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Showing content with the highest reputation since 03/19/2023 in Posts

  1. I may have got caught up in the emotion of the game but I couldn’t contemplate throwing any criticism at the players just now. I thought we were excellent, the players ran themselves into the ground and the last two performances against Rangers and Celtic have been miles ahead of the insipid performances that we’re routinely watched for much of the last 10 years. Full credit to Kettlewell and Frail for that. No harm to Theo who did well but we’re a proper striker away from being a right good team. Devastated today, that was up there with Kane in 2017 for me. Onto Livingston though, we need to return to gaining points rather than prolong a hard luck story.
    16 points
  2. There's a few details I think it's worth adding to this, particularly given some folks' concerns (on here and on P&B) re: asset stripping etc. The two bids that are furthest forward are: An American who "made his money in streaming" and now owns his own documentary company. His vision/strategy is to increase global exposure of the club and increase opportunities for further sponsorship, growing the fan-base and generating other revenue streams. An Aus/USA/Middle East group who are primarily looking to transform the recruitment side of the club and use more advanced data analytics, machine learning etc. to bring in players across the age-groups of the club to create a culture, style of playing etc. and sell them on for profit. Both parties have spoken with both the Club and Well Society Boards and at least one did it in person from what I picked up, although both may well have. Neither of the bids are philanthropic; they will be looking to make a return on their investment via their own business plans and strategy The investment will be made by buying shares, not in loans (like Hutchinson) or other guarantees that can be secured against the club; however these might be a special category of share that allows them to take some % of profits etc. (I missed the name of these) The share purchases will not be instant, nor will the investment be "transformational" straight away; one bid is proposing the WS go down to "around 50%" and another is wanting a controlling stake, but the % was not mentioned One of the groups would be looking to appoint their own CEO; "someone who played for Benfica and is running an Australian club" was mentioned (based on a quick Google, I believe that's this chap: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaz_Patafta) Transfer fees recouped for players will remain within the club (I'm not sure how that will work with the second investor I mentioned; perhaps through their specific type of shares they'll be able to share profit rather than taking away directly from transfer fees) One of the reasons for the urgency/speed around this is that one of the parties wants to be involved in planning for next season; both are looking for exclusive negotiating positions There is still a long way to go with negotiations, analysis of club finances by parties, addition of potential clauses etc. still need to take place which will then result in a final offer The interested parties might come back based on the results of any vote of the WS membership and accept that a 51/49 split with WS retaining ownership could work for them and that would be part of their heads of terms/initial agreement with the club There is potential to negotiate with investors clauses etc. in the final proposal(s) that would allow the Well Society first refusal on any investor's shareholding, in the event they wish to sell their stake in the club so the club would return to being fan owned, should the Society have the necessary funds to purchase the shareholding Equally, a "No" from the WS re: the red line on majority fan ownership could will be enough for the two current front runners to back out In total there were 4/5 "serious" groups (of 8 who expressed interest) looking to invest in the club; I asked how those were progressing and the simple answer was "not as quickly as these two". At least on of the other parties are investing in other areas of sport (a golf team in LA was mentioned) and the board are trying to get to things developed without having to use a corporate finance consultant as far as possible. Another is an American who Derek Weir had spoken with, who was interested in developing an academy system in the US for developing players but not much more was said on that one. The Chairman did state last night that if this is something which does progress forward, he would absolutely propose bringing in experts in corporate finance to ensure nothing is missed in the minutiae that could come back to bite us. Also, we have interviewed 3 or 4 candidates for CEO by both Club and WS Boards. The issue we have is that with potential investment and at least one group looking to appoint their own, it's a difficult spot to be in. Normally this kind of appointment and negotiations for investment would, ideally, be years apart. So we run the risk of appointing a CEO who brings their own structures and ideas, to then potentially have them removed by any investor. The Well Society have asked for the opportunity to provide a strategy/plan that means they'll be more able to continue funding the club and any shortfalls and create a business / fundraising plan of their own for the club, along the lines of the investors. I also want to point out that Derek Weir stated that was his preferred option; that the Well Society is able to provide the funding required for the club to continue before difficult decisions (i.e. slashing playing budgets etc.) need to be made. Ultimately, the Society needs to be in a position in October to tell the accounts auditors that they have the funds available to support the club for 18 months; if not, that triggers a warning to the SPFL regarding our financial situation. Also, to be absolutely clear, the Board are in no way making recommendations to shareholders or the Society to go or not go for the investment from either party. That will be decided when bids are submitted and shareholders and WS members have their vote. They are exploring all their options to ensure the financial safeguarding of the club, which is their job as Directors. As I said above, that also includes the WS continuing in its current role and increasing its input to the club. Time, however, is of the essence. I would expect WS members to be polled/asked to vote in the coming days. Exactly how that will be put across is key and it'd be interesting to see what is sent out (I'm not a WS member, I have private shares in the club).
