Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[itzdrk]

7 hours ago, capt_oats said:

He's played a part in most of the pre-season games, scored in one. Vs Rangers we started with one centre forward (McDonald) and two wingers (Johnson, Ainsworth) which meant we had two strikers on the bench (Moult, Blyth). Unfortunately for Moore there wasn't room for a 3rd on the bench.

Last season we were starting games with Johnson, Moult & McDonald as our front 3. If we revert to that then it'd (in theory) leave a spot for Moore as one of the strikers on the bench.

As it is though, Moult has a niggling groin injury that appears to need surgery and the rumour seems to be that he'll miss the first month of the season so I'd imagine Moore will be involved, most likely off the bench, while he's out.

Listening to McGhee post-match yesterday he seemed to be indicating that he plans on making the wide 433 with Johnson and Ainsworth one of our default systems going forward though once Lasley's back I can see a 442 with two strikers coming into play and Ainsworth on the bench.

Thanks mate. I was watching what i could in pre season as McCall is still saying he is trying to get him in.  I think he took part in every game as he played pretty much all the u20s as well (some cameo against Dumbarton). I didn't know that about Moult and in that case find it surprising he was on the bench if he is injured 

I think he is an absolutely brilliant player, just the right mix of ability, aggression and pace.  Although he can did lose the heed a couple times and demand that he takes all the free kicks (he cannot take free kicks).  I'll definately be checking in on him as the season goes on. 

Edited July 17, 2016 by itzdrk

[Del_Superwell]

Not often we will create that many chances against the old firm sides and not score, could have been a couple up at half time as well.

Was impressed by our new lads yesterday particularly Tait and Heneghan who look to  be solid additions to the backline, certainly think they will be important this season.  Thought McHugh kept it simple in midfield and tired out the game a bit towards the end but I think the more he plays the more he will prove to be a good addition to the squad as well.

 

[MJC]

8 minutes ago, Del_Superwell said:

Not often we will create that many chances against the old firm sides and not score, could have been a couple up at half time as well.

 

Really? I've seen that same script play out many a time in the past against Rangers in particular where we create chances, fail to take them then end up paying the price for it. Only this time we don't have the excuse of playing a side packed with high earning full internationals to fall back on and comfort ourselves with, that was a side full of mid tablers and players well past their best that ending up beating us with relative ease yesterday.

[Del_Superwell]

Yeah but look at Kranjcar who came on yesterday, he was still a class above any of our guys in the short time he was on,  as will Joey Barton when he gets started in the Rangers side, some might be past their best but they are still at a higher level than the majority of our squad sadly.  

Rangers are nothing like the side we beat in the play offs although they are still suspect defensively which we should've exploited by taking our chances but we didn't and that's football unfortunately.

 

[capt_oats]

Thanks mate. I was watching what i could in pre season as McCall is still saying he is trying to get him in.  I think he took part in every game as he played pretty much all the u20s as well (some cameo against Dumbarton). I didn't know that about Moult and in that case find it surprising he was on the bench if he is injured 

I think he is an absolutely brilliant player, just the right mix of ability, aggression and pace.  Although he can did lose the heed a couple times and demand that he takes all the free kicks (he cannot take free kicks).  I'll definately be checking in on him as the season goes on. 

I was quite surprised about Moult too though he'd been saying in the press that he'd play through it so I've a feeling it's one of those where we knew we could get 15-20mins out of him. In honesty though I'd rather have had Moore coming off the bench in a glorified pre-season friendly than a half-fit Moult.

I hope he gets a decent chance from McGhee as all he's really had to date are cameos here and there under previous managers. All the qualities you list are attributes we're lacking up front; Moult's a poacher who'll work his arse off but isn't the quickest, Blyth seems to have 'presence' and McDonald gives experience & guile (along with 14 goals last season) but isn't particularly direct.

The one thing I would say is that McGhee's on record as saying he'd like to bring another midfielder but we've spent our money. Essentially if we want to bring someone in we'll need to see out goings. Given Moult's injury I'd be surprised if it was a forward we'd want to move though.

[Casagolda]

Was quite impressed with the three new guys yesterday, a solid right back and a decent holding midfielder is two things we've needed for years so it's refreshing to see a manager go out and address these problem areas. McHugh, although lacking a bit in fitness, looked like everything I'd hoped he'd be when he signed. Didn't obviously see much of Blyth but won a few headers and tried to did put himself about, suppose he's going to be the target man McGhee's been looking for. Was overall fairly pleased with the performance all things considered.

One concern was that with one central midfielder missing, we were forced into using Joe Chalmers as a makeshift midfielder. Shows how thin the squad is and we really could IMHO do with another option in there. Maybe McGhee's hoping to get through till January and then bring Pearson back. Who knows, however while Chalmers may have done alright in there yesterday it's not something I want to see long term.

Biggest disappointments would have to be the performances of Ainsworth and to an extent, Dom Thomas when he came on for him. Lionel continues to look like a shadow of the player we know he can be, him selling Cadden short in the 2nd half when he carelessly underhit a simple ten yard pass after Cadden burst a gut to give him an opition on the overlap sums him up at the minute. Dom Thomas meanwhile is still caught in that awkward situation where he's outgrown the U20's but doesn't look ready to make an impact on the first team, still think it was a big mistake of McGhee's not to send him out on loan during the 2nd half of last season. Really worried that after his promising start and a few good cameo appearances, his Motherwell career might end up petering out.

