Leaderboard

The time to decide SK's future is at the end of the season when we have a new CEO and Chairman in place. They will be the decision makers going forward and wont want saddled with a manager they didnt pick or might not rate. Lets do things in the right order. We just beat a direct rival 5-0 to put daylight between ourselves and the play off place. We are sitting in 8th only 2 points off 6th. Sacking the manager right now would be absolutely mental. Getting knocked out the Cup was sore and will cost the club financially. It shouldnt be ignored, but it doesnt change any of the foregoing.

Big Ox must be utter dug meat, as Kelly has been guff for two seasons now and still keeps his place, we need change, also need a stronger captain

From the BBC commentary...... Van Veen barely seen Kilmarnock 1-0 Cove Rangers We haven't seen too much of Kilmarnock's big January signing on his first start for the club. Maybe he's still hiding behind the post. He's been subbed off. The KVV that left us for Groningen is not the same KVV that signed for Killie. If we'd signed this overweight, unfit, anonymous KVV, you'd have been shouting that the board and the manager are incompetent for wasting money on a guy who won't be fit for half the remaining campaign.

Did you read my post before commenting?

SK's primary issue is not having a decent plan B and being able to adjust mid match. Last night become obvious by 20 mins that we were being outfought.We should have changed formation in first 25 mins. He waited until we were 2 down - that's a huge error. Then just brought on 3 strikers when it was obvious we had to break them down. There's a lot the manger does well and he has people playing for him but his in game mgt is poor. Hence the amount of draws & defeats.

If the players carried out Kettlewell's instructions then he should be sacked but somehow I don't think playing ineffective head tennis on the half way line for 5 minutes at a time was the game plan. Players need to take responsibility for being gutless, garbage and showing no quality whatsoever.

Forget the bus driver. He took the rest to the game so that rules him out. And he took them home when they should have been made to walk back.

Well said. May I add to your list those that go into hiding when the team put in a good performance or certain players perform well. Or alternatively go into denial when one of the chosen few performs badly. The days after the County game being a standout example. Yes, of course they are entitled to their opinion. But those opinions might actually carry a bit more credence if they were more balanced, less obsessive and more constructive. I sometimes wonder if they actually sit there desperate for us to get a hiding so they can say "Told you so. He is shite" Every player has good and bad days. Every Manager has good and bad days. But you would think that was not the case if you listened to a few on here. Thankfully they are in the minority. Noisy but fairly few in number.

I've just spent the last five hours writing an essay... It's due Tuesday. Which is my birthday so I need to try and crack on and get it submitted on Monday. Had to ask for an extension due to this broken nose. Also ... I honestly don't have an ignore list . I'm sure people piss me off and I piss other people off but as someone said the other day we are all on the same side

cant think of anybody myself at the moment BB bur surley if we had a decent board and ceo in place they in turn would surely (i think ) always have a continual management sucsession plan, not my argument just sticking my nose in cause i am having a dry boring sat nite

Agreed. What's done is done, but Kettlewell needs to be using Vale and the other guys going forward. I could understand why he was loathe to use subs when the bench was almost devoid of decent options, but it's looking stronger now, so let's see them getting a fair run out.

I always suspected the players' attitude got us through that play-off rather than anything Baraclough did. Makes me wonder about their attitude in the games prior to that, right enough. Summed up by Ainsworth - very capable when he could be arsed. This lot are undoubtedly of a lesser standard but their attitude's been pretty good in most matches, Dingwall and last night being obvious exceptions. Just need to hope they get over it sooner than we will.

They would, but they still finished in the play-off spot. You could probably say the same about every team who were in the Premier then and now.

Could we find a better manager than Kettlewell? Absolutely. Could we find worse? Absolutely. The first thing we need to ensure this season is our survival in the Premier. Finishing 11th would be potentially disastrous, so any decision taken at this time has to be taken based on the likelihood of that happening, not how attractive our play is etc. That's why I think the summer would be the logical time for change, if change there's going to be. A look at the table shows we're not at the Hail Mary stage right now, and as far as alternatives go, I've yet to hear anyone put forward a realistic and exciting option. I get what you're saying about the board not taking big decisions because they're off soon. It's out there now, everyone knows it's happening - that uncertainty must ring alarm bells with any manager offered the job.

It wasn't meant to be funny, just utterly ridiculous. Exactly the response your comment merited.

Ehh the way we played this season sums that up as we have been awful unless your going to different games to me

The board will consider your application for CEO.

You have to have a big defence to match giant strikers and tough characters to win challenges. If you do that you nullify the opposition and the get the ball down and play the way you want.

