MFCL84

Yes, sorry, but I can't get too excited by another loan deal. Hopefully, he does really well for us, but let's get the permanent players in place please.

So, by that ranking, they aren't as good as Hearts. That gives me some confidence that we can get a result here. We do need to be tighter at the back, and sharper in our passing. The addition of Lowry will, hopefully, give us a bit of guile that can open up opposition defences. We have to hope that whoever is up front can find the net when chances come. A draw away from home and win it at Fir Park.

This'll be a tough game. We are certainly not firing on all cylinders. The defence looks particularly vulnerable. I expect that we'll ship a goal or two. Question is whether we can out-score them. I'd certainly be happy to take a draw from Easter Road at this stage.

It has to be Oscar!

I can't say that I heard that, but you're right, it isn't a good look. I know that it's a bit of banter, but our fans should be more respectful of the opposition. That said, let's not take anything away from the display. Given the lack of resources and the upheaval, AJ has done well to get a tune from the team in such a short time. Progress through the rounds is a nice little money earner, and great for the fans. Long may it continue. Of course, the real test will come on Sunday, when we play a team of equal standard.

Yeah, very professional performance, if somewhat slack with the passing at times. Again, Said should have had a couple. If he could compose himself in front of goal he'd be worth a fortune.

Got it going on the phone app!

Premier Sports.stream isn't working for me. OK for everyone else?

I feel the same. That's a couple of loan signings this window. Maybe these are to allow Matty or academy players a bit more time to achieve the required level and step up later in the season.

A decent start to the season proper. Some very good individual performances and a good team performance given where we are in the season and the limited availability of key squad members. My thoughts on the new guys playing last night: Paulsen did OK. He made a couple of saves that I'd expect of any keeper, and his distribution was, for the most part, acceptable. However, he looked a bit jittery. Maybe just early season nerves. Our central pairing of Moorman and Girdwood-Reich was reasonably solid, though I do worry about pace there. They didn't seem all that quick, and I thought that Girdwood-Reich seemed a bit unbalanced and unsure, almost clumsy at times. I'm not sure that he is the ball-playing centre-half that replaces Welsh. Then again, that's his first game in a Well jersey so no level of familiarity with his teammates. Williams did well for someone that had only just signed and probably met his teammates a day or so before the match. More to come from him as he settles in for sure. Vogt gave a vastly improved performance from the Genk match. A quiet first half, but he seemed to get the bit between his teeth second half resulting in some really good runs, and with a bit of composure he would have got a goal. Finally, our academy graduate, Booth. I felt that he acquitted himself well. He got into some great spaces between the lines and was constantly looking for the ball. He could have been used more by his teammates. One for the future. For the rest: Wilson did OK. I felt that his forward movement was pretty good. He made some good runs, but didn't receive the ball as often as he could have. He did get caught on the ball, in advanced positions a couple of times, but overall OK on the night. Fadinger and Priestman ran midfield. Very assured, dominating performance from both. Said, well, he was Said. Great touches on the ball, terrible decision making and even worse finishing. If only he could improve on either one, he'd be a real asset. Sparrow did what he pretty much always does. He was energetic and competent, solid not flashy; he rarely lets you down. I'd like to think that we have enough to see us through to the next round, but this tie is not over. HB showed enough to suggest that they will score next week. I just hope that we get one first, which will likely be enough to win the tie.

It was a toss up between Fadinger and Priestman, both were excellent tonight and controlled midfield. Peach of a strike by Fadinger.

100% this. We need to be aggressively trying to win this by a fair margin.

Apparently his main position is left back. Competition and backup for Longello.

I have to agree. Given the importance of the game in just 6 days time, I expected our first 11, barring injuries, to be on the pitch tonight. Maybe that was the best 11 that we could muster in the first half. If it is, we're likely in trouble for the HB match. The youths did well though.

Apparently 5cm (2 inches) taller than Matty.

I don't want to see.any of that at Fir Park. I want my goalie to be very sensible and level headed. Hugh Sproat was as flamboyant a keeper as I ever want to see at Fir Park.