    15 points
  3. The response to us signing Theo Bair, on here and on socials has been embarrassing. It's one thing discussing opinions about the signings we should expect the club to be making in here and conversing about the pros and cons, but to be actively slating the lad in a thread that the club has tagged him in is absolute sociopath, incel behaviour. He might be good for us, he might be rotten for us, he might be somewhere in between. What's damn sure is that all the opinions expressed by the usual mouthpieces on here - before Bair has kicked a ball for us - will be doubled down on regardless. Absolute clowns.
    12 points
  4. A 3-0 win against a team that never looked like troubling us with 11 men never mind 10, 3 teenagers on the Park and playing well, winning the group and seeded for the last 16 draw a very comfortable win. And yet the Trolls and their apprentices are still feckin moaning 🤦‍♂️i really despair at some of our support, that only seem to get enjoyment from defeats and bad performances, what a feckin sad life.
    12 points
  5. Honestly, some of the patter in this thread is cringeworthy. The very notion that our kit designer and our club should take anything a group of laddies who bang a drum and wave flags in a corner of Parkhead think about our kit into account when making a commercial decision is absolute madness. That these guys actually take up enough space in Motherwell fans heads to even be a factor is mental. Honestly, who cares what they think? Or what they say? All this "we're just giving them a reason..." nonsense? You don't think they already have a million reasons in their deluded minds as to why we're all "secretly" Rangers fans? While the blue version of them in the other half of the city has their own little takes of those same reasons to think we're all "secretly" Celtic fans who hate "the Rangers." Interestingly, I come from a family that rests firmly on the green side of the divide. A fair number of Celtic fans, with absolutely no one making any kind of connection with our strip and anything untoward. Not a single peep from anyone. This is a case of a very small minority on social media making a racket, as is usually the case. It's bollocks, and that Motherwell fans are even giving a shit is astounding.
    12 points
  6. Turns out a professional football manager knew more about coaching players than random punters on a message board.
    11 points
  7. You want specifics? SK inherited a bloated squad full of players most on here thought were shite and needed moved on. He was clearly under instruction to from the board to get the squad trimmed down as our wage bill was too high. He was quite ruthless and successful in that regard. He then went to try and improve the quality of the squad with new players. He wasnt able to do that. If you listen to the language used at the time his preferred targets all went to clubs where they could earn more and he was left scraping around the bargain basement to get bodies in. If you watch the video I posted with Gary Neville & Roy Kean discussing these very issues, you might accept that its just not as straightforward as fans think. In the first few weeks of the season Wilkinson, Biereth and Obika all got injured forcing him to bring in Ollie Shaw at the last minute. We already had Butcher injured, Casey, Blaney, McGinn, Miller, Souare all followed. So yes. Plenty mitigation in my book. No manager will get all their signings right. Most will have at best a 50/50 success rate. Probably lower for a manager with out budget. The secret for these guys is to recognise it isnt working early and move them on. Failing to do so would be a bigger concern. Re wingers - see trimming of the squad and what players were available to sign. Gent gave a very good impression of a winger at the weekend. Maybe that SK sees him as the solution in that area and maybe thats why he brought Monty in much to everyones surprise. Do you know Davor and Gents personal circumstances? Maybe they had issues and/or werent ready to play? Gent certainly pointing to the sky when he scored on Saturday. Bair is a back up striker. Circumstances have dictated he has been used more than that. I wouldnt have given him a 2 year deal, but then I dont know what money he is on. It may not be costing us that much. However, he is nowhere near as bad as he was made out to be. Really not sure what standard of striker folks think would be happy to sit on the bench for Motherwell? Wilko got injured early doors and I dont know that we ever figured out how to play him. He seemed like a decent finisher when given chances but we were so deep in the shit at the time he was never gonna feature. Probably best for both parties he moved on. As for the last part. Bair didnt miss any sitters. Gent put in some good crosses that a better striker may have gambled on and got on the end of. But given Biereth was recalled we will have to find someone else to do that. That ones been done to death. Its just nonsense. Scoring goals hasnt been our issue this year. Keeping them out has. So KVV no more kept us up than the defence did. Pretty sure SK had an input in both. Total revisionism. Youve picked the 3 games when we were in fact atrocious. During that run we also lost to Celtic Rangers and St Mirren whilst playing what was generally regarded as some of the best football in recent years. We also came form behind to snatch draws in the games against Ross County, St Johnstone (twice) Celtic and Dundee. Not to mention the game at Easter Road where we were seconds away from back to back victories. Now Im not saying we were great in any of those games, but we werent atrocious. Certainly not for 90 minutes. Again just not true. Alexander and Hammell both had bloated squads. Both SK and Derek Weir have gone on record this season about how the playing squad had to be made more sustainable in the long term. I think we had 35 first team players at the end if Hammels reign its now down to 21. Our recent league form up to the Hibs game was 2 defeats in 8. 5 draws, 1 win, 2 defeats. One of those was to Rangers. One of the draws was away to Celtic. Its not great form, but its nowhere near sackable. Overall, you clearly dont like SK and want him gone. You are entitled to your opinion and I have no issue with that. There have been plenty of reasons for fans to be unhappy with him and the team this season and he probably wasnt too many results away from being sacked. But he has steadied the ship, shown that he is able to recognise mistakes and try to fix them. He isnt going to be sacked now so we have to back him and the players for the rest of the season. The 3 signings made so far in the window appear, on paper at least to address some of the weaknesses in the squad. We could do with a couple more though so lets see what the week brings.
