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Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons


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-  Biereth should only play at Fir Park, and possibly only the second half

- Motherwell’s main attacker should never play without a strike partner beside him

- Paul McGinn will never score for Motherwell

- A long throw which is headed by the first defender is not a long throw

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It's undoubtedly a big week for him. We really can't go into the international break with no wins in nine, with the prospect of Celtic away when we return.

Kelly has been absolutely honking in the past few games. The third goal on Wednesday was awful, he looked like he was waiting on a 17 year old boy to make his decision for him, it was like slow motion. Today was a totally routine and basic shot to gather. He went full 2017 Craig Samson.

Recruitment has obvious question marks for everyone. However, despite going in hard on the injury prone players we've signed the other day, when you look at pool of fit players, it's clear to see why we gamble on a crocked has been now and again. My main issue - like others - is that all are to fit a plan A. I'd even take a Robinson "anywhere across the front three" at this point.

It seems a recurring theme to me that we try and cut our cloth, start the season on a modest budget before chucking the kitchen sink at it in January to try and stay up. I don't know if that's what we'll do, if we have the funds for it or what, but if we do, surely some happy medium can be struck.

No one can tell me that was a change of shape today, it was basically Spittal in Miller's position, with Bair and Wilkinson where Spittal and Slattery usually play.

The shape worked last season with pacy full backs, Van Veen firing with a big striker beside him and as much as it pains me to say it - Goss stepping up. It was incredibly naive to think it would continue to work without all of these things.

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The pitch gets in the payers and the manager’s heads. There is no reason not to pass the ball, lobbing it forward does not result in Motherwell possession.

Biereth was raging at yet another ball tossed up in the air.  It was taking a young loanee to say calm down and play football.

The manager gave something different a try, it didn’t work, something better is needed for Tuesday.

I sometimes think if I (or any of us) could just sit down with the manager and tell him what is going wrong then he would get some useful insight.  

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On 29/10/2023 at 12:47, Allroy for Prez said:

Bit of pressure on Kettlewell now imo. Need a couple of wins from next 4 games, which doubt we’ll get. Aberdeen, Killie away, St Johnstone away, then Hearts. Can’t see it unfortunately.

You can’t go 9/10 games without a win, especially if 7/8 are defeats. A lot hinges on Biereth staying fit, and that’s not a good place to be.

Posted this last Sunday and it’s been down voted a couple of times. I’m not sure what is even remotely controversial or contentious about what I wrote, especially as since posting it we have lost twice and been absolutely rank rotten in the process. 

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23 minutes ago, McGlovin' said:

How long before Barry Maguire is touted for a recall from Kidderminster?

We're relying on both Kidderminster and Partick wanting to extend their loans, or we could be lumbered with them for the second half of the season - as both have already played for us this year so we can't sell to anyone else.

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Next four games are massive. Two winnable (St J and Dundee) one a possible draw (Hearts) if something like the team of five or so weeks ago turns up and the last a possible pumping (Celtic away). St Johnstone binned their gaffer after a run of 11 in all competitions without a win. If we don’t win any of these next four that takes us to the exact same amount. As said before you just can’t have runs like that. The recruitment at the top end of the park has been utterly abysmal. If the two are combined then despite the great work done last season, Kettlewell will need to go. Club and trying to preserve top flight status comes first.

I really hope he gets the wins that both he and the club really need. Tuesday could be a big indicator of what lies ahead for the rest of this year.

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I wasn’t there today but I’m going on Tuesday . I think I might take jack daniels with me to numb the pain.

That game on Wednesday was as bad as anything served up under Hammell. I have very little faith that SK can turn this around as it’s as if all players form has dropped off a cliff at the same time. How do you fix that?

It might help if we try to take the initiative and attack teams from the off and nick a goal . We are so so passive and seem quite happy to let any team we play settle into a pattern and knock the ball about. 

This just looks like it is inevitable that we will lose the next few games and SK will be toast and there’s not a damn thing anybody can do to stop it.

 

 

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It is fair to say that poor recruitment especially up front has played a part in this woeful run. 

But it was not that long ago this same squad (and Manager) were winning games or losing games that we probably deserved to take points from. 

The Livi game is where the rot set in. Going down to ten men did not help but the team simply did not play that well. 

Since then apart from a good comeback v Ross County we have been rancid. 

The Million $ Q is how each and every players form has fallen off a cliff at the same time. What has happened this past month for that to happen. Genuinely bewildering. The team seem together. The Manager is not a w****r as such. But something has gone badly wrong. 

Kettlewell should and probably will get more time. But lose this midweek and for the rest of the month then questions need to be asked. We got out of jail twice now in terms of GA and SK turning a relegation threatened side into safety.

Hearts, Hibs, Dundee United have all been relegated because despite their budgets their sides were shite. Our time will come. Nearly 40:years in the top flight is quite unbelievable. I hope we prolong that for as long as possible but it would hardly come as a surprise if we fail to do that in the near future. Especially when our budget is cut time and again. 

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Wilkinson?

He couldn’t get himself into the game.  We couldn’t play him into the game, any pass to him was a yard out and he wasn’t nimble enough to adjust to make anything of it.  He needs to play through the middle with a partner.  It was all a big nothing.

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This might sound daft, but I think we'd have gained more in the long run from getting pumped against St. Mirren, Rangers and Celtic. I think sometimes it's almost worse to be demoralised from not getting anything from a game and getting all the pats on the back than feeling you need to get your arse in gear after a doing.

It's just meant we've played the same way and teams have had more ways to suss us out. Against St. Mirren in particular, we were playing lots of nice combinations and then then the other night we were just hooking high balls forward.

The system has massive flaws, but the confidence is shot to pieces too. The only way the confidence can be fixed is by winning games. 

I'm hoping Butcher being back can change the leadership issue, but there doesn't seem to be anyone dragging us through. For someone who made his international debut recently, our captain seems like the least confident man on the planet at the moment, which isn't great given he's a goalkeeper.

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