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Not at all. My point is that we need to move with the times. Look at the other leagues in Europe. They see foreign coaches all the time, it's commonplace. But in Scotland, we still look at a foreign coach as something exotic and risky, when in truth, it's not any more risky than appointing someone like Pressley or Neilson. I was more questioning your logic behind the notion that a less-than-stellar experience with Wimmer would represent a need to return to the status quo. I don't agree with that at all.

We shouldn't abandon our process because of one unfortunate issue. We aren't the first club to hire a manager from another country in our division, never mind the prevalence of foreign managers across all the leagues in Europe. I don't know how many of those left after 12 weeks because of a family issue, so it's not fair to assume that any manager from outside of the central belt is a flight risk for that reason. There's nothing to say thar out process won't lead us to a Scottish manager, but I don't think we should tear things up off the back of one incident.

If you want to keep misrepresenting my point, that’s your choice. But anyone reading what I actually said will see it for what it is. To clarify once more: my view is that the Board might see appointing someone who currently lives in the south of England - or anywhere far away - as a risk. That concern has nothing to do with ethnicity or country of birth. My reference to Wimmer as an unfamiliar foreigner was specifically in the context of him also not living in Scotland. And that’s exactly what he was to me. He was someone unfamiliar who lives far away in Germany. For what it’s worth, I’d be happy with another unfamiliar foreigner, a Scotsman, or anyone else. My only preference is that they live relatively nearby. We don’t want a repeat of Wimmer. It’s obvious that you’re trying to misrepresent my original post above as xenophobic, and I’m not having it.

Think it was a hip injury that kept him out for a few months. He also had a fractured cheek bone and eye socket in 2023 but that was obviously a freak accident.

Don't think Millers performance for Scotland will have done his price tag any harm. Shall we start the game of "much we gettin?" bingo before the 'undisclosed fee' is inevitably announced. I will start the bidding at £5 mill plus addons.

It was apparently his 11 year old son who was struggling with him being away. Which is fair enough. But the family illness issue has been posted publicly. Can't recall if it was in the official statement but it was out there on the Internet Edited to say the official statement just said major family issues - but it was posted somewhere, maybe pie and bov that a family member was unwell

This is what I heard also, although not in any official capacity. And as you say, that is a private matter. What I am confident of is that it wasn't a case of him arriving at Motherwell and deciding he missed his family. He knew exactly what would be required, in the short-term at least, when it came to that side of things.

It was written elsewhere...whether accurate or not...that Wimmer returned to Germany due to a serious illness in his family. There were more details given but it is a private matter so I am not going to expand further. Regards where an employee lives, there are numerous examples of Clubs insisting that players and Staff live within a reasonable distance of the home ground. What is 'reasonable' can likely be negotiated. It might restrict who would be interested in the job but having been bitten once, perhaps we should consider that stipulation. Even if it does add to the cost to the Club by way of resettlement expenses.

What do you think was more to it? I don't disagree with you - because I think it was all a bit off - him coming here and then leaving so suddenly - but he's said that and so have the club. Think the fans have a right to know

I suspect Ive been wooshed here, but here goes...... Obviously I will give him a chance, as I would with any new manager. Just some are more exciting than others. Doesnt necessarily mean they wont be any good. Neilson knows the league and has experience at our level. Would probably keep us up. But his pressers would be boring as feck and his team would in all liklihood end up the same. Brown may not be everyones cup of tea but he is a winner and wouldnt just give the usual stock answers to questions Could be a bumpier ride with him but it would undoubtedly be more fun. Still hope we go for Wimmer MK2 though. The thought process was correct even if it didnt work out as planned.

So, going by your reckoning, and as weeyin says above, a new manager who we recruit from the south of England would fall into the "unfamiliar foreigner" category.

That’s not what I said or implied, so don’t mischaracterise my point. My point was simply that the Board may now see it as too risky to appoint someone who doesn’t live in Scotland. The issue wasn’t that Wimmer was an unfamiliar foreigner, but rather that he wasn’t based in Scotland, which made it challenging for him to manage both the job and his personal life when issues arose back home.

I know a few things have been floated out there, but I don't believe that Wimmer left because he missed his family. There was more to it than that.

It is back luck, however, when you do your due diligence with the candidate, explore their domestic situation and get their buy-in to the needs of the job before they sign the contract. In the footballing world, it's not unusual for managers to live apart from their families. Even Robinson used to fly back to Northern Ireland most weekends after the match and McGhee used to trek back to Brighton on a regular basis (which probably took longer than flying to Germany). It's not risk free bringing in someone from overseas, but neither is hiring someone from the south of England.

A man with a young family living in a different country from said family isn’t purely bad luck . there was a level of risk - had the family been moving over etc etc then fine but to expect that to work and all be hunky dory isn’t just bad luck

The Wimmer situation was simply a case of bad luck. These things happen. What’s baffling is that some people still view overseas managers as though they’re strangers from another world, like we’re stuck in the late nineties. Football is more international now than it’s ever been. We should be focused on finding the right person for the role, regardless of where they come from. Their nationality shouldn’t matter.

After the Wimmer debacle, I doubt the Board will take a chance on another unfamiliar foreigner who doesn’t live in Scotland. It may now seem a bit too risky.

i honestly think its taking a wee bit of time because we are going down the exact same route as last time and its the old work permit holding things up again and i am good with that aslong as we have someone in place for the players coming back on the 18th then its fine and dandy. After Wimmer it proves to me we can get a very very decent manager and dont have to settle for anything less our Chairman seems to think out the box i like that i shall never compain about trying something different thats for sure.

Ach if it's neilson , give him a chance, don't want to do it without you .

That's one way of describing it.

Fair enough , but as I said I only concern myself with motherwell fc where he only played 10 times last season , which was a pity as he is a very good player. Oh and just to let you know I was very successful in my chosen field before I retired and indeed part of that was recruitment.

One minor hamstring injury is all, therefore not "made of chocolate". I sincerely hope that you are not involved in recruitment in your job.

Agreed. That would give our new manager more leeway to bring in his own men. Plenty of scope to mutual permacrocks. The only player on the "undetermined list" I'd consider keeping would be Seddon and then its 50/50. As an aside the transfer window opens on Thursday. Apologies if everyone knows that.

I only concern myself with motherwell fc , but I'll let you check his history and report back.

We might be able to loan them out if they're fit in time for the windows and don't figure into our plans. But it's very unlikely that we're going to mutual them. Even if we wanted to, I don't know why any of them would give up any of their contract when they face uncertainty after a lengthy injury. At worst they'll not get back to full fitness before their contract ends, and leqve next summer, and at best a couple of them will be fit by January and save us from loaning in some children as deadline panic buys. So I doubt the new manager will be hanging any hopes on them either way.