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Out of Favour?


mark_gard
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Correct me if I'm wrong but was the flight to take the players to Romania leaving this morning. Just wondering because i stay next to fitzy and i seen him at half past 2 this afternoon. Just wondering if he's fell out of favour with JG or is he maybe injured.

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I'm sure somebody on here said he was carrying an injury for one of the earlier rounds so perhaps he could still be struggling. A vastly underrated player in my opinion and really deserves a shot to prove he has what it takes. I could understand if he were to move on, the treatment he gets from some quarters is shameful.

 

Was sitting behind him and Darren Smith at the game last week and my mates and I were having a chuckle trying to guess how long it would be before he got the blame for something on the park.

 

Here's hoping he gets his chance under Gannon.

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Just have the feeling that both him and Smith wont be required under Gannon. Just dont think that they look like his type of players.

 

Dont like to see promising youth given the heave but I think both these players are maybe going a bit stale at FP. Possibly a change of scenary will do them both the world of good and there careers can progress.

 

I like both guys as players and both of them are good lads off the pitch wouldnt like to see them stagnate.

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I'm sure somebody on here said he was carrying an injury for one of the earlier rounds so perhaps he could still be struggling. A vastly underrated player in my opinion and really deserves a shot to prove he has what it takes. I could understand if he were to move on, the treatment he gets from some quarters is shameful.

 

Was sitting behind him and Darren Smith at the game last week and my mates and I were having a chuckle trying to guess how long it would be before he got the blame for something on the park.

 

Here's hoping he gets his chance under Gannon.

 

He got more than his fair share of chances to prove himself under McGhee. I personally don't rate him as much of a player, and certainly not for the SPL. He does try hard though and would probably do a good shift in the 1st division.

 

Hammell out of favour too by the way?

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He got more than his fair share of chances to prove himself under McGhee. I personally don't rate him as much of a player, and certainly not for the SPL. He does try hard though and would probably do a good shift in the 1st division.

 

Hammell out of favour too by the way?

 

 

dont be surprised to see him move on too before the season starts, aberdeen are interested!

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Stevie Hammell has played three out of four games this season. Misses one and suddenly people have him getting sold off.

 

I like Hammell and think he's a good solid SPL player. But I can't see Aberdeen wanting him. They have Mulgrew for that position. Now if you tell me Hibs are interested, I might believe you. Should we really be selling him on the basis of one game at left back from Mark Reynolds? For what it's worth, I reckon the only two guys in the squad who look totally out of the picture at the moment (and likely to be moved on) are Fitzpatrick and DL Smith. Possibly McGarry should be worrying if we have Murphy, Slane, Humphrey and Coke for attacking midfield positions...

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The problem with Stevie Hammell IMO is his general defending ability. He is always out of position and isn't the best tackler in the world. If we can get someone better, great, but I don't think Reynolds is as good at left back and Hutchison looks a little shaky when the ball is on the ground. I would still have Craigan (CB), Reynolds (CB) and Hammell (LB)

 

Although, is De Laet not a left back?

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I wouldn't be suprised if Hammell starts tonight, Gannon is quoted in the papers as saying,

 

"New faces have arrived, the young boys have shone and players such as Stevie Hammell seem to have been given a new lease of life. So far, so good"

 

Sounds like positive words and praise from the gaffer and to single him out for a mention. So I would guess that Hammell will be part of Gannons plans.

 

I struggle to see where fitzpatrick fits into our team, but would be good to have in the squad to cover any injuries. Don't see him being any more than a squad player, but I may be wrong and would happy to be proven as such.

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Aye there are many reason why Hammell could have been sitting on the bench last week. I do find it funny when in a squad game like football someone doesn't play and the fans automatically think it is all over for that player. Gannon seems to be a Manager who changes the team to fit his tactics rather than have tactics to fit his team. Which I have to admit is a breath of fresh air.

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I like Fitzy - I think he's significantly better than he gets credit for.

 

He might be injured for one.

 

Anyway, he'll do OK elsewhere if he goes. And like someone in the know said recently a move might be the best thing for him.

 

If he goes I'll be disappointed but wish him well.

 

Sometimes we don't see the effectiveness of a player until he plays for the opposition.

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someone doesn't play and the fans automatically think it is all over for that player.

