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I wasn’t at Dundee today but I think it’s inevitable that there will be a parting of the ways within the next couple of months. He labelled himself as the continuity appointment but week by week we are getting further away from last season’s approach. Of course, he had an incredibly tough act to follow but it shouldn’t be forgotten that few Motherwell managers will have been as well backed as Alfred in assembling a squad. Unfortunately though, this does feel similar to the Hammell experiment where he may have a philosophy in his head, but struggles to communicate and implement it. A niggling concern from the outset was that he reportedly fell out with senior players at Rosenborg. Choosing not to recruit any player over 25 and opting not to play SoDs despite Sparrow toiling with a bad back, suggests to me that he may not be too comfortable with having senior players around. That’s in sharp contrast to Jens who took McGinn and SoDs to new levels, and had the unused Halliday singing his praises at every opportunity. i get that any new appointment needs time but this one isn’t going to work out. Once a manager starts floundering in the post match press conferences, as he has done since Ibrox, the writing is on the wall.

They're a good bet for 3rd, which is the least their fans expect. I suppose success will be measured by how far behind they finish this year. As for Europe, good luck to them. They took a couple of real hammerings on the way, but credit where it's due for getting there in the end.

Part of the problem has to be our own interpretation of where and what this team is. Remember it is only 14 days ago that as a support we thought we were going to Ibrox to beat Rangers. I suspect that was an overly inflated view as to where the team was, tonight we have an overly pessimistic view of where we now are. 14 days does not turn a good team into a bad one. The warning signs were there v Falkirk and Stenhousemuir in particular, we were just not prepared to accept it at that moment in time because we were still riding on the emotion of a positive Euro campaign. I suspect as well that going down to 10 men against Frieberg muddied the waters as to the thumping that actually was. I suppose the point I am making is that we should not look at today in isolation as to where we actually are. We have had good performances against Utd, Hibs and Helsinki in particular. I am sure that level of performance is still in the team somewhere. The true Motherwell is probably somewhere in the middle and we have have to accept that our league position will settle somewhere in the middle. Not what we were hoping a few short weeks ago but maybe some realism will reset the expectation somewhat. .

Been back a few hours, had a couple of beers to mull things over. Yes, we are a work in progress, however the progress looks painfully slow. Our plan A is all well and good when we are in control of games (Dundee Utd). However, the not having a semblance of a plan B when things go south is starting to become a recurring theme. We could have been 4 or 5 down today and you just know that we would be playing the same way. The last 5 mins this afternoon summed that up very well, bringing on a target man and spending most of the time turning round and trying to recycle possession (rinse and repeat). I am by no stretch of the imagination wanting the manager gone, he needs time. However, he also has to recognise that the current methods are just plain not producing results and things need to change in both the formation and personnel. I hope he is listening.

Agree with some of it pal, we lost 5 massive players from last season. For any team that is going to be difficult to adjust. I think we have made good signings but not clicking at moment. Plus some of those players from last season are not performing.....Maswanhise being the main one. It's not great but no reason why we can't turn it round. Fingers crossed

Point is unlike us ( despite the fact we’re celebrating a great European run ) there in the group stages & will make millions to strengthen there club top 3 easy this year regardless of Thursday nights

Said. Ran his arse off. Never lost the ball and mostly found a team mate with his passes. Dribbled out of some hopless looking positions after being given hospital passes by said team mates. Did his fair share tracking back too. I wouldnt have taken him off.

Way to early to be making any judgements on Alfred. However, its not unreasonable to be concerned. We started the season very well and the new players looked up to the task. However, the last 3 games havent gone well. We just dont have the same control over games like we did last year and our rotations have disappeared. I dont expect us to play exactly the same way. But I keep hearing our priciples havent changed. If that IS the case then the players arent wirking hard enough and arent following the gameplan. If they are, then the coaching is rhe problem. Either way Alfred has a problem to fix. He has 3 weeks to fix it (albeit he seems to have given them a week off if Fadinger is to be believed). Celtic up next. No hiding place. We need to look more compact as a team. Less open on the transition and be visibly running harder for each other. No excuses.

Might just be me, but I'll probably pay more attention to the guy who's actually being paid to do the job over the people who need to pay to watch him do said job.

We'll see how they get on once the Thursday night games kick in. On the evidence so far, including tonight, they won't be replicating last season's league performance.

He cost the second goal, but he made at least 3 great saves to stop us being even further behind. Do we really think Matty Connolly will do better?

