Kmac

Thought so...

Surely I cannot be the only one who feels that we need a change of tact in the build up to this one? We have suffered a hum of monotonous "We have to work hard on the training pitch" etc. since pre-season, "Europe" and have meandered into the season to find ourselves taking 3 points from 12. A league match or not, someone at the club has to come out in the build up to what could be a potentially big match, in shaping how we move forward, and inject a bit of impetuous, desire and drive into the support and everyone around the club. I won't hold my breath...

There certainly seems to be a malise around the club at the moment... it was spoken about at length pre-season surrounding the whole transfer window, news coming out of the club and in the early European "Campaign". This has certainly continued into the first 4 matches, where it can only be said that the level of fatigue and quietness has continued onto the SPL (or whatever it is calling itself). We are looking at a playing staff which is un-sharp, unfit or injured, backed by a management team (at all levels), which is apparently so concerned about maintaing a respectable media image (or lack of media image), that we do nothing to get people fired up, whether that be our fans, players or indeed the opposition. Last season, we managed to trundle through like this (remarkably) however it would appear that things are finally starting to catch up with us. It is time that every aspect of the club starting adding a bit of impetuous to proceedings - for as much as we criticise Dundee Utd. or Aberdeen, I am sure a fair few would not mind a bit of the energy which surrounds those clubs at the moment. Yes, we might not have the same resources, but that does not mean that we can rest on what we have... My line of work means that I work with products and the brands surrounding them. If I was to look at Motherwell at the moment, I would be saying that the end product has become stale and static and therefore working back from that point, we have to look at what image we are portraying on the park first. We seem to be in the situation that whilst we have players injured, management are so concerned with shuffling players to maintain their known formation and shape that we are shooting ourselves in the foot... Of course, this is only my opinion, but I look at the squad in terms of what we have at the moment (under the assumption that all will be fit after St. Johnstone - as we are told) and I think what would I got with... ---------------------------------- Nielsen (Twardzik has been guilty of too many of the same mistakes already which breeds a lack of confidence) ----Ramsden-------McManus-------O'Brien (Assuming he brought in as the much missed Hutchinson replacement)-----Hammell ----------------------------------------------- Lasley (Must improve) --------------Ainsworth-------------------Leitch-----------------------------Vigurs --------------------Sutton----------------------------Ojamaa Subs: Twardzik Francis-Angol Reid Kerr Lawson Carswell Law Thomas Erwin My point being that we have to change our set-up, create a sense of urgency in the team and amongst opponents. We seem to be cramming in players to have them fill a certain style, rather than looking at how we can best utilise our resources. Of course, it is easy to say that we have 3 of the above team injured, but I am sure we can agree that there is a direct replacement amongst the subs for almost all starters listed. We have to create a bit of energy and spark. The season is flittering away for some already who are loosing interest which four games in, is a sad state of affairs...

He inspired no confidence whatsoever. Could not impose himself in the penalty box and made everybody in front of him nervous.

Been said so many times that we miss someone with Ojamaa's style of play... now we are getting the real thing back

I understand what you mean. I certainly agree that we need to bring on youth (although I am not convinced SMc agrees deep down). I think that for many of the names you listed above, they could ready to make the step up. Certainly Carswell, Leitch, Moore, Erwin and Thomas all look like they will add more depth to the squad this season which is great. My point is that we need those others to fill the gaps. In many ways the squad seems to be splitting (in terms of age). As you say, Hammell, Lasley, McManus, Ramsden? are not exactly spring chickens, then we have names listed above who seem not to be trusted fully by SMc - the guys coming in need to bridge that gap in many ways. It is my opinion, but I look at Lawson, McHugh and potentially Angol, Kerr and Cummins and ask what are they contributing to the squad. These are guys who are not capable of holding down a first team place in the SPL ( or whatever it´s branded as now) and I ask myself if we are in such dire straits financially, should they be there? Surely other youth players could take their place? Give other guys a chance to step-up, free up some wages to bring more players in at the top end whilst freeing up space for others in the youth to shine and potentially thrive when making the step-up to playing top level football. Just trying to illustrate the point I was making about auditing…

I totally understand what you mean. We need 4 to stay where we are, yet we will get 2 (I am sure you are correct about this) and everyone seems to shrug the shoulders a little. The point I am trying to make is essentially what has happened at Motherwell over the summer is in many was a direct reflection of Scottish football itself - lacking positivity and coherent vision at all levels. We seem to be carrying dead weight in our ranks (as is Scottish football), we seem content to talk ourselves down (as does Scottish football press), we seem unable to realise the importance of rising to the big occasion when required (Scottish football does this on and off the park). What I am trying to get across is that sometimes you have to take a step back and assess what is going on, rather than simply toddling along and ducking punches. We need to inject some positivity into the fans and the club otherwise nothing will change. To me, we need to streamline majorly. We need an internal audit of business and playing sides of the club, what are we doing right, wrong and what could we do better. It requires someone with a broad knowledge, vision and acute understand of where we want to be.