    10 points
  8. 27 years to the day since we beat Celtic with Jamie Dolan in goal. No matter how long it’s been that day will live long in the memory. I’d actually forgotten that that was one of his last appearances for Motherwell as he moved to Dundee Utd in a swap deal for Owen Coyle the month after. Also sadly no longer with us.
    10 points
  9. It is really difficult to know where to start with this. The third manager in as many seasons suffering the same drop off in performance level from his players as the previous two men. Go back just 3 months ago and this same team had just won away to Hearts with Kettlewell enjoying once of the best win percentage of any manager in the clubs history. Can it really become a terminal situation once again in such a short space of time? Reading the forum last night was bizarre. Not only were there some posters almost relishing the position the team finds itself in once more but there were others showing hostility towards those who have attempted to support the manager over this difficult few months. Some of the language is tasteless and highly emotive, particularly when we consider that Kettlewell is a man who saved us from relegation last season and has clearly given his all to make his time a success. I should not be surprised. Swap out the name of Kettlewell for Hammell/ Alexander/ Robinson/ Baraclough etc.... and it is an all to familiar read on these boards. Last night was a worry but I don't think it necessary means the end for Kettlewell. I think his team selection last night was one of a man who has let the pressure get to him. He has lost his head somewhat as one poster described it. This does not make him a poor manager necessarily, just a guy that is not thinking straight under difficult circumstances. I think this is the sort of time that club chairmen need to step in and do their bit. Help the manager ( in this case Kettlewell) clear his head. Try to help him see clearly once more. What was working so well just six months ago that is not working now? How can we get back to making simple, effective decisions. I want Kettlewell to get the gig on Saturday for four very simple reasons: 1. I would love to see the guy turn it round and give the club some much needed stability. 2. To see the club buck the modern trend of sacking managers at the first sign of trouble. As a club we are quickly gaining a reputation for just that unfortunately. 3. It might just break a culture in the club where players down tools at the first sign of trouble should Kettlewell be able to turn this round. 4. If Kettlewell could turn this round it might silence, for just a little while, those on these boards that offer little by way of support to the manager or the team. It is the easiest thing in the world to say that the manager is rubbish and should be sacked because in all likelihood most managers are now just 4/5 poor results away from the sack. It does not make you a visionary to spout the same negative vibes time and time again to then claim victory when almost enivitably managers are shown the door. I am not saying Kettlewell will turn this round. Actually for the first time last night I think the balance shifted towards him not getting out of this. All I am saying is that I hope every option of support is given to him at the club to help him turn this round. If he gets that chance this weekend we need to back him. The atmosphere does not have to be toxic unless the fans choose to make it that way.
    10 points
  10. So you're checking out potential signings now so you can pan them before they play, your dedication is commendable
    9 points
  11. Yes. I normally leave it first gear AND apply the hand brake. sorry, could stop myself. I blame Grizzly!
    9 points
  12. Nothing as good as some of the stuff posted above. I have had a soft spot for Motherwell since 1973ish. I am a Sunderland fan - you may have guessed by my nick. Anyway my Dad worked away in Glasgow when I was a kid. I used to go to Roker Park and hear the chants of Celtic/Rangers from the Fulwell end, so I asked my Dad to get me a scarf next time he was in Glasgow. He bought me a Motherwell scarf! (I still have it somewhere safe - just wish I knew where!) It took me fifty years to finally visit Fir Park and see a game. I've now been twice, here's a few shots from my last trip up, family day V Ross County 3-3. My first game was last season the 3-0 win over Livingston. Hope to be up soon, I have a mate who follows St Mirren and we hope to get to the next meet.
