dennyc

If St Johnstone had wanted away fans to attend our game they could have simply approached the Local Authority. They would not have been refused. Nobody else was at that stage. Might even be the same Local Authority Dundee had to approach for our visit. Saints chose to keep us out. Ross County were not refused the week before our Saints game. Same as us with Hibs visit.....again the week before. So precedents established. And how about Airdrie as an even earlier example. It was up to individual Clubs to apply. Some did. Some did not. Some did not want to. Hearts could easily have requested that a limited number of Celtic fans be allowed in for their opening League game, but chose not to. Hearts I understand as they could fill all the available seats with their own fans. So no financial loss. Selfish but understandable. I would love it if we could limit visiting fans because we needed the seats. Sadly not likely to ever be the case. Other Clubs did allow visiting fans that weekend so the CoVid Level was not a factor. No matter how you want to paint it, Rangers and Celtic are not the only Clubs who were/are at it. And if I can watch the game this weekend without donating a penny to Rangers, all the sweeter. Until the Authorities mandate that a set % be set aside for visiting fans nothing will change. Especially as that change would require the OF to sign up to it. Not sure Hearts, Hibs or Aberdeen would either.

And St Johnstone? Was that not after we were allowed in at Airdrie in the Cup.. And after they had fans at County for a League match? My point is that it is not just an Old Firm thing. Other Clubs use the system to their advantage no matter what level we are in. It was evident even during the League Cup. Under the rules Clubs can pick and choose. Many do.

It's not just an Old Firm thing. In fact others set the example before them. Also using the Red Zone requirement as a reason. Hearts v Celtic and St Johnstone v Motherwell, for starters. For the advantage it feels it gives them at the time. Hearts and the Old Firm I get. They can fill their entire ground with their own fans so don't lose out financially. But Saint Johnstone? Could Rangers have come up with a different solution? Of course they could. But they don't have to. No point in getting upset about it.

At present I really do think SOD should be first choice. If Patterson did not play for Rangers he would not be getting hyped up to the extent he is. Compare his media to that of Doig at Hibs who in my opinion is every bit as good, and has much more first team game time under his belt. Patterson may well turn out to be a top player but it is very early days. Ironically the player who is keeping Patterson out of the Rangers team I think now also qualifies for Scotland. According to Fifa and Uefa that is. But we have a Home Nations agreement that none of the four countries will select players who qualify purely on residency, if that player was born in any of the other three countries.

Other than his involvement in the goal do you really think he played that well? From what I saw he ran about a lot but seldom passed to a Scotland player and his crossing was terrible. Admittedly though, he was not really tested from a defensive point of view. All about opinions I know, but I was not overly impressed. Maybe he was just a bit rusty having played only once for Rangers this season but I did not think he was an upgrade on SOD.

Non vaccinated are far more likely to catch the virus and pass it on. Non vaccinated are more likely to become seriously ill or die when they get the virus. I think everybody can agree on that. But it is not purely about the non vaccinated attendee. Non vaccinated are more likely to be hospitalised (Lots of stats published showing the dominance of non vaccinated admissions at present). When hospitals become overrun people die or at best operations/treatment for other conditions are cancelled. The bigger picture is the thing here, not sitting in your wee seat at Fir Park. The scenes first time around when doctors in places such as Italy and the US had to decide which people to let die because hospitals could not cope or provide ventilators were harrowing. The UK almost got to that stage. I don't think any Government is wrong in trying to ensure a similar situation does not happen here as the virus continues to evolve. Those that can be vaccinated and choose not to are not only endangering themselves, they are endangering the lives of vulnerable people, directly or indirectly. I think that is selfish. I'm not supporting that vaccination should be enforced, but if people opt not to be vaccinated as is their right, then I have no problem with them being excluded from specific events. That is the choice they must make.

The tackle was out of order and Carroll got exactly what he deserved. If that reckless tackle had been on one of our players we would have been screaming at Collum if he had not produced a red. And for all we know, his Assistant maybe had a clear view and immediately shouted "Red Card". I detest Collum but I find it ironic he is getting questioned for actually getting a decision correct. There are plenty of shocking decisions to focus on rather than correct ones. I think if a red had not been issued, then it would have resulted in Carroll being cited anyway. And I have not heard of the Club lodging any appeal.

