Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[capt_oats]

2 minutes ago, Doctor Manhattan said:

I wondered how the "bad Colins" might be taking this, but am avoiding Facebook to retain my sanity. Any calls there yet to bRiNG baCk BArMAcK!?

.

I haven't gone back there since the offer was pulled either.

[MurrayWell]

It doesn't need to be absolute calmness or total hysteria. 

While I'm not going to panic about performances in the league cup group(especially when we're through), that was turgid today. Folk are totally entitled to feel annoyed at paying anything to watch it. It was appalling viewing, zero enjoyment to be had. Of the four group games, Kettlewell has called two performances completely unacceptable today and Montrose, that's not ideal. The system is so bad to watch when it's not working and he refuses to change it. 

[camer0n_mcd]

At the end of the day we've topped the group and are into the next round, there's no reason to lose the run of ourselves over a draw against a good championship side. I'd be very, very surprised if that's the lineup that we play against County next week, hopefully we'll see some more guys back from injury soon, Nicholson and the 2 full backs could make a real positive impact on this team.

[boozyBJ]

Just now, well again said:

Could be worse , it could be bob park.

I’d rather see Jurassic 

[Handsome_Devil]

Just now, camer0n_mcd said:

At the end of the day we've topped the group and are into the next round, there's no reason to lose the run of ourselves over a draw against a good championship side. I'd be very, very surprised if that's the lineup that we play against County next week, hopefully we'll see some more guys back from injury soon, Nicholson and the 2 full backs could make a real positive impact on this team.

I think throwing them in raw carries and element of risk but had we impressed in winning 2-0 today, it would have been a debate... instead this was so poor, the greater risk is probably repeating...Seddon and least one, preferably both, of McGinn/Balmer need to come in. The midfield will be what it is given there's no choice and frankly you could raffle the starting spots up front.

[Neil86]

2 hours ago, wellboy1991 said:

Thistle lost to Clyde at home in midweek who scored three… that’s not playing well IMO. 

More in a broader sense, a bad result midweek obviously but they put much more past Edinburgh city than we did, and managed to beat montrose as well, which we didn't. They also finished last season well and were unlucky not go to further in the play offs. Like I said, today had banana skin written all over it. Thistle are a good side, with plenty of players that could and did cause us problems. We done what we needed, Just. I'd much rather be in the hat, than be out the cup but happy we played lovely football.

I don't think there was many holes needing picked in what I said. 

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

I have seen us 5 times this season and at no point have we looked like we have a plan of attack. In games where we haven't been tested we have played the ball aimlessly around the back.

We have been bolstered by a few set pieces. Obviously we didn't score from a set piece today and we didn't seem to carry much of a goal threat otherwise.

I am concerned with the way Kettlewell has set up the team and weird choices like playing Halliday and Davor as a 2 man midfield. No one had a claim on a solid performance today. Oxborough did pretty well but he didn't pull off any saves you wouldn't expect.  And one concerning flap at a cross.

['WellDel]

I'd say most of the gripes I've heard have been around how we are set up to play rather than any real overreaction to the actual results. Yes, he's been hampered by injuries to some key players and others aren't yet up to speed, but fcuk me we're a hard watch.

I agree that by the metrics on which a Motherwell manager will be judged, SK has until now achieved, exceeded even, the minimum requirements to satisfy the hierarchy, and has done so whilst hamstrung by restricted budgets etc. I could also almost forgive the cautious tactics and formations employed during that time to eek out a points tally that would ensure our top flight status, despite the lack of quality and entertainment for months on end. It was excruciating at times but it got the job done, so fair enough.

Now, however, he's done his rebuild with a reasonable amount of money to spend by Motherwell standards, and the early signs are that we are going to be treated to another year of watching the same turgid shite, stuck to his cautious and pragmatic one up front approach, and that's just not appealing at all. I think that's the real issue folk have rather than the results of what are basically pre season matches.

[welldaft]

Kettlewell was raging. OK understandable. But he was watching what was unfolding with a seeming inability to change. He also picked that team today. I saw the line up and genuinely thought what the f**k ! We have signed 11 players and only 3 of them started today. What is going on ? Are they all injured or not up to speed. Well if that is the case why are we waxing lyrical at having done a good job to get them in early. It has clearly made f**k all difference.

Kaleta and Seddon came on and immediately looked better than what was there before. That starting line up will have at best 5 players in our best starting team. Balmer was on the bench was he not. Is he not going to be better than Casey or Blaney. We all think so. So why did he not start ?

The players did not perform apart from Ox and Davor was quite decent Lennon Miller is the great hope but he did not play well at all today either. I am not expecting him to play well every game but he did have an off day like most of the others. I can only hope Stuparavic is this seasons Bair because he looked hopeless 1st half. 

Ironically as expected we were unseeded and ended up with a better draw than some of the years we were seeded. 

Thistle were OK. Nothing more than that. I fully expected them to score towards the end but the truth is that as turgid as we were we saw the game out comfortably. Which is just as well. If the Airdrie team that played Aberdeen in midweek played us today that would have been a mauling. 

I just hope we can work at getting our best team on the park as soon as bloody possible. One that contains Seddon, Kaleta, McGinn, Nicholson, Apostolos maybe Hegyi although Ox was OK today. But that is more than half a team. 

