Goggles & Flippers

Have a "like" for your optimism.

Pretty much agree with Welldaft's post, McCall has demonstrated he can reinvigorate a career. Combine that with the feel-good atmosphere that is sustained at FP and finally his links to the inner sanctum of Scotland means for me we can and should be seen as quite an attractive prospect to any player. I have no fear of the past history anyone we bring in, they will improve in the C&A, that is a fact. Up until recently I would have welcomed someone like Imrie into our team, now, I take a step back and look at what Motherwell has become in the past few years, I don't think a player like that is good enough. Bet the little shit comes back to haunt me in the derby now. As for Shiels, he would certainly on paper give us a creative spark we were hoping for from Faddy last season but only got glimpses of. However, if we could afford him (which I doubt we can) I'd have Goodwillie. I hated him with a passion when he played against us, but that is the sort of player he is and if I hated him it meant he was doing something right. He's nippy and intelligent, exactly what a tall ball winner like Sutton needs as a foil. Is he humble enough to take a step back to take 2 forward though?

Few Questions: Are the co-efficients recalculated after each round? For example if we get past round 2 and get a team like PSV or Lyon and were to beat them surely our co-efficient would go up dramatically from 8.313? Also, am I correct in assuming if from round 2 if we win and 4 teams with higher co-efficents than us lose then we move into the seeded pot for round 3?

Likewise, I read your first sentence and gave up

That's the crux of it, the hypothetical nature of my post was never acknowledged. I don't have a problem with debate or disagreement with what I convey, where I do have a problem is where people can't distinguish between my suggestion of a hypothetical line up with what we will realistically have next season. If I said I'd love for us to leave Fir Park and move to a new stadium in Ravenscraig, I wouldn't expect to be hit with, "justify your anti Fir Park stance", "why would we want to move from FP, we already have a stadium there". I accept that, all I said was I'd like to see it and who knows, maybe things would turn out better in the long run. No difference with my suggestion, you would surmise that some players sacrificed and/or the system would changed to accommodate the hypothetical arrival of Chris Body and Goodwillie. I'm in no position to say Ainsworth would be able to recreate his exploits last season than I would be to suggest Goodwillie could out perform Lionel's contribution if he were to sign. What is evident that McCall now is looking for a forward orientated player. Do I think he will have all of the reported 250k to play with, no chance. I'd be very surprised with the way the club is run if that is what we received then a portion of it hasn't gone into fund the everyday running of the club. With what's left plus Arnier's wage, do I think we could compete with Aberdeen for Boyd's signature, probably not, only location would appeal to him. As for Goodwillie, maybe, but he may still have aspirations of achieving more. It was only a couple of seasons ago he was sold for +2m

I'll give you a reasoned response to my hypothetical starting line up if you acknowledge it was hypothetical and therefore your comments were unjustified.

I haven't heard scudbook used since about 1995 #retroslaggin

You evidently missed the "I'd love to see:" in my original post, which conveys there was a healthy splash of hypothetical dreaming. However I'm equally astonished you think McCall couldn't kickstart a 23 year old's career in the same way he did with Ojamma, Arnier, Gunning, Clancy and Ainsworth, all written off before they came here. No but I reckon you've been wanking too hard resulting in early onset blindness. No its official, when you use Championship Manager 2014 and go on about club finances based on scribblings with a crayon on a fag packet, they really are. I'll direct you to the reply to the first quote. At last, thank you! Unfortunately yet again on this board too many don't read a post, they see a keyword, put 2 and 2 together and get 5 then kick off on a rant.

More for upsetting our competition next season and also because our midfield were often posted missing (I still can't fully understand based on the talent), I'd love to see: Polish Kid Ramsden Kerr McManus Hammell Lasley Carswell Vigurs Goodwillie Sutton Boyd With Ainsworth as an impact player. Obviously w'd have to operate a squad rotation to keep them all happy, but when you regularly compete in Europe its a necessary evil ............. Budget probably won't stretch but I reckon some of them could crowbar a way back into Scotland reckoning. I just want to go into the Europa with a hope of competing.

It should be our aim from now on to sell players for something along the lines of what Hibs and Dundee Utd. continually appear to manage.

