Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Firhill_Basin]

You can take Shea Gordon back, hes total pish!

Edited July 28, 2018 by Firhill_Basin

[Swello]

He'll fit in perfectly, etc, etc

[WellView]

42 minutes ago, Firhill_Basin said:

You can take Shea Gordon back, hes total pish!

Why do you think we sent him? 

Nah, seriously, give him a couple of months.  He's got the talent, he needs game time. 

[capt_oats]

This 'Story of The Match' #content is absolutely fleein' btw...

 

[Casagolda]

On 28/07/2018 at 13:59, WellView said:

No fringe youngsters anywhere near the first team squad today.   

And that’s with guys like Dunne, Bowman, Tanner and Newell all missing from the 18 man squad..

Anyway we got through and I suppose that was the main objective, fair to say it was a fairly mixed bag in terms of performance. I’d say Carson, McHugh and Frear were probably my pick of the bunch over the 4 games. Also good to see Sammon getting off to a good start, you sense that might be important in the long run.

Worryingly our normally solid defence has looked very shaky- Hartley looks miles off the pace and Kipre hasn’t convinced either. Although the lack of continuity can’t have helped, we’ve started and finished just about every game with a different defence/shape. 

Up front I must admit I liked the look of Johnson yesterday, although I also thought Bowman and Sammon really worked well together against QOTS. Main and Sammon didn’t really click though and to be honest, Main has been pretty poor in the 3 games he’s played- I know that sounds bizarre cause he’s scored twice but I’m sure you know what I mean.

[Swello]

I don't really know what I've learned from the LC group this year. I expected at the start of this season that the very settled team (by our recent standards) would mean we would be organised and solid - but that's not been the case. Both home games, we have looked really good - especially against Queens, who were a decent level of opposition at this stage. Both away games were worryingly bad - Stranraer saw us being sluggish and unimaginative and we got what we deserved  -  the Clyde game was a deterioration from the seeming low point of Stair Park. It's notable that very few of the Premiership teams have  cruised through the groups at any point and l'd guess in any year, we would be happy with topping the group with a +9 GD - but it feels like there  is a lot of work to do.

In some respects, we look less ready than last year, which is a bit of a nasty surprise to be honest. The main concern is clearly in defence and we are not looking even vaguely settled in that area. Hartley can't be magically made match ready after a long layoff and Dunne is out long term. This means that McHugh needs to step up - he has looked as good as anyone so far to be fair - and Donnelly may need to dropped into a tough league opening with no real chance to get settled (and we've already seen classic Steelmen insta-judgements on him). 

Both in midfield and up front - I'm less concerned. I think we've got plenty of options and it's going to take some games to work out what the best options are - as is the case every year.  I may be miles out- but I have a funny feeling that Johnson will end up being one of the "first choice" strikers before the year is out..

It will be interesting on Sunday as we pivot from being expected to brush lower teams aside to a situation where we are back to battling against a better resourced team. It's arguable that we are set up better for that type of game, so Sunday will give us a decent guide to what the early part of the season will hold I think.

 

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Freeeeeeee Gael Bigirimana

[Busta Nut]

Elliott Frear canny win. The amount of rockets round me who wanted him to try "beat his man" every time he got the baw. Didn't matter where he was on the pitch.  Beating your man when you are 30 yards from their goal and going to the byline (which he did very often) is where he should be doing it, not while he's 10 yards into his own half with no cover behind him cos some fat auld bloater in the stand is giving himself an aneurysm screaming about goin past yer man.

 

I also thought Frear was probably our best player.

[WellView]

Beat last year - points gained against top 6 teams. 

Celtic - 2  

Aberdeen - 3 

Rangers - 1 

Hibs - 1 

Kilmarnock - 3 

Hearts - 4 

Total - 14/54 available

Bottom 6 

St  Johnstone - 4 

Dundee - 10 ( thanks, Dundee ). 

Hamilton - 6 

Partick - 7 

Ross County - 7 

Total - 34/60 available

 

[well fan for life]

Elliott Frear canny win. The amount of rockets round me who wanted him to try "beat his man" every time he got the baw. Didn't matter where he was on the pitch.  Beating your man when you are 30 yards from their goal and going to the byline (which he did very often) is where he should be doing it, not while he's 10 yards into his own half with no cover behind him cos some fat auld bloater in the stand is giving himself an aneurysm screaming about goin past yer man.
 
I also thought Frear was probably our best player.

Must be different over your way because I have a whole host of folk shouting “GET IT IN THE BOX” even if he’s 10 yards in to his own half.” Absolute fucking brain damage.

[AndyRoss]

Latest podcast online now:

http://www.mfc1886.com/mfc-podcast-2018-19-episode-3/amp/#click=https://t.co/vIK4ealq5N

[Archie McSquackle]

Elliott Frear canny win. The amount of rockets round me who wanted him to try "beat his man" every time he got the baw. Didn't matter where he was on the pitch.  Beating your man when you are 30 yards from their goal and going to the byline (which he did very often) is where he should be doing it, not while he's 10 yards into his own half with no cover behind him cos some fat auld bloater in the stand is giving himself an aneurysm screaming about goin past yer man.
 
