Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Dosser1886]

3 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Thank f**k for that... Thanks Captain.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Going 275 minutes without scoring then conceding in the 277th... a good laugh.

[thisGRAEME]

If there's any justice we'll win about 25-0 next week.

[Allroy for Prez]

When do we start to play shite but win? 

[Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo]

Partick Thistle are going to absolutely stroll the quiz league.

[capt_oats]

2 hours ago, Ill Ray said:

Surely with all these outgoings in loans we’re looking at one more forward player coming in. I’d even take Stu McKinstry back to try him out behind the striker it would give us something different. The past 3 games we’ve been decent but our attack just lacked a bit of Edge. 

Tbf, I'd be surprised if Ferrie and Wilson going out on loan makes any material impact on us bringing anyone else in and going by what was being suggested on here McGinley is on a relatively modest deal (I guess there's a chance we might still be subsidising part of his wage while he's at Thistle as well). Getting Efford off the books apparently got us to where we want to be budget-wise.

The noises that Kettlewell was making were along the lines that we're hopeful we'll see Butcher, Biereth and Obika back involved in the coming weeks so in terms of bodies in and around the squad the injured players coming back really replace those who have left.

I mean, I'm not against the idea but from everything SK has said about not wanting players around who won't be contributing he's looking to run with a lean squad so if he's confident of players coming back relatively soon I'm not sure he's going to have much of an appetite to add a free agent at this stage.

Going by our First Team we're sitting on 22 players:

I mentioned it the other day but I guess the problem we have is that we were scoring goals when we were going with the 2 up but the 4 of Miller, Slattery, Paton and Spittal with Bair as the focal point gives us better ownership of the game but less threat. Regardless of anything else Oli Shaw isn't like for like with Bair so we're not going to get the same thing from him.

Edited September 30, 2023 by capt_oats

[Archie McSquackle]

Obviously the standard of our forwards has been apparent in the last few games but what really stood out for me today is our lack of depth in midfield. Our only option off the bench was Davor when we desperately needed fresh legs whereas Celtic were able to swap round players on a like for like basis. I know we needed to balance the books but the squad looks a bit, well.... unbalanced. Are we going to need Butcher in there when suspensions (looking at you Slattery) and injuries kick in?

[welldaft]

Just seen the goals. Maybe I am being harsh but that is now quite a few goals where the scorer has literally scored from around the 6 yard line. 

That is down to poor marking by the defence but if we had a goalie that was confident at coming out for cross balls . IMHO that is Kelly’s weakest part of his game. These crosses are being whipped in fair enough, but I recall the St Mirren goalie coming out and claiming everything that was remotely in that area and being very impressed. 

As I said maybe I am being harsh but I think Kelly should be doing a lot better. 

[Ill Ray]

Just want Kevin van Veen back and a bag of cans. 

[Busta Nut]

Said this to a few mates but I wish we could find someone to play up front alone properly and be a bit of a goal threat (or just play a 12th man)
The midfield is fucking great. Paton and Miller a bit deeper than Spittal and Slattery, who are good at going forward to support. It's fucking great.
Big Bair I think has been very good in the give them hassle, cause them trouble win the ball and play a simple pass role, but he's not a threat on the goal.

[boozyBJ]

Van Veen played better with someone helping him up top. Not saying Thelonious will scored 20+ goals but he could use some help

[Busta Nut]

I think even KVV up top himself and the Spitz and Slatz combo the way they are KVV would have been completely great.

Speaking off KVV, some wee dutch bam messaged him hoping his missus had a miscarriage. 
 

 

Big Kev's not happy

[AnderooMFC]

Was there someone else doing announcements today? That did not sound like Speedie(?)

On a slightly positive note I did manage to snag the last Chicken Tikka pie in the JH and it was great. Maybe a bit lacking in integrity and starting to fall apart due to the sauce, but 10/10 on taste. 11yr old said it was too 'spicy' but I loved it. For the sake of my bank balance and waistline I'm gonna work hard to forget it now.

[Busta Nut]

1 hour ago, AnderooMFC said:

That did not sound like Speedie

He's no here just now

[RandomGuy.]