How is Starfeld playing. Games I have seen he looks like the new Raphael.

I think the line up listed by Wellsince makes sense and is an option. Given our squad and allowing for flexibility with scope on the bench to change things to a more attacking or defensive formation as the game dictates. I think starting with a three in midfield immediately hands the initiative to our opponents, exhausts the players concerned and eventually leads to us hanging on/ chasing the game late on. We mostly got away with it against the lower league Clubs although Airdrie held on assisted by the fact that for some reason we only brought on one substitute. It's all about opinion of course but I would rather see us adopt a more cautious approach to begin with, even if that means sitting a winger on the bench. There is no shame in winning a game in the last 20 minutes which is the time under the current set up where I see us running out of steam as our midfield disappears. Hibs put an extra man in midfield and dominated the second half. I don't believe that was just about quality off the bench. No matter what formation is used by any team, it does always comes down to the quality of player. You need exceptional players to make 4-3-3 a success. I don't believe we have that quality. Perhaps 4-2-3-1 might suit our squad better, protecting the defence but also allowing scope for the likes of Woolery to play in a wide role. Let's see what happens on Sunday. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong

Agreed we don't have quality in numbers but at least put the extra body in there so as to limit the space and freedom our opponents always seem to have. Also it might mean our guys are not shattered after 60 minutes. Not saying they are not fit or talented, but the amount of work they are being asked to do is massive. If that means sacrificing one of the three forwards for an hour then so be it. Any successful side makes sure the core of the team is secure before becoming more expansive. Sometimes it not just about putting the best individuals out there from the first minute ( as in squeezing in three talented forwards). Why not start with only two with the scope to switch to three in the last 30 minutes when most games open up? On Sunday Davidson, McCann and Craig will be licking their lips at the thought of bullying our midfield three and so controlling the game. As happened so many times of late when they have faced us. We need to change it.

The defensive concerns I see are mostly down to the fact we have a Manager who insists on playing with only three midfield players. Once teams catch on to that we get over run and the defence is constantly put under pressure. Far too little protection in front of the back four and no creativity to supply our forwards. Four lower league clubs realised that and at times each and every one of them embarrassed us by taking control of midfield. We changed it against QOS second half but not against Airdrie. How did those games end up? On Sunday Hibs were a bit slow on the uptake and we more than matched them first half. They moved an extra player into midfield second half and, although we had a couple of chances, that extra man saw them take over the match and run out comfortable winners. Lamie and Mugabi might not be world beaters but they are not bad players. And when we rescued last season they were at the heart of our defence for a good few games at a time when our Captain was playing silly buggers. And I am pretty sure Lamie is very much in Alexander's plans so I doubt we will see him dropped. If we stick with a midfield three against Saints I fear they will get outnumbered and bullied, resulting in another depressing defeat.

Perhaps the increased numbers and seating plan approved by the Local Authority means we can accommodate all our ST fans in the usual home seating areas, with seats still available for non ST holders? In which case MFC will already know that the South Stand will be empty if Hibs fans are not allowed to attend the match. Economically it makes sense to allow away fans to purchase tickets as soon as possible. About £40,000 worth of sense. I very much doubt that any Motherwell fan wanting to attend the match will be refused a ticket.

