Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[capt_oats]

35 minutes ago, MurrayWell said:

I thought Nicholson was pretty good for us last season, certainly has the ability to creative something out of nothing and I think he's probably one of the more technically gifted players we have.

However, I think it's quite bizarre that it looks like we haven't really signed another option like that or someone in the 'Spittal mould', given we don't seem to be drastically changing our system.

We now find ourselves in a situation where we have very little to no creativity coming from the areas where we had so much joy last season. That's not to say we haven't been trying to get someone, as others have said it might be a really tricky position to recruit for, especially when it's not taking a punt on someone we've never heard of. 

Sort of. Maybe.

I don't know. It may be that or it may just simply be the case that, as others have mentioned in the thread, that finding that type of player is a bit more difficult in our price range.

For all Spittal was a free transfer who was in the door before Alexander was emptied, as @Handsome_Devil says above, the version who arrived in May 22 was (respectfully) a lesser version of the one who left this summer.

Maybe I'm being generous but in terms of business still to do we've the best part of a month left of the window and have one area of the park to address. I'd guess the hope would have been that, for all their faults, Paton and Nicholson would have been able to offer something in the interim through to the close of the window while we try to address that.

Tbh, I'm not even sure who we'd look at that would be classed as someone in the 'Spittal mould'. Like, I'm sure they exist but in terms of our budget and their availability? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Edited August 5 by capt_oats

[Neil86]

15 minutes ago, Allroy for Prez said:

Has any other team started the season with so many injuries and/or signings apparently not fit yet? If not, what makes us different.

The drop off in quality between our starting strikers/forward options and St Mirrens, Killies, Utd and Dundee is frightening. 

This might well turn out to be true, but there's surely no way you can say that is the case, 1 game into the season?

[Desp]

I can't quite get my head around the meltdown some are having - f**king already - about where we are. "St.Mirren & Killie are better than us".  Ah right, cool.  These things happen.  It always happens in cycles.  We're pretty poor for a couple of years, then we're quite good for a year or two.  Rinse.  Repeat.  St. Mirren are having their best seasons in 40 years, apparently, and the best they've done is finish 5th.  We've seen Killie finish top 3/4 plenty of times.  St. Johnstone likewise.  Inverness, Livingston, Dundee Utd all have had goes at it too.

The only difference between us and the teams I've mentioned is that when they have really shite seasons, they get relegated.  We tend not to.  

Calm the f**k down.  As @capt_oats has mentioned, we've still another four weeks of the window left.  We've got a few quid to spend. I'm sure we'll get one or two more in and once the new guys are up to speed, we'll be absolutely fine.  Will we be brilliant this season?  Who knows, maybe we won't, but we'll still be in the same league next season to go again.

[RandomGuy.]

2 minutes ago, Desp said:

The only difference between us and the teams I've mentioned is that when they have really shite seasons, they get relegated.  We tend not to.  

Talk about tempting fate, f**king hell.

[Desp]

1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said:

Talk about tempting fate, f**king hell.

Are you new here?  The establishment teams in this country are looked after.

[camer0n_mcd]

9 minutes ago, Desp said:

Are you new here?  The establishment teams in this country are looked after.

#TB3

[MurrayWell]

18 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Tbh, I'm not even sure who we'd look at that would be classed as someone in the 'Spittal mould'. Like, I'm sure they exist but in terms of our budget and their availability? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Aw aye, totally agree, was saying the same (or trying to) with my final point above, around the market we're shopping in. We're unfortunately not able to just go an cherry-pick a proven number 10 who will grab 10-15 assists a season. Think the point on Spittal's development is valid too, he was dynamite last season but wasn't that player in his first year.

I was more getting at the system not really seeming to suit who we have, Miller being moved forward, strikers looking like they've been asked to play as a 10 rather than up top etc. I guess when we've had as many injuries as we've had it's hard to get the full picture, we do (on paper anyway) seem to be lacking some creativity in the middle. But Kettlewell may well have faith someone is already in the building who can provide that, he'll know a lot more about who we've signed than any of us. 

[Swello]

15 minutes ago, Desp said:

I can't quite get my head around the meltdown some are having - f**king already - about where we are. "St.Mirren & Killie are better than us".  Ah right, cool.  These things happen.  It always happens in cycles.  We're pretty poor for a couple of years, then we're quite good for a year or two.  Rinse.  Repeat.  St. Mirren are having their best seasons in 40 years, apparently, and the best they've done is finish 5th.  We've seen Killie finish top 3/4 plenty of times.  St. Johnstone likewise.  Inverness, Livingston, Dundee Utd all have had goes at it too.

