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We sold out our allocation today because we were quietly confident of a result. That's testament to how well the team has done this season. Unfortunately it didn't materialise due to multiple factors but not for lack of trying. We're brave on the ball and the quality is there for all to see. It's got it's results that sees us sitting pretty in the top six with a realistic chance of European football come the summer. Yes, we're out two cups and that's disappointing but we're still very much a work in progress. The whole fur coat no knickers narrative is simply pish.

It's just amazing how quickly some have forgotten the absolute dross we've watched under previous managers compared to this season. I'm not getting hyped I'm just happy to see the team play football the way it should be played and to great effect most weeks. Christ, we've earned it.

Honestly think perspective is being lost by some. We're well on track to be 4th. We got beat today by a better team who played well and have the depth, strength, quality of players to hurt us and they did. It's not because we were poor , or have poor players or have a ref who caused it. Today we came off second best, albeit still competed well with them until the penalty. I do wonder if all the hype and suggestion of winning the league has skewed many perspectives. I don't agree that a bubble has burst - we're too many games into the season to refer to bubbles/lucky streaks. We're a damn good team and on course to be 4th.

Maybe now we can start looking at the fact that O'Donnell will be 34 next season, McGinn will be 36 and Welsh will be somewhere else earning much more money.

You need to have arrived in the UK on an inflatable boat under cover of darkness to stay there these days, its free though.

I dont think thats fair. The only big game I dont think we turned up in was the League Cup semi-final, and even that game was down to "moments". Performance wise, we have been excellent against Hearts twice, Celtic three times and Rangers three times. Results wise you could make an argument for it, but given all 3 teams have significantly bigger budgets than us and are above us in the league, they might just be better/luckier than us. The fact that we have been able to go toe to toe with them is a significant improvement on mindset and performance levels from years gone past. Of course, if we want to develop and get better, Jens will have to find a way to bridge the gap and turn those performances into results.

I think we've been overhyped and that has maybe got to us. Folk need to remain grounded. Yes, we are probably the best footballing team in the league, but that alone doesn't win you games. There are 3 possibly 4 better teams than us in the league and we shouldn't forget that. However we'll finish in 5th at worst and thats a tremendous achievement. We've built a good foundation from which to strengthen the squad for next season and turn it into a team capable of winning a cup.

Don’t have any arguments with that today. I thought we did fine and played really good stuff at times and infact i felt we were having the upper hand at the time of the penalty/sending off. After that it was damage management. Nothing to get too disheartened about, the next 2 home games are the more crucial ones. We need to stay in 4th and try and cause a bit of mayhem in the top 6.

On a plus point Hibs failed to beat Livingston at home and drew 0-0 so very much still advantage us in the race for 4th. Next week at home against them is absolutely massive, we need to beat them to increase our lead and also to get back on track otherwise we could suddenly find ourselves in a bit of a rut after such a good run.

Going by the rules of the game it’s a penalty and when VAR is operating then you’re never getting away with that. That was not the reason we lost today and can’t be used as an excuse for it. We just weren’t good enough.

Can’t believe I’m saying this but to be fair to Beaton he didn’t give it. Technically correct after VAR review so question is more why similar incidents are not all subject to VAR. that’s the more likely bias in favour of old firm, especially at home.

Cash in come the summer

Beans for the pie ? oh , 3 points ☺️

Great video Stephen, thanks for sharing. Its very thought provoking and it would seem the future design of stadia holds both challenges and opportunities. At our level, new stadia have to cater for wider community benefits and I can quite see NLC being fully on board with any new stadium plans we have if it meant we would provide community sports and leisure facilities and pick up the maintence tab. That would allow it to close its own facilities and invest that precious cash into other more important budgets. I suppose new stadia are becoming like Type 26 frigates. As soon as they're finished, they're years out of date. There are other challenges as hinted at in the video. There's perhaps scope for the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal or Barcelona to open their own mini stadia in places like Scotland either on their own, or through partners like ourselves. Premier league games could be beamed live to their own dedicated stadia in the likes of Wishaw. Such games could attract maybe 10,000 - 15,000 fans for a game - replicate that all over Europe and other continents and you have a nice little money earner. At our level I doubt if we'd be able to afford an all singing all dancing version but there's no reason why we couldn't afford a more basic but modern and functional version, that fans could relate to. The design could also connect to our local heritage to avoid any development being soulless. Not sure about Birmingham's design though! It would be a real shame, if in 20 years' time, kids asked their parents what a brick, billet, pig iron or blast furnace was. I'm already seeing and hearing that kind of reaction with my own family. The bottom line, as always, is the raising the funds.

