Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Doctor Manhattan]

26 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Also, unrelated but having seen the IG story the club posted yesterday about Donnelly being back in training....can we confirm that Woolery is, in fact, an absolute fucking unit? I mean, he's behind Donnelly here and even with the perspective still looks built.

Fucking hell, are you sure that's not Anthony Joshua? He looks like he'd eat Curtis Main for a mid-morning snack.

[Doctor Manhattan]

1 hour ago, dezz said:

Greenie for the Swifty gif. Good work.

 

Ditto

[capt_oats]

Also, as someone who has pretty much been living in KVV's IG page over the past week I had a wee laugh at this:

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by capt_oats

[Yorky]

44 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

So, at the close of last season Alexander was talking about between 7-10 players in.

As it stands we've brought in 4 with Carson pretty much away and potential interest in SOD. That'd leave a minumum 3 more + 2 replacements. Burrows is also saying to his reply guys "we still have quite a fair few to add"

As an aside, I know it's not a formation that's worked particularly well for us in recent years but is there an argument for us looking at 4231 with Watt as the #10 given he's spoken about not being particularly happy playing off the wing (but has done it for the team). We've been toying with Lawleff in that area of the park as well.

It'd also account for that rumour about interest in McPake (which I had kind of written off as nonsense given we've already got a bunch of players for wide areas per the 433 image above).

Also, unrelated but having seen the IG story the club posted yesterday about Donnelly being back in training....can we confirm that Woolery is, in fact, an absolute fucking unit? I mean, he's behind Donnelly here and even with the perspective still looks built.

#announceGboly

I like the look of the 4231, watt is certainly a more effective player in the middle and a good provider for a tradition number 9 which I believe Van Veen is, a challenge for Shields there who is also a central striker. That formation would rely on an effective deep sitting midfielder and Donnelly if fit certainly fits the bill but one or two more midfielders certainly needed along with two centre halves in my view but I only expect one. I still believe the spine of the team is very weak and would not be hugely confident of a good season with what we have now but that will of course change in the next couple of weeks with another centre half, goalkeeper, and probably two midfielders coming in. Some experience in all these positions is needed along with a new captain.

[capt_oats]

8 minutes ago, Yorky said:

I like the look of the 4231, watt is certainly a more effective player in the middle and a good provider for a tradition number 9 which I believe Van Veen is, a challenge for Shields there who is also a central striker. That formation would rely on an effective deep sitting midfielder and Donnelly if fit certainly fits the bill but one or two more midfielders certainly needed along with two centre halves in my view but I only expect one. I still believe the spine of the team is very weak and would not be hugely confident of a good season with what we have now but that will of course change in the next couple of weeks with another centre half, goalkeeper, and probably two midfielders coming in. Some experience in all these positions is needed along with a new captain.

Aye, I broadly agree.

I noticed last week that with Lamie not playing McGinley got a run out at LCB which is apparently his preferred position. Your point obout the spine of the side is something I'd echo but in terms of the numbers Alexander was talking about bringing in and how the squad looks generally I'd say there's space for a couple of midfielders and a couple of centre backs.

I still feel that we replacing Gallagher, Campbell and Polworth is a minimum in terms of the remaining business. Like, I'm not saying we'll get a like for like with the version of Campbell who left but an approximation is certainly needed IMO. Same goes for the Polworth role. Looking at the midfielders we have there's none of them you'd call "creative" there.

[Yorky]

10 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Aye, I broadly agree.

I noticed last week that with Lamie not playing McGinley got a run out at LCB which is apparently his preferred position. Your point obout the spine of the side is something I'd echo but in terms of the numbers Alexander was talking about bringing in and how the squad looks generally I'd say there's space for a couple of midfielders and a couple of centre backs.

I still feel that we replacing Gallagher, Campbell and Polworth is a minimum in terms of the remaining business. Like, I'm not saying we'll get a like for like with the version of Campbell who left but an approximation is certainly needed IMO. Same goes for the Polworth role. Looking at the midfielders we have there's none of them you'd call "creative" there.

Yes we lacked any creativity in midfield for most of last season, probably our weakest area of the team. As you say there is just about zero creativity there at the moment and that’s going to cost us more than anything else if not sorted along with a real leader in the middle and at centre half. We failed to replace leaders like Hartley and Aldred at the back and what I’d give for another Gorrin type player, we got lucky with him, just a pity he was not with us longer.

['WellDel]

Picking up on the attributes of his recruits so far, I'm not saying that we're definitely heading back to thunderdome days,  but Alexander seems to be building a team that, at the very least, will compete.

 KVV, Woolery, Shields all look capable of handling themselves up top and giving the majority of defences in the league a torrid time.

