Happy Dosser

If there are some on here who feel aggrieved about the "penalty", they should take a look at the one Real Madrid got last week. The opposing defender slid in low to block the Real cross, with his arm on the grass in front of his leg. The ball was smashed off his arm and the referee immediately gave a penalty. Of course, Barça and Real get all the decisions in La Ligua. Familiar, anyone? I had some respect for Accies under Alex Neil but their time-wasting and deep-sea diving on Saturday really cheesed me off. Of course, you could argue that they simply took advantage of a weak and ineffectual referee (as Pretzel suggested) but over three minutes when their goalie had a terminal dislocated eyelash really took the biscuit. And then only one minute was added for all that nonsense. McGhee has made quite a difference already but if he'd brought on Clarkson or Faddy instead of Robinson we would have retained possession much better and I don't think we'd be on here moaning. Lessons learned, I hope.

Much to enjoy today. I don't normally froth at the mouth about referees but today's one was hopeless. Accies' diving and time-wasting went unpunished (only a minute extra at the end of the first half?). Then, after booking Crawford, the player committed a professional foul on Lasley as we were about to break upfield and he simply gave a foul. Crawford should have been off. I could go on but won't. He'll soon be in the Gollum-Craig Thomson Club and be given a top rating by The Powers, no doubt. I thought Moult and Skippy were great and Johnson was back to his bull in a china shop best, although for me Pearson missed too many tackles today, although he gave plenty of effort. Onwards to Tyney. Much more optimistic.

Interesting listening to BBC Scotlandshire (know your place, peasants, home of shit football coverage) tonight discussing relegation: no mention of the Mighty 'Well. Only The Picts and Tattie-Howkers in the frame, once you discount Keith Jackson's delusional and self-serving ravings. I feel we'll win on Saturday anyway but in the long run it won't matter either way. McGhee now knows his front two and defensive set up and the momentum is with us. Accies under Canning seem to be vulnerable too and it should be onward and upward. Wearing my Willie Pettigrew SE lounging pyjamas so all is right with the world. Sure we benefited from Celtic without Griffiths, Brown and Mulgrew but DU are a shadow of their former selves and we can take them on the break. COYW.

I feel this match is tailor-made for our counter-attacking style: they need to force the game and we have the pace on the wings to pick them off. I'm sure the manager will ding it into them that there's no point in going to CP and beating the top team if we go to Tannadice and lose to the bottom one. We should have won it about 4-1 really. I can't see us losing this but I have to go 'cos me and my friend Harvey are sorting my MFC programmes. Rabbits are good at that sort of thing. Onwards, Mighty 'Well. May The Force (The Moultoid) be with you.

Alan Irvine struck me as a decent guy who was given no time at WBA but I feel we need a nasty piece of work in the chair. Amid all this talk of barrack-room lawyers in the dressing-room, can't we just get Vlad The Impaler as manager? After all, there's a lot at stake.

I last saw Joe at the Cup Final, a few rows behind me. He gave me a week wave back. He was incredibly modest and a complete gentlemen. I will never forget those India-rubber legs and how he could snaffle the ball away from his opponent with a tackle from the side or back. Great to see that photo further up of his tackle on Ian Hair of Aberdeen (he was an EK lad and schoolmate). Joe and Willie Hunter are two of my absolute favourites. Good Old Joe: never forgotten. My thoughts are with his family.

CurvaNord: non è vero! È solo un sogno per noi.

Bumped into Tom English in Crieff today. He surprised me by offering the opinion that Crags was a real contender, because of his personal abilities and because it would make financial sense for the club. Personally I think it's too soon for Stephen and I don't think it helps that he has played with some of the squad. If there is a problem with some players undermining the management, I feel an outsider and an experienced manager is necessary. As regards Holloway, I wanted him to succeed at Blackpool but his tactics were far too positive and they were relegated because they lost too many games by the odd goal. A bit more pragmatism and they would have survived. He's very entertaining but I can't see him louping the dyke, or the club gambling on him.

Gadgey mentioned Billy Davies. He was in the stand before El Baro was installed, glad-handing old pals and generally looking keen. He didn't leave the club on good terms, of course, but I can't imagine the Wee Napoleon would tolerate any dressing-room mutiny. I think he's still between clubs. Too incendiary? Or should we just let Crags hoist us to second place by Easter? Gosh, this medication's kicking in rather well.....

That was a dire match, but I think last year we would have lost it. The only consolation is that the equaliser was well worked and we kept going right to the end. My concerns are really about simple things which seem obvious. 1) We can't play with two wingers because it leaves dangerous gaps in midfield. I don't think even with Pearo back this will work because if the wingers don't work hard enough by tracking back we bring pressure on our defence. I spoke to Mr P on the way out and he said two weeks anyway before he's back. 2) The lone striker tactic simply isn't working. Moult slogs his guts out but is often too isolated. He shows an excellent attitude, though. 3) Why don't we know what to do at shies? Painful to watch. The ball is usually lost. 4) Ditto with throw outs. Gannon may have been mad but he was right that kick outs should be a last resort. And when we play one up, the same result. My impression of the manager is that he is too reasonable, even cerebral. Sometimes a right good boot up the jacksy is required but I don't think this is his style. This may be his downfall. And now we have our plastic pitch game coming up....... No more excuses, please. Surely 442 is the most secure option at the moment? Oh, and getting right stovied in to them on Saturday.

