Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Swello]

20 minutes ago, Slacker said:

Aaron Taylor-Sinclair would be my guess, although it's a bit of a stretch to say he has Championship experience. Wigan were in the Championship when he was there but he played 0 games. Still going to chuck his name out there, though.

I would certainly be happy if that was the case - would there be any reason why we couldn't just announce him though?

[Kyle]

3 minutes ago, Swello said:

I would certainly be happy if that was the case - would there be any reason why we couldn't just announce him though?

Maybe awaiting a work permit?

[Swello]

I almost went full Steelmen there and questioned the wisdom of signing a left sided defender who was an injury risk - but (a) it's an unsubstantiated rumour and (b) life's too fucking short.

[capt_oats]

8 minutes ago, Swello said:

I almost went full Steelmen there and questioned the wisdom of signing a left sided defender who was an injury risk - but (a) it's an unsubstantiated rumour and (b) life's too fucking short.

Deleted my post as I read it back and it sounded like the worst sort of speculative nonsense and I briefly hated myself for it.

However looking at Robinson's wording it still seems weird no matter what way you slice it.

[mjw]

Never ever go full Steelmen.

[Ya Bezzer!]

I think when it comes down to it I just don't trust Robinson's judgement.

Starting to worry again about next season.

[Slacker]

3 hours ago, Swello said:

I would certainly be happy if that was the case - would there be any reason why we couldn't just announce him though?

Not really, broke his leg and was out for 9 months or so but played a little bit at the end of the season I'm sure.

Last I heard he was linked with Dundee United but I think someone just made up that rumour, much like I'm doing now with your club.

Edit: See below for more accurate info.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Slacker

[Fuctifano]

Think ATS had a torn ACL rather than a leg break, which carries more questions over a return. I tipped Motherwell as his next destination before he got that injury after his fairly disastrous spell in England. Can't imagine it's him though especially as he's a free agent and also the local papers and not just internet chatter had him having a trial at Tannadice.

[capt_oats]

New jerseys innit.

[Mr. Brightside]

Home top is a screamer, dunno about the away one however.

[capt_oats]

The bold Flow answering the defender question on Twitter. We've effectively agreed a deal but there are questions over injury/fitness so they're going to see him over pre-season before confirming.

The gist is that Robinson wanted to let people know he hadn't forgotten about defenders. Which is good to know.

[Casagolda]

On 6/9/2017 at 13:04, capt_oats said:

If rumour on Steelmen (I know) is anything to go by we're signing a midfielder as well as the attacking mid.

I take it considering the timing of him being on holiday and then signing on the Tuesday and the fact that we're now moving onto signing defenders(and another keeper) that Rose was actually the 'attacking midfielder' that Robinson had already agreed a deal with?

Given the comments about his height and physicality being his main attributes instead of his technical ability and him being a presence in both boxes he seems to be more of a box to box midfielder as opposed to a number 10 type. More of a replacement for 2015/16 Pearson as opposed to someone to create, which is actually fine by me as our midfield badly lacked a physical presence last season but describing someone who averages about three goals a season who isn't the most technically gifted as an attacking midfielder just struck me as bit odd.

[capt_oats]

I'm really not sure tbh. Agree there's little about Rose to suggest he's an attacking midfielder. Box to box certainly.

Burrows said via Twitter the other week that we were looking at "at least" another 5 in. Rose is 1, you'd think Griffiths is another with the left sided defender mentioned 3rd. It leaves *some* space for a creative player and a centre half?

[MJC]

New home kit is cracking, just the way a Motherwell FC home kit should be. I shall certainly be purchasing

Hopefully the away will grow on me as the season progresses.

[Busta Nut]

I love the away.

 

Love it when we do something different like that. Loved the black Skippy Sunday one too.

[thisGRAEME]

For Rose, my Cov supporting pal described him as 'in theory' a box to box player, but struggled with injury. More consistent than Bigirimana, but less spectacular.

Given that it gives us a series of options in the middle of the park with McHugh, Rose, Bigi, Campbell, Lasley, as well as Shea Gordon and Turnbull? Pretty okay, that.

[Swello]

14 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

I think when it comes down to it I just don't trust Robinson's judgement.

Starting to worry again about next season.

In contrast, I've still got the baseless pre-season optimism - not to the point where I'm predicting a great season but I think we will do better than last year, which is admittedly a fairly modest expectation.

Our midfield has been fucking awful at least since McCall's last season - we've basically relied on Lasley to hold the whole patched-up mess together and it's been a real weakness that affects us negatively at both ends of the pitch. Robinson has made it something of a priority and it's difficult to see how Bigirimana and Rose are anything other than an upgrade on Clay, Lucas and 16/17 Pearson. Whether either is able to replace what Lasley has given us is another question entirely of course. The goalkeeping situation is surely another upgrade on a glaring weakness in last seasons' team.

On the other side - the picture isn't clear on defense and attack yet and I'll reserve judgement as it's only mid-June - the key is replacing McDonald (and most probably Moult) which is a genuinely difficult task and one that would test any manager in the league outside of the OF.

On Robinson specifically - I like the way the way he's conducted himself so far - especially since we secured our league place. It's clear to me that in McGhee, we had an experienced manager that was going through the motions - he had become lazy and didn't perform the surgery on the squad that was required last summer. In signings like Lucas and Clay, in the way Samson was handed the No1 jersey and in the way we toiled with no replacement for Johnson - he simply didn't do enough and reaped what he sowed as a consequence. I don't think McGhee had what it took to transform the squad this summer (or to keep us up quite honestly) - and Robinson in contrast has a lot to prove and is doing what is required so far.

