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The Small-Medium Rebuild 2018'19


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8 hours ago, steelboy said:

The SFA could make it a condition of membership.

This is true and its similar to how transfer windows are able to be enforced.

They're not prohibiting a player being employed by a (new) club, which would contravene law, they prohibiting them being registered for the competition.

 

Edit - The Aldred news is reassuring.

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17 minutes ago, Richie said:

This is true and its similar to how transfer windows are able to be enforced.

They're not prohibiting a player being employed by a (new) club, which would contravene law, they prohibiting them being registered for the competition.

 

Edit - The Aldred news is reassuring.

The transfer window falls within EU law because of the following decision in the European Court of Justice (for basketball, but applies across all sports):

"it established the principle that the restriction may be justified as late season transfers could substantially alter the sporting strength of teams in the course of the championship and thus call into question the proper functioning of sporting competition. It can therefore be concluded that a proportionate restriction on when a player can be transferred is compatible with EU law."

Financial regulation and reporting requirements for private companies are a different kettle of fish.

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Doesn't reflect well on the impact that Donnelly has made or Maguire's chances of featuring in the first team, the fact we've signed two defenders. One to replace a player that has left is understandable but I thought our signings this summer were aimed at helping us cope with injuries. If Maguire or Donnelly can't step in when Dunne is injured, then what are they doing here?

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1 minute ago, MelvinBragg said:

Doesn't reflect well on the impact that Donnelly has made or Maguire's chances of featuring in the first team, the fact we've signed two defenders. One to replace a player that has left is understandable but I thought our signings this summer were aimed at helping us cope with injuries. If Maguire or Donnelly can't step in when Dunne is injured, then what are they doing here?

Good to see we're taking our time with judgements on players.

Robinson clearly sees McHugh as a midfielder, regardless of how admirably he performs at centre-back. We had: Hartley and Donnelly available at the weekend at centre-half. If we're playing as a 3, we need at least another one, which we have in Aldred, and some cover, which we have in Maguire, and another in Mbulu.

Given Mbulu has predominantly played in under 23s football down south, it's unlikely he'll be ready to step right in. 

So in short, no it doesn't reflect badly. HTH. 

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2 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

Good to see we're taking our time with judgements on players.
 

You clearly misunderstood me. I'm willing to give Donnelly and Maguire time, I just feel our manager might not be. As for Robinson seeing McHugh as a centre midfielder, why then was he playing centre back against Clyde with Donnelly on the bench? 

All I'm suggesting is that one centre half would have been enough. Personally, I'd be playing a back three of McHugh, Aldred and Donnelly at the minute. That would leave Hartley and Maguire for cover before this latest signing with Dunne still to come back. 

For a manager that goes on so much about getting crosses into the box, he seems to like to sign a centre midfielder and a centre half...

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20 minutes ago, MelvinBragg said:

You clearly misunderstood me. I'm willing to give Donnelly and Maguire time, I just feel our manager might not be. As for Robinson seeing McHugh as a centre midfielder, why then was he playing centre back against Clyde with Donnelly on the bench? 

All I'm suggesting is that one centre half would have been enough. Personally, I'd be playing a back three of McHugh, Aldred and Donnelly at the minute. That would leave Hartley and Maguire for cover before this latest signing with Dunne still to come back. 

For a manager that goes on so much about getting crosses into the box, he seems to like to sign a centre midfielder and a centre half...

Apologies. I'd imagine it's down to getting games into them. Robinson claimed he went with a four on Sunday due to only having two centre-halves. I think McHugh is a better defender than midfielder, but as I say, that's very much how he seems to be viewed. Donnelly will be used throughout the back-four/five over the season as well, I'd guess, as he's been highlighted as being a versatile option. With Dunne out for as long as he is, we need some sort of option just in casey, which is what we have now.

6 minutes ago, sbcmfc said:

I believe Kipre’s first senior game was the Queen’s Park league cup tie....

I think you're right, but in almost every way, I'd say Kipre was the exception, rather than the rule!

