Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Allroy for Prez]

Kettlewell won’t see the season out and genuine calls for his head will begin before September. 

[camer0n_mcd]

I think Kettlewell is a very good coach, he's managed to get the best out of players - Van Veen, Bair, Spittal etc... - As a manager I think he's poor, his team selections, tactics and subs make little to no sense at the best of times.

Edited July 28 by camer0n_mcd

[StAndrew7]

Awful, turgid, Clarke-ball type stuff. Setting up to defend and take no risks, with absolutely no creativity or desire to take a risk with a pass.

Wilson has now shown to me that he's absolutely not a starting wing back and should only be used as back up. It took him 68 minutes to deliver a decent ball into the box. Seddon did it inside 68 seconds. He also showed very little awareness of his role as an outball or a willingness to get in behind; he stopped the play so often and countless times he stopped his run after playing it into feet. Miller left several flicks for him to run onto he just didn't bother with. He also put our centre backs under unnecessary pressure with some badly under hit passes and by letting the ball run out of play over his foot almost led to Blaney being sent off.

I'm singling him out a bit here because he's the perfect example of what's wrong across the team; inexperience in the system, lack of concentration etc. which will cost us against better opposition.

I get that he's young, I get that we need to be patient and give him time, but when the system we play relies on our wing backs being able to deliver in attacking areas he's just not good enough. SODs wasn't great in that regard either.

Casey was a bomb scare yet again; caught out several times looking for a foul that didn't come and his distribution/passing it to the opposition really puts us under pressure.

Wells looked good when he came on, had a willingness to drive forward and try to be creative at least.

We are in dire need of a proper number 10; the gap between Robinson and the midfield at times was absolutely huge. The less said about his missed header the better. Superb save from the Thistle keeper on his first half effort.

I could go on and on about each player but won't (as I'm sure we all could). I think the biggest issue I have is that if it's so glaringly obvious to all of us how bad this has been and it's not being fixed what on earth is Kettlewell's Plan B!? All he does is cycle the same players and positions with his subs and keep the same turgid nonsense going.

[David1979]

Far from an ideal performance, but it's still early days.

Like it or not, we've lost some key players and individuals in the dressing room, such as Blair Spittal and Liam Kelly. We've signed eleven new players, a fair number of whom have been injured before the season has even started.

The likes of Wilson and O'Donnell likely weren't considered first-choice players this season, but we've had to rely on them for various reasons.

My preferred approach is not to judge until we're about eight weeks or so into the league campaign, as that gives new players time to settle in and gives injured players a chance to come back and make an impact.

The bottom line is we're through, and we've got a home game against Killie in the next round, so that's good news.

[Neil86]

Thought Aston had a very good game btw.

But again, the defence is still largely guys that were in the building last season.

Also, I sincerely hope I'm never sat infront the guy in the main stand, who had a go at everything Miller done, from the first whistle. 

Wasted talent and poorly coached just a couple of his hot takes.

[Neil86]

Just now, Neil86 said:

Thought Aston had a very good game btw.

But again, the defence is still largely guys that were in the building last season. I felt for Wilson in the second half, he had a nightmare, he wasn't alone. Seddon should be in from the start next week 

Also, I sincerely hope I'm never sat infront the guy in the main stand, who had a go at everything Miller done, from the first whistle. 

Wasted talent and poorly coached just a couple of his hot takes.

 

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

Strupevic was an abomination in the first half rightly hooked but wtf was that second half formation

Pushed Miller up on the left leaving us a 2 man midfield of Davor and Halliday. Unsuprisingly we barely competed in the middle of the park.

[MP_MFC]

Let’s never speak of this game again. Brutal. 

['WellDel]

Heard Kettlewell's interview on the radio on the way home, with him stating that he had basically just went through the players and left them in no doubt that the performance wasn't acceptable and that he would be expecting and demanding much more from them going forward into the league season. 

Ultimately though, despite some atrocious individual performances, the buck for that today has to stop with him. He could, and should have made subs earlier. He could have changed the shape and given instructions to move the ball forward quicker and be far more offensive. He could have influenced the game in any number of ways, but as usual stuck rigidly to his usual formation and, to the surprise of no-one, we were treated to yet another eye bleeding showing, while he stood, as usual, on the touchline with his hand under his chin.

The players undoubtedly deserved both barrels for a very poor showing, but he really needs to look at himself and his tactics first in order for things to improve going into the opener next week. 

[Handsome_Devil]

1 minute ago, Allroy for Prez said:

Kettlewell won’t see the season out and genuine calls for his head will begin before September. 

Around half the managers get binned so it's a distinct possibility but he deserves more wiggle room than September - fact remains that Morton apart he's more than ticked every box, regardless of how it's been done...

But there's no doubt he's way more vulnerable this year than last - if by November we're not convinced he's worth renewing, the question quickly becomes to what extent do you back him in January and then we're in real bother.

Clearly work to be done but if we'd played well in three LC games, screwed up once and gone out to someone on 10 points, it would be much worse.

The point from @David1979 is worth emphasising - two CBs, two WBs, a striker and a 10 (at least) were missing from our first choice XI. There's no way that doesn't have a substantial impact on performance and should add a bucket of perspective.

[Jastons6]

11 minutes ago, Neil86 said:

Thought Aston had a very good game btw.

He takes an absolute age to distribute the ball , as bad as Kelly in that regard. Outfield players take forever on throw ins as well tbf

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Feels like we were on an unsustainable streak of shootout wins, good to tactically lose this one and hope it resets IMO.

