Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

['WellDel]

Goss is a sand-dancing charlatan.

How him and Grimmy ever came through at Man Utd is surely one of the wonders of the modern world.

[Archie McSquackle]

I'm just catching up on A View From The Terrace. Reference to Dougie Imrie - that can only have come from@thisGRAEME Well done sir.

[Antiochas III]

Oh, so it's Goss now McGinlay isn't playing.  Good to keep up with this.  

 

No mention from the Goss bashers that our defence looked far more solid with Lamie (a former basher's favourite) was so more solid than with Solholm at the back...  

Edited February 20, 2022 by Antiochas III

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

I thought our midfield was 2/3 functioning yesterday. O’Hara and Donnelly were pretty good. There was a time where I thought Goss’ input to open play was worth it for a good delivery or two in a game, but I now think the cons outweigh the pros. 

Was Sol just hooked for performance related issues? I didn’t think much of it at the game, but the sportscene analysis pulled him up on his positioning for the goal.

[Allroy for Prez]

41 minutes ago, Antiochas III said:

Oh, so it's Goss now McGinlay isn't playing.  Good to keep up with this.  

 

No mention from the Goss bashers that our defence looked far more solid with Lamie (a former basher's favourite) was so more solid than with Solholm at the back...  

Lamie was excellent when he came on. I’d start him from now on. He might be a very likeable character but I’m leaning towards thinking Solholm isn’t very good the more I see him.

We’re allowed more subs now and there were other options on the bench. Can’t help but be frustrated that neither Slatterly, Roberts or Tierney weren’t introduced at some point.

Edited February 20, 2022 by Allroy for Prez

[MP_MFC]

I think we need to remember Sol is very much a project, he came from the bottom end of the Norwegian league and a team which is probably akin to top end championship over here (maybe lower - they got relegated) and will have been playing solidly since May last year without a decent break barring injury.

[MP_MFC]

Lamie was excellent when he came on. I’d start him from now on. He might be a very likeable character but I’m leaning towards thinking Solholm isn’t very good the more I see him.
We’re allowed more subs now and there were other options on the bench. Can’t help but be frustrated that neither Slatterly, Roberts or Tierney weren’t introduced at some point.

Tierney was stripped and ready to come on just before we scored (had literally just shown him standing behind lucketti at the last break in play before the goal).

[ropy]

11 minutes ago, Allroy for Prez said:

Lamie was excellent when he came on. I’d start him from now on. He might be a very likeable character but I’m leaning towards thinking Solholm isn’t very good the more I see him.

We’re allowed more subs now and there were other options on the bench. Can’t help but be frustrated that neither Slatterly, Roberts or Tierney weren’t introduced at some point.

How written in stone are these PCAs?  If Dundee go down would Lamie prefer to stay?

[fat_tony]

I thought our midfield was 2/3 functioning yesterday. O’Hara and Donnelly were pretty good. There was a time where I thought Goss’ input to open play was worth it for a good delivery or two in a game, but I now think the cons outweigh the pros. 
Was Sol just hooked for performance related issues? I didn’t think much of it at the game, but the sportscene analysis pulled him up on his positioning for the goal.

Sol pulled up and looked like he'd hurt something about 5 minutes before he was subbed. I just assumed he was subbed due to an injury.

He reminds me a lot of Craigan. I think his reading of the game and positioning (most of the time) are excellent, but he's a much better player off the ball than on it.

Very much your old-school centre back: see the danger, deal with it and give the ball to someone else.

[Blink182]

41 minutes ago, fat_tony said:

He reminds me a lot of Craigan. I think his reading of the game and positioning (most of the time) are excellent, but he's a much better player off the ball than on it.
 

Agree with this. Someone once quoted Craigan as "He's a good footballer until he thinks he's a footballer." And it's the same with Sol. I'd like to think he'll be easily coached under Alexander.

Overall I thought the game wasn't quality but it was entertaining enough. Sheilds should have won that game for us. I just don't see him doing it at this level I don't think he has the clinical finish and he seems to always miss the pass through. 

VV should have went off and probably would have had it not been Aberdeen. 

The Hayes tackle wasn't a red card but all should have been avoided by Walsh blowing his whistle well before the advantage was clearly heading to a 50/50. 

[Big John Handsome]

Me and my stepdad have been playing a fun game every time we go, we count how many times we manage more than 3 passes before the inevitable hoof up the park to one of the corners. Fair to say it doesn't happen often, if at all. Honestly some of the worst brand of football I've seen at FP. Don't get me wrong, winning games of football is always the priority, but I'm really struggling to actually enjoy the football we're playing. I'd love to see Tierney get more game time as he seems the kind of player who could get his foot on the ball and play through the lines, but what's the point in signing that kind of player when the balls just going to go over his head for 90 mins? We need someone to drop deep and take the ball off the CBs and try to get some passing through the midfield, but clearly Alexander is focused on % football where the hope is we win the second ball and try play in the final third. As has been said before, it's ok when we're winning, but when we're not it really becomes a chore to watch week in week out.

[RostokMcSpoons]

In other news... "Wee Al Watch" (c)(tm)
Allan scores again as Luton get a 2-0 win against West Brom.... he's developing into a fan favourite, as you'd expect

"Town had the confidence-booster of a second with six minutes left, as they worked a throw-in neatly on the left, and Campbell took it on, before from 22 yards out, cutting across his shot expertly to leave Johnstone with little chance and make it four goals in his last nine league outings."
 