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11 minutes ago, Haggischomper said:

No idea what we're trying to achieve with our transfer policy this year. Utterly baffled.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 

Agree with that we badly need a wide attaker a Marvin Johnston type and a attacking mid  and I don’t think he knows what his first 11 is even when all fit to play !

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The transfer policy was, as a first priority, to get some depth to the squad. I can see the sense in that given the issue we had last season when we lost 4 or 5 players, and we've probably achieved that aim.

We seem to have gone overboard with defenders, though, expecially once Dunne is fit.  And it looks like we are dependent on Tanner coming back for any creativity up top.

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Doesn't sound like we will be signing anyone else.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45144011

 

Christian Mbulu: Motherwell boss content after signing former Millwall defender

 

 

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Christian Mbulu tackles Folkestone Invicta's Ade Yussuf while playing for a Millwall XI
Christian Mbulu (left) had been playing for Millwall Under-23s

Defender Christian Mbulu has signed for Motherwell after leaving Millwall, with manager Stephen Robinson now happy with the squad he has assembled this summer.

Tom Aldred, 27, returned to Fir Park on loan from Bury on Thursday.

And he and 22-year-old Mbulu will compensate for the sale of Cedric Kipre to Wigan Athletic and an injury to fellow centre-half Charles Dunne.

"I think we have enough cover and it's time to get back to being solid like last season," Robinson said.

Motherwell lost 3-0 to Hibernian on the opening weekend of the Scottish Premiership season, the game quickly following the £1m sale of Kipre and with Dunne having been ruled out for up to four months.

"I have signed Tom and lost Charles Dunne, who is a big loss to us, and also Cedric, but I feel we have the personnel in the building with young Christian as well, who is one who is up-and-coming with a lot of potential but maybe not for right here, right now," Robinson said.

"We have Barry Maguire, who can play centre-midfield and centre-half as well."

Aldred also spent the second half of last season with Well on loan from Bury, playing 22 times, but lacks match sharpness as the Steelmen prepare to face Hamilton Academical in Saturday's Lanarkshire derby.

"He hasn't trained yet - he only came up late last night and has not played in any competitive games yet," Robinson explained.

"I will have a look at him. We want to put him in, but we will have to see where he is."

Mbulu, who has signed a one-year contract after impressing on trial, came through the youth ranks with Millwall but failed to break into the English Championship club's first team.

His only senior experience was three matches in March 2017 while on loan to Braintree Town in the National League and he will initially join Well's reserve squad.

Mbulu told Well's website: "It's a good platform for me to get some game time.

"I think it's a great club for me to come to at this stage of my career and hopefully reach my full potential."

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11 minutes ago, Busta Nut said:

The midfield is a bit of a joke

Would be fun to see Frear, Bigi, Campbell, Rodriguez, Cadden line up, but I'm sure it will more like Tait, Rose, Campbell, McHugh, Cadden (with Grimshaw as cover).

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Aldred did well last season but I agree that, outwith Aldred's own merits as a player, this is a signing with problems - the defensive balance, bringing Maguire through, an apparent commitment to playing McHugh in midfield, where it leaves Donnelly.

For me Robinson is really backing himself into a corner here with his signings.

Right now it looks the squad is not versatile enough and we don't have the personnel to play anything other than Robinson's favoured style - the merits and effectiveness of which remain open to question.

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1 hour ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

Aldred did well last season but I agree that, outwith Aldred's own merits as a player, this is a signing with problems - the defensive balance, bringing Maguire through, an apparent commitment to playing McHugh in midfield, where it leaves Donnelly.

For me Robinson is really backing himself into a corner here with his signings.

Right now it looks the squad is not versatile enough and we don't have the personnel to play anything other than Robinson's favoured style - the merits and effectiveness of which remain open to question.

I’m sorry, but in my opinion that is nonsense. We can, and have played 5-3-2 or 3-5-2 depending on which way you look at it, we can and have played 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. We can also play 4-2-3-1 if we wanted to with Frear, Turnbull, Cadden. Admittedly we are a bit short if Frear or Cadden get injured; but certainly can play a variety of formations and personnel.

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