No, I haven't gone mad. Well I might have gone mad, but that's a separate issue. MOTM will be late today, so save your thoughts about the best player in our glorious 2 - 1 victory/unlucky draw/cheating defeat until I get a chance to update. --- Now it's had a chance to fester, take your pick.

Wimmer talked about shoots on target but you have took it to a new level 🤣🤣.

Reality is we went to Celtic park to a team whose budget is astronomical compared to us. We dominated possesion but couldnt make it count. The game swung on the pen/red as we were 100% in it to that point & to be honest even after it until the third went in. Was it a pen - probably yes. Bit double jepordy to get the red. Chamberlain should also have been off. Disapointing yes, but we were neither humped nor humbled. Get back on the wins next week & close out the season strong. 3rd is still available if others fuck up which they will.....

Despite playing for 20 mins with 10 men we still had 53% possession. Shots 13 to 12 for Celtic. 6 to 3 for Celtic shots on target. I thought we were the better team first half and after 15 mins of second half we got passed Celtic being on top and had started to regain control before the red card threw us for a loop. Of course, issues to work on but still a lot to like about our team. I’m expecting us to roar back the next few weeks at home.

Still only lost 5 games out of 30

I thought some of our football was excellent today. Watched it on Celtic Tv and Peter Grant was full of praise for us. It was a pen, but the red card was awful, terrible decision that has changed the game. We lacked a bit of cutting edge up front today and were wasteful in good areas. But our play from the back to midfield was outstanding. Keep playing the way we are then 3rd or 4th is achievable which let’s be honest would be a fantastic result for the club. Just got to keep building this style of play into next season as I’m sure it will bring success to the club.

The Tommy Gemmell statue in Craigneuk makes a nod to Ravenscraig with its' plinth. Still able to reference the past in a cost effective stadium with a good design team. Don't know if anyone else noticed, but the recurring theme with every stadium they covered was seven day a week use. They were all designed with that in mind from the outset. Kansas City Current I think want to make a gimmick of the Missouri river. The openness of that stadium may struggle here due to our climate. But the proposed stadium in Denver have made a thing of it too. When I look around North Lanarkshire there's not much to drive people here despite having a huge population within a 30 minute drive. NLC were envious that residents would travel to Hamilton or East Kilbride to use their shopping centres if a trip to Glasgow couldn't be faced, taking money out the area. Ravenscraig is a chance to create a draw and the only way we can stay in the town if we want something new unless Dalzell plate mill goes the same way. When I look around the local area I see things like the Sunday markets at Chatelherault and think, well that works. It's why in the presentation I allowed for a space where food truck owners could use it as a base and be a draw for lunchtime and evening trade as a draw in itself plus somewhere to have a shared prep kitchen, storage, refrigeration and take unsocial hours deliveries. You tell these vendors that over and above everything else every two weeks you deliver 10,000 to 18,000 folk to them, again it all seems to be mutually beneficial. The other thing which is total pie in the sky is COSM, but we could emulate elements of it but it needs investment and brings risk. The story behind it is pretty cool: Fans in the video say they paid $140-180 for a ticket no doubt before the $15-20 beers, it late explains admission starts at $70, which is a very American trait and how their sports is moving with dynamic pricing. But I suppose if folk here are prepared to pay £30 for a Scotland fanpark for the WC and often pay a commensurate hourly rate at places like Top Golf then could you fill it with enough revenue per week to make it viable? Our market would favour football and there's cameras to buy and install and move to the next venue here and in Europe, but piggybacking off the feed for the two American based venues would be a start. I don't know what they do outside their camera's being at an event to keep the place turning over. I doubt they'd be keen as LA, Dallas and ...... some brownfield site in Lanarkshire doesn't really have the same oomph or align with their premium brand, would be a bit like Del Boy's Reliant Regal. But it's all stuff to think about and rule out than never think of at all.

