Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Archie McSquackle]

There's plenty of midweeks available so I don't think that will influence the decision.

How do we think this we'll go? Is it the SPFL hearing the appeal or has it been referred to the SFA? I can't see the SPFL backing down but think there's a good chance of over-turning it if it's their call.

[ropy]

If it is an independent panel and completely different from the last one, their opinions could be completely different.  Perhaps if they are led through the decision making on each point they will come to the same decisions.

Either

Bring on the points

or

Being on the games.

[Archie McSquackle]

I'll take the points then.

[ZX1886]

I was in attendance at the glorious game of footballing art that was Millwall 4 Bristol Rovers 0, in which soon to be Motherwell star Harry Smith scored. The night after Scotland got an absolute hammering at Wembley if I remember correctly and this was the only game we could find in the entirety of London.

Boy scored a simple finish (harder to miss, ie if you either slip or are Jordan White) but honestly wouldn’t have been able to tell you if he played for Bristol Rovers or Millwall that day until I watched the highlights back, I’ve only just realised Peter Hartley was playing, must admit that last goal scored by Harry has me getting flashbacks of Hartley’s defending vs St Mirren.

Regardless, all this talk about goals and performances is nothing. It’s the Elbow chat I’m here for. Tall and can use his elbows?!? I’d sign him for that alone, Ryan Bowman 2.0

[billyg]

Surely there is no way the can order the games to be played? So many dates to have played the games have passed that we would have to squeeze them in and play multiple games a week.
why should we be punished for another clubs breaches?

Plenty of dates still available .

[MP_MFC]

See it looks like that rat Cadden is signing for Hibs today after a medical yesterday.

Wonder if that lifelong boyhood Motherwell fan who definitely didn't just move to Oxford via America to get paid more and stiff us out of cash will make much of an impact at Hibs.

I also wonder if we've been rightfully paid yet.

c**t.

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

I think the "lifelong Motherwell fan" stuff was birthday caird pish too. He's a sellick fan.

[Desp]

Re Cadden, he's very much in the same camp that Hastie is in for me. I don't really don't grudge him the move to America (albeit, his move there was as blatantly dodgy as you're likely to see). 

He'll have made good money and good luck to him, because I don't think he's a good player. He's a very athletic player, but he can't pick a pass, can't shoot, doesn't score and can't defend. He's done remarkably well to get a move to Hibs, and they only way from there is down again. 

[capt_oats]

9 hours ago, ZX1886 said:

I was in attendance at the glorious game of footballing art that was Millwall 4 Bristol Rovers 0, in which soon to be Motherwell star Harry Smith scored. The night after Scotland got an absolute hammering at Wembley if I remember correctly and this was the only game we could find in the entirety of London.

Boy scored a simple finish (harder to miss, ie if you either slip or are Jordan White) but honestly wouldn’t have been able to tell you if he played for Bristol Rovers or Millwall that day until I watched the highlights back, I’ve only just realised Peter Hartley was playing, must admit that last goal scored by Harry has me getting flashbacks of Hartley’s defending vs St Mirren.

Regardless, all this talk about goals and performances is nothing. It’s the Elbow chat I’m here for. Tall and can use his elbows?!? I’d sign him for that alone, Ryan Bowman 2.0

I'll be honest, the only reason I posted those clips was the Hartley factor. There's another video of him scoring on his debut that features a Hutchy own goal.

Spoiler

 

It's difficult to get whelmed about a League 1 striker with a re-gen name and a patchy scoring record.

When I was digging about the Robinson press-conferences the other day to see what he'd been saying about Long's injury he made a few comments about how we've generally done quite well in this window bringing in guys like Ariyibi and Aarons. He was generally making the point that bringing in a couple of players can add a spark to the squad.

I mean, @thisGRAEME made a good point on one of the Robinson Trilogy Patreons in saying that for all Ross McCormack's return didn't work out, simply signing Ross McCormack gave us a wee boost at a point in the season when we really needed it.

I may well be doing the bold Harry Smith a disservice but he doesn't seem like that guy.

[well fan for life]

I mean we absolutely were stiffed in the Cadden transfer but I doubt Cadden himself made that choice. Realistically his main attribute is that he can run all day long. He's not a technically gifted footballer so fair play to him for turning that into a move to the US to get decent cash and a nice lifestyle (covid notwithstanding). 

Ultimately I think he got offered a move over, regardless of how it went through, and snatched it with both hands. The technicalities will have been down to his agent.

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

Bit of a head scratcher, Cadden to Hibs. Based on what I remember if him and the descriptions here, could he do a job as a Wing Back? Did he play there for you a few times or am I misremembering?

[ropy]

1 minute ago, Genuine Hibs Fan said:

Bit of a head scratcher, Cadden to Hibs. Based on what I remember if him and the descriptions here, could he do a job as a Wing Back? Did he play there for you a few times or am I misremembering?

He carried the water for us

[capt_oats]

5 hours ago, well fan for life said:

I mean we absolutely were stiffed in the Cadden transfer but I doubt Cadden himself made that choice. Realistically his main attribute is that he can run all day long. He's not a technically gifted footballer so fair play to him for turning that into a move to the US to get decent cash and a nice lifestyle (covid notwithstanding). 

