Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[D-Fens Foster]

2 minutes ago, Bobby_F said:

A few Saints fans said “go have a look at the Well thread”.  

Holy feck

It’s only establishment club members allowed in here my good sir. 
Kindly find your way to the nearest job centre and explain your situation. 

[Black_and_White_Stripes]

2 hours ago, welldaft said:

In all seriousness St Mirren are far down the list of clubs I hate in the top flight. And with an Ex Manager and ex players was not unhappy see them do OK. Not too well mind but OK. 

But now. All out the window. I wish a plague of locusts to fall on the SMISA stadium or whatever it is called.

I see the Captain has popped by to calm things down. Imagine going onto another teams thread to try winding them up. Saddo. 

Woah! Where did that come from?

I actually like Motherwell. Along with Killie, I see you basically as a sister club - similar size, close to Glasgow and with a decent, hardcore support. Like us you're owned primarily by the fans. I love what Burrows had done with the club. That's despite a minority of your fans acting like bampots when they come to Paisley. 

[Busta Nut]

24 minutes ago, Black_and_White_Stripes said:

Woah! Where did that come from?

I actually like Motherwell. Along with Killie, I see you basically as a sister club - similar size, close to Glasgow and with a decent, hardcore support. Like us you're owned primarily by the fans. I love what Burrows had done with the club. That's despite a minority of your fans acting like bampots when they come to Paisley. 

You seem too sensible for this particular period mate.

[MP_MFC]

[Well Fan]

Horrendous tackle by Dunne IMHO. Instructed to wipe out 'contain" Mika in remaining minutes. 

After 40 minutes against Hibs, he was targeted for rough house treatment in this match. 

From Dunne who has spent so much time injured himself, it bordered reckless to career threatening. 

Seriously fu*ked off! 

Who will now send  up young talent from England with these thuggish tactics. 

Anyway, SK has a problem now. The recently signed front players are either jured or imo not good enough. 

New recruitment required  urgently with a first choice forward. 

The excitement of Mika has been literally "stamped out" before he got started.  

 Speedy recovery. 

 

 

[Ceiling Granny]

[Drooper]

How curious.

A congregation of middle-aged men whose voices haven't broken.

As you were....

[welldaft]

15 minutes ago, Drooper said:

How curious.

A congregation of middle-aged men whose voices haven't broken.

As you were....

Thanks for your eminent wisdom Drooper. 

8 hours ago, Black_and_White_Stripes said:

Woah! Where did that come from?

I actually like Motherwell. Along with Killie, I see you basically as a sister club - similar size, close to Glasgow and with a decent, hardcore support. Like us you're owned primarily by the fans. I love what Burrows had done with the club. That's despite a minority of your fans acting like bampots when they come to Paisley. 

Is it really that hard for St Mirren fans to understand that we might be a little upset at losing what looked like our best forward for several months before he actually played 90 minutes for us. Made worse by the fact that Obika is also injured. So we have two functioning forwards trying to find their feet and probably only one would be 1st choice. Remains to be seen which one. 

I don’t think Dunne purposefully set out to injure anyone, but it was a reckless challenge. I have also see similar challenges where the fouled player gets up and walks away so it was unfortunate for Biereth and us that he is now out for up to 3 months. 

We might be overreacting (a little) and some comments are said with tongue firmly in cheek.  But again in EXACTLY the same circumstances many St Mirren fans would have reacted in EXACTLY the same way. Come on here pretending anything other is disengenious or in simpler terms utter bollox.  

[eliphas]

Let's draw a line under it I say.

On the fitba, will be interesting to see what we do on Saturday. Could force a change of thinking. Kettlewell must see it doesn't really work with slow wing backs and the two strikers we have left. I'm sitting here on the train racking my brains about how how we could set up in a different way to make things a bit more fluid and creative mid to front.

Only think I can think is in the absence of any senior strikers other than Wilko and Bair is either: 

- Try Efford through the middle, off one of Bair/Wilko. Just to offer something different.

- Push a midfielder right up behind them as a 10 to try and link things a little more and not just rely on the wing backs. Spittal really the only man for that job I'd say given we have emptied the others who could do that

- Drop a striker, stick an extra man in midfield and hope that means the likes of Slattery and Spittal can both get further forward more. 

...or, in a twist, 4-3-3....which has some major negatives also

SOD McGinn Casey Souare 

Spittal Miller Slattery

Efford Wilko Bair.

All thoughts posted for debate and discussion only. I think SK will probably stick with 5-3-2, put Miller back in, and hope it works.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by eliphas

[Busta Nut]

Efford is done anaw. He's a crock who has attitude problems (reading between the lines)

We need another forward. Who's mobile with some pace. As pointed out we need pace in general.

[Desp]

I like McGinn but I'd be somewhat wary of playing him at centre-back in a two.  I can't see him changing shape anytime soon.  We'll just carry on as we have done as Mika never started a game anyway.  

I still think Wilkinson has something.  He just looks like he's playing in slow motion.  He needs to get up to speed with the Scottish game pronto. Also, as much as l like both SOD and Souare, we need someone (anyone!) with bit of pace down the sides so hopefully we're still in the market for a Penney/Furlong type player.

[Neil86]

Took in the EKFC game against Celtic B last night, Hammell was there in a Celtic capacity, Snodgrass was there in 'some' capacity. Didn't appear to be any sour grapes since the public transfer saga.

If your EK, worth taking a game in, very entertaining team to watch this season.

