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Hearts V Motherwell....


Davie boy
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Anyone who pays £50 to get to a SPL game needs there head checked anyway. If its on telly they should probably be sectioned.

 

Regardless of that not one Well fan should turn up at that ICT game next month. 1245 on a Sunday. Likelihood that no supporters' buses will be running. No thanks.

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Surprised at the level of negativity after that one.

 

Thought it was a solid enough performance and we passed the ball as well as I have seen for a while.

 

Composure in the last third as usual left a lot to be desired but Hearts are pretty solid at the back so not surprising.

 

Thought Murphy started pretty well but faded as the game went on and he ran out of ideas.

 

Humphrey is as usual a connundrum.

 

Thought we deserved a point and but for a poor refereeing decision we may have got one.

 

Disappointing to have lost the game but didnt think we were sh**e.

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Short and simple points from me I'd like to address:

 

  • Higdon up front on his own, really? Surely after 20 or so failed attempts at this over the last year and bit McCall would begin to realise it doesn't fucking work. He needs support and someone to play off him which he didn't have until it was too late.
  • Tactics weren't working, we hardly made the Hearts keeper make a save yet it took over 70 mins for McCall to change it.
  • Hearts are bang average yet instead of going and having a go and imposing our own game on them we went and matched up with them and got sucked into playing their game instead of focusing on our own.

Why not play the same teams and tactics as we did at Pittodrie? Where we played good football, were on top for most of the game and created plenty of chances. Far too cautious today and it was an OF esque performance from us. Overly negative, huffed and puffed and looked like getting nothing.

 

Worse teams with worse players than us will go(and have gone) to Tynecastle this season and pick up points. They were there for the taking yet we were so insipid and pedestrian that we never really looked like getting anything. A great chance for points thrown away in my opinion.

 

Just saved me a hell of a lot of typing

 

 

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Think we are really lacking in confidence at the moment. Really needing a win from somewhere and hopefully we can get it against Hibs on Friday night. I'm in the same boat as a few on here, have been going home and away for a good few years now but I am very close to picking out certain games. Todays early kick off on a Sunday and £24 quid when on tv totally killed any attendance and atmosphere. Quietest its been in the 'Well end for many games. Dread to think what the attendance will be like up in Inverness in November, in saying that I'm looking forward to the overnight stay up there. Lets hope McCall can manage to get a good weeks training from the lads and then three points on Friday night, its badly needed at the current moment.

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I went along to Tynecastle today in hope more than expectation to support my team. I never believe that Motherwell have the right to beat any team no matter the opposition, however I do believe we should be capable of sending a team onto the pitch that is set out in such a way which will allow us to attempt to win the match and is sent out with the belief that it can win a match - THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN TODAY, JUST AS IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAINST CELTIC AND DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAINST RANGERS IN THE CUP.

 

The blame for this lies soley at the management teams door - we have no right to win any game, but we must compete, tackle, show passion, commitment and have the belief that we can win a match. The negatively produced by McCalls tactics, team selections and formations is baffling. If you play one isolated man up front against 4 defenders no matter he height, ability or stature of the centre forward it's a near impossible task and that was proven again today. The defenders have no out ball and it comes straight back at us.

 


  1.  
    Why are we playing one up with no one near him?
  2. Why are allowing the oppostion so much time on the ball and not pressing them and giving them time to turn and run at us?
  3. Why is Jamie Murphy being played completely out of position at left mid and being asked to defend when he is a centre forward?
  4. Why is Nicky Law being played so deep in midfield?
  5. Why is Keith Lasley being asked to play an attacking midfield role?
  6. Why is Tom Hately being played in midfield time and time again when he can't play there?
  7. Why isn't Carswell or Hetherington being given a chance to fill the ' Jennings' role? and if the answer is that there are not good enough then surely the manager would have signed some sort of replacement for him by now rather than using two wages up on two central defenders.
  8. Why do we stand still at every throw in and set piece we have?
  9. Why have a sub stripped and ready for ten minutes and not put him on?
  10. Why persist with a so called winger who has contributed nothing this season to the team?

I believe we have the players/squad capable of competing for 2nd/3rd/4th and on our day can beat anyone in the league but only by playing to our strengths and having a belief that we can win. That belief is missing right now and the negative way the team is being sent out is there for all to see.

 

No doubt I'll get slaughtered for this post by the resident happy clappy club, and will hear all the usual punching above our weight, what more do you want from McCall pish but for me the longer McCall persists with these negative tactics and formations and general stubborness to change things the more chance that 11th place is looming.

 

I AM NOT STUART MCCALL!!!!

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I've looooong looooong been going to all Well games home and away but its time to start sitting some out....especially the ones away from home at garbage times, with extortinate ticket prices, that can be viewed on TV. However, I also know I have seen this in others and where it leads. Once you start missing the odd game you see what your saving and then it turns into a few more and the next thing you know you are only going to home games and BIG away games and so it continues on from there...