    9 points
  13. Mrs Grizzly angry with me tonight as she says my life revolves around football and she is sick of it . I said that is the cruellest thing she has said in the 27 seasons we have been together!! 😜😜
    9 points
  14. It's only Groningenboy that is saying that.
    9 points
  15. Avoided coming on here yesterday post game cause I knew the degree of pant-wetting from the usual suspects would be painful. We were pish, simple as that. Davor sold the jerseys for the goal and was a mile off the pace. St Mirren looked a little better than us but still a very Robinson style team. Fight like fuck for the second ball. Once Miller came on, there was pretty much nothing in it between the two teams (i.e. they were as pish as us). Fact is, that outside the two arse cheeks, your team is not going to win every week and the odd crap performance is inevitible, regardless of who the manager is, so an 'unexpected' defeat was always on the cards, especially given Kettlewell's record over the last 20 odd games. If someone had said after Hammy's last game that you were going on a run that would see you lose 3 in 22 (or whatever it is), everyone would have been delighted. If you think your team should win every game every week and play expansive attacking football, probably best to go and support Celtic or Man City. Last week, we beat Hibs (and the usual suspects had that down as a tanking before it kicked off). In fact, Hibs, a team who have progressed in Europe with a couple of decent performances, did not lay a glove on us all game and only scored because of that ridiculous penalty. So, agreed, we were crap yesterday, but every team in the league will have crap days. If you're on here posting about the eighth defeat in a row, that's the time to wet yer knickers.
    9 points
  16. Been away for a few months, but good tae catch up with you guys. All the best . Retired now Postiejim.
    9 points
  17. This is a really good question & one that's sparked my return from a long hiatus on here (although anyone who also peruses P&B will notice I started posting there a couple of weeks ago after years away too). As a member of the Well Society Board who has been elected & re-elected by Society members, I personally think there's an element of responsibility there in terms of safeguarding fan-ownership. It seems logical to assume that, if Society members have voted for you, they want you to try & grow the Society, champion the benefits of fan-ownership, and presumably subscribe to one of the key reasons used for fan-ownership in the first place - preventing the club from falling into the wrong hands. In terms of growing the Society, I feel like there is now a majority of like-minded individuals on the Board following the recent elections (that, in all honesty, previously just didn't exist to the same extent) who recognise the need for drastic improvements across the Society, ensuring greater transparency, far better communications, and a raft of other aspects. That work is very much underway and I think it's certain that the Society will see growth in membership & income in the coming months & beyond as a direct result - the ceiling of that is, of course, very much up for debate. But, genuinely, it's the most positive I've felt about fan-ownership this side of the pandemic. So, for me, the answers to the original question like this are really important - because if it is, in fact, the case that a majority of Well Society members would rather end fan-ownership, then that's something we would need to be guided by and, essentially, carry out - and it's something we will likely have to actually ask members sooner rather than later, to ensure that we're doing what they want us to do. For the avoidance of doubt, no investment happens in the football club without, firstly, the Well Society Board being involved in the discussions with interested parties and, secondly, a ballot of all Society members - with a majority needing to agree to the offer. In terms of the actual question itself, I think it's worth highlighting the, potentially never-ending, caveats that mean it's not anywhere near as simple a question as "would you swap fan-ownership to compete with clubs who have ownership investment". The level of investment itself, who is providing that investment, their intentions for the club, and a whole host of other aspects are incredibly important there too. It's also worth remembering that fan-ownership isn't just some trinket that's been put in a cupboard in the Phil O'Donnell Stand somewhere, it's the result of years and years of time, effort, and money from an endless list of individuals, so I dare say there's a need to actually consider what scrapping all that work is worth to people. Put it this way - I don't think in today's world it's ever going to be as simple as folk just wanting to "swap fan-ownership to compete with clubs who have ownership investment". What else would they sacrifice for that and where are the red lines? Would folk take a few extra quid to ensure that we're potentially finishing 6th or 7th each year, in exchange for a club that loses its entire community-based ethos? Would folk take five years of European adventures, in exchange for investment that is only part of a five year plan, with investors set to pack up & leave soon after leaving the club in the lurch? Would folk take dodgy money from unknown sources to make us the 3rd force in Scottish football until the investors got bored, in exchange for the eradication of our own youth academy? Would folk take all of those sacrifices - the loss of the club's identify, no long-term plan, no youth academy - for a club that could still end up in the Championship regardless of investment like Dundee Utd? All hypothetical scenarios but all very real possibilities. As I mentioned before, protecting the club from falling into the "wrong hands" has long been a reason given for fan-ownership, and I think this is possibly a very real example of a scenario where people need to be very careful what they wish for.