Good call Grizzly. You can add Vale to that list too as he's looked good in his 2 cameos. As always Aberdeen will prove a hard physical test

Like all I'm scunnered with that last night. Big Oakley done some damage to our defence . Miller like others said really struggled with pitch and more importantly the wind as all players struggled to get it down. Their midfield 3 esp 1st half dominated and got ball forward early. I felt when vale came on 57 mins he looked gd and him and bair were in middle in what was 352 but kettlewell panicked and sent on obika 10 mins later and moved those 2 wider which totally killed any momentum that was building and players not knowing what they were doing. The last 20 mins was like a game up park with your pals with players in positions they didn't know. How Nicholson never got on ill never know. Butcher let Oakley run 20 yards into box without a tackle. Kelly standing off his line at inswinging corner. Spittal hitting outswinging corners when wind is with us. All just small things but by God amateur players know not to do those things. I could go on and on but my biggest take is kettlewell picked wrong team (halliday should have been on from start to get stuck in with miller on later) and his subs totally wrecked any cohesion in team. Obika just can't do anything now.

Having no permanent CEO and a Chairman with one eye on the exit is no good. We’re sleepwalking to disaster and have been for some time now. I think this could be our year to go down and I've never thought that before.

That was his one huge mistake last night. Game was crying out for a wee bit of creativity. Obika was not the replacement that was needed at that time. Massive error on Kettlewell’s part.

Good point. We’ll need that cash to get us out of the Championship next season.

I have been in, and am still in the camp to get rid of SK, his again shown lack of tactical nouce n complete inability of have a plan B yet again so well shown last night in that shit show performance, but the financial mess we are in after spending a reported £1 million on a pitch that’s a mess, money on a women’s team that does sweet feck all for the club, n shite recruitment dictates we can’t afford to sack SK, we have to just hope that we get 10th, get rid of the dross that’s taking a bigger wage the Obika, Kelly, and Odonnell’s of this world, and try n sign Gent on a perm deal, resign Slattery and pull out the stops to resign Spittal n extend McGinn who have been our best players n if someone offers money for Bair punt him, he’s scored 8 but missed at least 20 sitters, he’s just not a natural centre forward. Anyway enough of my moan and here’s hoping for 10th this season n move on to next year…with a CExec, new manager n new recruitment chief!

I agree to a point Tam, but Dougie Imrie is hardly what you'd call an experienced manager but he had our tactics and set up well and truly sussed.

A bitterly disappointing night after the momentum of pumping Ross County. We all thought that it would be the turning point in our season but tonight is a big wake up call. We're still in a relegation battle and as another poster said if we finish in the playoff spot, do we have what it takes to beat teams like Morton with our top flight survival on the line? Three very tough fixtures coming up before a trip to Livi. Any points from those 3 games will be a big big bonus.

Over here, it was on Tuesday night.

Been kettlewell fan and defended him a lot but he cocked up badly tonight. Obika ahead of Nicholson,? Jeez. But we all make mistakes so not jumping on get rid of him bandwagon

He pointed it out himself it was our 3rd game in 6 days and he only made one change to the squad. Mental.

Spineless . One word to describe tonight’s performance. Good Motherwell teams who did well in the past had a strong spine to them . By that I mean goalkeeper ,centre half , centre mid and centre forward . These four key positions through the centre are crucial . The spine of the team tonight was pathetic . Kettlewell must make some big decisions and the first one must be to replace Kelly in goals . Next Mugabi must be taken out the team . Six feet god knows and built like a tank yet gets bullied . That leaves centre mid . IMO don’t have one as we play this box midfield tippy tippy nonsense. And lastly centre forward . No way would I be hanging my coat on him . very poor player . Again six foot whatever and can’t even header a ball . Lastly fair play to Halliday . Wasn’t keen on him coming to club but he looks like the only one in the team with an actual football brain . As I say spineless team

Absolutely. Missed opportunities. Our substitutions tonight smacked of desperation. I would have thought that Vale could have been given more gametime and yes, surely Nicholson has 20 minutes in him? Maybe in a minority of one here but I don't think McGinn and O'Donnell should both play in the centre. I'd keep McGinn as he's been a steadying influence there and, as tonight proved, we need more muscle and height in there. According to SK, O'Donnell was touch and go anyway for tonight due to family circumstances.

To be fair hes probably still a bit short of full match fitness

Obviously. It's also okay to argue one's point.

For context I thought sacking Alexander was the wrong move. However I'm not going to apologise for backing Kettlewell. I've never shouted for any manager to be sacked

Manager takes as long to answer a question as he does a substitution in those interviews

I am getting to be an old man now, so my passion is not what it once was for the football but I would say that the football is not worthy of tears. It is too much emotion invested in a group of footballers who will often let you down. I understand the frustration though. I think you have provided a really good balance to some of the negativity on the forum in recent weeks but the team has let us down tonight. Nothing to do with ability. Motherwell were the better footballing side. They just did not want it enough. A lack of fight is hard to defend.

That was embarassing. Bring Trevor Carson back he love a cup game,

Busier than it was on Tuesday.

Awk shut up. He’s rotten. You’re on here constantly complaining about other folks opinions. Give it a rest 👍🏼

I don't believe that's the case.

Didn’t see the game but let me guess poor defending, Kelly pish, midfield getting nothing and their passing was awful, Bair finishing was pish. How many did I get right?

Though Devine was pretty poor tbh. Passed up a few opportunities to hit the by line and cross. Each to their own.

Kelly should have been dropped weeks ago. If he doesn't get dropped after tonight's performance Kettlewell should hang his head in shame.

Devine is light years ahead of SOD.