[Neil86]

I'm also not here to jump to Kettlewell defence, what I would say though is that today had banana skin written all over it. Thistle have been playing well, scoring goals. We nullified that, albeit offered less than bugger all going forward.

But if we attacked them today and got knocked out, no one would be on here praising him for going at them.

[McFadden]

Kettlewell will be gone by Christmas if this kind of turgid rubbish performance continues that we seen today. 
 

I don’t want to see Blaney or Halliday back in that starting lineup again unless we are in desperate mode. Blaney has never shown that he’s any good imo and Halliday is just a passenger where the ball goes to die every time. They are backup players at best. 
 

That match was truly the most Harry Paton match ever without Harry Paton actually playing. 
 

The league season hasn’t even begun yet and I am completely exasperated watching this already. Might list my season ticket on Vinted. 

[Jastons6]

4 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Feels like we were on an unsustainable streak of shootout wins, good to tactically lose this one and hope it resets IMO.

Miller and Moses should have taken the first two 

['WellDel]

3 minutes ago, Jastons6 said:

Miller and Moses should have taken the first two 

You absolutely want your first couple buried but, that being said, goals are 24ft wide x 8ft high, there is no excuse for a professional player failing to hit that target. If the goalie saves it, fine, but to not hit a target that size from 12yds out is criminal. (Maybe sounds a bit dramatic in the context of an ultimately inconsequential shoot out, but the point remains valid). Also, don't f**k about, get your laces through it ffs.

[one m in Motherwell]

11 minutes ago, Neil86 said:

I'm also not here to jump to Kettlewell defence, what I would say though is that today had banana skin written all over it. Thistle have been playing well, scoring goals. We nullified that, albeit offered less than bugger all going forward.

But if we attacked them today and got knocked out, no one would be on here praising him for going at them.

I don’t think we nullified it as such.  They missed several sitters which were more due to bad luck rather than anything we were doing.

[Vietnam91]

1 hour ago, David1979 said:

The bottom line is we're through, and we've got a home game against Killie in the next round, so that's good news.

Correct, McInnes and their fans will be over the moon as getting this shower.

 

Sooooo .... erm ..... clean sheet 

Turns out those penalties in Montrose really were important. Looked two bang average Championship sides and if we don't switch on fast, that prophecy will be a reality.

In Kettlewell's defence he consistently lost his shit as stupidity exhibited on the park. Decision making made him turn to the dugout and vent repeatedly. Passing the ball out for throw ins or Oxborough kicking a long ball directly out the pitch seemed to get his ire. Ox's distribution is slow and ponderous, one thing about Kelly, he loved a fast throw out.

The Wilson criticism, if you're a young guy moving up to starting men's football then you're probably going to err on the side of caution. Being static and passing the ball back gets a few murmurs. Taking someone one and being out of position and being responsible for causing a goal can do more to hamper a young guys development so I kinda get it. Saying that, a few occasions a poor pass back needed rescuing by a teammate.

I'm on record of admiring the man but hating the player that is SOD. I sincerely don't know what instructions he was given in the first half, a times he was in the #10 with Casey having to cover two men or a massive gap. Not much delivery to speak of and when he did it was one of those floaty efforts rather than a whipped ball.

I commented at half time the only players showing anything like premier league stature were Gordon and Miller and nothing I saw in the second half made me change that.

The referee started letting some pretty robust challenges slide, no issue with that, good in fact. Then lack of consistency surfaced and players falling over gets a free kick.

Edited July 28 by Vietnam91

[Handsome_Devil]

2 minutes ago, one m in Motherwell said:

I don’t think we nullified it as such.  They missed several sitters which were more due to bad luck rather than anything we were doing.

Aye, they missed two glorious chances in the first half and at least two more after the break. As much as we can be happy with a clean sheet, we'd little to do with it.

There's no doubt if we keep playing like that, SK is a goner sooner rather than later...but it won't be the same team we're playing when the season gets going properly. You hope, at least!

[wellboy1991]

23 minutes ago, 'WellDel said:

Heard Kettlewell's interview on the radio on the way home, with him stating that he had basically just went through the players and left them in no doubt that the performance wasn't acceptable and that he would be expecting and demanding much more from them going forward into the league season. 

Ultimately though, despite some atrocious individual performances, the buck for that today has to stop with him. He could, and should have made subs earlier. He could have changed the shape and given instructions to move the ball forward quicker and be far more offensive. He could have influenced the game in any number of ways, but as usual stuck rigidly to his usual formation and, to the surprise of no-one, we were treated to yet another eye bleeding showing, while he stood, as usual, on the touchline with his hand under his chin.

The players undoubtedly deserved both barrels for a very poor showing, but he really needs to look at himself and his tactics first in order for things to improve going into the opener next week. 

The interview really pissed me off. So many aspects to it that just annoyed the f**k out of me.

He blamed the players, not the tactics, talking about the players not expressing themselves, in a formation that essentially doesn’t let them. 

He fucked that today and set us up not to lose in a home match against Thistle. So many aspects to it so similar to the shit times of last season which makes me feel that he hasn’t learned anything. The stubbornness of tactics, the lack of pace throughout the team, the sideways passing, the inability to link up play, the misplaced passes and shit crossing. Actually can’t face a season of watching this. 

Not one of our strikers is in anyway capable of playing as a lone striker yet he only plays them as such. 

In the first half he had Miller on the left had side of the midfield three when he’s a right footer and Halliday a left footer on the right causing both to cut inside or slow down any breaks.