Also a massive blow to hear Moult will be out until about September, we're not exactly awash with proven goal scorers at this level and you can't help but feel if a fully fit Moult had been on the pitch we wouldn't have drawn a blank yesterday. Big ask but I suppose also a big opportunity for the likes of Moore and Blyth to come in and try and show what they can do in Moult's absence.

 

Edited July 17, 2016 by Casagolda

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, Casagolda said:

One concern was that with one central midfielder missing, we were forced into using Joe Chalmers as a makeshift midfielder. Shows how thin the squad is and we really could IMHO do with another option in there. Maybe McGhee's hoping to get through till January and then bring Pearson back. Who knows, however while Chalmers may have done alright in there yesterday it's not something I want to see long term.

I thought McGhee's post-match comments re: Chalmers were (possibly unintentionally) very revealing. On the face of it, it was just general platitudes; "he was alright. he did a disciplined job", "We like Joe, we think he's a good player and better than he showed today" however he qualified that by saying that "Joe's got a future here if he really buckles down and grabs his chance" and quite oddly "we're still not quite sure what his position is; is he left midfield, left back, left wing?", even the fairly throwaway comment about him being pleased that he had trimmed his beard down to make him look more like a player suggests there's a doubt there about attitude.

I know I was posting earlier about taking McGhee's comments to the press with a pinch of salt but I think it's telling that Chalmers has been here for just over a year and the management and coaching staff still don't really see where he fits in. Obviously he's a player McGhee inherited from Baraclough but it doesn't really bode well long term and from the sounds of things McGhee's as perplexed as most 'Well fans as to why Chalmers was actually signed.

For what it's worth I thought he did alright in the role but it's not something I'd be wanting to be relying on for the rest of the season. Reading between the lines it sounds like Chalmers maybe has the rest of the LC group games to show something.

[Del_Superwell]

Craig Moore has left the club to rejoin Ayr Utd on loan for the season, that tells me something must be afoot regarding a new signing or he hasn't impressed McGhee enough to play regularly at Motherwell!!

[Desp]

If he hadn't impressed McGhee then giving him a new one-year deal a couple of months ago was baffling!

I can only assume we've got someone to bring in and this is part of the "wheeling and dealing" that needs done.  Going into the season with Blyth and McDonald our only fit forwards seems a bit light.

[Del_Superwell]

Well we do have Dylan Mackin in reserve for up top but I'm unsure whether he is ready for the first team yet but McGhee obviously has something in the pipeline if he is letting Moore go back out on loan for the season.

[capt_oats]

Genuinely quite surprised about Moore on the basis that we gave him a year deal at the start of the summer and we're already a striker down with Moult being out injured. I get that he'll clearly start every week for Ayr and is less likely to at Motherwell but surely that was the obvious choice he was looking at when he signed the deal a couple of months ago.

I'd imagine this is part of the 'wheeling and dealing' that was mentioned in relation to bringing in a midfielder, but still... I suppose if we needed to move someone out then it's entirely dictated by whether there's actually interest in a player and as itzdrk was pointing out McCall's been banging on about trying to get Moore back in.

[thisGRAEME]

Welcome back, James. How do you feel about it?

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

7 hours ago, capt_oats said:

Genuinely quite surprised about Moore on the basis that we gave him a year deal at the start of the summer and we're already a striker down with Moult being out injured. I get that he'll clearly start every week for Ayr and is less likely to at Motherwell but surely that was the obvious choice he was looking at when he signed the deal a couple of months ago.

I'd imagine this is part of the 'wheeling and dealing' that was mentioned in relation to bringing in a midfielder, but still... I suppose if we needed to move someone out then it's entirely dictated by whether there's actually interest in a player and as itzdrk was pointing out McCall's been banging on about trying to get Moore back in.

 

Apparently the year deal he just signed was a player option in Moore's last contract. No idea why we would structure it like that but that is how it was.

Ayr weren't the only club after him so hopefully they are paying a decent chunk of his wages.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Jim McLean's Ghost

[Indyboy]

Didn't see that one coming. Hopefully we don't regret it. As you guys are saying, looks like he is making room to bring some c**t in.

[itzdrk]

YAS

[Casagolda]

McGhee saying on the official that he has to be clever with his budget, which does suggest he is working towards something.

Also says we have a call back option for Moore in January. 

[Gianfranco]

I'm a bit surprised at this news as well with the Moult injury but if he wasn't going to play for us it's best for him to be a regular at Ayr.

I don't expect us to bring in another forward as Mackin, Ainsworth or Thomas could fill in the Johnson role of our front three.

[capt_oats]

In addition to Moore I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of the 20s go out on loan as well.

[Del_Superwell]

Yeah I believe a couple of the 20s will go out on loan, I heard talk of Ross MacLean maybe joining Albion Rovers on loan, worked well for Cadden so might be good for the boys to get out and some competitive games while also playing for our under 20s.

[Ya Bezzer!]

5 hours ago, capt_oats said:

Genuinely quite surprised about Moore on the basis that we gave him a year deal at the start of the summer and we're already a striker down with Moult being out injured. I get that he'll clearly start every week for Ayr and is less likely to at Motherwell but surely that was the obvious choice he was looking at when he signed the deal a couple of months ago.

If we are playing a 4-3-3 we only really need one 'central' striker in the XI and two wider players.  As well as McDonald we have Blyth, Mackin and Johnson has been played as an out and out striker.

However having a player go out of contract, re-signing him on a one year deal, then about 6 weeks later putting him out on loan for the entire duration of his new contract seems to sum up our shambolic transfer policy of the last 4 or 5 years.

Also, rather worryingly, it also seems to suggest we have our second major budgeting blunder in recent years.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Ya Bezzer!