No way though was that game value for money. On top of that I don't really want to keep 'supporting' crap kick off times and match prices.

 

Enjoyed the stadium announcer's remarks about Hearts' game next weekend kicking off at 3pm on Saturday.

 

Paid £4 to watch Bellshill knock Largs Thistle out of the Junior Cup yesterday. The far greater commitment from Bellshill and greater enthusiasm from Largs made up for the poorer standard of technical ability between yesterday's teams. No way was today's game over 6 times the quality. So watching Motherwell is definitely not value for money and I'll be deciding which games to watch each weekend starting with next Friday Saturday.

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I mentioned this a while back, about Motherwell adopting a Scotland style set up after Kenny Black was away on international duty. But, I'm convinced that the formations and tactics are set up in a similar vein to Levein's/Scottish tactical blue print.

God help us, if this is the case.

 

S.M. needs to get players back in their proper positions and perhaps adopt a 4-4-2 formation, just to get confidence back.

He can work formations once we have a bit of stability back.

 

But without doubt, we need;

 

T.H. right back.

N.L. left midfield.

Someone supporting Higdon, whether Murphy, Ojamma or McHugh.

 

I just hope we're not persevering with the notion that it'll eventually come good, when to most fans it's just not working.

Here's hoping for an upturn on recent results.

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Hearts were no more than ordinary today , and McCalls failure to recognise that and change things early in the game to have a go at them is my main frustration . Constantly playing to negate the opposition rather than playing to our own strengths is so often our undoing .The longer McCall persists with the obvious failings in his system that everyone bar him can see , the more the likelihood that mid to bottom half of the table is where we'll stay .

Higdon as a lone striker doesn't work - fact . This has been painfully obvious in so many games , but on the rare occasion he is given someone to play just off him he has proven much more effective .

How Humphrey merits a place in the squad never mind starting 11 is a mystery to me , he needs hunted to f#ck asap , waste of a jersey . Would like to see him dropped for Hibs , with McHugh or Ojamaa coming in and getting closer to Higgy .

Would put Hateley back to R/B and Kerr in middle at back if Hutch not fit , and have liked the look of ZFA when he's had a chance . Give a midfield 3 a go again with Murphy in a free role in front of them , and if thats not working , revert back to a 4-4-2 with Murphy in front of Hateley , where at least he will be playing down the right on his stronger foot and might actually be able to get a cross into the box when he reaches the bye line .

 

Randolph

 

Hateley Hutchy Ramsden Hammell

 

Lasley Law ZFA

 

Murphy

 

Higgy Ojamaa/Boab

 

 

Had a few beers so don't know if this selection would stand up with most folk , feel free to shoot me down !!

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I would have liked to have seen us go for it a bit more today. We are a better team than Hearts and that showed in some of the football we played but their keeper hardly had a save to make. We were a goal down after 14 minutes but the only time we really went looking for an equaliser was 90+ minutes when we sent Randy up for a corner. Levein-esque tactics IMO.

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1. Wasn't an awful performance. Gave as good as we got and were pretty narrowly beaten.

Can't agree with that coz Hearts are utter pish this year ffs they are the only team Dundee have beaten so to not even trouble their keeper over 90mins is a bloody awful performance.

If we had lost 1-0 to East Fife would you be saying:

Wasn't an awful performance. Gave as good as we got and were pretty narrowly beaten.

Or would you be saying that to be playing a pish team & not trouble their keeper over 90mins is a shocking performance?

I think we will come good again pretty soon maybe even Friday but for anyone to say that performance against one of the leagues worst teams was acceptable is kidding themselves on.

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For me, one problem I have with McCall is that he seems to pick a formation for a match, whatever that may be, and then tries to shoe-horn as many of our best players into it as possible. Hateley is not a central midfielder and Jamie Murphy is not a left midfielder, but both are in our top eleven players and so both are squeezed into a line-up - out of position - in order to accommodate them. I have no doubt Ojamaa would be stuck in somewhere alongside the rest if it was possible.

 

That has to change. Overall, Hateley is a better player than the likes of Carswell and Hetherington, but both those guys train and play every day in the centre of midfield. They may not be as good as Hateley with the ball at their feet or distribution wise, but they almost certainly will be when it comes to positioning and reading the game from the centre of the park because it's their job.

 

It's time to drop the policy of playing players out of position purely because their seen as a first-team starters, and actually picking a line-up with the balance required.

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....and I went through. Very poor game imo and coupled with the time of kick off, the fact it was on TV, and costs involved it's time for some changes for me.

 

I've looooong looooong been going to all Well games home and away but its time to start sitting some out....especially the ones away from home at garbage times, with extortinate ticket prices, that can be viewed on TV. However, I also know I have seen this in others and where it leads. Once you start missing the odd game you see what your saving and then it turns into a few more and the next thing you know you are only going to home games and BIG away games and so it continues on from there.

