CoF

I agree with everything you said apart from this part about Scottish managers. The records aren't broadly similar at all? Brown took us to 5th and left us the next season in 5th place - he was steady. McCall finished 2nd and 3rd, broke all sorts of records and gave us the most exciting team of the last 20 odd years yet some fans turned him very quickly in his last season, McGhee took us to 3rd and 7th and the fans (rightly) turned on him in his second spell when it was clear he was losing the actual plot. Gannon was a nutjob who was let go for refusing to sign a permanent contract but l I can't recall the fans hounding him out? If anything, most pointed the finger at the senior players when things started to go wrong. Baraclough almost got us relegated, playing some of the worst football I've ever seen along the way then started the following season in a similar vein. I think all of that points to fans reacting to what they see on the pitch and is nothing to do with the nationality of the manager. I think Robinsons problem is that despite his success, there have been a few lengthy losing streaks where we look completely incoherent. Those months of traipsing to Fir Park with little to look forward to stick in folks minds and are far more relevant than the fact he's not Scottish.

Nick Blackman, Mark McGhee, Curtis Main, Craig Brown. Aberdeen love turning decent Motherwell staff into shite.

I was thinking at least it gives a badly needed injection of pace, but then Long is rapid and we do absolutely nothing to exploit that.

Going 442 here. I'm sure some will need to be played out of position but they're all gifted with both feet and a superior positional sense so it'll work. Twardzik Louis Laing Kieran Kennedy Zak Jules Joe Chalmers Antony Straker Lee Lucas Casper Sloth Jake taylor Wes Fletcher Jacob Blyth

I think it just depends if that is part of the players game or not. We've had teams like that recently - 2017 2018 with Moult (then Main), Bowman, Kipre and Hartley etc and they managed 3 OF draws in the league and that semi-final win over Rangers. We also finished 7th that year so it wasn't an effective game plan against everyone. Our current group took us to 3rd and to say that they don't care seems really unfair. Liam Polworth is a good example of a player who fans think doesn't knock his pan in because he's not flying into tackles, yet he consistently covers more ground than any other Motherwell player. Hard tackling just isn't one of his strengths but you can't possibly doubt his commitment.

? He played 38 games for us last season. Took us to third and won two Scotland caps.

Agreed with all your post, but this bit. The next Gannon, Baraclough or Malpas could be just round the corner. Finding a manager who can achieve what Robinson has is going to be very, very difficult.

He was excellent in the first 20. He and Campbell had that side rattled. Then they got a free kick....

Good question - https://news.sky.com/story/why-does-israels-football-team-play-in-europe-10359083 From what I understand, the rest of the arab footballing world has refused to play them for the last 70 years so FIFA had to do something.

I dunno, I thought it was one of those decent yellows. The boy who skinned him is rapid and if I remember correctly there was a lot of empty space between him and the goal. To put a guy in a headlock 2 minutes later is absolutely mental though. Even if he had his hands over Gallagher he's got to be smarter than that.

Haha, aye you did. But those would ruin my shite patter so had to be selective. Yeah, I think we can be disappointed in that. We actually looked pretty well organised and up for it but undone by a defensive lapse and a moment of madness from two experienced players who should've done so much better.

You've got an actual hard-on right now don't you?

Cant you pay the tenner?

I know nothing about youth contracts. How does that change things?

Haha, very good. O'Hara's interview is in the Daily Record. It looks like your article is a dodgy translation of what he actually said. Either that or he did give a separate interview to the press over there and went all Joey Barton / Steve McLaren on them with a mad Israeli accent.