Next season is Scotland's last with 5 teams. Champions - CL P/O Round 2nd Place - CL QR2 3rd place/cup winner - EL QR3 4th place/3rd if cup winner isn't Celtic - Confrence League QR2 5th place/ 4th if cup winner isn't Celtic - Confrence League QR2

Why would be good enough? They spend much more than us, you need luck and a strong ref...hibs drew so it could've been a lot worse.We played really well today, maybe too open but that's yhe type of players we have

Theyve been allowed to kick Just of the park.

When a poor sellik team beats us then maybe some of the overhype about us being the new bodo glimt needs to be reigned in a bit. Next week now massive

It was a clear penalty. We would be screaming blue murder if exact same thing happened up the other end and it wasn’t given.

Need to make a few subs here get some fresh legs on

You need luck and a good ref to win at Parkhead.....no chance then

And sellik always moan about Beaton!. Does them more favours than any other club

Its no wonder they seldom get players sent off. Refereed to a different standard.

TIME UP REF!!!

I made square slice last night and rolls due out the oven in about 5 mins. A few Motherwell goals and it will be a great day.

'Well top on, scotch pies bought from the local scottish pub, 23 degrees outside, game about to start !!! Just one more thing to go for a perfect afternoon !!!

Glad Jens is going with SODs & McGinn in the middle. Should givebus more composure at the back. Need a big shift from Sparrow and the midfield so we get a grip of things and protect our goal. Hopefully JT, Just and Said will be on it up top.

Yip, without Welsh, that`s as good as it gets. See Halliday is back on the bench.

Team i would have picked

Certainly surpassed your expectations, we are beaten every game before we start according to you

I like the idea behind the Birmingham City stadium. It would be nice to have a tip of the hat to Ravenscraig incorporated within our stadium, whether that be a museum or just in the design. Realistically, Kansas City Womens stadium is probably more in line with we could afford. Albeit I dont like stadia with open sides as per Falkirk or Hamilton.......

We have certainly met and surpassed expectations by a considerable distance this season and however it pans out its been an enjoyable one. We are not going to win the league and we were never in contention for it. It’s actually more those outwith our fanbase that have been talking about us as though we were in fairness. For us I think our target should be 4th which would represent an excellent season. I don’t think we’re out of things for 3rd quite yet but I’d say it’s just a bit beyond us and I’d expect to see the top three pull away from us in the coming weeks.

Just a feeling Hearts are due a wee unexpected stumble. A Killie win would be preferable, obviously.

That’s the other logical option, but I think he views Sparrow as more of a versatile impact sub for games like today. Plus SOD is a far better defensive RB.

Gordon will probably start today, unfortunately, but he should be informed he’ll be tarred and feathered if he ever tries to dribble again.

My recollection was that it was Martin Peters. Martin Chivers had the potential to be one of the best centre forwards of all time, he was so talented. However, that natural instinct was coached out of him. What a night that was though. Fir Park was packed.

Surely the only available option. And I know you're not Shirley......

JBA has made such a difference in such a short time that sometimes you have to take a step back and remind yourself of just how much progress we have made. Yes, losing was a big disappointment but that was the only game we have lost in 18 against bottom 6 teams. We still dominated the game but just couldn’t manage to get the goals to win it. I was pleased to see JBA’s after match response which was very calm, sensible and measured, giving plaudits to Dundee for making it a very hard game for us amd also sticking by our players for their efforts. Being philosophical a not throwing anyone under the bus, basically sticking by the outlook he has preached all season, “there will be games, where, despite our best efforts, we will get beat”. Keep doing what we are doing well and work on improving in areas where we can do better.

I thought he got the Aberdeen job, not the Motherwell job.