In keeping that utter mess of a team/squad in the league, Robinson has earned the opportunity to show what he can do - I'm happy to give him a chance and judge him later in the season after the team has a chance to settle in. 

[well fan for life]

I like that we're getting people in the door early. It was massively apparent after about 10 games last season that the squad desperately needed updating. I'd like to see us announce a centre back and a left back that isn't Joe Chalmers. 

Only way these announcements can get better is if/when we announce that we've got a giant cannon and launched Clay & Blyth to f**k. 

[capt_oats]

Agree 100% with Swello's post above. Given that this time last year we were yet to sign anyone then the fact that we've managed to get 5 players in (7 if you include Liam Brown from Queens Park and this mystery left-sided defender) is pretty good going. OK, it's naive to read to much into what footballers say when they sign on with a team but each one of the players who have got on board have cited Robinson as being a positive influence in their decision to join. It's not as if we're going to be chucking money at them and it's perfectly believable that they'll have had better offers available to them in financial terms.

Whether it was dictated by the reduced budget last year or laziness on McGhee's part or a combination of both we've moved from giving Samson the goalkeeper spot largely because he was the only one left and bringing in players whose experience was largely at National League level to recruiting players who at the very least on paper look like upgrades on what we've got;
- Bigirimana has played almost 100 games across Premier League, Europa League, Championship and League 1 levels
- Rose has 100+ games in MLS and contributed in a Coventry side that finished 8th in League 1 when he arrived. 
- Carson has 250+ games over Leagues 1 & 2, has won POTY at 2 of his recent clubs and is an international squad member
- Tanner has over 100 first team appearances to his name
- Fisher scored 8 goals in 1029 mins of football.

I'm not going overboard in terms of expectations, Robinson may turn out to be a decent manager or he may turn out to be terrible, but judging him based on his association with the Baraclough season, 6 months at a basketcase club like Oldham and a relegation battle with a half fit squad and one centre half seems unfair, especially given he kept us up (which was the priority). At the very least we seem to be in a better place at the moment with a bit of clear direction and Robinson's approach to gutting the squad in the manner he has is long overdue. Even the training camp at Carlton House seems like *a positive thing*.

[Ya Bezzer!]

3 hours ago, capt_oats said:

Whether it was dictated by the reduced budget last year or laziness on McGhee's part or a combination of both we've moved from giving Samson the goalkeeper spot largely because he was the only one left and bringing in players whose experience was largely at National League level to recruiting players who at the very least on paper look like upgrades on what we've got;

- Bigirimana has played almost 100 games across Premier League, Europa League, Championship and League 1 levels
- Rose has 100+ games in MLS and contributed in a Coventry side that finished 8th in League 1 when he arrived. 
- Carson has 250+ games over Leagues 1 & 2, has won POTY at 2 of his recent clubs and is an international squad member
- Tanner has over 100 first team appearances to his name
- Fisher scored 8 goals in 1029 mins of football

Weren't Jake Taylor and Theo Robinson two of the few players with any kind of pedigree that we've signed recently?

This is what my concerns are.

1) - Steve Robinson has no reputation whatsoever as a manager.  He has not performed at Fir Park or anywhere else.  It may be harsh to judge him but that's his record as it stands and quite frankly, even though we stayed up, I was not impressed with either the style of football, performances or results during his spell in charge. It's not like our performance level shot up and we went on a run. Accies lost 4 out of 5 in the run in and that's why we stayed up.

2) - The scale of the changes.  Now everyone agrees that changes had to be made and areas strengthened but right now it looks like we could have 7, 8 or 9 players making a debut on the first day of the season.  Not only that but 7, 8 or 9 players that know nothing about the game here, our opponents, the grounds, the level of football, 7, 8 or 9 players that are entirely ignorant of the Scottish game. That's a big risk at any level of football but especially with the level of player we are recruiting from and with a manager with no track record whatsoever.  In fact didn't Robinson have to recruit a whole new squad at Oldham?  What happened there?  In fact if you look at the really good managers we've had in recent times they have not made enormous changes.  McGhee came in and turned around the Malpas team.  Brown came in and turned around the Gannon team.  When we've had these enormous wholesale changes it's generally not worked.

3) - Vision. Over the years we have seen a number of people come into Fir Park and try to mask inability by creating a 'vision for Motherwell'.  We had it with Gannon, with Baraclough, we had it with Boyle and now we keeping hearing about it with Robinson.  There's a big element of the support that absolutely love it, fall for it every time but 90% of the time when you hear this snake oil salesman guff it leads to trouble down the line. So when I hear the word 'vision' being banded about here, there, everywhere, it smells to me like bullshit. Now call me an old cynic, not the worst thing to be by the way, but I think history is on my side with this one.

4) - Connection.  When I go to see my club and the team is filled with lower league English players looking for a move up the ladder ASAP I just feel a sort of disconnect with the club.  I grew up watching Johnny Gahagan, Stevie Kirk, John Philliben or more recently guys like Scott Leitch or Craigan, Hammell and Lasley.  These guys had the club at heart, the same as I do.  When I go along to the first game of the season I might look out on to the field and not see one guy out there that has the club at heart, and that actually means something to me as a supporter.  Believe it or not, it's not ALL about results.  Now I realise we have to sell on players but I think it would be a real pity if Motherwell as a football club turned into some kind of revolving door for aspiring jobbers looking for a temp gig. 

Now I'm not making any bold predictions for next season.  I can't see the future.  The players brought might be great or at least do a job.  Robinson might surprise me.  But these are concerns I have.

 

Edited June 14, 2017 by Ya Bezzer!