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I think that this should be a real source of pride for the club. The culture in football now is to sack managers at the first hint of trouble. In Scotland, the clamber to sack managers was the domain of Old Firm fans who believed that a victory every Saturday was a God given right. Sadly it is an attitude that has filtered into all clubs at all levels of the game including our own. Fortunately in this case, Alan Burrows and the board were able to look deeper than the poor on field performances at a man who is working his socks off to improve all levels of the club from recruitment, to training, to coaching structures to youth development etc. A young, driven professional manager who, whilst still learning the ropes has acted throughout with the best interests of the club at heart. Some of the comments on these boards in recent months have made for difficult reading. Personal attacks on Robinson and Burrows, and a complete disregard for the hours of work that they put into the club. It would be nice to think that a few lessons have been learnt now that the fortunes have turned around. We should be seen as a club who supports our managers, our players and particulary our young players. The board has led the way, the fans need to do the same. I am delighted for the manager, the players and for Burrows. That the goals in recent weeks have been home grown has made it all the sweeter.

At no point did I say that Frear was better than Ariyibi. I was only making a point that Ariyibi has (rightly) received a fair bit of praise since his arrival. In that time, Frear has been instrumental in us winning two games (Dundee and last night) in ways that are obvious. Yet he doesn't get the credit. Also calling bullshit on the suggestion that Frear doesn't work hard enough for the team. This is a guy who sacrificed himself by playing out of position for the last season and a half if he was selected. Not saying Frear would be first name on the teamsheet but I think you're downplaying his contribution massively...

I was thinking this after last night. Frear has his critics but in the five games since Ariyibi arrived, Frear has contributed 2 assists (3 if you include winning a penalty against Dundee) and Ariyibi has none. Not slating Ariyibi here as I think he has offered something but at a time when statistics are used to criticise certain players, feel as if some tend to ignore the contribution of Frear as it perhaps suits an agenda...

does anyone have the time to put in a minutes played v goals/assists for Frear? It's something I was saying the other day I'd like to see, I get it will be skewed by his horrendous time at LWB but I am a fan of Frear in general. Maybe due to his amazing start with us.

LOL not sure it was laziness - more "economy of effort".

Turnbull defintely looks like the real deal. He has so much composure on the ball for someone his age. He rarely looks flustered. The fact that he is already being mentioned alongside the likes of Lambert and McAllister is about as big a compliment as you can get. I think another 18 months in our first team and he will be in line for a big money move. Be brilliant to see him make it on the big stage and starting for Scotland.

Better yet! ETA: St Mirren - ooft.

Frear gets plenty of assists, and that’s what we need our wingers to do. He and Ariyibi are different types of player, and both are valuable in different situations. Ideally we need both, but our budget may stand in the way of that. Also, I think a fit Cadden could be considered as the right side of that 3 as well. factors to consider here are - does Frear want to stay? Can we keep Cadden? Does Ariyibi want to stay? If he does, do we have any chance of making that happen?

ITKMarv has spoken. No more stats allowed. Use of stats to make justifiable or valid points will from now on be completely disregarded. Thank you.

I keep going back and looking at the league table

About the same as Crhis Humphrey then (8 goals in 4 years), but not as prolific as Cooper with his 4 goals a season. Regardless, my point above still stands. He's been instrumental in at least 3 of our last 5 wins.

He's one of the most gifted midfielders any Scottish Academy has produced in decades.

In our 5 game winning streak, Frear has been instrumental in the wins at Accies, Dundee and St Mirren.

Credit to him, Im not Robbos biggest fan but he has turned it around big time, still a work in progress but there is a good framework there. I think 6th is achieveable but maybe a stretch too far. I think trying to consolidate 7th would be a better target, finishing 7th instead of 9th would mean around an extra £300k in the bank! 6th would be the Jackpot but at this stage possibly just out of our reach

yabezzer you are unsure or want rid off mchugh which yes he can be liability and football ability not best but he can organise and wins balls. frear our best player v accies at xmas time and threat from bench every time hes on. main without doubt is pivotal to our play with 2 wingers.he runs himself into ground and holds ball up every game. as ive said many times if he scored more he would be elsewhere. grimshaw whilst not greatest 1 on 1 defender his running is great and exciting and i cannot understand doubts gorrin has been one of catalysts for recent upsurge through always being available and able to go left or right with his switches of play cadden will play wherever he has to and as seen before his injury he was immense at right back. he could also play in campbell or turnbulls position and whilst he cannot tackle like 1 or as inventive as other his runs provide another option in those roles. So in short I would definitely want all 6. our recent play with our 2 wingers is fantastic so robinson deserves huge praise as this was not a formation forced on him with injuries. he put some big experienced players out team and replaced them with youngsters and new formation.