(1 minute 40 seconds in)

[welldaft]

Thought we started and finished well yesterday and were well worth the draw. 20 shots at target v 6. The football may not be pretty but it is effective judging by those stats. 

I felt the central defence did very well yesterday. OJala wins virtually every header that comes direct at defence. Sadly a bit suspect at crosses.  

I think we are all perplexed why Slattery is spending so much time on the bench. I have yet to see a Donnelly performance that is or was as good as Slattery earlier in the season. Goss is a bit of a luxury tbh. Mark OHara showing his promise. Maybe he needed an extended break. I was delighted when he signed for us. 2 MOM performances for me in his last two games. 

I was annoyed Van Veen stayed on the pitch nursing an obvious injury. That said he did create the opening for OHara to score. Him bodying Gallacher into the air was a thing of beauty.

Also a wee bit annoyed for Tierney. He was stripped and twice he was about to come on but never did. There is not much of him but he is an intelligent footballer. I just wonder what he would have done with the chance that Shields ballooned over the bar in the final minutes. 

Get Rangers out of the way next weekend and then our season restarts in earnest. 5 winnable games and 3 at home. I would be targeting 10 points which would take us to 44 which should be enough to see us in the top 6. 

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by welldaft

[thisGRAEME]

4 hours ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

Was Sol just hooked for performance related issues? I didn’t think much of it at the game, but the sportscene analysis pulled him up on his positioning for the goal.

I thought it was tactical, Ojala and Sol struggle a little with the distribution, and as a whole, I thought we were terrible with the ball yesterday, Lamie's abilities in that respect were a huge improvement.

Remain unconvinced with Lamie. We've seem him do fine in half hour spells, but seems to struggle for concentration over the 90. 

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Shields has pace and industry but that will only really get you so far. I never have any confidence in him to finish a chance or take a defender on. 

Even Woolery who I think is similarly limited- but improving- has been more effective recently. He created the chances for O'Hara's goal as well as Shield's miss just by winning the ball in the air. I can't imagine Shields doing anything in the equivalent scenario.

[Handsome_Devil]

Woolery certainly made a difference when he came on but generally speaking his final pass/shot is honking inconsistent. 

Shields and Efford did well in the cup so fair enough, they kept their places. They didn't do as well yesterday and someone did better so again, fair enough, there'll likely be a change at Ibrox.

We've got KVV who you'd say is a true number nine and four guys who can play either side of him. All four can be fine on their day but none are especially convincing. Pace makes up for a lot - the Chris Humphrey effect - so Roberts bottom of the pile for me but you could draw lots between the other three.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

United move ahead of us on GD again. They've taken 5 points from the OF to our 1. I didn't see much of today's game so maybe there's an element of luck in how well Siegrist played but it does suggest they're doing something we're not in these fixtures. Frustrating as we've obviously been better than them against the other 8 teams in the league over the piece. 

[welldaft]

As usual a large slice of luck is involved. Rangers had 29 attempts at goal. When they do that to us we concede 5 or 6 goals as we will no doubt find out at the weekend. That said they defended for their lives and the difference is our defence simply would not cope with that relentless pressure

[Allroy for Prez]

Are we the only team in the league that Rangers and Celtic rack up record score-lines against?

[Kapowzer]

4 hours ago, welldaft said:

I think we are all perplexed why Slattery is spending so much time on the bench. I have yet to see a Donnelly performance that is or was as good as Slattery earlier in the season. Goss is a bit of a luxury tbh. Mark OHara showing his promise. Maybe he needed an extended break. I was delighted when he signed for us. 2 MOM performances for me in his last two games. 

I was annoyed Van Veen stayed on the pitch nursing an obvious injury. That said he did create the opening for OHara to score. Him bodying Gallacher into the air was a thing of beauty.

Totally agree with you about Donnelly, he produces a 7 and some think he can't be dropped and I'm thinking Slattery never delivered anything below a 7 on his worst day.

It's telling for me that our 2 best dead balls were KVV's one off the post and 15 mins before it his whipped ball across the 6 yard box. I just kinda wanted him on the receiving end. Goss gets a game because of his deliveries and when they are repeatedly floaty clipped efforts full of back spin, they're a defenders wet dream. Put a bit of oomph behind it and make them shite themselves, many a goal has been scored from a miss hit clearance.

I see Sheilds as a centre forward in the Arnott mould rather than a wide/forward or winger. I can't fault his endeavour yesterday but on the wing of a front free is not his game. KVV should have been hooked but he's our talisman against the Dons and seems vindicated in his later contribution but he was at 80% for a lot of that second half.

I thought Sol went off for preventative knock reasons and not tactical. They stopped their high press in the second half and I felt he was dealing OK with it. I do agree with @thisGRAEME but I think the 30 minute concentration extends to all of our centre halves equally, all capable of a clanger.

I've been critical of Wollery's game in the past (not as fast as alluded, composure, decision making). Yesterday I saw a bit which I'd not noticed with was his first touch, a few occasions he killed a long ball to him which gave him time and space to be effective. I thought this contribution after coming on was excellent as was Efford who looks like a sound purchase.