[eliphas]

7 minutes ago, Busta Nut said:

Efford is done anaw. He's a crock who has attitude problems (reading between the lines)

We need another forward. Who's mobile with some pace. As pointed out we need pace in general.

I'm not 100% sure he has massive attitude issues.

Think it's more Kettlewell trying to manage players out so he can get more in who fit his system and there's some more wiling to leave than others (see Tierney as an example).  Efford wages a bit of a stumbling block to easily move him on loan it seems vs the likes of Tierney 

5 minutes ago, Desp said:

I like McGinn but I'd be somewhat wary of playing him at centre-back in a two.  I can't see him changing shape anytime soon.  We'll just carry on as we have done as Mika never started a game anyway.  

I still think Wilkinson has something.  He just looks like he's playing in slow motion.  He needs to get up to speed with the Scottish game pronto. Also, as much as l like both SOD and Souare, we need someone (anyone!) with bit of pace down the sides so hopefully we're still in the market for a Penney/Furlong type player.

Agreed to be honest on the back 4. Same on Wilko. I do think he needs someone creative or more direct beside him though.

Brodie Spencer from Huddersfield is who i heard. But not sure what's happening there at the moment. Right wing back.

Edited August 23, 2023 by eliphas

[MurrayWell]

If everyone is fit, I would imagine Saturday's team will be the same team that started against Hibs, with hopefully some new options from the bench. Don't see us moving away from 3-5-2. 

After the chasni pie, I'd like to see a more bold tactical move from the catering staff, perhaps moving to a South Indian garlic chilli based snack. 

[Dosser1886]

23 minutes ago, MurrayWell said:

If everyone is fit, I would imagine Saturday's team will be the same team that started against Hibs, with hopefully some new options from the bench. Don't see us moving away from 3-5-2. 

After the chasni pie, I'd like to see a more bold tactical move from the catering staff, perhaps moving to a South Indian garlic chilli based snack. 

Agree, he'll go back to what worked in the first game and what worked last season. Minus any real forward threat to come off the bench since Mika has been crocked. Mad how your optimism can go backwards so much following one poor game.

In my book SK was entitled to try something a bit different in this game with the league, and remaining in it, being the main focus. As it is every year, at least at the start of the season. He hasn't done much wrong so far so still have massive faith in the guy.

Time for the forwards we have to step up and also to get some pace back in the team especially with the full backs. Hopefully he is still looking to get some others in as well, especially a body to replace Mika. I'm guessing that he will go back to his parent club to recover?

[thisGRAEME]

1 hour ago, Desp said:

I like McGinn but I'd be somewhat wary of playing him at centre-back in a two.  I can't see him changing shape anytime soon.  We'll just carry on as we have done as Mika never started a game anyway.  

I still think Wilkinson has something.  He just looks like he's playing in slow motion.  He needs to get up to speed with the Scottish game pronto. Also, as much as l like both SOD and Souare, we need someone (anyone!) with bit of pace down the sides so hopefully we're still in the market for a Penney/Furlong type player.

I'd stick McGinn in the middle of the three, I think. He's absolutely the most dependable and predictable of our centre-halfs. Him, Casey and Blaney would be my preferred three, I think. 

Totally agree on Wilkinson as well. The addition of some width and pace would open up the park for him enormously, as there's no fear from other teams of getting burned for pace anywhere. The loss of Johnson and Furlong has really hurt us in that regard. Pape and SODs are willing runners, but neither of them are going to give anyone but Lewis Stevenson concern with running.

There have been a couple of times where Wilkinson has broken free but been caught. He needs to figure out how to use his body a little better to collect some fouls/holding up for our players to catch up. 

The addition of some pace is vital though, it'll help Spittal by giving him options, it'll help Wilkinson, it'll just unsettle a team a bit more to break their block, so lets... get that.

[Handsome_Devil]

It would be madness to ditch 3-5-2 off the basis of one stinker and I'll eat my metaphorical hat should SK even consider it.

He'll go back to square pegs in square holes from what we have, keep it solid and see if we can nick one more than them. It may or may not work but regardless I'm quite confident we'll set out as we should on Saturday.

In general, though, the point about pace is spot on. It doesn't have to be Humphrey-esque but there needs to be at least one wing-back who can stretch their legs at a minimum.

[Swello]

I can't see Ketts ripping something up that has clearly been working in response to a 1-0 defeat away to a close rival and a 3 month injury layoff to Biereth - but like others I'd assume he is prioritising some pace in what he'll be bringing on over the next week. I think pacy forward and pacy wingback would be the most logical way to spend whatever budget we have left.

Unless I'm missing something, I don't think Furlong has gone anywhere yet - so unless Brighton have burst their international loans quota, I think I'll stay hopeful on that (even if it remains unlikely).

[Busta Nut]

We won't change anything tactically, we need additions though.

[eliphas]

For the sake of more debate..has it/the system and players in it this season worked really? I'd argue it's laboured more than worked.

- Dundee game wasnt great imo. Watched the full 90 while 'on holiday'.  We got a draw but only 3 shots on target. Conditions maybe in play as it was horrendous. 

- Hibs looked destined for 0-0 until Biereth came on. I enjoyed large parts of that game and we did play pretty nicely in parts mainly down to Slattery turning up in midfield. But overall without Mika bursting on how would we be sitting and feeling?

-St Mirren. Forced and unforced errors for SK. No shots on target and out the cup 

It's still better than Hammell's reign. But it's not reaching the heights of post Hammell Ketts and for all the reasons folk have mentioned 

Believe it or not,  I am pretty positive overall. But it just feels like we are teetering slightly