 

I have been guilty of that myself in the past. Remember the St Mirren cup game last season (home game) when Porter had just left and I thought Sutton was going to get his chance but McGhee did not play him (Sheridan played second half instead). I thought Sutton would never kick a ball for us again but turned out he just did not fit into that legendary 4-3-3 (aye right then) system that day.

 

Would fully expect Hammill to be one of our main players this season but do think he needed a kick up the arse after the first Llanelli game where he just did not look interested.

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I wouldn't be suprised if Hammell starts tonight, Gannon is quoted in the papers as saying,

 

"New faces have arrived, the young boys have shone and players such as Stevie Hammell seem to have been given a new lease of life. So far, so good"

 

Sounds like positive words and praise from the gaffer and to single him out for a mention. So I would guess that Hammell will be part of Gannons plans.

 

Actually, those are not Gannon's words. The journalistic legend that is Neil Cameron added his own take on the progress since Gannon arrived between quotes.

 

For what it's worth I think Hammell is part of Jim's plans.

 

Stuart.

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The problem with Stevie Hammell IMO is his general defending ability. He is always out of position and isn't the best tackler in the world.

 

We've gone over this before. Hammell is often out of position because our midfield can't hold a line and have the positional sense of a group of headless chicken. That often leaves Stevie in a no win situation. Cover for the midfield and leave a gap at the back? Or fall back and let the opposition run at you? Or have two players on your side and have to pick one and leave the other?

 

And I'm not saying he is Paolo Maldini but a lot of the stick he gets is unfair especially in terms of positioning and defending. We saw how useless Jim O'Brien was as a full back last week. We'll he's equally useless in midfield when we should be in 'defence' mode. Not that the rest of them are much better but he's the worst offender for being out of position, not tracking back, not picking up a player etc etc.

 

If Gannon wants us to lose fewer goals, he needs to start by drilling the midfield in how to play in defensive mode with the opposition attacking because that's where a lot of our problems stem from.

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Stevie Hammell has played three out of four games this season. Misses one and suddenly people have him getting sold off.

 

Hammell being left out last week was a tactical decision as was O'Brien playing at right back. Hammell will play tonight and if Gannon thinks he needs to be change things tactically again next week he will be dropped, same for any player under Gannon. Personally I don't think Hammell has been in as good form as he was before he went south although he did have a good season in 07-08. However,at the moment we have no left back who is better or more experienced than Stevie and I seriously doubt that JG will get rid of him because of his experience. Fitzy has not developed as much as we would have liked and that may be down to a lack of first team appearances. Good luck to him if he does leave but I don't think he will be a huge loss

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The case of Fitzpatrick is a funny one.

 

Sometimes I think that semi-final goal was the worst thing that could have happened to him. It cemented him in some fans' eyes as a natural successor to Stephen Pearson and there seemed to be an expectation that he was going to be the next attacking goalscaring midfielder down our left side. For me, he's not that type of player. He strikes me more as a left footed Lasley type. Good grafter, he does a lot of ugly stuff. He doesn't seem to have enough about him (at the moment) to be one of a central 2 in a 4-4-2 and has never really looked comfortable wide left in that formation. McGhee's formation seemed tailor made for him as he looked the part on the left side of a tight midfield three.

 

Forbes emergence this season has meant that we haven't seen thus far whether he could have played the role of one of the two midfielders playing in front of the back four. Forbes certainly looks to have a range of passing that Fitzpatrick doesn't have but whether he will bring the same defensive qualities remains to be seen (my gut feeling is that the goal we conceded over in Albania, Fitzpatrick would have been more likely to track the runner that scored the goal).

 

On Fitzpatrick's future, the fact we have signed three midfielders suggests he might find himself surplus to requirements. Maybe it's best for him and Motherwell for him to move on (though I don't imagine having him in the squad is a massive drain on our resources).

 

As an aside, as Motherwell fans we appreciate young players coming through. The problem for me is that a lot of the time these young players have to be a McAllister, McFadden, Clarkson or Pearson to be appreciated. By that, I mean someone who will move on for a fee to a higher level. In the cases of the likes of Hammell and Fitzpatrick, it doesn't seem enough for us fans that these players develop into solid SPL pros, unlikely to garner us a fee but likely to give solid performances most weeks in the league. Maybe we need to temper our expectations a wee bit. If Paul Slane doesn't turn into the next McFadden but instead is the next Jim O'Brien, I hope the fans cut him more slack than they have cut Fitzpatrick...

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