The only difference between us and the teams I've mentioned is that when they have really shite seasons, they get relegated.  We tend not to.  

Calm the f**k down.  As @capt_oats has mentioned, we've still another four weeks of the window left.  We've got a few quid to spend. I'm sure we'll get one or two more in and once the new guys are up to speed, we'll be absolutely fine.  Will we be brilliant this season?  Who knows, maybe we won't, but we'll still be in the same league next season to go again.

I was being semi-serious when I said that we'll be good by October - because there is a huge feeling of work in progress to the team. As above - we aren't even getting the guys that were signed this summer onto the park yet. It's worth remembering what we were left with when most of last seasons team left - this was a huge rebuild. I get that Kettlewell dug very deeply into the patience reserve last season and that he's not going to get much leeway from the folk that boo when it's 0-0 at half time - but if folk are expecting us to be firing on all cylinders by Sept 1st, I think they might be disappointed.

As for other teams having good seasons - fair f**ks to them quite honestly.

[capt_oats]

5 minutes ago, MurrayWell said:

Aw aye, totally agree, was saying the same (or trying to) with my final point above, around the market we're shopping in. We're unfortunately not able to just go an cherry-pick a proven number 10 who will grab 10-15 assists a season. Think the point on Spittal's development is valid too, he was dynamite last season but wasn't that player in his first year.

I was more getting at the system not really seeming to suit who we have, Miller being moved forward, strikers looking like they've been asked to play as a 10 rather than up top etc. I guess when we've had as many injuries as we've had it's hard to get the full picture, we do (on paper anyway) seem to be lacking some creativity in the middle. But Kettlewell may well have faith someone is already in the building who can provide that, he'll know a lot more about who we've signed than any of us. 

Ha! I just properly read your final point before you replied there and realised you'd pretty much said the same thing as I'd posted. Don't I feel daft now. 

On your point about moving Miller forward, I know he's been in the press talking about wanting to add goals and assists to his game which may or may not have added to people putting 2+2 together about why we've tweaked his position, but I wonder if that would have happened if any of Nicholson, Paton or Callachan had been fit of if it's simply a case of us trying it out to see if it works given the limited numbers.

Edited August 5 by capt_oats

[Vietnam91]

It’s just a kick in the baws that our injuries could result in us burning through quite a bit of the Bair money to address them.

Also, it’s safe to assume that our medical insurance premium will have taken a hike.

Unless we get to line up and  Everton youth players up like the football equivalent of Love Island tomorrow, it seems likely we may need to dip into that for another wage or two over and above our current commitments.

Kettlewell has proven to get more right than wrong in the transfer market, so there is that.

Maybe more worthwhile finding out why a gypsy has cursed us.

[MurrayWell]

10 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Ha! I just properly read your final point before you replied there and realised you'd pretty much said the same thing as I'd posted. Don't I feel daft now. 

All good mate, Monday morning n that.

As you said, we've plenty of time to fix any issues. Said it after the game myself,  but I'm really not getting the panic and hyperbole from sections of the fanbase. 

I think we've already improved at the back, with only Gordon being fit from our defensive recruits at the moment, and are a couple of bodies away from being pretty decent. I'd be astonished if the team we started against County is considered our strongest XI and we still played awrite, forced a couple of good saves, and got a clean sheet. 

[joewarkfanclub]

Im actually quite hopeful that the defence has been addressed and we will conceed a lot fewer goals this season. Or at least fewer cheap goals. Oxborough looks assured coming off his line and his save from the free kick on Saturday points towards a reasonable level of agility. Gordon is an absolute unit at CB and the type of right dirty barsteward we have been missing. I liked the look of Balmer and he comes with a bit of pedigree. Just frustrating he is missing without any attributible reason for it. I think a back 3 of McGinn, Gordon, Balmer will be solid enough. Even Casey looked much better on Saturday and Blaney, concentration apart, is a perfectly adequate back up.

Re the forward areas, its clear we need a couple of midfielders in to cover until the injured players return, so I presume they will be loans. Re replacing Spittal, I do wonder if Stuparevic was supposed to be that guy. He certainly has technical ability, but looks to be up there with KVV in the mood stakes!

