Gadgey

Great post. By no means your intended target audience, i do have a bit of experience of playing semi-pro for a couple of years. I don't think that makes me more knowledgeable, I can only talk from experience and as a fan like everyone else. I'll have a stab: 1. Robinson summed it up well that they weren't sharp enough on some of the basics and there wasn't the expected consistent application to ensure at the very least the basics were done. This can go some way to answering no 3 also. The other thing for me was that we always knew that QP would tire. By maintaining steady momentum will in essence tire the opposition (who have to work hard off the ball) and exploit gaps. The old firm have done it to us for years. 2. To be honest, that's what I was largely used to after the customary pre season beasting. I guess the added complexity here is the influx of new faces and the expected delay of team cohesion. 3. I think we all know the answer to that. We just can't. 4. Isn't this the much lamented Scottish football culture question? Honestly don't know for the bigger picture. In truth though, in the context described, we are the QP against the Panathanaicos or Steaua Bucharest. Good questions for genuine debate though.

I do find this forum entertaining. Reading this thread, I have learned that booing can be motivational, professional footballers must run at maximum capacity at all times or they are failing as professionals (even in the knowledge that by playing a possession game against an amateur/inferior team there will be pay off in the final quarter of a game) and that playing 3 at the back is just fucking evil!!!! It's easy to focus on the negatives and being honest, there were several there for all to see. The first half was indeed poor, and with such a densely populated midfield, it was frustrating to see so many (often aimless) long balls. I would have much preferred to see the ball being played on the deck on a big surface like hampden. It probably would still have been pretty ugly to watch when trying to penetrate a parked bus but it would've given us all a better look at the new signings and less reason for criticism (though I suspect there will always be those who find something). That said, when done well long balls from McHugh and Kipre, brought good goals. I thought Carson looked good when asked and Kipre looks like he may be a grower. I've never been a fan of Big Ben and today did nothing to change that. It's great to see Bowman get so many goals so early on. I liked him for his endeavour last season. It was clear nothing was working for him. He looks like a different player now and I hope the big man continues to grow. It will be interesting in the fullness of time to see if 3 at the back is what Robbo wants. Logically, if he's ever going to do it it is now with a new squad and new beginnings. If done well, it can work really well and is becoming increasingly popular in modern football. In Scotland, If it is to be his default formation, I suspect that it will be the catalyst for Robinsons ultimate success or failure.

No it is sad. It's sad in the most heartfelt way how Scottish football has declined in every respect to the extent that established top flight clubs cannot afford the wage of an English fourth tier journeyman centre half. I noticed the difference yesterday when considering Lee Erwin. He's a free agent and has been linked with the team for whom I have a season ticket in league 1. I thought about it last night and my thoughts were along the lines of would I want to see him at Motherwell? Yes. Would I want to see him at Charlton? No. Why? Because he could do a job for one and not the other. Both teams looking to use wingers, both looking at using the 451 or 4231. And that is really sad.

Well said Andy!!!!

it will be hard to let go of a guy who scores so many goals, works so hard go the team and interacts with the fans in such a genuine way. But let's not confuse that feeling of loss and it's associated emotion with blaming him for doing exactly what we knew he and the club would do two years ago when we signed him. We can't blame any player for our placement in the football hierarchy. From what I've seen, the lad is just being honest. I can't imagine he uprooted his family and came to Lanarkshire for the weather. He came here because he bought the vision sold to him by the club at the time. The past two seasons have built up to this window. He's earned his move and I wish him luck.

Yes he can and I would wager that is why he has openly been touting himself. I would wager everything he's doing is with the clubs endorsement or indeed behest. I just hope Charlton buy him

From a football academy that apparently isn't good enough to be an academy. Well done lads and well done Motherwell. Good luck in the tournament!!!

Cheers dude

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/charlton/15409013.Charlton_manager_Karl_Robinson_battling_old_club_to_sign_Championship_striker/ Sorry to goggles&flippers I know you hate just the link. I tried but my iPhone won't let me (or I'm making an arse of it ) copy the content. Story going round that my other team are in for Big Lee. Not sure if I'm too enthusiastic about this but I guess he's likely to be an upgrade on big Josh Magennis

BT sport

Aaaaand we're off.....

Aye

What have you done with the real Ya Bezzer????

