David

It’s worth remembering that football clubs, like any organisation, need to deal with sensitive matters in a professional way. There’s a difference between being open and overstepping the mark. Revealing why someone stepped down, how long it was known internally, or the status of an assistant manager before anything has been confirmed isn’t just unwise, it’s genuinely unprofessional. It risks damaging relationships and can make it harder to bring in the right people further down the line. Supporters have every right to expect honesty. But they also deserve a club that handles its business with care and integrity, even when not everything can be shared straight away.

For those who aren't in the Well Society or who didn't see the email, the following was sent out today: As the first top-flight football club in the UK to be owned by its supporters, Motherwell Football Club, through the Well Society, has a duty to ensure that the views of our fans are properly represented on important matters within the game. Growing concerns around VAR Over recent months, concerns have been growing among fans, players and staff across the country regarding the impact VAR is having on the rhythm of matches, the atmosphere in stadiums and trust in refereeing decisions. In addition to these concerns, it is important to note that VAR currently costs each club a six-figure sum every season. A significant outlay that further underlines the need for a proper debate about its future. Listening to our members and shaping the future In light of this, the Well Society has committed to starting a process of listening and engaging with our members and the wider Motherwell support. Our aim is to gain a clearer understanding of supporters’ views on VAR and to consider whether the Society should take a position in favour of change or call for its removal from Scottish football altogether. This marks the beginning of a wider effort to build connections with other supporter groups and to explore the potential for positive, fan-led action. You can share your view by completing the survey available here between now and Monday 2nd June at noon.

The problem is, Slattery could have a cracking season and then walk for nothing next summer, just like Spittal did. The club will have a better idea as far as his plans are, and how open he would be to signing a new deal potentially. What I would say is, any player entering the last year of his contract who has any kind of financial value has to be considered fair game for sale if the right offer comes along.

At the risk of sounding like that WWF wrestler from the 80's, everybody has a price.

I’d like to believe the manager isn’t making decisions off the back of one good game, or even a handful. It should be more about whether a player suits the style he’s building.

Jesus. I remember him as my PE teacher, which was brutal enough. I can just imagine him offering "guidance" to people as well 😂

A win would see us secure a higher league finish, with the associated prize money, which could potentially boost the budget for a new squad for next season.

Simple answer? Don't go on Facebook. And if you do, be prepared for nonsense. It's been that way since as far back as I can recall.

I think the process for someone like Michael Wimmer is to start making changes to the squad as and when possible, while retaining players he believes can either adapt to his style, or who he sees as decent backups and "continuity" players. Blowing everything up and recruiting a whole bunch of guys who have never played in Scotland almost never works.

There's still a bit to play for. Each league placing is worth an extra £150,000 or so to us, so the difference between finishing 7th and 9th, both of which are still feasible, could be an extra £300,000+ to the club.

I’d expect that anyone being asked to remain at the club is someone the manager believes can contribute to the style of football he’s aiming to implement. So I wouldn’t view those players as simply being part of the status quo. I suspect a few from this season will still be a good fit, but with several additions likely over the summer, the overall shape and approach of the team could look noticeably different next season.

On Lennon, I do not believe his value will be influenced either way by his recent displays for us or by any awards he might receive. The sort of clubs that can afford the fee we will be asking for tend to look deeper than the surface. How he performs for a struggling Motherwell side, or whether he picks up an award in Scotland, will not concern them in the slightest. Their interest will be driven by data and detailed analysis. They will be far more focused on whether he has the potential to progress with better facilities, different coaching, and stronger players around him. Those elements are likely to have a far greater impact on his valuation than anything else.

The way you definitively said we weren't winning the game, you'd think you knew the result already. I know your negative schtick is "your thing" on here, but you have to then take the lumps when you make an arse of it.

Hey, it wasn't me who made a definitive statement about us not winning the game.

We tend to see more posts if we lose.

Cool. Three points in the bag. Much ado about hee haw.

Some amount of pant wetting going on around here of late. Looking forward to when we scud this lot, and end up cruising to a fairly standard 7th or 8th place finish. You'd think we were the side five points adrift at the bottom going by the patter on this forum.

Of course, I might be entirely off with this – I’m no mathematician – but here’s how I see it: We’d need to only reach a maximum of 40 points to be in trouble, which would mean one draw and four defeats. At the same time, Dundee would have to pick up at least seven points from their remaining five matches. And then, either Ross County or Kilmarnock would need to reach 41 points or more to push us down to 11th place. Possible? Yes. Likely? I wouldn't put my life savings on it.

If there’s a way for players who are still under contract but not part of the manager’s plans to move on, then by all means, that should be explored. As it stands, I’m assuming those who aren’t especially in favour but still tied down by deals will likely remain until their contracts expire.

As I posted elsewhere, according to what I can tell, we'll see the following first-team players return for next season at this stage: Aston Oxborough Stephen O'Donnell Liam Gordon Kofi Balmer John Koutroumbis Ewan Wilson Tom Sparrow Callum Slattery Lennon Miller Zach Robinson Apostolos Stamatelopoulos Sam Nicholson Tawanda Maswanhise Filip Stuparevic And notable among the younger players on loan/in development squads I think we're set to lose Matty Connolly, Luca Ross & Mark Ferrie, while Dylan Wells has another year left on his deal. I think, going by that list, Wimmer has not a bad base to work with next season, although it's clear that in order to completely change how we do things he's going to need two or even three transfer windows. In my view, Oxborough, Gordon, Sparrow, Slattery, Stama and Maswanhise should be regarded as genuine first-team players, provided they stay fit and maintain their current level. That gives us six, five of whom are outfield. This effectively leaves Wimmer with room to bring in up to six new faces who could slot straight into the starting eleven. The others on that list, realistically, will make up the squad depth and hopefully feature regularly from the bench. Let’s be honest, unless Wimmer sees something in pre-season that he feels he can develop, many of them will be sticking around simply because they’re under contract. I wouldn’t be surprised if Balcombe returned as a backup goalkeeper, unless there’s a stronger alternative available. From what I can tell, beyond Oxborough there’s nobody else in that role worth noting. If Balcombe is open to taking on that job, he might be a straightforward short-term solution until something more solid comes along. I’d also be tempted to explore whether anything can be done with Andrews. I know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ve seen glimpses of ability there that might come to the fore with a different setup around him. If Miller is sold, we’ll need someone to step into that role, and Andrews has shown flashes that suggest he could do it. It all comes down to his own aspirations and whatever plans his parent club might have. Ultimately, it’s now up to Wimmer and the club to make the big decisions. Beyond the names already mentioned, I don’t see any strong case to extend deals for others currently in the squad. There’s clearly room to overhaul things, and how far that goes will depend on the manager and those handling recruitment.

I have no idea why people are talking as if we're the worst team in the league. Where will the four points come from? Who would be all that surprised if we beat St Johnstone at home, drew with Killie at home (securing the four points needed) and then went on to draw away with a poor Hearts team who really have nothing left to play for, and grab another point or three against either County or Dundee away? We can get four points from that lot without much bother. I fully expect us to finish 8th or 9th.

I see we're still going with the old "foreign coach doesn't understand our game" stuff, eh? Even in 2025. Astounding.

And if Hearts had won and secured top six you'd be saying we're in trouble because we're playing a Hearts team that's flying and now has ambitions to catch Dundee United or even Aberdeen and finish 4th or 5th.

It was quite literally the only outcome that gave us even the faintest chance of making the top six, and somehow you think that’s the worst possible result we could have got? Completely mad.

This team has 7th or 8th written all over it. As usual, really.