I also thought Frear was probably our best player.

Yeah, I heard that all the way through the second half, even when he had two men bearing down on him. Somebody also was shouting for us to take a quick throw-in near our own corner flag when we only had one defender to throw it to and two Clyde players near him.

[WellView]

Bonkers bet?  Sky bet,  top premiership scorer.  

Connor Sammon,  100/1  

Each way, top three pays quarter odds so 25/1.  

I'm in £20 each way as an interest.  One of the Celtic strikers if they stay fit should be at the top of the charts, maybe Morelos too.  I'm looking at the third place 25/1 rather than winning outright.  

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Just now, WellView said:

Bonkers bet?  Sky bet,  top premiership scorer.  

Connor Sammon,  100/1  

Each way, top three pays quarter odds so 25/1.  

I'm in £20 each way as an interest.  One of the Celtic strikers if they stay fit should be at the top of the charts, maybe Morelos too.  I'm looking at the third place 25/1 rather than winning outright.  

I'm getting on the Sammon hype train as well. f**k knows why but I'm feeling Higdon vibes. I'm going to go absolutely baws out and say Sammon 15+ goals, Main to underwhelm.

[WellView]

Top six chat - if we didn't have the cup runs last year we would have been top six. Are we a worse team this year than last? I don't think so. The early season negativity seems a bit overdone ( who knew 'Well fans could be negative, eh?). 

Hibs look a lot weaker, Killie have lost Mulumbu, and I can't see them repeating last year's outstanding run.  I don't know about Hearts, they seem to be having their annual massive turnover in players.  

If we don't have cup runs then top six should be on the cards.

Edited August 1, 2018 by WellView

[WellView]

5 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

I'm getting on the Sammon hype train as well. f**k knows why but I'm feeling Higdon vibes. I'm going to go absolutely baws out and say Sammon 15+ goals, Main to underwhelm.

15 is what's in my mind too.   He'll get far more chances with us than he did with Partick.  

Main will come good at some point.  He's carrying some kind of injury according to SR.  

We scored 43 league goals last year.  I'll be surprised if we don't beat that this year. 

[tree house tam]

5 hours ago, WellView said:

Top six chat - if we didn't have the cup runs last year we would have been top six. Are we a worse team this year than last? I don't think so. The early season negativity seems a bit overdone ( who knew 'Well fans could be negative, eh?). 

Hibs look a lot weaker, Killie have lost Mulumbu, and I can't see them repeating last year's outstanding run.  I don't know about Hearts, they seem to be having their annual massive turnover in players.  

If we don't have cup runs then top six should be on the cards.

That's nice you concentrate on those above while the mighty Saints overtake* the lot of you.

 

 

* after August, when our team building is complete.

[thisGRAEME]

5 hours ago, WellView said:

Bonkers bet?  Sky bet,  top premiership scorer.  

Connor Sammon,  100/1  

Each way, top three pays quarter odds so 25/1.  

I'm in £20 each way as an interest.  One of the Celtic strikers if they stay fit should be at the top of the charts, maybe Morelos too.  I'm looking at the third place 25/1 rather than winning outright.  

Kamberi is the fly in the ointment with this for me, but I v much admire your optimism on this.

[WellView]

8 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

Kamberi is the fly in the ointment with this for me, but I v much admire your optimism on this.

Aye could be - the thing is, we're betting against injuries and guys being sold just now as much as anything.  Loads of variables, 100/1 £20 e.w. it's worth a punt. 

 

[MJC]

6 hours ago, WellView said:

Top six chat - if we didn't have the cup runs last year we would have been top six. Are we a worse team this year than last? I don't think so. The early season negativity seems a bit overdone ( who knew 'Well fans could be negative, eh?). 

Hibs look a lot weaker, Killie have lost Mulumbu, and I can't see them repeating last year's outstanding run.  I don't know about Hearts, they seem to be having their annual massive turnover in players.  

If we don't have cup runs then top six should be on the cards.

I don't think the Cup runs last season prevented us getting top six, poor form in the league stopped us getting top six. Our annual December collapse plus failing to win a league match between beating Dundee at the end of February and beating then again at the end of April played a bigger part in missing top six. The Cup runs last season were absolutely vital - as they always would be when we have one - because for clubs like ours they generate excitement and keep the support engaged plus they distracted from what was a pretty grim league campaign. If we don't have the same this season, and it will be extremely difficult to repeat those exploits, and our league form is as poor as last season then we will be in for a long, bleak season.

Our aim this season is as should always be to avoid relegation and finish as high up the table as possible aswell as doing well in the domestic cup competitions. Playing some more attractive football would be most welcome too.