Celtic will romp the league despite being shit hearts are 2nd ( I think ) & in the group stages of Europe where they’ll make million despite losing there manager, captain & centre mid I’d very much back hearts top 3 despite losing the spine of their team ( & seem to have recruited well manager & player wise )

What to say? Its not awful. But its not great either. We play nice enough football, but its all too slow and predictable. Nothing incisive about it at all. My main frustration is that our rotations have disappeared and we no longer appear to have 3 options for a pass like we did last year. Lucky to have 1 at times. Is that lack of coaching? I would hope not given that we retained the same coaching staff as last year. They should know how to communicate the gameplan to the players. Lack of running? Could be. We certainly dont press the same. We dont win the ball back quickly and we get caught on the transition repeatedly. Lack of understanding from the players? We havent had a lot of time on the training pitch. But guys like Said, Maswanhise, Cookie, Fadinger, Longelo, Sparrow, all know how we played last year. They know whats required. Its all very frustrating because some of what we do looks similar, but its not the same. It doesnt have to be of course, but its not effective either. Glad we have 3 weeks until the next game. We are gonna need it to sort this mess out.

I don't see enough of Hearts to know how they're playing compared to last season, but statistically, they're 6 points behind where they were after 7 games.

Think for me it’s got an Aberdeen appt feel to it jimmy Thalinesque like I say hopefully can turn it round but there’s something not quite right at this stage

We were in Freiburg because of last years team….. we beat a team from the faroes & a team similar level from Finland this teams miles away from where it needs to be

Various opinions on here whether you agree or not which of course is healthy debate but feck me!!......go on Facebook and some of the comments beggar belief. As i have said before ( a bit like repeating jokes) 3 weeks ago we were in freiburg competing well. We have had 2 very poor results and all of a sudden everything is pear shaped. Buck stops with AJ as he is manager but there are a good few players that need a serious look at themselves. Social media probably plays a big part these days but jeez some of the teams I have witnessed over the years and were on worse runs than this. If come end of the year we are still on a bad run then we deal with it. However it just needs one good result to turn things round

He was always going to be onto a loser after jens last season…. taking that out account we’ve been pumped off Aberdeen, fell apart against st Mirren, been let off lightly against rangers & drew against a shit Falkirk Knocked out shockingly in the cup against stenhousemuir performed really well against a 10 man united & beat a freefall Hibs Europe was a great buzz but irrelevant as ultimately we’re out had moments off looking like a proper team ( st Mirren for 30 minutes we were unbelievably good ) but nothing sustained to suggest a good season Is upon us

He’ll be back in Scandinavia coaching schoolboys soon enough.

Never really thought about that, but you're right. On checking they are Norway's 2nd biggest team attendance wise and usually finish in the top 3. During his 2 full seasons there they finished 4th and 7th.

Absolutely, this is what I said on the Dundee thread.

That’s exactly what I was thinking. The similarities are there…walked into a near impossible task, started off okay but the cracks starting to show and looking out of his depth.

The gaffer said

Tbf manager doesn’t need removed at this point everything ur suggesting there suggests he’s not on it though 😂 Rosenborg are a huge club but didn’t really smash it there, certainly questions to be asked

Totally agree with many posters on here that our last few games since the United game have as always shown great possession but feck all attack or energy and have gifted opposition the points not out out of being outplayed just stupid decision making. For me today we lacked the energy, Hodge n Faddy forever turning back when there was lots of space in front to run into forcing the opposition to come out their solid shape, too slow, ponderous and no movement to give the ball holder options rather than going backwards. We need to be quicker, sharper and again put the fear into teams by our collective movement and pace, currently we look as if we are playing a Geriatrics 11 select. Oscars energy and passing is so missed and I’m hoping his return is soon! The forward line needs changed, Thor and Seb need a run together in the team, RCC offers nothing, Mas has lost his confidence, defence I feel Alfred needs to drop Sparrow, teams have targeted the right as he is no RB so he is the weak link, a natural RB is needed, SOD or Williams should be given a go at least until JK comes back LK should be in in place of GR, Polsen has his moments, (like Ward did last year for the first 10 games) but he is streets ahead of Connolly who gives me the hebee jeebies. We have a decent squad but AJ needs to find the balls to drop those that haven’t performed and give others their chance, we should be mid table this year, last year was special but we won’t be Jens2. Alfred has time but not unlimited, we need to when we get back from the break start picking up points and go on a run.