Goggles & Flippers

Operation Mincemeat seems ironically apt

After last years controversial fixtures with only two home fixtures opposed to three against the unwashed from the East End and the new Tory fan club, expect us to get four home ties this season before the split to make up for it, you heard it here first.

If you think he's done signing all his midfielders and forwards by June the 14th, could you by any chance geez peace till Deadline day?

I seen it as functional to facilitate the badge application and hide whatever method they're using.

Check out the "like" count dickhead

2009/10 I think was introduced for the Cooper (2 kids) and a year later the East Stand for one child. Looking forward to NASA being telt to put a man in space and credit being taken for it next time there's a rocket launch.

I suppose if things were reversed and you supported Dundee or Partick you may think that Ainsworth was fantastic treating that one game in isolation. Maybe Fisher played out his skin that night at FP and that is why I'd welcome him. But that has to be taken in context of a season .... and their fans offer that perspective. However many a player has failed at one club and gone on to another and succeed. With respect to Robinson's previous role with the NI youths. I cast my mind back to the Jim Gannon era. Many on here still (8 years later - Jesus that is scary) lament his eye for a player and would welcome him back as a scout. I would suggest if you are the manager of an English league 1 club you get to watch every team in your division live twice and no doubt get scouting reports and watch plenty of other games throughout the season from video. Therefore it would not be beyond you to select a tangible target list which I think he did and managed to assemble a decent squad in what was our last major rebuild. No different to any of us watching Sportscene over the course of a season and being able to pick out 20 players outwith Celtic, Aberdeen and Newco that would make a tasty team, even with 1.5 mins of highlights and 5 minutes of gobshitery from some of their coverage. I'm sure despite he doesn't have recent first hand experience of the NI U21 setup, guys like Tommy Wright know exactly who have something about them from that pool of talent and who doesn't. Robinson just had more day to day working and has a better understanding of temperament, application and guile. Ability and consistency will be common knowledge through a sound scouting system and personal recommendations.

I'd take a punt on Fisher, can't be any worse than some of the dross we've picked up of late. That is unless the money is needed to bring in real quality that we've yet to see.

Depends on his ambition level. If you got a healthy wage to sit on your arse for 4 years, would you take it? So yes it is a step down in all aspects except for pulling on boots on a Saturday.

Regardless of what we may think it is undoubtedly a step down for him. 50k to 4k fans, 50k stadium to 12.5k, £xk per week to £1.8k as reported headline pay. It appears has a fragile ego an and is nursing a chip on his shoulder. He obviously can't see the benefit of taking a step back to take two forward and also has a differing view of his value, hence no doubt holding off till the clubs he think are of his standard come knocking. The refusal today would possibly be a different entity if he has no options the night Jim White is on the telly in his gold tie.

Spelling mistake, couldn't have the pedantic on here focusing on that rather than the message.

Oh dear. Do you know what, since you brightened up all our days by joining, many including myself have offered you advice as sometimes you have valid points but they are lost in amongst all of your bluster and self aggrandisement. However this has been repeatedly thrown back with a healthy sprinkling of passive aggressive behaviour, so hell mend you on that front. We had a private conversation a month ago which I was happy to keep private but in light of your continued .... let me think of a diplomatic phrase here ..... cunty buffoonery .... yeah we'll go with that ..... I'm happy to share with all members. In response to a thread where I again mentioned your prowess as a licensed carriage for hire operative, you suggested we meet before the game. I like a number of other posters on here took that as a thinly veiled threat of intimidation or physical violence. In fact a number of our peers suggested the match up would be a good money spinner to raise WS funds. Your felt compelled to write to me and clarify. You were advised its not always best to assume that you are speaking to a man just because this is a football forum. Regardless I'm glad I wasn't the only one who saw your sparring for what it was. However you have now established yourself as a parody on here, you're also now the dog that can be kicked because a number now look upon everything you post and are pre-armed to look upon it negatively. I suggest you first mop up all that jizz from your belly button that no doubt collects after you think you've delivered a teaker one liner, adjust your massage ball car seat cover, find your rear view mirror (top tip .... up and left) and have a long look at yourself in it and contemplate if you really are winning at life.

You forgot that on this day Steelmen Online readers were also exposed to your 14th fantastic post.

All the quotes are taken directly from the MFCTV video. lazy journo can't spell "seen" arsehole. Also copy your link text in future please.