 

Nothing to do with the result. We lost 1-0 to a team that will be in the top six. We are in the top six, only played nine games and will win and lose games throughout the season.

 

No way though was that game value for money. On top of that I don't really want to keep 'supporting' crap kick off times and match prices.

 

Just my opinion mind.

I can see a bit of myself in there. I think I probably managed about a decade where going to home and away games was just the norm, regardless of location, kick-off, ticket price or how good or bad we were.

 

It was "growing up" getting a house and eventually getting married that did in the away days for me. At first it was pretty soul destroying. I remember missing the opening day of the season at Livingston and being absolutely gutted. There was also a level of guilt too, that somehow you were letting the club down by not being there to support them. Absolute pish ofcourse to feel remotely like that but when you've done it regularly for so long that was how it felt. Don't get me wrong I still have that pang of regret around kick-off if I'm not at a game but all too soon the goals start going in and you are away checking coupons and fantasy football teams and enjoying the Soccer Saturday banter.

 

A look at the users online during some away games can be very interesting and it is startling just how many guys who were at one point were home-and-awayers for years are sitting online rather than at the game.

 

Over time I've managed to increase the number of away games but some of those factors mentioned earlier do now play a part. Locations, transport, and costs do weigh heavily on the equasion. Where a game falls in the calender is also important.

 

I've a growing interest in rugby and when you compare the whole package there as to what the life of a fitba fan is like and its difficult not to come to the conclusion that we get utterly shafted. I went to see Glasgow Warriors on Friday night for example. £15 to get in, compared to £25 say at Tynecastle yesterday. The same yellow jaiket who wants to frisk me before I go into the fitba is telling me to "enjoy the match". What's this? Standing to watch the game instead of announcements that fans should remain seated at all times. There's beer on the go instead of Bovril and what's more you can take it with you to your spot in terrace/stand. They even chucked in discounted travel through Scotrail.

 

But where do we go to resolve it? We're back to problem that individual clubs change do things all their on their own and so many of our peers operate at the behest of their banks that they wouldn't countenance any cut in prices to try to offer better value.

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I can see a bit of myself in there. I think I probably managed about a decade where going to home and away games was just the norm, regardless of location, kick-off, ticket price or how good or bad we were.

 

It was "growing up" getting a house and eventually getting married that did in the away days for me. At first it was pretty soul destroying. I remember missing the opening day of the season at Livingston and being absolutely gutted. There was also a level of guilt too, that somehow you were letting the club down by not being there to support them. Absolute pish ofcourse to feel remotely like that but when you've done it regularly for so long that was how it felt. Don't get me wrong I still have that pang of regret around kick-off if I'm not at a game but all too soon the goals start going in and you are away checking coupons and fantasy football teams and enjoying the Soccer Saturday banter.

 

A look at the users online during some away games can be very interesting and it is startling just how many guys who were at one point were home-and-awayers for years are sitting online rather than at the game.

 

Over time I've managed to increase the number of away games but some of those factors mentioned earlier do now play a part. Locations, transport, and costs do weigh heavily on the equasion. Where a game falls in the calender is also important.

 

I've a growing interest in rugby and when you compare the whole package there as to what the life of a fitba fan is like and its difficult not to come to the conclusion that we get utterly shafted. I went to see Glasgow Warriors on Friday night for example. £15 to get in, compared to £25 say at Tynecastle yesterday. The same yellow jaiket who wants to frisk me before I go into the fitba is telling me to "enjoy the match". What's this? Standing to watch the game instead of announcements that fans should remain seated at all times. There's beer on the go instead of Bovril and what's more you can take it with you to your spot in terrace/stand. They even chucked in discounted travel through Scotrail.

 

But where do we go to resolve it? We're back to problem that individual clubs change do things all their on their own and so many of our peers operate at the behest of their banks that they wouldn't countenance any cut in prices to try to offer better value.

 

Excellent post, Andy. Sums it up perfectly.

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I think there's just a widespread negative feeling around Scottish Football these days. It's amongst the fans of all teams, it's not solely attributed to us Motherwell fans and it doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon. It's also certainly not helped in any way by the national team's recent poor performances, the ongoing Avril situation and the Rainjurs soap opera-esque saga over the last 12 months or so. I have to admit, I'm fucking sick of it all personally.

 

Having been a season ticket holder for the last two seasons, and who attended the odd away day here and there, my attendance record for this season to date stands at a single home fixture, Panathanikos.

 

The main reason I've not been though started with my mates work situation changing which meant he couldn't afford a Season Ticket, so that made me decide against it as well. We always intended getting along to as many matches as we could make as PATG, but for whatever reason that's not happened and I have to admit, I certainly don't feel the same sense of urgency to attend as a PATG customer as I did when I was a ST customer.

 

The worst thing for me though is, I can't honestly say that I have missed it.

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