MJC

Getting dumped out of Europe will likely be the least of our worries if we don’t get our recruitment absolutely spot on over the next few weeks. I’ve already written off the Euro tie because as much as I’d love to see us progress or at the very least not whimper out like we always do, our priority is the league and the domestic cups. But here we are three weeks away from our league opener and we barely have a first team to field with more departures likely. We are going to recruit in every single position which is a very tall order especially with a new manager just in the door.

It is very unlikely that we will see anywhere near the same levels of performance both by the extremely attractive football we played when at our best last season and how we finish in the table. And to be fair that is absolutely fine and reasonable to not expect a repeat because that was always going to be very difficult to repeat. If, for example, we finished bottom six after a pretty mediocre campaign but nowhere near relegation then we could probably look at that as a positive, certainly if that is what was being offered to us right now. It doesn’t work like that of course. The key thing which will determine how our season goes will hinge on who we are able to bring in between now and the end of August and at this point we still have time to get our squad sorted.

A European run was never happening, even had JBA stayed imo. We would still have lost key players and have been short of options come the tie. But as I said I’m not overly concerned about Europe, the real test comes when the league season begins and we’ve got a lot of work to do to be ready for that.

Ward gone for undisclosed fee now confirmed. Best of luck to him, he really came on leaps and bounds as last season went on after a shaky start.

I’ve seen this movie too many times before to know not to expect anything other than disappointment. We have a great season, qualify for Europe, lose several players and by the time the games come around we just aren’t ready on or off the park. Either that or we just humiliate ourselves. I am getting increasingly bad vibes about the upcoming season with us more or less having to build an entire team under a manger just in the door. It was always highly unlikely that we would get anywhere near last seasons levels but unless we get the recruitment spot on over the next month or so then we could be detached at the bottom of the league come the end of August.

As things stand we are going to be very, very short of options going into the new season, virtually having to rebuild the entire team under a new manager. Hopefully by the time the league season starts we will have got a few more on board but it’s a big ask for the new boss. And I think we can safely write off the ‘Euro adventure’ as the usual anti-climax and exit at the first hurdle. That said I’m not too bothered about that, the real stuff starts on 2nd August at Easter Road.

He missed one in a 0-0 draw at Tynecastle in 2005. I think Ged Brannan and Kevin McBride had 100% records from the spot for us and they both took a few.

Sounds Just Bloody Awful so far. Absolute Joke 🙄

Just before my time that one but yes it’s similar too.

The jersey is quite similar to the 2009/10 Canterbury effort especially with the badge and the manufacturer logo in the centre. That kit had amber shorts mind you.

And what in the name of utter fuck is that shorts sponsor??

A nice jersey but the sponsor kind of wastes it. And the white shorts ruin the entire kit as they always do. Not our worst effort with Macron but not a patch on last years cracker.

Clear vibes of “move on, move on, nothing to see here! But if you speak out about this we’re coming down on you” right here.

The Herald reporting that we are facing sanctions for social media posts about the Celtic penalty award in this match, as is Elliot Watt.

The fact that he is only 35 concerns me. That is extremely young in managerial terms and something that has failed in the past at other clubs, Ian Cather at Hearts being the obvious example. The ‘aura’ thing is on point too. Good managers have that air of authority about them, that bit that just makes players sit up and listen to them. It can’t be learned, you either have it or you don’t. JBA had it, just that “I am in charge, I am your leader” about him. AJ? I’m not seeing it yet.

I’m going nowhere. I’m Motherwell til I die as the song goes. 😊

Oh right. I’ll say again, I just think Derek McInnes is a good manager. That’s it. You got anymore anecdotes about Sir George Graham or anyone else who was involved with the SFA that was favouring Rangers 60 years ago and how that’s somehow relevant to what happens in the modern game? No? Okay, let’s move on.

Sometimes the so called eye bleeding football works in Scotland though doesn’t it? It worked to an extent with Robinson when he was with us and even more so with St.Mirren. Killie under Steve Clarke weren’t easy on the eye either but they were effective and got results. And our last manager to win a trophy wasn’t renowned for ‘great to watch’ football but we ended up doing pretty well under him. (And yes, before anyone says it, I know that that wasn’t always the case and fans were protesting against Tommy McLean in the late 80s)

I am too as long as it works. It kind of worked with Wimmer in that he kept us up that season but he left pretty sharpish. JBA was obviously a big success for us and we are obviously hoping that Alfred Johansson will also do well. But only time will tell and as I said he’s very young in managerial terms and our job will be a big challenge for him. But I am right behind him.

Which would be the club I should be supporting going by that post then? Hearts? Aberdeen? Kilmarnock? Or maybe St.Johnstone? Or are you just going down the usual lazy route of “anyone who says anything remotely connected with Rangers must be a Rangers fan”??? I think Derek McInnes is a good manager. That’s all. Artichoke, Cholmondeley, Pedigree, CHUM. I think Derek McInnes is a good manager.

You don’t say about Craig Brown do you?? I don’t think anyone would seriously dispute that he was very much out for himself but when he was here he was very much being described as a Motherwell man, even up until his departure with some on this very board citing that supposed fact as the reason he would not leave us for Aberdeen.

He would more likely than not have a League Championship with Hearts to his name if it hadn’t been for John Beaton’s shitebaggery against us. He won Aberdeen their first silverware in almost two decades and never finished lower than 4th in the league whilst regularly reaching the latter stages of cup competitions with them. He also won the championship title with Kilmarnock (and St.Johnstone for that matter) and took them to Europe. I’d say that’s a pretty decent track record.

Well it certainly worked for us when we brought in Craig Brown to sort out Jim Gannon’s mess. I’ll even grudgingly credit McGhee second time around for stabilising us after the Baraclough shambles. Though granted your point about managers from Scotland having that defeatist mindset when it comes to us playing bigger sides is absolutely valid. Plenty of our fans were describing the aforementioned Craig Brown as a ‘Motherwell man’ before he moonlighted to Aberdeen. And to be fair calling him Del is pretty cringeworthy. I think ‘Mr McInnes’ sounds much more staunch and dignified.

That is approach is fine as long as it works out and there may well come a time sooner or later where we need to get back to basics and hire someone with a better knowledge of the league we play in. Rangers are doing just this by hiring Del after a string of foreign or project managers with little to no knowledge of the Scottish game.

Never heard of him but two things jump out. He’s very young for a manager at 35 and despite this he has experience of managing a pretty big club in Rosenborg. As with any appointment this is a gamble and only time will tell if it pays off. Best of luck to him and welcome to the club Alfred.