A considered and reasonable interview with a few too many credits to "social media" and the shite that written about the club by the keyboard warriors on here, facebook and FPC. However a diplomatic response for some of his critics to consider. Sadly for him, he has to spend time during that educating a swathe of our support to the nuances of how the club does its business. Remember, this is an example of 10x more info and engagement than any other club offers in this league.

It's more the idea of those neanderthals jumping from Rule Britannia into Spandau Ballet that sticks in my craw.

Yes because by and large our support are proper gentlemen (and ladies) who appreciate the nuisances of the game and are knowledgeable of the particulars of those who take to the pitch to take on the pugilistic art .......

Not asking anyone to do that, maybe just asking them not to act like a fanny when someone returns to Fir Park. As Milo pointed out, the bullshit Reynolds received as one of the most cringy things I've ever seen our support doing.

No I'm saying that from speaking to him personally I know he was dismayed when he returned to Motherwell in the past at the behaviour of some of the fans when he felt he left of the best terms possible. What I am saying that if he was approached any affinity from his early days with us was eroded.

As thisGraeme illustrated in this thread and Tweed in the McGhee vs Robinson thread the guy deserves his chance. He has outperformed his former boss. When McGhee and Robinson worked in tandem we finished 5th. He then left and before he returned we were shipping goals to the likes of Dundee. The only two things he's been guilty of in the past year is accepting a bit of a poison chalice at Oldham however I can appreciate his ambition and persevering with a back three after an impressive first half at Ibrox that defied expectation. However to counter the latter you could argue when you have a defensive roll call at training that resembles Labour's Scottish MP count, fielding three defenders and flooding the midfield is understandable. Especially when you have an effective strike partnership in Moult and McDonald, you plan to make the other team defend rather then you do it. Unfortunately as we saw, a good number of our league opponents have better functioning midfields. That is not aided when arguably our best midfielder is playing as a makeshift centre half and the other one with anything about him has already been written off by a lot of our support even though he outperformed Lucas and Clay. I would hope that scouting reports he amassed in his months with Oldham may help identify a few targets. Also, the club sees merit in cherry picking from our lower leagues too. I also suspect a few Northern Irish starlets from his U21 time there. It'll be interesting to see if he can help the young fringe players like Allan Campbell to step up and secure a weekly starting position. The squad he amasses will define him, if he can't get it right then he is looking like spending the next 5 years or so as an assistant to build his stock price up again. As for all the guys talking about McCulloch, maybe when he returned to Fir Park as a Rangers player (via Wigan where we received a nice payday) and was subjected to all sorts of cringeworthy shouts from our fans. Reynolds got it too and it doesn't really build any lingering affinity for the club that gave you your chance. Having him return to Motherwell when he left Rangers would have been a welcome addition to our squad. We could also have the services of a home grown lad who has performed really well at Killie since taking over. Their run in to the split was arguably the toughest in the league and they exceeded any expectations of their points haul. Some in the East Stand should maybe consider where they direct their vitriol in future.

Regardless if we want it or not, I'm pretty sure it was in Moult's career aspirations to move on after two years up here and that is what he was probably sold on to get a 3 year deal and a higher weekly wage. As for Griffiths, he certainly has the stature I like in a goalkeeper, but in the games I saw him I was far from impressed with how a guy with such a large physical presence commanded his box. Surely there must be others out there.

In the name of the wee man ..... please paste the link contents

Surprised by the loss of a few names you see regularly in U20's match reports, but as I've never watched a game I have to go with the judgement of Craggs. I sincerely hope we have a ruthless policy going forward. Managers and coaches reputations are staked on their success, not if they are a nice guy or not (although it helps). No more punting on 50-50's as it looks like here, so for that reason I'm happy with the club statement. Really disappointed with Pearson in his third stint from what I saw.

Safe to say securing him in 2015 has probably been one of the defining factors how we've avoided relegation repeatedly. Not oblivious to the fact that if it wasn't him we may have secured someone else equally or better suited to the ongoing survival and growth of the club, but we can only go on what evidence we have and in this case its more positive than negative.

Lets not be oblivious to the fact that sometimes for a player to shine he needs to be either: played in his preferred position played in a tactical system that compliments his style of play (counter attack - Ainsworth) played with someone to compliment him (Erwin - with McDonald coaching him)