Exactly this. And as a result of this 4-3-3 nonsense both these players are being asked to play out of position and perform tasks that are beyond them, basically because they do not possess the pace of true wide players. Both players run their legs off but effort alone is not enough. Look at the difference when Lawless moved behind a front two against QOTS and we actually hade a shape with which every player looked comfortable. And yet last night it was back to the usual ......and can anyone explain why Alexander only made one substitution ? Has he given up on this Cup? The players were poor last night, but their Manager did little to help them turn things round (unlike Saturday). If the likes of Donnelly and Carroll were being protected from the risk of playing on a plastic pitch why list them as subs? SOD was understandably knackered after 60 minutes so why not give young Johnston a run out? Again why list him as sub if you are just going to ignore him.? Same applies to Amaluzor. Or is he not even fit enough for 20 minutes? And where the hell is O'Hara? So many questions I know, but obvious questions that many fans were asking. We were poor against Queens Park, but scraped a win. We got out of jail against QOTS. Last night there was no hint of escaping with anything once Airdrie scored. We were handed a group which was ideal for pre season but gave us a fairly straight forward path to the knock out stages. And we may well have blown it. So if Airdrie beat QOTS we need to win by two more goals than them to qualify as Group winners. Might happen but I cannot say I am convinced. Yes, we may bring in players before the window closes but we could well be out of one of the only two competitions we have a chance of winning. So for those who suggest this is only pre season and does not matter, you are talking nonsense. The Fans deserve better than we got last night, and not just from the players.

But insisting on evidence of a negative test so tighter from that point of view. However no mention of negative tests for Celtic and their 9000. Rangers are requiring negative tests for fans attending the Arsenal friendly. I phoned Fir Park and was told all we needed was the bar code to allow access. No evidence of negative test or vaccination required. So I can only assume each Local Authority is working to their own criteria. But all far too random.

Brown was always a stand out whenever I went along to see the youngsters play. Was disappointed we let him go as I thought he would be one of the next to break through. Not an exact science though. Good to see him doing well and I would not be surprised at all if he goes on to have a very good career. No surprise to hear his ex Manager declare him Man of the Match. In fairness QP play attractive football and look to have a great blend of youth and experience. Must have a decent chance of promotion to the Championship.

Ha Ha. Wrong again. Airdrie ticket purchased.

Queens Park said that they needed to maintain full details of everybody that attended last night, for contact tracing purposes. That was why they restricted access to their own season ticket holders and Club members. If that is a Govt requirement then I guess every team might take the same approach as the record keeping is fairly straightforward that way. Hopefully wrong but I don't think we have a hope in hell of getting to an away match until restrictions are lifted. Even if numbers are increased. That said, I am sure I read we were able to sell tickets to non season ticket holders if there were any left over. So who knows. All seems very random.

Possibly waiting on Government confirming the 2000 figure given recent infection increases . Which they have just done. Sensible to wait until that figure was confirmed.

£20k seems very cheap but he asked to leave and QPR said they would not stand in his way. So maybe they were not too hard to deal with. Also they are about to sign Jordan Archer on a free to take Kelly's place as number two goalkeeper as he has been freed by Boro. It could be the Clubs agreed a nominal fee with the possibility of add ons if we sell Kelly for a nice profit down the line. I very much doubt we paid anything like £300k but I'm just delighted he is back where he belongs.

I think there are several issues at play here and that makes it more complicated. My understanding is that kids can sign a binding club contract from a very young age, maybe 9?, but that contract must be for no more than three years. That might be a legacy of the McLean years of exploiting kids by locking them in to excessive length of contract. However those youth contracts are not professional contracts which are only legal from age 17. So Kerr Smith could have had a legal non professional contract at Utd with various terms built in. Perhaps Utd wisely included a release figure way above the compensation rates as protection, but not really expecting that any Club would activate it given the amount. Compensation/development fees still apply for cross border transfers but Clubs are free to negotiate transfer terms which may be more beneficial than the prescribed calculations. Add-ons such as a % of future transfer fees are often seen as potentially more profitable than accepting a flat basic fee. Like we reportedly negotiated for Campbell and the youngster that joined Leeds a few years ago. The "cross border rule" is also a good reason why Utd might have inserted the release fee. To stop Clubs like Celtic, Rangers or Aberdeen poaching him and insisting that a Tribunal determine the compensation. Looking to the future and as OTF explains. taking Brexit into account there is a danger that the OF plus a few others may try and hoover up even more Scottish talent given that access to EU youngsters could be limited. In short I think Utd have been quite clever in legally protecting their investment in Smith. The 3 year maximum length of those youth contracts is something that is currently under close examination. It was suggested to the SFA during an ongoing Scottish Parliament enquiry into youth football that 3 years was excessive and should be reduced. Again the danger of any reduction further enabling the richer clubs to gather up all the talent was highlighted and so far no changes have been proposed. How to balance the investment made by clubs with the best interest of young players?