I like Kettlewell. He has done a good job and then some given his resources. But he has to take a share of the blame. He had many better options in the bench than what started. So why did he go with that line up and expect a better outcome . 

 

 

[camer0n_mcd]

Who decided this rule and what is the purpose of it? Why turn away kids that are the future of our support?

 

[Busta Nut]

I was told someone questioned it and the office lady replied "we're not a babysitting  agency"

 

Or words to that effect.

[Casagolda]

2 hours ago, Swello said:

The only thing I could take from today was that we don't in any way look ready. We "got our business done early" - which I'm a big fan of BTW - but on first viewing, I can't see any tangible benefit from it. I don't think we had a good shape, looked *incredibly* pedestrian in possession and there was nothing about us that looked sharp.

Said much the same post match.

During the group stages Koutroumbis and Callachan didn’t feature at all. Balmer only made 1 appearance. Sparrow, Kaleta and Seddon made 1 cameo sub appearance each. Stuparevic featured in every game but got less than 90 mins across all 4.

Only really Hegyi, Gordon and Robinson got any sort of tangible game time. Apart from that it was a few kids and a lot of last seasons dross sans Gent, Spittal and Bair- arguably our 3 best players during the 2nd half of the season. 

We’ve really still to see what most of the new guys can actually do, not to mention the new Aussie striker or whatever other business we might do. The likes of McGinn or Nicholson’s haven’t kicked a ball yet either. So aye, probably not time to panic just yet as I would hope things would start to look a bit different by the end of August as players sign/come back from injury/get up to speed etc.

Today was awful though, no doubt. As has most of this group stage to be brutally honest. Kettlewell will be judged more harshly this season as it is now HIS team and it looks like he’s had a bit of backing to put it together but now’s certainly not the right time to judge him or what he’s done this summer- it’s not even August!! We got through that’s the important thing, now let’s never talk about it or the worlds most pointless penalty shoot out ever again. 

[Vietnam91]

If we don't have the personnel at present to play wingbacks with a back three then go to a traditional back four. It's pretty simple and repeated what Kettlewell did when appointed, look at what you've got in the building and make the best out of it. We'd gain a sorely missing extra midfielder (when they get fit) and may be able to compete there.

At present we are relying on a vice captain who has zero acceleration, zero speed when he does get up to full pelt and questionable delivery and engine. His current understudy is an untried academy loanee from England.

On the other side we've got one of our own academy graduates who needs drip fed into the team and Seddon who looked <shrug> semi promising?

Nothing up with a back four of Seddon, Gordon, Balmer and McGinn (if he's anywhere near fit by GW1), even if you do play SOD ahead of McGinn ar right midfield it at least defines his role and place on the park rather than a big gaping hole created when he's inevitably caught out playing as a wingback.

[Gaz]

That "no under 14s unless accompanied by an adult" is absolutely nuts man.

[Gaz]

I mean, I assume the problem is that they're having the "young team" acting like pretend hooligans? Why not just stick another couple of stewards in there, or ask the polis to be more vigilant at that area (I'm assuming they have a "section")?

['WellDel]

7 minutes ago, Gaz said:

That "no under 14s unless accompanied by an adult" is absolutely nuts man.

Quite simply unnecessarily hindering the next generation of our support. If this had been the case back in the day I'd never have gotten in to most of my earliest games. Had only just started high school and went with a couple of my mates, no adult supervision. Was brilliant having that wee bit of freedom going by yourselves. Bit mental if keeping a few 12-14 Yr olds in check is an issue.

[Gaz]

3 minutes ago, &#x27;WellDel said:

Quite simply unnecessarily hindering the next generation of our support. If this had been the case back in the day I'd never have gotten in to most of my earliest games. Had only just started high school and went with a couple of my mates, no adult supervision. Was brilliant having that wee bit of freedom going by yourselves. Bit mental if keeping a few 12-14 Yr olds in check is an issue.

Yeah by the time I was 11 or 12 I had started going with my mates (although we did stand in the same area as my old man).

There must surely be a better solution than just a blanket ban. Even three or four kids would surely pay the wage of a steward for the afternoon.

[shivute]

I asked about it last week in the ticket office and was told that we were one of the last teams to actually implement this.

Apparently a safeguarding issue e.g. If a kid was to hurt themselves they don't have an adult there with them.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

I started going to game "unsupervised" when I was 8 or 9. I was in the Claret and Amber club, it wasn't a season ticket but you got a cheaper ticket from the wee window in the main stand and they stamped your membership card.

By the time kids are in primary 6 or 7 they want to do everything with their mates. They all have bus passes now too to get to and from the game even if they don't live close to Fir Park

3 minutes ago, shivute said:

I asked about it last week in the ticket office and was told that we were one of the last teams to actually implement this.

Apparently a safeguarding issue e.g. If a kid was to hurt themselves they don't have an adult there with them.

That is bollocks.

I looked up other entertainment policies. And for example you can go to a Vue Cinema without an adult if you are over the age of 8.

[well fan for life]

That was a fucking terrible 90 minutes and the penalties were laughably awful. Calamitous defending that we've seen for ages now and we were lucky not to be out before it even got to that. 

Davor and Halliday starting together regularly will simply not do. In fact Halliday will not do at all.