    8 points
  18. I'm more than happy to deal in reality. We're a poor side, we didn't sign much quality in the summer, we look unlikely to bring much in during this window and our run without a win was the worst since Tommy McLean. I don't ignore or need to defend any of that. However, when folk claim we can't score, reality shows otherwise. Reality shows the non footballer Theo Bair's goal return has been on a par with or better than anyone else signed by any of our potential relegation rivals. And here's the bigger picture - all the pissing and moaning in the world won't change the fact Kettlewell is not getting sacked. We got that straight from the top a week ago, but it clearly didn't register with everyone.
    8 points
  19. Or vastly underrated by some. We live in the social media world these days where every player can only be ranked as brilliant or crap. Nuance died with Twitter. It's amazing how all these useless players are so easily spotted by the fans, but manage to fool coaches and managers who have spent their entire adult lives in the professional game and whose livlihood depends on fielding their best available team every week.
    8 points
  20. Modern life is rubbish eh. People don't have any patience anymore and everything needs to happen now for their own benefit and apparent well being. Social media helps the minority to whip up a crisis, when in the past it was a blip. Club success anywhere rarely happens overnight and managers need time to build a team, especially clubs who don't have much money. Every teams fans forum, say the same. Sack. The manager as he's hopeless etc etc. Perhaps we can be different for once and our fan base can be a bit more realistic about our level in the game and support the manager/players.
    8 points
  21. Why can Motherwell supporters not take pride in our players being capped for Scotland? Neither keeper tonight could be faulted for the goals. But some need to nit-pick. Why?
    8 points
  22. Thoughts and Prayers to the person having urgent medical attention in the Cooper at full-time. Regardless of our pain at how the game played out, it is and always will be, just a game. Up the Well.
    8 points
  23. Great team performance today. We havent showed the mentality to win at Ibrox for such a long time and it was there for all to see in spades. We defended well as a unit, no cheap individual mistakes and the goal we did lose was a wicked deflection. Midfield passed it around for fun, got in some very good positions and but for a bit of luck or better finishing we would have had a couple of goals. For those having a go at the forward line again, its fair enough to point out the lack of quality up front, but can we not add a little perspective? I thought Bair did well enough again today. Won some headers held it up, laid it off. He never really had any clear cut chances, so not sure what folk are expecting of him. He isnt an out and out striker, but when we play someone else up top with him we tend to lose the control over the midfield we have been exhibiting. Shaw made a difference when he came on and for me he missed the best chance of the game, but Id also cut him some slack as he hasnt played a lot of football and is coming into games cold with very little gametime behind him. Going forward I'd like to see us build that up so he is fit enough to start instead of Theo. Although we havent seen anything to suggest Wilkinson is any good, he has been injured and has yet to settle so we have no idea if he is any good or not. We also have Biereth to come back, so its not all doom and gloom. We just controlled large parts of the game against the 2nd best team in the country on their own patch in a manner most of us have been desperate to see for years. Lets concentrate on the positives and take that into the Celtic game next week. This team isnt far away from where we want it to be.
    8 points
  24. The smart arse BBC guy who supports Aberdeen was trying to be clever making comments about Rangers supporters wouldn't have been happy if they and signed Beir. Crags immediately responded by saying Motherwell supporters would have be even less happy if we had spent £4000000 and ended up with Dessers.
    8 points
  25. Paton changed the game for us. He was excellent, had composure when we were lacking it, and it brought the other midfielders into the game. I might still be high on that last minute goal, but I think I love him.
    8 points
  26. On the subject of Killie this Swedish team Aberdeen are playing have a top class 4G pitch which the teams are actually able to play football on. If the league can't force Killie and Livi to put down grass surely they could make them use plastic that isn't utterly shite. The competitive and financial advantage the two plastic teams get from their shite pitches is a direct disadvantage to us yet we seem to do nothing about it.