I agree we will need to find goals to qualify. I just think we are closer to having a team that can compete than you appear to be given the players at our disposal. That is if Clarke wakes up, stops being swayed by reputation and the media, learns from the past couple of weeks and sets us up to win rather than avoid defeat. A big ask given his history and on top of that he has to be ruthless and look to the future. And the repeated SOD trashing by some on here for every (possible) error whilst intentionally ignoring good performances is just disgusting. He plays for a wee team in Scotland and represents us well. It's not like he is at Bayern, PSG or Real Madrid and you might think folks judgements would reflect that fact. Good debate though.

Agree we are not comparable to Wales. We have more quality players than them. Especially coming through where they really only have James. And if Adams gets 95 caps he might not get 33 goals but he will come close. And if Turnbull gets 66 caps he should get 17 goals. Comparing senior players with over 160 caps to two players with under a dozen is hardly a decent comparison either. And McGinn has ten goals in thirty six, which is similar to and possibly better than Ramsay. I am looking to the future not the past. But if you must, how much success did Wales have in Bale's first 40 games? And I also think we have the potential for way above your 2/3rds success measure, particularly as Wales achieved success with 2/11ths (maybe 3/11ths at times)

Nobody is saying it is perfect and I agree with you regards Goalkeeper and Centre Back needing upgraded. But no vital wins with 2/3rds of a good team? What about Wales? What do they have? TWO decent ageing players in Bale and Ramsay but their qualifying and tournament record is superb of late despite the rest of the team being way below that level. And those two players have hardly played all season for their clubs. And some of that national success under a caretaker Manager. Northern Ireland also had some praiseworthy success. We have four players currently starring at huge clubs in England in Tierney Robertson McGinn and McTominey, Players who could argueably have a case for featuring in an EPL select squad. Add to that Gilmour Turnbull Adams Patterson Nisbet as younger newcomers who are an upgrade on where we were 6 months ago. All of them will improve given the correct support. I would add Kerr of St Johnstone and maybe Doig at Hibs as options worth trying. And whether we like to admit it or not the Scottish players at Rangers and Celtic are of a decent standard. So we are far from starved of talent and quality. Tactics and formation are another matter and Clarke has to construct a formation that plays to the strengths of his squad and stop being focused on setting up a team not to lose, rather than setting up a team to win. He is not in charge of Kilmarnock any more. The Czech game is a prime example of that approach. That game cost us qualification, not the Croatia game. But some are using last night to once again rip into SOD, who was far from being our worst player. And those same folk never uttered a word after his outstanding performance against England. Seems to me they have an agenda and last night's result simply played into their hands. Sadly some of them are Motherwell fans. Not at international level clearly, but the same thing happened all the time with Dunne, and more recently with Lamie, Mugabi and McGinley. Deafening silence when they play well but jump on for every error. I get it that fans play favourites, but how about some credit where credit is due rather than using every slight error to try and prove a point. Having said all that, Scotland need to find a goalkeeper who can take over for the next 10 years.

An unfashionable Club such as Motherwell have two players and a former Academy player in the first Scottish squad to reach a final in decades. And yet all that some on here want to do is decry the performance of one of our players that played in every match, bemoan the level we are at as a Club and talk down the level of Scottish football in general. Sad. In fact, pathetic. The future of the national side is rosier than it has been for years, if Clarke is brave and determined enough to trust the youth coming through to support established players like Tierney, Robertson, McGinn and McTominey. And as a Club we were better represented than clubs with much better resources than us. Something to be proud of.

But they are not limiting it to 2000. Any club can apply to increase that limit on a match by match basis from the outset. So if Motherwell want to increase that number they should be able to do so. Accommodating all Season Ticket Holders should not be that challenging. Rangers, Celtic Aberdeen Hearts are probably drawing up their applications right now. It is up do us to put forward a safe proposal. "From 19 July, seated outdoor stadiums would be able to host 2,000 fans, and standing venues could accommodate 1000. Applications could be made on a case-by-case basis to swell that, as was done for Hampden's Euro 2020 matches."