11 hours ago, thisGRAEME said:

If there's any justice we'll win about 25-0 next week.

 

11 hours ago, Allroy for Prez said:

When do we start to play shite but win? 

You play us in a couple of weeks and we're probably at the "get some hope as performances look to improve, but ultimately get nothing and start to decline again" part of our relegation season.

Fully expecting a ridiculous 3-0 loss soon where we look good but get ripped apart on the counter 3 times that does it, so that probably comes v you (and Bair) because narrative.

[MurrayWell]

That was an absolute kick in the teeth yesterday, ye canny switch off like that against a team like Celtic.

It's been so long since we actually looked like doing something consistently in games against Celtic or Rangers, but under Kettlewell we have the potential to actually make the standard lazy pundit line of "but Fir Park is always a tricky place for the Old Firm" true. 

Hard to believe we have taken zero points from the last three games, but the performances have been there, I'm sure the results will follow again soon. 

[eliphas]

Like most, been fairly/very happy with how we've played the last few games but a few things I'd take on as lessons learned and hopefully SK does to. In my opinion of course. 

- Playing 1 up top with the strikers we have isn't going to cut it most of the time.  If other teams close down Spittal and Slattery then it's pretty much curtains. The lone strikers aren't in turn good enough.

- Playing 4 midfielders is great, it's worked really well. But, we don't have the squad to maintain the pace they play at. Davor is the only change that can be made currently when they are all out on their arse. A few games now we've seen us hanging on because 2 of the 4  midfielders are knackered and can't really do the box to box anymore.

- Swapping positions in defence, for whatever reason it is is, needs to stop. A couple of our goals recently have been partly because we had centrebacks or wing backs out of position or literally swapping back over to get into position. Midfield haven't been tracking runs (see above) so it's all a bit fire fighting and causing mistakes.

Thre's other things but I reckon fix those 3 and we solve the problems really. For me the answer, unless we pluck another midfielder from somewhere is to go back to 3-5-2 and drop one of the midfield 4. Who that would be though I am not so sure. - I mean it's Miller or Paton basically. We've got 3 strikers to rotate in now which gives us options which is good. Hopefully Butcher coming back can give us an option as a midfield enforcer type too.  

Edited October 1, 2023 by eliphas

[welldaft]

8 hours ago, Busta Nut said:

I think even KVV up top himself and the Spitz and Slatz combo the way they are KVV would have been completely great.

Speaking off KVV, some wee dutch bam messaged him hoping his missus had a miscarriage. 
 

 

Big Kev's not happy

Some things are simply beyond the pale. To think it is one thing to actually say is another. Arsehole. 

Probably prompted by their 3-0 loss at home on Friday. 

Just maybe KVV will be hounded out of The Netherlands and back to Fir Park next season . 

[Casagolda]

1 hour ago, eliphas said:

For me the answer, unless we pluck another midfielder from somewhere is to go back to 3-5-2 and drop one of the midfield 4. Who that would be though I am not so sure. - I mean it's Miller or Paton basically. 

It certainly feels like Kettlewell’s recruited for playing a 352 and then(due to injuries) stumbled onto the fact that the 3421 system works better. As such, we’ve only got 5 midfielders for 4 midfield positions where as shortly we’ll have 5 senior strikers potentially vying for 1 slot in the team. 

I would say you can’t possibly drop Paton on current form. He was outstanding again yesterday and motm for me. Where as Miller is the clubs golden goose, I’m sure he’ll need rested at points this season but when fit he’s generally going to be in that shop window.

You obviously can’t drop Spittal or Slattery either mind. So it’s a tough one for Kettlewell. This midfield 4 is genuinely excellent and a joy to watch, do you break that up just to get Oli Shaw or Conor Wilkinson on the park?? I’m not so sure. I’m not convinced either of those two could perform the role big Theo has for the team recently either.

Personally, I would like to see us try Spencer on the right and Gent on the left in this current system before we change anything else. I feel their pace and energy down the flanks could alleviate some of the pressure on the midfield at times and potentially offer us more of a threat in the final third. 

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

I don't know how anyone can suggest we go back to 3-5-2. All the performances in that system were shocking and the quality of our striking options is not great.