    8 points
  27. I am 54 years old. In the first 22 years of my life we had appeared in exactly zero cup finals. In the last 32 years we have been to 5 and won 1. Of the 4 we lost, we played Celtic or Rangers in every one. We are one of a select number of clubs who have won all of the major trophies available to Scottish top flight clubs and have a rich history in taking the beautiful game around the globe. You can also add in numerous top six finishes and European appearances to that list. This belief that there is somehow something wrong with our club because we lost a very tight cup tie by the odd goal away from home against a similar sized club who are in good form is just ludicrous. Yes Kettlewell got the team wrong yesterday and thats on him. Whilst he may not say it, he will know that, and it will hurt him. However, his record is still excellent and the squad he is building is still well short of where he (and we) would like it to be. Can we just for once, wait until October or November before we decide he is shite, his players are shite, he will be gone by xmas?
    8 points
  28. As much i was hoping your new signing was going to fall through, I kindof knew it was on the cards, It has been a real treat watching you play for us this season and for playing such a massive part in pulling us out of the danger zone and helping end the season on such a high, Thank you. You will be sorely missed and we wish you all the best with your new club ❤️💛
    8 points
  29. Every Celtic player is better than our equivalent. To compete in the game we have to make up with that with sheer workrate - which we did. This however leaves you vulnerable in the latter stages of the game when stamina and mental fatigue become factors. That's what happened today, it's what's happened many times in the past. If it was mentality we wouldn't be holding out to 94th or 97th minute or indeed getting a late draw at Celtic Park earlier in the season. People just need to get a grip. Obviously it's gutting to lose like this but we don't need the finger pointing and vitriol. How about maybe, just maybe, giving the team a slap on the back for competing against a team who's wages bill for their subs today is more than our entire club budget.
    7 points
  30. 7 points
  31. The issue I have is that the manager is the one candidate who takes the brunt of failings elsewhere in the club. I was unsure about Kettlewell when he came in, but having had the second half of last season and all of this season to see what he's all about, I think I'd have to say that he's one of the best football coaches in the division. He came in last season and helped Van Veen become a goal machine. Van Veen had 13 goals in 29 games before Kettlewell came in. He got 16 goals in 15 games post-Kettlewell. This is a guy who managed 24 goals in 139 games in League One in England. That works out roughly at a goal every ten games or so. I give the player himself a lot of credit for that, but when you see an uptick in form like that when a new coach comes in with new ideas and a new coaching style, it's usually connected as well. Theo Bair, I don't need to get into. I'm still absolutely astounded at the turnaround in that guy. Before he came here, everything about him suggested he was not a professional-level footballer. His stats, and not just his goalscoring numbers, at other clubs, were laughable in many cases. His xG and so on was abysmal. Throw in the fact that his failure was taking place at levels like the bottom of MLS at a Canadian side who were terrible during that time and the Norwegian second division. At St Johnstone, he looked like a tall, rangy basketball player who was trying to become a footballer. What he's doing now is down to three things - Athletic ability, work ethic, and a very high level of coaching. Blair Spittal has quietly become something of a revelation this season. Again, it's not just down to the coaching, but that's a huge part of it. Paul McGinn has looked better this season than last, and even the likes of Stephen O'Donnell and Harry Paton look like improved players, to some degree, this season. The only blot in the copybook is Liam Kelly, and I'm not sure what can really be done when a keeper hits a bad run of form and makes individual mistakes. That's not all coincidence. It's the kind of team spirit that the manager has created at the club and some really good coaching. Which is why I think we'd be mental to let him go. Yes, there's issues at the club. But for me, the manager and level of coaching are the only thing that's saved us from tail spinning entirely. Sort out the recruitment team and get things in order at the very top, and I think we'd be in good shape.
    7 points
  32. We should've signed a poacher.
    7 points
  33. How astute some of our fans are when describing the Board as amateurs, they are correct. They receive no pay for what they do, so, by definition, they are indeed amateurs. As to the complaint that the Directors are not experienced on the Board of a football club, I would ask how do you become experienced on the Board of a football club without being on the Board of a football club? There was a post by David recently regarding the recruitment policy process of the club. Whilst not everyone may have agreed fully with his proposal at least he took the time and effort to put forward an extremely in depth, well thought out and articulate analysis as to what he believed could be improved. Unlike the vast majority of the posts on here which are just negative criticism and could, possibly, at times be classed as bullying and/or trolling. Also for those who are no happy with the direction the Club is heading, there are a number of possible options available. Option 1 1. Join the Well Society 2. Put yourself forward to be a Director of the WS 3. Get elected 4. Be nominated to be the WS Director on the Main Board 5. Put forward your proposals for change Option 2 1. Be asked to join the Board of MFC due to your existing skills 2. Put forward your proposal for Change Option 3 1 Buy MFC 2 Do what you like as you now own it Or go with what you currently seem best at – being negative and criticising others.