I'm looking forward to getting my first glimpse of the new players on the telly at the weekend. Are there many of you heading over?

Care to elaborate?

I agree with that. I also agree that there is a culture of defeatism within Scottish football. It's nothing new and has always been there for all the years I can remember. Christ, our World Cup 98 tune says it all really. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=del+amitri+don't+come+home+too+soon&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari With regards Gateshead, I agree to a certain degree about the level playing field. However, it is also reasonable to suggest that we were a scalp for the taking. I guarantee you, the Gateshead lads would've put more into getting that win than any of ours did the friendly/training session. And besides, we've had bad scores like that before and had decent teams. What was that Welsh team we played in the europa cup? In the first game me made a 18st centre mid school teacher look like Lampard. A week of preseason on it was an entirely different manner. It's always preferable to see your team win but it's the games that get points and win cups that I'll be focusing my angst upon.

Am I sensing the first knockings of the "Robinson must go" patter??? Quite how anyone can expect a few weeks into preseason with almost entirely a new team which includes trialists to be playing like Barca is beyond me. It will take time for everything to gel and people will just have to be patient. If come October/November we're toiling at the foot of the table then perhaps we should start getting worried. But not now.

I agree there is a definite drop in standard and I would definitely agree with regards attracting players. Those are the Motherwell and rest of the SPL USP. I agree Celtic would romp league 1 but the rest of the league is so competitive, Aberdeen may be in and around play offs and rangers would be mid table. The rest of us could aspire to lower mid table mediocrity. Even more so this season with the teams falling and climbing into league 1. I watched almost every home game of the worst Charlton team in decades and even with Josh Magennis and Tony Watt up front, they would have cut us open. The likes of Walsall, Southend, MK Dons and even Lee Clarks revitalised Bury are all perennial third tier sides who'd consistently outscore almost all the SPL would offer. Relevant to this thread, I'm really chuffed we are signing experienced players from league 1 as opposed to non league punts and if they manage to gel quickly, then I am hopeful we could achieve some of the things our USP promises

Sorry Maxywell, I just don't think that we are much or any better than Oldham of last season. I watch more League 1 and SPL than any other football and IMHO the SPL is not a step up on league 1. Granted, it's a different style of game and often in both leagues, the standard of "football" on display is turgid. I think it's the difference in style that determines whether a player makes it in either league or not. It's a fact that some non league teams have greater financial clout than us and it's also a fact that many league 1 and 2 teams live on extremely restricted budgets. That's the three tiers of English football we have to compete with in the transfer market. I'm quite enthused by our signings this summer. Hopefully this season we will turn the corner but in truth, with that defence and midfield, had Motherwell been in league 1 last season, we would most likely have been relegated. I'm not meaning to be controversial, just an observation as a league 1 regular.

Shrewsbury are league 1, based on his displays for us, Zac has done well and will struggle with that level

When I read this today my immediate thought was "oh fuck, please no!!". Now I've had time to think about it I'm thinking "oh fuck, please no!!" Just bought a charlton season ticket

Really interesting video

Yeah, I don't like our away kit, but I'd have it over the honking hibs one

Agree with this. It's an uncharacteristic leap to assume we will sign 10 from relegated teams. Equally no one can assume (as a few have) that all of those coming from relegated teams are by default no hopers. Where there is cause for debate is what kind of midfield and ultimately formation Robbo envisages playing? Several midfielders signed and big question marks over the future of those (presently) remaining at the club. To be honest, I don't really care where any of our new signings come from, what league they've played in or whether they're Northern Irish. So long as they work hard for the jersey and make an improvement on last season then I'll be a happy boy. I must confess, I'm still not convinced on whether I think Robbo is up to the job but given the fact that he got an utter shite Motherwell team to survival and the vigour by which he has sought to address the very obvious shortcomings of a weak midfield, he deserves time at least. I appreciate that Baraclough also got a shite Motherwell team over the line and also had the gift of the gab, but he had much greater resource than Robinson so I do suspect it may be a little unfair to draw comparisons. The manner by which the manager has done his business thus far is encouraging and I suspect there will be a fair bit more comings and goings before the window shuts. I see little point in criticising what has been signed until we see what we have and how they play. I'll be feeling a lot more judgey come January 2018

Agree with pretty much all of that.