Probably because there's a decent sell on fee percentage attached so the cash amount would maybe get a few on here tisk tisking and maybe make their fans think they've bought a dud.

Have you been to Albania? ... kept that quiet

It's very weird and a tad surreal scrolling through a fixture list that has "Premier" at the top but is lacking Edinburgh's two clubs and the currants.

Because if there was a lot of interest from elsewhere as reported, come January he could find himself getting offered a much improved pre-contract salary, no doubt because he'll not come with a transfer fee.

Someone nippy on the other wing to Ainsworth would be a nice addition however I can't help but feel McCall will persevere with ZFA for budget reasons. I also wouldn't mind a midfield that can add cohesion to that part of the park. Individually we have a number of capable players but too often last season our midfield didn't function. I'm still no wiser as to why this was the case. I hope Lawson comes back as a player refreshed and a revelation.

I'd just search under Dom Thomas OTF, was a lot of talk about him in that regard. No doubt a fair bit of hearsay and conjecture but you will find one or two who know what they are talking about.

Nice romantic sentiment there Tickle, but alas your modern footballer is motivated by the shekel (well, certainly at the start of their career). As time progresses the atmosphere and camaraderie plays more into things (McManus being a prime example). However it only goes so far (Faddy being another). While not a huge distance from Faddy or McManus in age, I'm pretty sure he feels he can maximise his earning potential for another couple of years yet in a more lucrative country.

Would it be better to spin this as: 3 quid more than a Ross County game on a Tuesday night in mid Feb? Thought so! It's what, our 14th forray into Europe, in 10 years time we may look back and say, "Jeez remember when we played xxx in 2014, not a sniff since .... ahh those heady halcyon days ..." I don't grudge the club 25 quid for the heightened atmosphere, the ability to wear a t-shirt and walk home when it's still light.

The Well Society has plateaued as there has been nothing released to say we are in impending doom, if that were to happen then we'd reach our target. Currently bobbing along in the top of the table and Euro qualification shrouds what a precarious position we are financially if we had a very poor season (bottom six, cup exits very early). The extra prize money we earned this year on the last day has kept the wolf from the door, don't pretend anything else. As for the season tickets, they've been price frozen for what ..... 4/5 years? Give the club a bit of a break on that front. If supporting Motherwell is such an issue for you there is always Bellshill Juniors, their tickets don't fluctuate and you'd have no issues with Euro ties ........

Is he on a free or Blackburn looking to loan him out again. Looked really good before he went, came back and looked a shadow of his former self. Looks to be a bit of a confidence player. Maybe he could play wallsy with Gunnar and they could improve it together.

A Current supporting mate has just liked a Current facebook update, how the mighty have fallen, I take it Ajax and Inter Milan didn't get back to them. ..... "Buckie Thistle at Victoria Park on Thursday 3 July (7.30pm kick off) and a game against Brora Rangers at Dudgeon Park on Sunday 6 July (3pm kick off). Ally McCoist's squad will then travel to America and Canada from 12 July, playing two games in each country. Rangers play Ventura County Fusion at Ventura College Sportsplex in California at 7pm on 15 July then Sacramento Republic FC at Bonney Field, Sacramento at 7.30pm on 19 July. The Light Blues then play two games in Canada – against Victoria Highlanders ......"

BBC Sport Website Mannus (SJ) Mackay (SJ), Warren (ICT), Boyd (RC), Izaguirre (CE) Brown (CE), Lasley (MW) Higginbotham (PT), MacLean (SJ) and McLean (SJ) McKay (ICT) Can't help but think St. Johnstone winning the cup heavily influenced his decisions. Can't say I know a lot about other players in our league, I don't watch enough games outwith ours. Thoughts regardless? Any of them free?

Ross County have been deviating for the league, out the way, bring nobody and vote as per the unwashed. Aberdeen Unwashed (I'd happily see them go elsewhere though, have they ever considered an Atlantic League?) Dundee Dundee Utd Hibs Hearts Partick St. Johnstone Falkirk Dunfermline Ayr Utd (just for a change) No St. Mirren as I'm not a fan of their stadium or police liaison.

Caravan for me ma .... periwinkle blue .... the cushions .... periwinkle blue