Came on last night, within 10 minutes loses a header and it's 1 each and McHugh is giving it his anguished 'hands on head I fucked up' signature move. You shouldn't need stats to see what's readily apparent but... McHugh has started 17 league matches and we've won 4 and kept 2 clean sheets. He's not started 8 league matches and we've won 5 and kept 4 clean sheets. There's a reason for that. He's a liability.

An incredible run! We clearly have a decent generation of young players coming through, each of Campbell, Turnbull and Hastie have arrived in the first team fully formed and looking undroppable. Would be sad not to see Cadden 's energy and power back before he moves on, if that's what's happening. Manager gets huge credit for the last month, blushes all round for contemplating his sacking, including myself.

Are we allowed to be in 7th position with our budget ?

All aboard the Motherwell Juggernaut!

A typical YB post. Not one player in the keep category....... Your comments on McHugh are well wide of the mark. And why I struggle to take some of your posts seriously. Yes he has had his ups and downs but to call him dreadful is disegenious imho. Cadden is a strange one. He just has not kicked on the way we would have all hoped. Maybe not playing in his best position has had an effect. But right now out of Cadden, Hastie and Turnbull which 2 would you opt to keep.....

Probably going to get a lot of stick here but Cadden is nowhere near Ariyibi. Cadden is an all round class player but he’s no blessed with incredible pace, feel like next season he could be moved to the middle of the park and occasionally the wings.

Fling Bigi’s wages at Hastie please.

OUT McHugh. It should be a priority to move McHugh on. He's dreadful and emblematic of everything wrong with the team over the last year and a half. Can't pass, poor decision making, riddled with mistakes, rash, no pace etc. For me he's got to go and I don't make any apologies for it. Frear. He's not had many starts this season and I can't see him getting many next season either. I think his time may have passed. I want players coming in who are pushing for a first team place, not guys settling into a perennial sub spot and I think that's where Frear is at the moment. Main. A frustrating player because he does good work in certain areas but he just doesn't have the cutting edge. The number of chances he misses is criminal and his shooting accuracy is really poor. Unless he had a Sam Cosgrove style improvement on his goal scoring I think I would let him go and look for a different player. Newell. Basically made no impact whatsoever. Like Mbulu he's a bit older than the other 'younger' players and I don't see a route for him into the team. We should be concentrating on James Scott so Newell has to go. Sinclair-Taylor. I actually thought ATS did reasonably well in his last couple of games but he's not done enough to earn a new contract and his loan away suggests his time is up at the end of the season. ON THE FENCE Mbulu. For me Mbulu has been a wee bit shakey and he's a bit older than the other younger players. At 22 I'm not sure his development curve puts him ahead of younger guys like Livingston and Maguire. Grimshaw. I have not been a Grimshaw fan for the most part but he has done quite well at right back, much more so than in midfield, so he has kind of turned my opinion around but I think long term I'd rather have a proper left back with Tait going to right back. If Grimshaw can keep his current form going I'd maybe offer him a deal as a back up or at least a challenger for RB. Cadden. Right now Cadden doesn't make my starting XI but of course Ariyibi won't be here next season. Perhaps a bit like Mark Reynolds, Cadden's development has stalled a bit and think from his point of view more than anything else that a move away in the summer wouldn't be the worst thing for either parties. I wouldn't broom him out the door like McHugh but for me Cadden is no longer an automatic first team pick and it's difficult to see where he fits into the team. Not technically gifted enough as a winger, not creative enough or enough goal threat for attacking midfield, would need to improve aspects of his game to be a defensive midfielder. Kinda like Bigirimana in that respect, I'm just not sure where he fits in. Gorrin has been a huge improvement in the defensive midfield position over McHugh but like Grimshaw I think he needs to keep his form going for the rest of the season. A couple of games doesn't make a player and we need to demand more consistency right across the board from players but I've been encouraged with what I've seen recently.