I think forward wise we are probably good. Stama will be the main man and it will be one of Robinson or Moses alongside him if we even go with 2 up.

One thing I picked up on from SKs presser last week, and Im paraphrasing, but he seemed to admit he knew we didnt have the players to play his preferred formation, tactics right now, but he didnt want to change it while he was trying to get so many new player used to it.

Time will tell whether thats the right decision or not, but it should have been an indicator to all that it might not be pretty for a few weeks....... 

Edited August 5 by joewarkfanclub

[Vietnam91]

15 minutes ago, joewarkfanclub said:

It might not be pretty for a few weeks....... 

Sevco and Hearts with cup progression vs Killie in between, it was never going to be.

Some may end themselves by the time of our visit to Perth on the 31st.

I get his commitment to the formation and tactics but it just seems at odds with how he attained his initial success.

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

@joewarkfanclubcovers my thoughts on the defence. I also thought Balmer looked a good signing and thinks it's a mystery that he's been an unused sub since the Edinburgh City game. I'm not the world's biggest Blaney fan, but I think even excluding the Balmer situation, Casey has proven himself to be very good on the left of the three in the past when playing beside two assured players in a fit Butcher and McGinn. I'm quietly confident he'll be able to do the same beside Gordon and McGinn.

If the defence has indeed improved this season and Spittal & Bair (and even Biereth) who contributed the majority of our goals last season are no longer with us, it may be that in improving the defence, the attack is going to be sacrificied. If we were able to maintain our third highest number of goals scored, whilst improving the defence, we would be in for some season.

For a team with five defenders and three defensive midfielders in it on Saturday, as much as it was a brutal watch, we did manage to create more than enough chances to win the game.

The big thing for me is the injuries, surely we must be making some sort of investigation into how everyone is dropping like flies.

 

[ropy]

Is this usual 5 days out

 

MOTHERWELL V RANGERS

Ticket news coming soon….

 

 

A last minute switch to Fir Park?

Edited August 5 by ropy

[Phillips455]

13 minutes ago, ropy said:

Is this usual 5 days out

 

MOTHERWELL V RANGERS

Ticket news coming soon….

Naw  but from what vive heard, rangers haven't even contacted motherwell about ticket allocations. They must be in a mind field trying to allocate season ticket holders that they haven't been able to properly allocate an away end yet.

 

Dissapointing but to be expected from them.

['WellDel]

There'll be no surprises, it'll be just like at Ibrox. As minimal an allocation as they can get away with allowing us, in the shitiest corner of the stadium.

[Phillips455]

It might also be an issue of the SFA having a say as well. I'd hope we would get a decent are to view. Probably no more than the 900 they normally allocate but that's generally enough.

 

I'd suggest messaging the ticket office probably this or tomorrow afternoon. They surely wouldn't leave it until a couple of days before. Right?

[Vietnam91]

A club statement read: “Rangers Motherwell has written to the SPFL outlining its position following today’s further postponement issues regarding ticking at Hampden of the Dundee The Rangers Scottish Premiership fixture.

“The negligence and unprofessionalism demonstrated by Dundee The Rangers Football Club, where they have repeatedly breached SPFL rules, basic levels of competency continues to have a damaging effect on the top professional league in the country.

“In a week where record TV viewing figures were recorded for a match in the same competition, and this evening’s game due to be televised again by Sky Sports, this episode is deeply embarrassing and has also been eminently avoidable.

“Rangers Motherwell expects the SPFL to take proportionate and decisive action in accordance with its rules, and the club will continue to make representations to them in the strongest possible manner.

“The club has been repeatedly putting forward solutions to the SPFL, which have not been taken up. It has again proposed a solution to the preparation and execution of this rescheduled fixture and is awaiting a response from the SPFL.

“As things stand, the rescheduled match will be on Wednesday, April 17 at 8pm. The club considers that this matter has been handled incorrectly throughout by both Dundee The Rangers and the SPFL.

“At this time, we sympathise fully once again with our supporters, approximately 4,000 an unknown number of whom were looking forward to attending tonight’s Saturday's game. Having already been left hugely inconvenienced and out of pocket by the first postponement venue change last month, it is entirely unacceptable and disrespectful on the part of Dundee The Rangers FC to have allowed this situation to have developed again.”

Edited August 5 by Vietnam91

[fat_tony]

Looking forward to keeping up our 100% winning record against Rangers in 2024.