Ultimately I think he got offered a move over, regardless of how it went through, and snatched it with both hands. The technicalities will have been down to his agent.

See, I'm very much in the Chris Cadden was Complicit camp.

I mentioned this the other week but with US sports salary cap and transparency Columbus Crew's salaries are published.

Cadden's basic with them was/is at the lowest end of their scale. $56,250 at current conversion rate is £41,212.97 pa, I don't think I'm reaching in saying that our offer to him would probably have been more than that.

Link

So either he's received a f**k off signing on fee that doesn't show on their salary details (possible, I suppose) or he's made the one move that was on the table that meant Motherwell didn't receive compensation for a bare minimum salary - given his other option was Oxford who had apparently agreed the compensation (and subsequently wanted to sign him after he was recalled from his loan).

Either way he's barely kicked a ball in a year and couldn't get into Columbus Crew's championship winning side. I don't grudge him the move as we got almost 140 games out him and generally he was a decent option albeit one, as @Desp says, who can't pick a pass, can't shoot, doesn't score and can't defend (but has a smashing engine).  

If he did end up with a large lump sum in his bank account then absolutely fair play to him.

Edit: for comparison Andy Rose is on almost $200k base at Vancouver.

Link

Edited January 14, 2021 by capt_oats

[well fan for life]

10 minutes ago, Genuine Hibs Fan said:

Bit of a head scratcher, Cadden to Hibs. Based on what I remember if him and the descriptions here, could he do a job as a Wing Back? Did he play there for you a few times or am I misremembering?

Cadden's best time with us was either in a weird, lop-sided 4-4-2 under McGhee that allowed him to carry the ball further up the park, or as a RWB in the 3-5-2 thunderdome. Essentially chuck him in a position where he needs to run up & down a lot and he's good. 

There was a couple of times Robinson tried to play him as a 10 or in central midfield but he's nowhere near technically gifted enough to do either. 

[capt_oats]

13 minutes ago, Genuine Hibs Fan said:

Bit of a head scratcher, Cadden to Hibs. Based on what I remember if him and the descriptions here, could he do a job as a Wing Back? Did he play there for you a few times or am I misremembering?

IIRC around the time his contract was expiring Sunderland were one of the clubs who were apparently interested in signing him but baulked at having to pay whatever compensation was due - Jack Ross was manager at the time.

As others have said he broke into the team on the right of a narrow midfield 3 in McGhee's weird lop-sided 442 but spent most of his time with us playing as a wing-back in a 352. Since he's moved on he's been playing as a right back.

@well fan for life has it spot in in saying he's nowhere near good enough technically to play as a CM or #10 (or IMO as a winger).

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

For me, his best spell was in that lopsided McGhee formation, when he first solidified his position in the team, but when you think about it, at that stage we were probably just quite a good team. From middle to front Johnson, Pearson, Moult and McDonald were all playing well so I guess it was easier for him to slot in at that point.

After that, he just became an athletic utility player. Right back, right wing-back, centre midfield, number 10, right wing and he could *do a job* in all of those positions and rarely have a bad game per say, but an outstanding game was perhaps even rarer.

He always managed to look good and get a few goals in the League Cup group stages, not sure if that shows how big a difference athleticism rather than technique can make in the lower leagues.

For me, he's another one that when he left us, it seemed like the natural end point for both club and player, but we've hardly replaced him with much better since.

There's no doubt he done us dirty in terms of the deal when he left, which I have no issue with him looking after himself, what I do have issue with is the interviews he done in the aftermath making himself out to be a martyr in the process.

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

Cheers lads, that's what I thought. Maybe gives Ross the option of playing the 352 (which I've had a bit of a hard-on for all year) with Boyle up front. Would mean Cadden and Doig at WB which isn't a lot of crossing/technical ability.

50/50 signing either way but we needed bodies and more importantly athleticism as we've looked one paced (Boyle/Doig aside) all season. Irvine and Cadden both look like signings with that in mind 

[Busta Nut]

46 minutes ago, Genuine Hibs Fan said:

Bit of a head scratcher, Cadden to Hibs. Based on what I remember if him and the descriptions here, could he do a job as a Wing Back? Did he play there for you a few times or am I misremembering?

He was a bit shite as a wingback. He was decent at RB and Decent as an athletic RM.

[Ron Aldo]

I liked Cadden but can't disagree with what others have said with regards to him being very athletic but not great at football. In saying that, I'd have taken him back as he's undoubtedly better than some of the shite we have at the moment.

I'm also not too fussed on how he left us. We were undoubtedly shafted and Cadden may or may not have been involved. However, it's unlikely any fee would have been invested to strengthen the team - we'd likely have wasted it on some English League 1 or 2 jobber.

[Swello]

Cadden (via his agent) definitely profited by moving to the US but even though massive hypocrisy is part of being a football supporter, I can't get away from the fact that we gleefully did similar to get Chris Porter and others. I think we've gained more than we lost through transfer loopholes TBH.