I  would imagine (hope) a central defender of similar stature, with physicality, a decent amount of experience,  and some level of ability on the ball will be incoming shortly. Lamie et al proved far too weak and easily pushed over last season, and as a defender himself I'm sure Alexander will be looking to make the back line far more robust.

Of what we already have at our disposal, I wouldn't be averse to seeing how Bevis got on alongside a new central partner in that mould, because as a bread and butter defender the big man is an absolute unit and can be fine doing the basics with the right person beside him.

A steady keeper and a bit of flair in the middle to feed big KVV, and there's the makings of a decent top 6 side there.

[capt_oats]

44 minutes ago, 'WellDel said:

Picking up on the attributes of his recruits so far, I'm not saying that we're definitely heading back to thunderdome days,  but Alexander seems to be building a team that, at the very least, will compete.

 KVV, Woolery, Shields all look capable of handling themselves up top and giving the majority of defences in the league a torrid time.

Granted the footage from the "Budget Bergkamp" compilation comes from his time at Scunthorpe a couple of years ago (19/20 he had 15 in 33 games) and he had a couple of injuries last season so it remains to be seen what sort of nick he's in but the interesting thing about KVV as Alexander's main signing for the #9 role is that he seems to be a centre forward with a bit of flair. I've loads of time for Stephen Robinson but as a type of player compare big Kev with Fisher, Main, Sammon, Long, White et al.

The only comparable players you could say Robinson brought in would be, IMO; Ciftci, Watt and to a degree Cole but even they hadn't had a double figures season in the past 2 years. I mean, even Connor Shields is just off the back of an 11 in 28 season, Woolery was 11 in 41 last season for Tranmere.

On a basic level that suggests a different focus to the final third this season.

Edited July 3, 2021 by capt_oats

[Ron Aldo]

[YassinMoutaouakil]

37 minutes ago, Ron Aldo said:

 

He went to Rangers to stop the 10. Mission accomplished, time to come home.

[18May1991]

The extra few players that are coming in better be midfielders and defenders - both look honking in that line up. 

[Yorky]

6 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

He went to Rangers to stop the 10. Mission accomplished, time to come home.

No thanks, he needs the championship.

[Well Well]

53 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

He went to Rangers to stop the 10. Mission accomplished, time to come home.

Absolute waste of a jersey. Of all the people we let go he was the one I did not want back. This for me is a big mistake I have seen plastic bags blowing about Fir Park who present a bigger danger to opposition defences than him. 

[Doctor Manhattan]

36 minutes ago, Well Well said:

Absolute waste of a jersey. Of all the people we let go he was the one I did not want back. This for me is a big mistake I have seen plastic bags blowing about Fir Park who present a bigger danger to opposition defences than him. 

Whatever you do, don't post this exact same text on SOL before checking the date on the tweet!

[Well Well]

13 minutes ago, Doctor Manhattan said:

Whatever you do, don't post this exact same text on SOL before checking the date on the tweet!

ahh shit..!! 

[The_Craig]

53 minutes ago, Doctor Manhattan said:

Whatever you do, don't post this exact same text on SOL before checking the date on the tweet!

I did think that he really likes that pink hoodie. 

[Busta Nut]

2 hours ago, Ron Aldo said:

 

Nearly had me

 

[RandomGuy.]

Hastie spent today playing with a bunch of kids for a "Rangers B side" against Edinburgh City.

22, and still has 2 years left on his deal.

Still no idea if he made the right decision grabbing the guaranteed cash when he did, or if he made the wrong decision and is now wasting his career.

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

11 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Hastie spent today playing with a bunch of kids for a "Rangers B side" against Edinburgh City.

22, and still has 2 years left on his deal.

Still no idea if he made the right decision grabbing the guaranteed cash when he did, or if he made the wrong decision and is now wasting his career.

At this point, after the return on loan last season, I reckon you’d struggle to find any Motherwell fan who didn’t concede that he was absolutely right to cash in on a ridiculous purple patch and set himself up financially.

Sadly for him, the 1 goal in 20 odd games on loan at Alloa and the 3 goals in a season on loan at Airdrie are probably more indicative of his ability.

If anything it’s a blessing he went and we didn’t give him a 3 year deal on £1,500 a week.

[Yorky]

34 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Hastie spent today playing with a bunch of kids for a "Rangers B side" against Edinburgh City.

22, and still has 2 years left on his deal.

Still no idea if he made the right decision grabbing the guaranteed cash when he did, or if he made the wrong decision and is now wasting his career.

Based on last season he made the right decision, he basically fooled quite a few people in a short spell before being found out. The club took quite a bit of stick when he left for not tying him down earlier to a long contract. Who would have know that those working with him every day would know best.