All Activity

Ive never been a fan of loaning players from clubs in the same league...however, Stephen Welsh was a breath of fresh air in terms of his abilities and his attitude.

Yes, 100% this move smacks of short termism. We now have a long term sustainable plan so lets stick to that. I'm not averse to the odd loan move to address specific circumstances, but not as a routine part of your overall strategy. Loan players are not your club's players and can be recalled and, add to that, Rice will have to sit out at least 3 games per season against his parent club. As you say Joe, its not our model.

I'm not one for public sentimentality and anniversaries are for those we forget, he is sadly missed.

I would have been fine getting Rice back as our player (albeit financially unlikely) but no interest in bringing him back on loan to develop him for Rangers to benefit from. Its not our model. Lets find the next Just, Fadinger, Watt, Maswanhise etc...

More likely to get a game there than displace Fadinger. I'm hoping, however, we're looking for permanent signings rather than loans.

Bailey Rice has, rather disappointingly, gone to Killie.

Jon Joe, Aidan and Mikey are fringe players I’d like to see more of next season depending on who we’re playing of course as I wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on them at the moment but if they’re good enough to allow us to rest others then great.

I thought the chairman said Nick Daws and team and been working and to expect a couple of signings in the next few days. He also said he wanted to give the new man "space to bring in his own signings". I'm pretty sure professional managers and coaches whose livelihoods depend on winning games are well aware of positions that need strengthening. As always, finding the right players for the right price who want to play in Motherwell is what takes time.

Read this, went straight to the bbc sports page to confirm it was what I was hoping for and now have a big smile on my face. I will try to keep this respectful but thank fuck he’s gone - John McGlynn please

I take it back what I said that just was the only positive for me to come from the tournament…. That news today was a positive

Good Law boy. Had the opportunity to stay but decided on the move. Best of luck to him.

The next week or so will be quite telling - depends on whether contracts get announced from 1 July onwards. A new manager will have impact - take last year for example. McGhee, Fadinger and Watt were probably agreed well before JBA was on the scene. Versus Just, Longelo, Said RCA had JBA's involvement. Similar calibre walking through the door next week will get me excited.

You'd think that JBA and Nick Daws would have identified areas to be strengthened some months ago and probably as early as January (central defence, Slattery replacement and a striker). Not only that, surely targets would have been identified and perhaps PCAs signed some time ago. Has JBA's departure disrupted that process despite what the club has said?

Are we expecting our first signings to be announced on first July ? last season Watt , Fadinger , McGhee all announced on 1st with Just, Longelo and Said a week or so later . If we’re able land anything like that quality I’ll be delighted . Not heard any rumours , but eagerly anticipating some additions .

Hark at you.

I see our resident arrogant know-it-all has made a reappearance.

I don’t expect anything, I’ll console myself that you’re not involved in negotiations for sure. From your player profiling I’d hope for fees in excess for those agreed for Lennon Miller. Theory being Miller was bought on the premise of potential and in effect a speculative purchase whereas, Just still ahead of his prime is a more complete talent with a CV that boasts holding his own on the world stage. Not far from the realms of possibility either with comparisons readily available amongst our peer clubs and current trading. Will though, depend on who is interested. Your old firm realising more in transfers has some merit, but, that landscape has changed somewhat which we proved less than 12 months ago as have Aberdeen & Hibs in recent times. Off on a tangent about club model, revisionism. You’ve gone from ‘the fact our entire model is based on giving youth a chance to ‘Pretty sure you’ll find our whole model is platforming players to get a better move’ is quite the stretch. Many strands to our club model and not all inextricably linked. Our board has been open in this outlook unless it’s myth they peddle on various platforms? 2 year deals weren’t exclusive to the players mentioned. How the club choose to market that doesn’t give us all an inkling that they are players most likely to feature. Think you do Ross a disservice. His development like many before him was favoured in a first team environment and not a loan so discounts ‘barely featured’ unless you are only counting appearances which numbered more than the rest you mentioned put together. Wilson can count himself lucky to have secured an extended contract under Kettlewell, certainly hasn’t developed. Currently making up the numbers in my view.

