Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[18May1991]

34 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

There was half of a good performance there but I'm really starting to get uneasy about Hammell. 

He inherited a fairly pish squad that's since been decimated by injuries, and has managed to bring a lot of decent attacking play out of them. There's enough in that for me to suggest that he's probably a decent enough coach but that still feels a good wee bit away from being an actual manager. 

If we're honest, it would probably take a stroke of massive fucking luck for us to empty our manager a day before the season started only for our Head of Youth Development to turn out to be the best possible candidate to replace him- and I don't think it's happened. Even if we do stay up I'd be thanking him for steadying the ship but getting a proper manager in for next season.

This. Just this. 

[fat_tony]

I think that match really highlighted Hammell's inexperience. Well in control at half time, although it was being played at the pace of a training match. McInnes made the changes at half time and Killie came out better and stepped it up in the second half. We did well to get the second which should have killed it off and looked like it was going to until the red card. They stepped up another gear, we didn't, and I thought Hammell should've looked at making changes at that point, rather than waiting until the last 5 minutes when it was too late.

Hugely worrying that we couldn't hold onto a two goal lead against a 10-man team with the worst away record in the league. 

In future, when the opposition get a red card let's just say no thanks. 

[Handsome_Devil]

Choo Choo, relegation express coming through!

[AdamMFC]

1 hour ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

There was half of a good performance there but I'm really starting to get uneasy about Hammell. 

He inherited a fairly pish squad that's since been decimated by injuries, and has managed to bring a lot of decent attacking play out of them. There's enough in that for me to suggest that he's probably a decent enough coach but that still feels a good wee bit away from being an actual manager. 

If we're honest, it would probably take a stroke of massive fucking luck for us to empty our manager a day before the season started only for our Head of Youth Development to turn out to be the best possible candidate to replace him- and I don't think it's happened. Even if we do stay up I'd be thanking him for steadying the ship but getting a proper manager in for next season.

Completely agree. I'm also starting to think the reason we haven't appointed someone new in his previous role is incase the board need to make a decision and he can go back to his old job.

[boozyBJ]

Crap squad and a rookie manager. It’s a miracle we’ve done as well as we have till now. 
Can’t put the blame on Hammell, he shouldn’t have been appointed in the first place, but don’t think we could afford anyone else. 
 

[welldaft]

Just back in the door. I have calmed down a little….

I am still on the fence re Hammell. He inherited a shit show but no one has really battered us this season. 

I would be more concerned if Killie rocked up to Fir Park outplayed us and ran out comfortable winners. But that simply did not happen. Until the red card we were by some distance the better team of the two. 

What happened after that was hugely annoying and frustrating. We again concede 2 goals from 2 shots on target. We score 2 from 15. This is the worry. We are and have been the better side on a few occasions this season and either lost or drawn. We are not taking enough of our chances and are conceding a high % of chances against. Not a great recipe. 

We will take hee haw from Ibrox. Then we have a run of winnable games. January is huge with the Arbroath cup game also. A team that lost 4-1 at home to Queens Park this evening. What could possibly go wrong.

 

[Busta Nut]

I'm not exactly at the point of shouting about how we should have appointed Valakari but Jesus man, What exactly are we? Where are we going?
 

[Busta Nut]

Know what as well? Liam Kelly is utter shit. Polworth's strike was decent enough but Kelly should have saved that.

[well fan for life]

This entire squad is a mess. We've got a leaky defence, a vacant midfield and one striker who is massively inconsistent. Everyone is either shit or injured. We gave Alexander about 4 months too long and gave him far too much support to build a squad. Now we're up shit creek and need to sign some lads that can bring their own paddles.

 

[Self-raising Lazarus]

As others have said, defence and keeper are a shambles. Any shot on target and we look likely to concede.2-0 up with a man up should always be an easy 3 points.

[Kapowzer]

After watching the Aberdeen highlights and reading the thread I always wondered if you're in the ascendency just keep it going, don't shore up because what you were doing was paying off and pegging them back. That is countered by the inevitable change in attitude of the losing team to "f**k it" with nothing to lose.

Sacrificing an attacking element to shore up a midfield or defence certainly makes sense but I can recall many instances I've seen the subs upset the rhythm and given the losing team added impetus. Saying that, and it pains me, Alexander would have definitely seen that out.

From the St Johnstone game there is a lack of in-game intelligence in this squad more often than not. You could suggest as a new manager Hammy with hindsight would have been more proactive earlier but he has 500 games in this league, while running the show is different from playing in it, that experience that seems to be devoid tonight raises an eyebrow.

I get Spittal got the assist for the first, but for someone who gets into quite a lot of good positions his shot to target ratio is poor only slightly better than his on shots on target to making the keeper work ratio. Seems Bigkevitis is spreading.

['WellDel]

5 hours ago, Busta Nut said:

Know what as well? Liam Kelly is utter shit. Polworth's strike was decent enough but Kelly should have saved that.

Looking straight down it from the Cooper, I said to my auld man at the time I thought Kelly should be getting a strong hand to that, as he sees it all the way and it comes from distance.... and it's Liam fucking Polwarth. 

Edited December 24, 2022 by 'WellDel

[welldaft]

Just watched the brief highlights on BBC Twitter. 