The lack of movement in transfers is worrying. We have moved on 3 big earners from last season, plus hollis (who has already been replaced) yet we have made 1 addition, whose salary surely cannot be anything like what was on offer to Hutchinson or Anier. In my opinion, we NEED 4 players to have anything like the season we had last time around. A centre forward is an absolute essential as is a centre half. We have been crying out for someone to play wide left for 18 months (perhaps Thomas is the answer, but with SMc's often spoken about lack of faith in bring through new blood, I doubt it) and have sorely missed the deep lying forward play which Ojamaa gave us (he was also someone who could play as a backup out and out striker when required also). None of these, to me, are luxury players but are essential, IMO, to the success of the team.The silence of the club in the build up to this season on every front is deafening. We are inspiring no confidence in the support and in turn -I'm sure- very little in the current squad. It is a vicious circle.

Two Stonewall penalties turned down now!!

I tried to take a picture, but his natural glow distorted the image

I SAW ESTEBAN CASAGOLDA I feel priviledged.

What are the chances of the name Esteban making its way into the top 10 for most popular boys names in Lanarkshire?

I've got Tommy Coyne's Jersey framed and signed by the squad..apologies, just thought I would rub it in

I'm Scottish, what else would you expect?

Tradition dictates that with all this excitement around a large crowd turning up tonight that we are going to get beat

Assuming we get Mcglinchey I think the only area we need to strengthen is our striking department. We dont score enough goals imo and Mchugh at theis time isnt suitable backup for three (Strikers)- Murphy isnt an out and out striker. The defense is covered imo. Hutchinson is still to return and Saunders is on the bench and he can play at both centre half and right back and at the moment Hatley is doing very well in that position

Yeh why dont we offer Coke and Murphy as part of the deal as well....£500k is nothing in todays terms...Reynolds is an internationalist, get real!!

Quick...before anoyone notices Welcome to Fir Park Nuno!

I might have missed something here, but does anyone have a clue whats up with Coke, Didint see his name mentioned on the team sheet for the game against Belshill and hasnt featured in the past couple of games?

One can only pray

cmon you know im no going to say

yes to one of the two

Something far worse than poor performances is lurking at the ark than poor performances i fear. We look devoid of confidence completly and a change in style suggests that problems are not simply because we are not managing to get results but that the players "dont care" as much as a confident side should, dressing room unrest me thinks. Craigan "is" still a good player and less we forget the current internatonal centre half for his country, but he will never be that player for motherwell again, even if his playing career isnt over, it certainly is at motherwell, the way he has been treated is nothing short of abysmal. We need new players bu the amount of duds currently in the sqaud cannot be in doubt. From a very reliable source i understand Fitzaptrick and DLS are offsky in January. McGarry, Matouakil, O'Brien and Craigan may aswell be gone. Mcgarry and Matouakil are imo not up to the task whilst Craigan is done at motherwell for the reasons above and O'Briens heart isnt in it. - Less i mention Fraser The tactical element is somewhat baffling, I was very glad at the start of the season to see the patient football brand we produiced, yet recently we have resorted to long balls ignoring our strengths. We must go back to the lineup and tactics which done us well earlier. THE SQAUD IS AVALIABLE!. If we look at our current situation the volume of wages which have been chopped off the list is astounding and offloading the players above we take it down to relative peanuts in footballing terms. We need to keep Ruddy and the duke or we will be in far worse trouble than current. Using the saved wages is essetial to rebuild the sqaud in January. We need to strengthen at right back attacking midefiled and up front, bringing in players who could fall into a settled starting line up, we as a sqaud are being given no chance of cohesion...I am worried of what lies ahead though if nothing else it will be interesting.

-------------------------------------Ruddy----------------------------- Corrigan-------------Dolomeaux-----------Craigan-------------Paterson (Would love to say Okoli, captured the imagination!) -------------R.McCormack---------------O'Donnell--------------------Pearson (In early form) --------------------------------------McFadden------------------------ --------------------Clarkson------------------------------McDonald Subs: Marshall Reynolds Partridge Hammell Lasley Leitch Valakari Porter And last but not least 20 minutes of David Ferrer

Many thanks