Goggles & Flippers

Lots of encouraging comments about Plumber from Saints fans. Was he brought in as an understudy to vice-captain Hammell or does he get a nod before? With hindsight, shame we couldn't convince Dembele we were an option as I think he would have been the boiler plate on our defence. We have have a good mix of composure, footballing ability and strength to repel most attacks in this league and build decent forays upfield from the back. Midfield is looking strong and a good mix of ball winners and box to box runners. Only issue I can see is Frear has had indifferent reports but that's 99% down to how he's been played thus far. From January he was one of our most consistent performers. Up front, all hinges on Louis staying or going. I think he'll be off on deadline day or just before it was always the plan he'd be punted this window. If he's off, it will be for a decent wedge. I therefore hope and suspect we've got a few targets with pedigree ready to pounce on because this is the only area of the park I'm a little worried over and not willing accept a repeat of the "we'll have a punt and see what happens" of previous targets. Fisher hasn't seemed to click so far and I've not seen Tanner to comment. Encouraging from Bowman but test will be professional defences opposed to part time ones. I suspect that Robinson will play a 5 man midfield more often than not this season, key for me is to change things regularly in this league as the opposition tend to know how to exploit your weaknesses after 10 games if you don't. McCall's biggest weakness. So for a 3-5-2 I think we could be looking at: -------------------- Carson ----------------------- ----- Kipre ------- Dunne ------- Plummer ----- Cadden - Rose - Bigirimana - McHugh - Frear ----------- Moult ----- Fisher/Tanner ------------ If we do opt for a 4-4-2 (dependent on the opposition as it may warrant one player over another) I think this is amongst our strongest 11. ---------------- Carson ------------------ Tait ---- Kipre ---- Dunne ---- Plummer Cadden - Bigirimana - McHugh - Frear -------- Moult --- Fisher/Tanner -------- Over all I'm really encouraged, a few below par performances here and there in pre-season but 10 changes at half time tend to lead to that. 6th is a realistic and achievable target. Robinson will want to see his targets perform especially the one's he paid a fee for (Carson) along with those who command this biggest wages. You'd expect that he'll persevere with a few faces even if they're turning in 6/10 over a few he's inherited if they're producing 7's, I get that and you kinda have to expect it. Without turning too Milo-esque I think Erwin and Thomas will be a success at Killie and McDonald will put us out a cup. Hopefully Ross County are relegated with Dundee Utd coming up and I wouldn't mind seeing Hamilton fall to Falkirk in the playoff. I also expect Chapman's to release a piri-piri pie and Stephen Thomson to talk pish on Sportscene.

Looks like a hell of a lot of business to be done again after we win the Scottish Cup next year ..........

If that does happen then a bigger question will be the inability of anyone at Fir Park to repeatedly recognise it.

Jinxed it now

Hiya Gael, Hiya pal!

Dom Thomas puts the boot in on the BBC. I always thought he was worth a better chance than we gave him.

Next pre-season only have us up against Barca and Roma so we can see how our trialists perform against quality opposition then. We've also seasoned pro's loose to fish factory workers, postmen and accountants. By all accounts he performed well and was memorable for the right reasons rather than the wrong ones.

That him, I thought the reports of those who were there was he was "tasty"

Who was the striker that played in the Stirling and Livi games? Does the new release of funds mean he's available?

In the few days after the signing of Bigirimana I was as excited as it is to be as an adult about the oncoming season. I thought with him and McHugh we had finally secured a battling midfield. Since then I must admit I've been rather underwhelmed and I'm trying to break myself out of that. I don't know what's caused it (maybe the meaningless results in pre-season friendlies against amateurs has piled it on). However here we are. One thing which seems to be a strange phenomenon is McDonald, if 6 weeks ago he resigned, we'd be calling it a coup and decent business, 6 weeks later and almost everyone (myself included) is happy about the situation.

