Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Londonwell]

I must be misremembering, I thought it was Moses who made an arse of the header from Seddon’s excellent cross. Was offside either way anyway I suppose. 

[StAndrew7]

5 minutes ago, Londonwell said:

I must be misremembering, I thought it was Moses who made an arse of the header from Seddon’s excellent cross. Was offside either way anyway I suppose. 

They both had headed chances; Robinson's was from Wilson's only good ball into the box after an hour, just before he was hooked. Moses' offside attempt was from Seddon's cross inside his first minute on the park.

[Londonwell]

Just now, StAndrew7 said:

They both had headed chances; Robinson's was from Wilson's only good ball into the box after an hour, just before he was hooked. Moses' offside attempt was from Seddon's cross inside his first minute on the park.

Ah that explains it, thanks. Was extremely hungover at the game haha and have no recollection of that Robinson header what so ever

[steelman1991]

3 minutes ago, Londonwell said:

Ah that explains it, thanks. Was extremely hungover at the game haha and have no recollection of that Robinson header what so ever

Admittedly it was instantly forgettable.

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

Don't get me wrong, I still think that these league cup group games are all a potential banana skin and that getting into the hat is the main thing and we have done that, but yesterday I didn't feel like we couldn't break down a team that were sitting in against us, I thought Thistle were actively the better team.

My main emotion with this group is frustration - we got most of our business done early this season - and I had hoped that would be an opportunity for us to build momemtum and gel as a squad - yet, despite these umpteen signings, we were still playing teams full of what I hope to be fringe players. 

Why do we get so many injuries these days? Is there an actual science behind it?

Balmer's absence is curious - and hopefully comes with a simple explanation - as I'm less than overjoyed with Blaney's part in the group stage. 

I echo what @MurrayWellsaid about Miller. I think we're experimenting with playing him one up due to the fact he's good at football, rather than because he's a fit for the position. I'm all for him getting free-kicks and pens to boost his numbers and value but let's not tamper with the one bit of the team that's working.

There wasn't one player on the pitch yesterday from the start that made that formation look like it was a good fit.

I say this fully opening myself up to getting slaughtered, but did we perhaps miss Harry Paton yesterday? I mean, if we did, its an indictment to where we are, but as much as he lacks any finesse and decision making in the final third, he carries the ball up the pitch and offers a work-rate that I didn't see yesterday.

[MP_MFC]

6 minutes ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

 

I say this fully opening myself up to getting slaughtered, but did we perhaps miss Harry Paton yesterday? I mean, if we did, its an indictment to where we are, but as much as he lacks any finesse and decision making in the final third, he carries the ball up the pitch and offers a work-rate that I didn't see yesterday.

I said this at the game yesterday, it was the most harry paton game we've had in a while. Desperate for anybody, somebody showing some energy and whilst he's not a great player, he does do that. 

It's damning that we apparently have a system built around a player like this who, isn't good enough, but we don't have anyone else who can do the job nearly as well?

Some mess we find ourselves in.

[Al B]

26 minutes ago, Londonwell said:

I must be misremembering, I thought it was Moses who made an arse of the header from Seddon’s excellent cross. Was offside either way anyway I suppose. 

 

20 minutes ago, StAndrew7 said:

They both had headed chances; Robinson's was from Wilson's only good ball into the box after an hour, just before he was hooked. Moses' offside attempt was from Seddon's cross inside his first minute on the park.

 

18 minutes ago, Londonwell said:

Ah that explains it, thanks. Was extremely hungover at the game haha and have no recollection of that Robinson header what so ever

Ahhh yeah, me that's misremembered Seddon's cross being for Robinson's header.

Too focused on my empty chasni pie case and remembering the good times when it still had a pie in it.

[MurrayWell]

Like @crazylegsjoe I'm still to be convinced by Blaney, but I actually do think he's decent on the ball. Casey has fell right off it since extending his stay too.

You've got to think our first choice back three will be: McGinn Gordon Balmer. 

Early days, let's not get carried away, I've said before I reckon we'll be absolutely fine and I stand by that. Overall, I think I quite like Kettlewell, but his tactics are baffling at times. In 18 months he's not looked like changing the approach or having a real plan B, short of just firing on every attacker we have and hoping for the best when things don't go our way. 

Yesterday really reminded me of the Scottish Cup game against Morton (without the high winds), no speed, no cutting edge, pedestrian, boring, hoping someone else would do something, Robbie Crawford being made to look like a world beater.

[StAndrew7]

32 minutes ago, Londonwell said:

Ah that explains it, thanks. Was extremely hungover at the game haha and have no recollection of that Robinson header what so ever

No worries; I watched it back earlier today and agree with @Al B, I think it was actually quite a difficult thing to adjust to with such a late touch off the defender. It wasn't clear on the coverage what had happened so fair enough. I said over on SO that I think (a bit like Bair) he needs a goal to get some confidence going; the penalty claim came from him not driving on and round the keeper/taking on the shot earlier that a confident striker might have done.

I think part of that might be down to him being played as a wide forward last season for the most part; perhaps one of the Dundee guys can confirm? Will nee a bit of time to get going again. Hopefully he plays with Stama up top, but that depends on Ketts doing that.