For the Polworth goal it is a great strike but a good goalie such as Craig Gordon saves that. Not sure I can lay the blame at Kelly’s door for the result, but the brutal truth is he is not making that many saves in a game. Every shot on target is ending up in the net virtually. That is not a good sign. 

As for the defending for Killie’s 1st. Sums this team and defence up. Keystone cops. To be fair they can defend quite well for the most part but in every game they are capable of defending that amateurs would be embarrassed about. Leaving aside the great header from McGinn. What the flying f*ck is SODs doing ? The ball comes to him in the box and instead of hoofing it clear he actually pretty much passes it to a Killie player in the box. How the f* ck does a remotely competent defender achieve that. 

Anyway there is little surprise to any of us that a Killie team with 1 away point and 2 goals in 9 away games leaves Fir Park with another away point and 2 goals. Doubling up their tally and with 10 men too.

I take comfort that we were the better team 11 v 11. But with that soft underbelly we will stay in and around the relegation zone for the remainder of this season. I think most of us probably expected that. Just have to hope that there are 2 teams worse off than us come the end of the season

Edited December 24, 2022 by welldaft

[Handsome_Devil]

The bottom four will stay the same and you need to assume United will spend money and do enough. So the bottom two is between us, Killie and County.

Predicting who'll end up where in that league of three is rather pointless till the end of the window.

We're rotten but we're also only two-three players away from being good enough for 10th. Trouble is everyone else will think that of themselves too...

[Gianfranco]

The first goal we conceded last night is a comedy of errors. Two defenders both try and head the ball, a sliced clearance, the guy on the ground who tried his best to hand ball it and then heading in an harmless aimless cross into our own net. Jesus fucking wept. 

[welldaft]

6 minutes ago, Handsome_Devil said:

The bottom four will stay the same and you need to assume United will spend money and do enough. So the bottom two is between us, Killie and County.

Predicting who'll end up where in that league of three is rather pointless till the end of the window.

We're rotten but we're also only two-three players away from being good enough for 10th. Trouble is everyone else will think that of themselves too...

I pretty much agree with that analysis. However if St Mirren and Hibs don’t win today you can hardly rule out two sides who are literally only a few points above us.

I think the bottom 6 are all in a relegation fight. I am sure one or two teams will put a run together and distance themselves as the season progresses. Most likely United and Hibs based on squads and resources. But you just never know. United remind me of Hearts the season they went down. Everyone thought their squad was too good. 

[MP_MFC]

I just don’t think Hammell has it in him. 

 He doesn’t seem to have the in game management skills to change things in a positive manner and I’m not sure he has the presence to rip into the players when they need it. 
 

The fact they sent KVV out to do the interview on bbc and he did had a go at them said a lot. 
 

The board have a lot to answer for with how they handled the summer and they now need a massive January - I’m not sure we have the finances to do what is needed and I’m fairly sure County will do their usual and fling enough shite at the wall post Christmas that eventually they’ll turn it round.  

[welldaft]

2 minutes ago, Gianfranco said:

The first goal we conceded last night is a comedy of errors. Two defenders both try and head the ball, a sliced clearance, the guy on the ground who tried his best to hand ball it and then heading in an harmless aimless cross into our own net. Jesus fucking wept. 

Right Motherwell we are 2-0 up against 10 men. What are our tactics

[welldaft]

13 minutes ago, MP_MFC said:

I just don’t think Hammell has it in him. 

 He doesn’t seem to have the in game management skills to change things in a positive manner and I’m not sure he has the presence to rip into the players when they need it. 
 

The fact they sent KVV out to do the interview on bbc and he did had a go at them said a lot. 
 

The board have a lot to answer for with how they handled the summer and they now need a massive January - I’m not sure we have the finances to do what is needed and I’m fairly sure County will do their usual and fling enough shite at the wall post Christmas that eventually they’ll turn it round.  

To be fair to Hammell. I also don’t think has has the squad either. Our bench is so weak. Hardly any player that can make a real impact sadly.

I was bemused he took McKinstry off as he had a decent game and was a threat throughout. But from his aftermatch interview it appears it was a precautionary move as he felt a niggle.

I said it before and will say it again. If Hammell keeps us up he will have done his job. I don’t expect him to be Guardiola or Mourinho as he simply does not have the experience yet. Of course I have my concerns and yes his personality does not seem to lend itself to giving players a rollicking when required. 

I think back to last night and the capitulation is firmly on the players imho. Hammell cannot legislate for the comic cuts 1st Killie goal. At 72 minutes and 2-0 up with Killie down to 10 men he would have been quite confident. Literally 3 minutes later and it is 2-2. Sol must b injured or we would have started him as CB and McGinn at RB. That might have made a difference. Might !

 

[Allroy for Prez]

It’s a massive wake up call to the Motherwell fans who thought the points would come rolling in once we started playing the so called easier teams. 

He’s inherited a shite situation but signing 2 players with known suspect injury records as your salvation was so risky it should never had got past the “thinking out loud” stage. 2 wins in 13 (soon to be 14) is not a sign that anything is going to end well either. You don’t want to be one of these clubs that changes manager 3 times a season but there may well be a decision to make before the end of this one in the hope our avoiding the worst case scenario. 

Nobody but nobody does good business in January so we’re clutching at straws that we can sign our way out of this. If we go down, we’ll be down for years I’m afraid. 

Every time I see O’Donnell play it only serves to remind me I’d rather have a half fit Richard Tait instead.