    7 points
  34. Did you consider Tommy McLean to be a decent manager ? Wee Tam bought and moved on countless dud players in his time. Every team in the league buys and moves on players that don't work out for them for one reason or another and every manager has done it more often than anyone would be able to remember. In the market we're in and the competition for mediocre players, I seriously don't get where you think we should be able to magically find great players for no so great money and have every one we try work out well. The fact that the standard of football in our league is going down is not the fault of our club or anybody who works for them. It's the current economics of the game leaves our manager (and every other Scottish manager apart from the h**s and the Tims and maybe Hearts and Hibs scrabbling around in the same murky pool. Every now and again you unearth a gem and a lot of the time you don't. If you look back to the signing of Moult, he was brought in as 'a project' and the main man was to be a guy who'd played at a higher level (Wes Fletcher). We all know how that turned out. When you deal in that pool, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It's like buying a £500 car. Blaming Motherwell for making the mistakes made by almost every club and manager in the league is pointless.
    7 points
  35. Feck me. Been away for a few days and had a quick look in here. Thought we had maybe been relegated to the Lowland League for financial mismanagement, our entire first team squad had emigrated to Australia or some Nigerian had emptied the Well Society bank account. Think I'll go away again.
    7 points
  36. If you read this forum, our support must contain some of the worst supporters in the country 😁 If you used the info found here, Motherwell would lose 3-0 every week, they'd get relegated every year and no other team ever loses or draws after going one up. After a 15 game winless run, winning at home against your closest opponent and drawing away with a team above you isn't bad. The fact that we werent rock bottom after that run shows that outside Celtic, Rangers and Hearts, everyone is mediocre. The run during Alexander showed the same thing. You'd actually think the other 11 teams in the league won every week judging by some of the pish talked on here. Sure, it's gutting to lose a lead so close to the end, but how many folk of here were thinking 'game over' after they scored the opener. Get a fucking grip and enjoy the fact that we're not in a worse postion than we are, we have a window to get rid of and bring in a couple of players and we have a 4 game run of real winables to come.
    7 points
  37. or maybe they sacked him when he said he was signing big wilko
    7 points
  38. Why can we not just give Kettlewell the credit he deserves for yesterday? We even had the sour grapes "the PLAYERS deserve credit". Clearly a positive for Kettlewell was a step too far for some. Acknowledgement grudgingly given at best. Depressingly I get the sense a few folk even wanted us to lose yesterday, just to justify their assault. I admit I did have doubts when I saw his team selection but he and the players made it work and proved me wrong. Even with Shaw contributing next to nothing, the fact he fielded three forwards created the space that Biereth and Bair took advantage of. That set up was down to Kettlewell and in such a critical game he carried the day. Accept it and hope the upturn in results continues. I don't know if Kettlewell will survive to next season. Nobody does. But to suggest a new Board would not renew his contract under any circumstances is ridiculous. It is quite clear that even if our January signings work out, we have a decent cup run and secure our top league status, Kettlewell's detractors will still shout loudest....until they get to move on to their next target when he eventually goes. We managed an important victory yesterday and head to Easter Road in a more positive mood. I think that is a good thing but sadly it feels like some don't think that way.
    7 points
  39. 5-2-3. All his chips on Ollie Shaw like a guy 12 pints deep at the Casino.
    7 points
  40. Im still on the fence with Kettlewell after today for a miriad of reasons. The most important is that I really want him to succeed and see us end this cycle of ditching managers every 8 months as that in itself will eventually result in a relegation. We cant keep spunking money on managers and allowing them to change the squad every window. We arent flush with cash and we need to spend it wisely in order to remain competitive. If we were detatched at the bottom and/or the players had chucked it, then I would back a change immediately as relegation would be imminent in any case. But we are not there yet. We are still in touch with the teams above us and the players, regardless of how poorly they have been playing, repeatedly go to the end for the manager. Having a habit of digging points out of nothing from nowhere is a good habit to have. The same players also produced some of the best football Ive seen us play since McGhees first spell as recently as 10/11 games ago. That said, we cant ignore the run we are on and we really really need to get a win from somewhere soon. Todays team selection, albeit somewhat enforced, was closer to what we should be looking like. We were much harder to break down and St Johnstone offered nothing until Kelly gifted them their goal. Stop doing that and you get a foundation to play from. Davor looked more than decent today and if Gent hadnt had such a good game he would have been my MOTM. He, Gent and Spencer should definitely keep their places. SK wasnt fired after Tuesday, so he wont be fired after today. I think he can still turn this around. But he needs to take some ownership for the poor decisions he has made in the last few weeks and be brave in his decision making in the next few weeks if he is to make it to the transfer window. I understand how difficult it is to drop your captain when he is a Scottish international and was a major part of your early success, but at some point you need to take the player out of the firing line before his confidence is damaged ireparably. If Oxborough is that bad then he really shouldnt be at the club. I thought SOD actually had a decent enough game today at RCB but if he is to keep his place it shouldnt be at the expense of Spencer or Gent. Once Butcher, Casey and McGinn are fit, then they should be the ones in the conversation to pick the best 3 from 6 centrebacks. If he does make it to the window then SK also needs to take ownership of transfers. There is clearly a huge question mark over Daws and what if any value he brings to the club. I wouldnt be trusting him in isolation if my job depended on it. If he gets all that right, and its a huge if, he might just get thru this. If not, he will either be gone, or we could be staring a relegation in the face.