Anyway, hopefully the latter is announced today.

Out of interest; anyone going along to the WS event tonight? I can't make it but it'd be good if someone who does can give a summary when they're back. Definitely keen to hear his thoughts on signing another 10 and also his explanation for lambasting the players for not performing yesterday in a formation he chose to persist with when it clearly wasn't working.

Edited July 29 by StAndrew7

[Londonwell]

5 minutes ago, Al B said:

 

 

Ahhh yeah, me that's misremembered Seddon's cross being for Robinson's header.

Too focused on my empty chasni pie case and remembering the good times when it still had a pie in it.

Count yourself lucky. The hangover was such that a delicious chasni pie was rendered impossible. I was only left with that bloody game of football. 

[TheMighty]

I’m not going to panic yet for the various reasons already stated by others.

Seems obvious though what the issues are and a concern that they haven’t been resolved.

Our system only works well with fast wing backs. Do we have any?

We lack creativity in the final third. Would definitely be helped if solved the wing back issue but we need something more from the middle.

We seem to lack pace. Again linked to the wing back problem and again we need it from more than just there.

Our build up play is ponderous.

[steelmen]

12 hours ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

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

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.

ahh the Claret and Amber club. Getting into every game for £1.50. used to love it when we played Rangers and Celtic as you would get a proper ticket with Claret and Amber club stamped on it.

[Al B]

I'm terrible for new players names at the start of the season...Kaleta is it? I thought he showed a lot of promise when he came on, as said earlier looks strong, powerful and a bit more direct then anyone else we've got in that type of position, definitely something to build on there I think.

[MP_MFC]

9 minutes ago, TheMighty said:

I’m not going to panic yet for the various reasons already stated by others.

Seems obvious though what the issues are and a concern that they haven’t been resolved.

Our system only works well with fast wing backs. Do we have any?

We lack creativity in the final third. Would definitely be helped if solved the wing back issue but we need something more from the middle.

We seem to lack pace. Again linked to the wing back problem and again we need it from more than just there.

Our build up play is ponderous.

I made the comment yesterday that it seems that we are almost back to Alexanderball in terms of any time someone goes forward with the ball more than about 5 yards, they immediately stop and look to turn back rather than drive on and attack - the team lacks pace, movement and a bit of, and I hate the term, guile. 

I'm willing to put that down to the inexperience of some of the players and the fact that it was very much what I expect to be a much changed team once fit, but my concern is that we've built a team around a system and a style, I'm not entirely convinced the players fit that system and style and we've got a manager who is wedded to that style and seems unable or unwilling to change the system to suit the players playing or indeed, the opposition we are facing. 

[McFadden]

We are crying out for some creative wingers instead of this stubborn system Kettlewell is so insistent on playing. 

Feel like sh*t, just want Lionel back 

 

[well fan for life]

3 minutes ago, McFadden said:

We are crying out for some creative wingers instead of this stubborn system Kettlewell is so insistent on playing. 

Feel like sh*t, just want Lionel back 

 

Sadly it seems like fun wingers are a dying breed. Even at the Euros there was Lamine Yamal and Jamal Musiala who would run at a full back. Every other team was 60 passes sideways to get to a wide man who wanted f**k all to do with taking his defender on and crossing. 

Or if you're Scotland the football equivalent of that Sideshow Bob standing on rakes gif. 

[Swello]

1 hour ago, well fan for life said:

Stuparevic touched the ball about twice so I still don't know if he's any good or not. 

I was paying a bit of attention to him yesterday as it was my first chance to see him. He looked like the classic case of someone coming in from a slower/more technical league and expecting a lot more time on the ball than he's going to get. I'm going to bet that he will take a while to settle in but will end up decent.

Talking of which - I thought Davor was good yesterday and based on nothing more than that, I reckon it will be him and not Halliday that is starting every week by the time September rolls around (there is no way both are starting on a normal Saturday).

[Neil86]

The Balmer one is weird, up until yesterday I kind of assumed he was a shoe in, and the rest were playing for places. 

Yesterday should have been as close to the first 11 v Ross County as possible. 

Balmer has sat on the bench ever since his 90 minutes v Edinburgh city, which can't be good for sharpness going into next week.

I fear we will line up with largely the same defence as we did yesterday, Seddon for Wilson probably, but the rest will stay the same. 

[Allroy for Prez]

37 minutes ago, steelmen said:

ahh the Claret and Amber club. Getting into every game for £1.50. used to love it when we played Rangers and Celtic as you would get a proper ticket with Claret and Amber club stamped on it.

I was in the claret and amber club till I was about 20!  

[Swello]

1 minute ago, Neil86 said:

I fear we will line up with largely the same defence as we did yesterday, Seddon for Wilson probably, but the rest will stay the same. 

At no point since he signed have I been convinced with Blaney (and he could easily have been red carded yesterday) - I have been assuming that this season when everyone is fit, he takes Mugabe's role in the squad. If he is a back up centre half, then I'm completely fine with it, if he's starting, a lot less so.