Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Blink182]

1 hour ago, Handsome_Devil said:

Effectively a vote of confidence in Hammell?

Think this decision was made a good while back. Just the Motherwell way to wait for an optimal time to announce it. 

[Gianfranco]

Clarkson hasn’t aged well. 

[YassinMoutaouakil]

1 hour ago, capt_oats said:

So does that mean we're now looking for a replacement for Clarkson?

On one hand being promoted from Head of Youth to Academy Director feels like a natural and obvious step. It also feels odd that it's taken the best part of 6 months to do it when we're simply promoting the guy already in the building.

I mean, I'm sure our process was thorough and robust.

The timing is mildly interesting given it's the AGM on Monday and as of a couple of hours ago we were apparently down a Head of Academy, Head of Digital, Brand and Communications and soon to be down a Chief Executive.

You forgot left back.

[wellboy1991]

3 hours ago, Busta Nut said:

We really need to punt Morris

I bloody wish. 
 

One of the highest earners at the club aswell seemingly. Absolutely need to get rid. He has no place in this squad and is taking a wage and squad space. 

['WellDel]

5 minutes ago, wellboy1991 said:

I bloody wish. 
 

One of the highest earners at the club aswell seemingly. Absolutely need to get rid. He has no place in this squad and is taking a wage and squad space. 

He's kicked around league 1 and 2 level down south for a number of years playing fairly regularly (a lot of it looks admittedly as part of GA squads). Surely we can find someone down there willing to take a punt on him for hee haw?.

A double Morris/Shields swoop by Barrow would be the answer to our prayers.

[Alanos]

2 hours ago, capt_oats said:

Jaysus, he looks rough…

[YassinMoutaouakil]

If this was Tait or Hartley we'd still be going on about it. Give him the armband. 

[KirkySuperSub]

Got cornered by my St. Mirren supporting Managing Director in a meeting today, which led me into being somewhat coerced into the St. Mirren hospitality next week, full three course lunch, pre-game drink, half-time pie, post-game drinks.

Unfortunately, I DO need to actually remove myself from the bar during game time.

I never anticipated that.

 

 

[rowsdower]

Weirdo being weird. 

[Swello]

Shields leaving would be the best thing for him and the club - but I'm not celebrating it as he's not a Lawless-type arsehole nor has his missus been arguing with random twitter plums.  He's done his best and hasn't made it at our level at this point - but he's put the effort in and has been played out of position for the majority of the time. 

If we want the club to take a punt on Championship players, we need to be prepared for it not to work out every time.

[Kapowzer]

2 hours ago, rowsdower said:

Weirdo being weird. 

Jim McMahon needs to stop doing this in public ....

[supermarv]

10 hours ago, capt_oats said:

So does that mean we're now looking for a replacement for Clarkson?

On one hand being promoted from Head of Youth to Academy Director feels like a natural and obvious step. It also feels odd that it's taken the best part of 6 months to do it when we're simply promoting the guy already in the building.

I mean, I'm sure our process was thorough and robust.

The timing is mildly interesting given it's the AGM on Monday and as of a couple of hours ago we were apparently down a Head of Academy, Head of Digital, Brand and Communications and soon to be down a Chief Executive.

Find it weird with all these new jobs. I thought hammell was just the head of youth which was the new term “Academy Director”.

When I played pro youth it was always u17s/18s manager, reserves/20s manager then head of youth then basically first team coaching staff after that.

Now must be heads of certain ages like 10-13s and so on all a bit confusing nowadays and too many higher position jobs.

[Richie]

Its maybe a UEFA thing.

Do you not need to have certain structures in place to qualify for solidarity payments etc?

[Busta Nut]

It's to do with the Elite youth set up league shit is it not?

 

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, supermarv said:

Find it weird with all these new jobs. I thought hammell was just the head of youth which was the new term “Academy Director”.

When I played pro youth it was always u17s/18s manager, reserves/20s manager then head of youth then basically first team coaching staff after that.

Now must be heads of certain ages like 10-13s and so on all a bit confusing nowadays and too many higher position jobs.

Tbf, @Busta Nut has explained it in a nutshell in so much as you need to have a specific staff in place to qualify for the Elite status and as @Handsome_Devil pointed out on the previous page - broadly speaking our academy system seems to function fine.

I'm not sure it's that confusing though is it?

Academy director oversees everything from top to bottom and reports to the board.

Lead Development Coach looks after the Development (Reserves) and u18s.

Head of Youth/Intermediate is a strategic position reporting to the Academy Director with the remit of co-ordinating the 13-16s age range and the coaching staff for those ages.

Edited January 20, 2023 by capt_oats

[Desp]

7 hours ago, Swello said:

Shields leaving would be the best thing for him and the club - but I'm not celebrating it as he's not a Lawless-type arsehole nor has his missus been arguing with random twitter plums.  He's done his best and hasn't made it at our level at this point - but he's put the effort in and has been played out of position for the majority of the time. 

If we want the club to take a punt on Championship players, we need to be prepared for it not to work out every time.

Aye, well said. Some of the responses on here and on Twitter to the news have been absolutely shite patter.

As has been said, the lad has tried his nuts off to make things work at Motherwell.  He's obviously not quite cut at it at this level, and I feel sorry for him being constantly played out of position.  

Would I rather Motherwell take a punt on hard working lads from the Championship, where the success rate is far from guaranteed, or fire out hefty salaries (for our level) on 'proven talent' like Ojala or Morris? No brainer for me.

Finally, my thoughts are with the annoying guy at the back of the Hunter Stand who shouts, "COME ON CONNOR!!" every 48 seconds when Shields is at that side of the pitch.

[thisGRAEME]

Aye, completely agree with @Desp. I've made my feelings on Shields clear a number of times, but some folk truly need to fuckin wise up.

[well fan for life]

Aye it's shite for him. He's tried his best but it's just not happened for him. Probably a wee loan somewhere is a good start for him to try and get a bit of confidence back. 

 

[Busta Nut]

18 minutes ago, Desp said:

Finally, my thoughts are with the annoying guy at the back of the Hunter Stand who shouts, "COME ON CONNOR!!" every 48 seconds when Shields is at that side of the pitch

He rotates the shouts, depending on who is nearest. (so don't expect it to stop) Until a guy jars him for something then he is quiet for the remainder.

Edited January 20, 2023 by Busta Nut

[capt_oats]

Agree with both @Swello and @Desp re: Shields.

You absolutely can't knock him for graft and at the time he signed his PCA he was coming off a breakout season in the Championship which is precisely the type of signing we regularly hear our fanbase having a moan that we don't make.

It's clearly not worked out for him but that's been compounded this season by the fact that we've been having to play him week in, week out because Hammell's addition to the squad for his position (Aarons) had his knee explode (again). In an ideal world Aarons stayed healthy and Shields is used off the bench now and again as an impact sub.

Having folk pile on a player whose confidence is clearly rock bottom and having to play him every week regardless is an entirely shite situation for all concerned tbh.