    7 points
  41. I cant believe some of the comments some of our fans make about Turnbull. He was under no obligation to sign a contract extension . He knew he'd be leaving but signed on to ensure the club that looked after him were taken care off. We therefore got good money for him. Lennon Miller is the same he knows he won't be with us for long but extended his contract which again will give the club a chance to get some payback for for that investment. I will never give guys like that a hard time. There are so many badge kissing fuckers who take the club for a ride. I wouldn't piss on Tom Boyd, Chris Cadden or Declan Gallagher if they were on Fire. Those cunts actively did all they could to either bad mouth the club or ensure we got fuck all.
    7 points
  42. 7 points
  43. You seem to have developed an agenda against Bair who has been whether you like it or not an important part of a team that is functioning pretty well with room to improve. Lost 2 games 1-0 to a st mirren team who are unbeaten and to a team where we haven't won in league in 20 odd years and in both games all agree were fine performances . You suggest Wilkinson and Shaw now on what they have done in past and suggested ferrie previously for god knows what reason however in life the people who always look to the past are generally not as successful as those who prioritise the future. Your Bair rants are also starting to look a little bit personal like others who used to post on here slating every midfielder like ohara.spittall etc that kept cornelius out team as he was a local boy. Fact was and is they were better than him same as Bair is better than Ferrie. Bair imo is doing OK as part of our 3421 formation and I like others hope he makes you eat your words.
    7 points
  44. Everybody is agreed Bair is not a goal scorer and if we had one ready to replace him then he would not be starting. But we don't, so he is currently our best option and the team is structured on that basis. Shaw might be that man but only time will tell. Repeatedly banging on about his shortcomings and blatantly ignoring any positive contribution is so blinkered. You were not so vocal regards Bair after the Hearts victory. Have you ever considered that, under our current circumstances, Kettlewell may be playing Bair looking for to him to assist others to take the chances he and the rest of the team create, rather than racking up KVV like numbers for himself? Kilmarnock being another positive example where Bair helped us win a game that looked lost. Was I delighted when we signed Bair? NO. Do I recognise that he has contributed towards our excellent start to the League season? YES. Do I expect him to feature in the team for ever and ever? NO. Where I do agree with you is that Kettlewell's efforts at finding a KVV replacement have fallen short. That's not really unexpected though and in truth Kettlewell did highlight how difficult that task would be. He was quite open that goals would likely have to come from other areas to compensate. And that is exactly where we are at. I assume Bair has now joined your list that includes SOD and Spittal. Players whose every mistake is shouted from the rooftops, but whose every positive contribution is ignored.
    7 points
  45. He must've missed the first week back due to injury. Which explains why we've signed him.
    7 points
  46. He certainly ran around if that's what you mean, but I can think of very few examples of him providing 'drive'. Phil O'Donnell provided drive, Alan Campbell provided drive. Dean Cornelius did not.
    7 points
  47. Never heard as much shite in all my life, you really do seem to have issues with the police. For me people are assumed to be innocent until proved guilty, and as for police tactics that's for them to decide that's what the general public expect when we get them to keep us safe. If any criminality has taken place then those responsible deserve all they get, so are we to assume that all the Bois are wee angels and innocent and victims of your perceived police incompetence, bias or whatever conspiracy you subscribe to? Or do you agree that the few responsible should be taken to account for any alleged incidents, as I am sure the majority would agree with.
    7 points
  48. Grown adults sitting on the internet mocking the grammar on a flyer from young guys trying to do their bit to improve the atmosphere feels a bit slimy.
    7 points
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