The only sour note about the Spurs fixture was Martin Peters' comment that "Motherwell were all muck and nettles" (!). I think they stayed at The Bruce Hotel in EK and there were reports of some of their players signing daft names in kids' autograph books like "Mickey Mouse". If true, it was a bit of a PR disaster. So glad we whacked them. We seem to have strayed a bit from the thread topic, so I shall simply say, as an oldster: All Power to The Bois. Keep up The Noise.

"Not just the DJ dive outside the box but John Grieg nearly halved Willie Pettigrew in the box at the other end and nothing was given. Never forgave the ref for that night." As I recall WP was hacked down at the h*n End just before the "penalty" award by JRP Gordon, which made it all the worse. Never a penalty in a million years. I met Stewart MacLaren in a pub in Larky about 15 years later and he was still hacked off about it. Wasn't Gordon done for taking a bung from Roma in a European tie? Then the hail storm after the game; I'd never felt pain like it. I agree with UBH: you get toughened by it all. And to beat Spurs was quite an achievement. Who would have thought we would have got a 2-2 draw down there with the team they had?

BWD. Amen to that. But problems at Methil as we speak.

I have a solution to our problems at RB. Had an amazing dream last night and awoke with the answer. Is Willie Watson still on the go? Those tackles. That perm.

"(Fletcher if fit)". On Saturday, he was sitting in the stand with one of those plastic protective casings on, superward. Hard to say how serious it may be: I thought it was only supposed to be one game he was going to miss. In any case, I thought Moult had an excellent second half.

Right, so after two games, Taylor and Moult are to be discarded, according to the usual negative ones. The latter played really well in the second half and the guy from Reading is still adjusting. If he's the same after six games, then we can start criticising. He's playing in a struggling midfield. It struggles for two main reasons: no Pearson and playing two wingers who are inconsistent and don't do defensive duties. I simply can't judge Taylor on one game, since I don't go to the Far East anymore. I thought Ripley had four good saves last Saturday and he tries to command his box but both goals today were dodgy. He still looks better than the alternatives. The thing is, pressure builds from mistakes further forward and we are weak at RB and LB. We were up against a strong team today and weren't far off. The Dons and Hearts will slog it out for second spot, probs. Start moaning if we get zilch from the Tractor Boys and Tattie Howkers.

"Hammell cost us the second goal I felt. A terrible free kick that was floated in short of the 18 yard box thereby taking every Motherwell player out the game and allowing Aberdeen the perfect platform to break and get the free kick that led to the goal. He knew it to and let his head go down for the remainder of the game." Exactly, and then Law was pressured into the foul for the free kick. Ripley seemed either baulked by his own defence or fouled. Since there was no protest, probably the former. We are weak at right back, no helped by Ainsworth's inability to track back or tackle effectively. Marvin's pettit lip display is really getting on my nazzums, blaming everyone but himself for his inability to pass the ball five yards. Can we really afford to play both at once? They were supposed to be assets, not liabilities. From where I was sitting, Moult had an excellent second half, he's got neat feet and began to link up well, winning more and more in the air against Aberdeen's behemoths. He worked really hard, despite some hard tackles. Give him a break. The Mutton Molesters are better than us but we could have scraped a draw, like last Saturday. Tynecastle was the only unacceptable performance so far, so the season starts now against the teams who will be at our level for most of the season. Let's put the cheese wire for Baraclough away until the first round of fixtures is finished. We've had a tough start.

"Gary Kenneth is an International Class Player." And remember, he was picked ahead of Mark Reynolds. Still rankles. I'm going for a Tynecastle bloodbath and a 2-2 score line. Great stuff.

Posted a while ago but it disappeared. Apologies, I missed the link to the original card image and "identified" J Aitkenhead from underboyleheating's picture. Have given myself fifty lines. Card image is WW.

Sorry, missed link to original image and "identified" JA from underboylehearing's photo. Have given myself fifty lines. Original image is WW.

Sorry, forgot you weren't a ''Well fan so you won't have the book. I'm sure some other guys on here will confirm its Wee Johnny, eventually.

It looks very like Johnny Aitkenhead, Alan. See various team photos on pp. 204 and 207 in 'Well Again by Barnstaple and Brown. Watters is in two photos on p. 204 so it's easy to compare. It definitely isn't Mr W.

Can't disagree with either of your posts, Wishielad, but I think we'll be disappointed. Our traditional jersey and colours are a very strong "brand" but there seems to be a reluctance somewhere (club? manufacturers?) to stick to them. Fingers crossed.

Most of you on here probably know this site. It's interesting seeing how strips have evolved. Some real turkeys too, of course. http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Scotland_Index.htm

Hoping for a hoop myself but think it unlikely. The club seem reluctant to wear the traditional strip. I suppose the best we can hope for is nothing too garish, like the harlequin thing in '96. That was a disaster, designed by an interior decorator on speed.