Ross as well I thought I had put him in already. The other few who would probably have played are John Joe Friel - CB, Aiden Thomson - CB, Mikey Booth - CM

Luca Ross? Currently, we are short of bodies though.

As far as I can tell we have 18 fit first team players maybe 19 if Stama is back? Plus 3 are Gk's Ward, Connelly, Oxborough, Sparrow, JK, SOD, McGhee, Longelo, Wilson, Watt, Fadinger, Preistman, Whyte, MaCallister, Said, RCC, Bjorgolfsson, Maswanhise, Stamatelolpous (Is he back from his leave?)

No idea but we were 2-0 up then took our foot off the gas/rotated the team. Not a conventional 2 x 45 mins exercise. All about giving as many players as possible some gametime.

Any idea who played/scored?

Finished 2-2

Out of interest what are you expecting as a transfer fee for each of those players? Me personally: Just - Had his breakout season at 26, been fantastic for us this season, PFA POTY Nominee, Fantastic WC with NZ I'd expect 4-5M Watt - Again breakout season at 26, don't think unfair to say was the best CM in the league this season, had an argument to be in Scotland WC squad. I'd expect 2-3m mainly because of his age. Maswanhise - Been resigned to losing him this summer, Golden boot winner, Won a breakout player award at AFCON. He's hardest to predict price wise could be anywhere between 3-5M. If we get more than the fees I've put there I'd be surprised but also delighted as it helps protect the clubs future. I think if we manage to get more than the fees quoted there then that would also help us selling players in future for bigger fees. I also don't think they're our only sellable assets: Ward, Fadinger, Longelo, Said could all fairly easily fetch transfer fees. Your Celtic/Rangers asking price points is fair but I imagine that Raskin or Engels would be at maximum doubling their wage, the guys leaving us you'd expect would get 4/5x at mimimum the amount their on at Motherwell. That bargaining position tends to allow them to hold out for more. The club size and reputation will also play a part in the fee we can conceivably get. On the model point yes I am very much aware. We provide players and managers a platform to showcase their abilities and make the next step in their careers. Our academy is extremely important to the model as in the past 10 years it has made us £10M between transfer fees (Miller, Turnbull) Compensation (Johnston, Campbell, Hastie) then the ones that clubs paid fees for before they played for us (McKinstry, Rice, now Greirson). As well as providing us squad players in the first team. (Maguire, Cornelius, Wilson). We also know that we need successful league and cup campaigns and to get into Europe for prize money that plugs holes in our finances, and selling players also contributes to that hence we sell our best players fairly regularly. The messaging from the club tends to be we budget for 10th and anything else is a bonus. On your hype train earlier post it is fairly obvious that the club see Whyte and MaCallister as the next 2 to be involved in the first team. They offered them 2 year deals and the reasons cited in the post about them suggest to me they will be involved with the 1st team this season. Will be interesting to see what happens with Ross and Wilson. Ross barely featured for us last season and Wilson was getting kept out the team at Raith by a 38 year old Lewis Stevenson.

Are you sure what the model is? Contradictory from your earlier post for a start… Yes, I heard the Chairman’s media output yesterday. Not just listened, heard. I’m well aware ‘we couldn’t stand in his way’ as that ethos has been around for some time. I never advocated we would, yet, you’ve got all our assets sold off at values that I’m not sure align with current market conditions. What the chairman did reiterate was the building our club incrementally which he has been open about before including statement at our AGM. This is by not selling off each asset in one window - which belies your ‘we are constantly losing our best players’ comment. We are in a position we don’t have to and can still demand higher value when we do decide to cash in. You ain’t breaking anything to me. His World Cup performances have been no surprise and I’d resigned myself to him not wearing claret & amber for some time. Thinks there’s a few who may dispute your further valuation - the mould firm are hinting at £20/25 million for Raskin & Engels, both wouldn’t have gotten a first team berth at ours last season.