Some very scary footwork in that Paulsen video. He does seem to enjoy dribbling the ball out of the box.

You are not alone. After the euphoria of last season, I was looking forward to a bit of continuity and seeing the team take the next step in the 26/27 season. However, the way that things seem to be panning out it looks like we'll struggle to have much early season success. I'm not doubting the recruitment team or manager's ability to get it done, just the timing of it all. I'm not here yet, but any thoughts of a European run are rapidly fading, even before a ball is kicked.

A couple of exciting signings. Vogt's stats look very good last season, though I don't know about the quality of the Swiss Challenge League. Regardless, 12 goals and 7 assists for a team that finished bottom of the league shows that he is capable of scoring and creating in a struggling team. That is much more difficult to do than creating and scoring in a successful team. Looking good. Martin Moorman seems like the perfect replacement for Welsh. Let's hope that both are fit, stay fit, and have successful spells at the Mighty Well. Hopefully the start of a very successful summer window. A long way to go, but it looks like a good start.

Any list would have to include Tommy Coyne, James McFadden, Davie Cooper, Phil O'Donnell, Keith McCrae, Joe Wark, Willie Pettigrew, Bobby Graham, Bobby Watson, Brian Heron, Vic Davidson, Paul Lambert, Brian Martin, etc.....

In previous years I would probably have agreed with you, but not this time. Provided we retain the core of the team and add suitable replacements for those moving on, we should be capable of taking on the non-seeded teams. We'll also be able to compete against some of those that are seeded. A lot will depend on finding a good replacement for JBA as early as possible to allow familiarisation and coaching in what will undoubtedly be a bit of a different approach to the game from JBA. I'm hoping that we are seeded and get a favourable draw that allows the tour to be more than one trip to Wales or Ireland.

A big loss, not just to Motherwell, but to Scottish football which has just lost a young, progressive, modern manager that would no doubt have taken Motherwell on an upward trajectory that would have had a beneficial knock on for the Scottish game in general. Let's hope we get another one that is just as switched on. Come on ye Well! Thanks and best wishes to Jens.

I'd like him to hang around for another year, but accept that he'll go eventually, and most likely while his stock is so high. If he does go, he'll go with my best wishes. What may keep him here is the apparent rapport that he has with the club, players and fanbase. Couple that with the control and freedom that he seems to have at Fir Park, and the club's ambition; it may be enough, but I doubt it, money talks, and it'll be a big pay day for him. He may well think that maintaining forward momentum through the second season is likely to be more difficult. - We'll lose some core players, recruitment will need to be very good to replace and improve on what we enjoyed this season. - Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and Hibs will probably improve next season. Can he make next season better than this? I hope that, if he does go then wherever he ends up, it isn't in Scotland and he is given the time and resources to implement his philosophy. We and he were very lucky that it all seemed to click so quickly at Fir Park. As for Max, I have no idea if he can step up. The board will decide if such becomes necessary and I have faith in them.

What can be said about this season, this team and the manager? If we hadn't got 4th, it would have been a travesty. I expect us to do pretty well in Europe and put Motherwell on the football map. This team play the best football that I have seen in my time watching Motherwell, and that started a very long time ago. It has been an exceptional season for footballing entertainment at Fir Park. The connection created between the team and the support is phenomenal. I hope that it continues next season and we see attendances continue to grow. The manager comes across as a real gentleman who knows his stuff, and takes no nonsense. The transformation from a season and a half ago has been nothing short of remarkable. JBA, the backroom staff and the players deserve all the plaudits. As a fan, it has been a wonderful season and I'd like to thank the manager, team and backroom staff for the enjoyment that they have given me.

I'm not disappointed that nothing was released, it would only have come across as a reaction to the decision that night. What I'd rather they do is garner support from throughout the league and then have a group of clubs approach the governing body about the generally abysmal state of refereeing and get them to commit to change. A single statement will do nothing, there needs to be a coordinated campaign by the vast majority of clubs to apply sufficient pressure to force change for the better.