He probably thinks he's on Love Island anyway .... just say no kids

You pretty much lost me here. So how many games do you think would be called off or abandoned in the past 5 summers (all leagues cumulative throughout Scotland)? We're not talking about freak events here, it's the average possibility we have to looking at and it must be 10-15x more in a Scottish winter. Something infinitely better than going out in round one. But I take your point, why bother competing in a competative sport if we already know the outcome. Next season lets just now show up for the games against Celtic and forfeit the points, see Scott Brown raise his hands above his head after a kick off just like John Collins in Tallin? It wouldn't be in combat with if it started 2/3 weeks early in those seasons and finish 2/3 week later, games cease 2 weeks before the tournament and are due to start back 6 weeks later, that allows time to meet up with international squads, 2 weeks groups, I week next round and 1 week of R&R before returning to clubs. I can't see us having any Italian, Spanish, French or Brazilian internationals plying their trade in the SPFL. You've got going to the games in t-shirts (granted this past fortnight hasn't been a good advert for that), light nights, quicker regeneration of the playing surface, a TV market itching for football of any sort and something new and marketable. Players get Xmas off with their families.

Wouldn't a better option be for the club via commercial means (season tickets, sponsorships, other revenues) and for your week in, week out punter to recruit a few extra bums on seats at FP? Therefore the onus on sustaining a player(s) isn't put on the already laden shoulders of those who already commit enough to the club. I know some look upon the club as a charity and give free time because of the love and they do fill a fuzzy place in our society between a high street Barnados and Starbucks but it still is a business/commercial entity and should function as such.

Lets try and post link contents folks

Did you learn your analysis skills at Sportscene?

In a heartbeat

Talking of Celtic, seen an interview with Tierney where he said he was from Muirhouse. I know there's about 5 or so in the central belt but anyone ever heard anything like that before? Where you from mate? Greenacres/Forgewood/Any other area within a town

Yeah, you would expect staff who have one eye on the south of England can't give it everything up here ....... ahem .... former Manager You want to find a guy like Moult who embraced playing here, moved his family up and seems to have integrated well.

If you were compelled to write that from my post then you need to get a grip

I hope people the people thinking of buying him don't read your review during their due diligence phase Joe, otherwise we'd get a 2 empty ginger bottles and a firm handshake.

It was according to Ya Bezzer, a few "ups and downs" However he also said he was Scottish post #144

Remember that "fallen from grace striker", "can't mention any names" chat about a month ago, well one of the names mentioned was Kyle Lafferty. BBC reporting he was at Tynecastle 2 days ago to meet with management. If he is the target and its down to prestige and money, we won't win as his ego is a tender thing. However maybe the Craigan/Robinson NI thing could sway things if we are interested. Wither our fans think a) he can still do it and b) he would be a negative influence on a dressing room, who knows.

I think they'll turn out in bigger numbers than the sheep shaggers and consequently more valuable to us.

I can see Hibs having the biggest travelling support next season outwith the uglies.

Supporting Motherwell domestically is like supporting Scotland internationally, we've all taken a decision I guess geographically for most of us to be mostly plodding along with the odd scare here and there and odd rub of the green to break up the monotony. After a few torturous seasons off the back of a few excellent ones you would think we're due a mid table obscurity to build on that in 2018/19 to make a decent attempt at 4th and European football again. Hibs, Aberdeen and Hearts will outspend us. The latter has a manager who has plaudits but has yet to make his mark with his purchases and ethos. For me progress after the past three seasons it would be nice to: ON THE PITCH Avoid getting a drubbing, so no losses greater than a 3 goal margin A composed defence able to pass the ball out of a tight situation opposed to a toe poke to centre-circle-land A midfield who can battle and compete to come out on top against the opposition more often than not No shy's deep in the opposition half looking like they've just been improvised, please have some plan or purpose Telling crosses that beat the first man Keepers who command their 18 yard box, who occasionally catch a ball opposed to punching or pandering it Having a go once and a while from 20 yards opposed to trying to walk the ball into the back of the net No manager managing our expectations before an OF game by talking down our chances, we all haven't woke from a 30 year coma, we know the difficulties and gap to be bridged W/S & BEHIND THE SCENES The club focus on the big strategic stuff opposed to the micro minutia in terms of manpower and direction of gaining funds. Don't tie up someone spending 40 man hours organising a Race Night to raise 3-4k when that income equates to 10-12 new £300 WS memberships (easily obtainable in 20 of those 40 man hours, allowing the other 20 to be spent doubling the revenue if time and effort is directed more wisely) We have 6 months to make hay while the sun is shining with Les' offer and not one major initiative to capitalise in the 3 months since it was announced. Therefore, more dynamism and ability to be proactive than reactive. Do-ers have to be empowered, not the talkers.