get better offers at one point we judge it then. We can't sit about with our thumb up or arses hoping they don't get better offers.

[capt_oats]

22 minutes ago, Handsome_Devil said:

I appreciate there's probably all sort of nuances I just don't get but getting to this stage and still having two key players waiting as long as they want to accept or decline our contracts seems mental.

They've had weeks to weigh up their options and not being there for pre-season should have been time to say cheerio.

Not saying I agree/disagree with this approach but to Devil’s Advocate it Hammell chucked a 2.5 year deal at Blaney who plays the position Casey was covering. Giving him a run there probably allows us to a) get an idea if he’s any good and b) wait for an answer from Casey with a bit less pressure.

We’ve also promoted Campbell (another centre back).

Sort of the same with Goss/Paton I suppose.

Tbh, I’m still sceptical about the idea of committing to Goss. It feels like this probably should be a natural parting - the club has been good for him and he’s (eventually) been good for the club.

Edited June 30, 2023 by capt_oats

[eliphas]

Aye, I'm not overly bothered about Goss. 

Casey I would wait a wee bit longer for. 

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

17 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Not saying I agree/disagree with this approach but to Devil’s Advocate it Hammell chucked a 2.5 year deal at Blaney who plays the position Casey was covering. Giving him a run there probably allows us to a) get an idea if he’s any good and b) wait for an answer from Casey with a bit less pressure.

We’ve also promoted Campbell (another centre back).

Sort of the same with Goss/Paton I suppose.

Tbh, I’m still sceptical about the idea of committing to Goss. It feels like this probably should be a natural parting - the club has been good for him and he’s (eventually) been good for the club.

This is a very good point. Especially when we signed Darragh O'Connor a couple of years, specifically to play in the league cup games. Casey is one I wonder about, he was very good for us last season, but do 13 games for Motherwell really transform someone who finished the last transfer window without a club to someone English clubs will be queuing up for?

I generally agree about Goss too. I'd have been happy to keep him had he signed a deal before pre season, but I don't think he's worth waiting for. I'd also be worried that his form under Kettlewell was a new manager bounce thing and he would revert to the player I'd have driven to their next club in January.

[Casagolda]

We absolutely shouldn’t be hanging about waiting for either of them. 

It was bad enough when we use to do it for Scott McDonald back in the day. However at least then you knew you were getting someone of genuine quality with a proven track record. Not some boy in his mid 20’s who’s had a dozen or so good games at this level. 

Casey will be 26 shortly and before last season the highest level he’d ever played at was LOI or the 2nd tier in America- whichever one of those is considered ‘better’. I mean I liked him but letting him dictate terms and deciding when he wants to come back for pre-season? Absolutely f**k that. 

Both he and Goss were excellent under Kettlewell and they played a big part in our revival but it’s time to shake hands and move on. 

[MurrayWell]

Surely must be getting to the stage of us saying the offer is off the table to both Goss and Casey? FWIW I'd have been keen to keep both, especially Casey, but if they don't want to be here then fine. 

Goss has been great under Kettlewell, but if someone suggested back in January we'd be waiting around for an answer from him by the end of the season, you'd have thought they were ripping the piss. 

[For Your Pies Only]

Re: Goss, I'd be sceptical of any player of his age, playing at Scot Prem level, who was considering a move to India with an existing contract offer on the table. Appreciate a payday is a payday but it suggests he'd be happy to coast for a few seasons rather than play at any kind of decent standard.

That also chimes with the way he has strolled through certain games for us when not in the mood.

So he can set sail on the good ship SS Do One from my point of view.

[Swello]

13 minutes ago, Casagolda said:

We absolutely shouldn’t be hanging about waiting for either of them. 

The closer to the first game we get, the more true this becomes but the issue may be even if we give them a deadline of (say) the first week in July, that the players we would want to replace them aren't available yet as English footy is on holiday for a couple of weeks more. We may have nothing to gain by telling them to sign in June or f**k off.

The pre-season thing is frustrating but it's so ridiculously early now that we need to live with it - and players don't tend to turn up 2 stone overweight after 6 weeks on the piss any more so it's less of an issue than in the past.

 

[Gianfranco]

There’s a chance Casey will still be injured anyway? Goss was on international duty so might have missed the Dutch trip anyway although it hasn’t stopped Kelly. 
 

The thing with Casey is, he was to me a no nonsense centre back. He was a good leader but he wasn’t very good on the ball. I mean he wasn’t Ben Henegan bad on the ball but I can’t see him getting an offer higher than a bottom half league one based on that imo. 

 

[well fan for life]

2 hours ago, capt_oats said:

Did our last attempt at filling the SLO position not see them have a meltdown and resign after something like 2 days? And that was with Burrows still at the club fielding Tweets from his reply guys

Pretty sure we appointed 3 of them one morning and they were all gone by lunchtime.

A volunteer role that you couldn't pay me enough to take.

[Handsome_Devil]

1 hour ago, capt_oats said:

Not saying I agree/disagree with this approach but to Devil’s Advocate it Hammell chucked a 2.5 year deal at Blaney who plays the position Casey was covering. Giving him a run there probably allows us to a) get an idea if he’s any good and b) wait for an answer from Casey with a bit less pressure.

We’ve also promoted Campbell (another centre back).

Sort of the same with Goss/Paton I suppose.

Tbh, I’m still sceptical about the idea of committing to Goss. It feels like this probably should be a natural parting - the club has been good for him and he’s (eventually) been good for the club.

Aye, fair point, though I'm more concerned/curious about the process than their value to the squad.

I mean, we haven't even done the usual thanks for your efforts, cheerio to Mandron for example, which is the default polite and done thing these days.

It just seems odd.

[Antiochas III]

2 hours ago, Swello said:

 

I get that clubs like ours (and smaller clubs than us even more so) have to rely on supporters to fill some gaps but this one feels totally thankless. Trying to hive off stuff that our comms manager, CEO and General Manager have been doing makes sense when you're trying to fill these roles but to hand it to a volunteer isn't right. Thing is, if you made this a low paid role within the club, you probably wouldn't have trouble filling it.

Nah, a Club our size should pay all positions within the Club.  Scummy behavour to hope/depend on free labour.  

[Busta Nut]

I'd dae it for £40k.
 

[rowsdower]

Embarrassing that we're asking for someone to volunteer for this. We need to either pay someone the going rate or not bother with the role at all.

Who has the time to do everything this job entails on top of working a real job to make a living? The only folk that could do this are weans or retirees.

[CoF]

Seems to be a few assumptions that we aren't actively looking for Casey and Goss replacements while their contract offers are on the table. Can't say I'm in the know on how these things but that would be surprising if so. 

[well fan for life]

2 hours ago, thisGRAEME said:

We don't appear to be advertising the Comms or Chief Exec role anymore so that's two off the list I guess, just leaves Steelman and the point of contact for moans on twitter now.

Lads I've solved it. We make both of these roles into one. You need to air your grievances at a giant superhero costume holding a girder as a pet.