MJC

We played Clyde at this stage last season and it was a tough slog but we eventually got the job done. It could easily have gone the other way though. Saturday will be similar, but as I said I have concerns looking at the squad we have and obviously a new manager trying to find his feet. I’m looking forward to it as it will give an early indication of where we are but I reckon this will be a very tough game on that nightmare of a park.

But never mind that. How do you see the game going?

Depends on your definition of trolling. Personally I am just posting my views on the upcoming game given the team we have available to us and the horrific pitch we’ll be playing on. Just my opinion, based on nothing other than my own thoughts. If that’s your definition of trolling then I’m guilty as charged.

I think this will be a struggle and unless we bring in some new additions between now and then we’ve no right to expect it to be anything else. Clyde 2 Motherwell 0

Maybe it says “We f*cking hate Thatcher” on the inside of the collar…

At first glance it looks very ‘Man City’ but the sleeve trimmings and what appears to be a nod to the British Steel ‘S’ logo in the pattern are a nice touch especially since it will be thirty years next July since the ‘Craig was demolished. The only let down is the ‘mfc’ lettering replacing the badge but I know we used lettering long before the club badge on our kits. A solid 9/10 for me. 👍

Does anyone seriously think that we would be in a position to turn down an offer of anywhere near £4.5m if we got one? And does anyone seriously believe that if offered the chance Miller wouldn’t go to Celtic for what would be life changing money and the opportunity to win silverware and play in the Champions League?? Because if there is anyone who thinks either of the above then it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Why is it folly? He is a proven goal machine and scored 70 odd goals for Hearts in three seasons. Perhaps if Critchley had played him in his proper position (No.9 instead of a 10) last season then that tally would be even higher and Critchley wouldn't have got the bullet when he did. I'm sure McInnes will get the best out of him going forward though. And 'fat Larry'? I keep reading this from his detractors, usually fans of Aberdeen, Celtic and Hibs. The guy is a professional athlete and there are plenty out there who wish they were as 'fat' as he is.

Lawrence Shankland and Motherwell FC can’t even be mentioned in the same sentence whilst keeping a straight face. If reports are correct he is about to sign a three year contract at Hearts which will make him their highest paid player, an offer which clubs like West Brom couldn’t compete with. I doubt even Rangers could have matched what Hearts are paying him. He is a top drawer striker and he’s at a club that can match his ambition and wages which no other club in Scotland except probably Celtic could dream of matching.

He kept them in the league didn’t he? And I’d be amazed if most Dundee fans are thrilled at having Steven Pressley as his replacement. And I’d be pretty astounded if many/any thought that Pressley was an upgrade on Tony Doc.

Of course it is. But I just have this nagging worry that J.B.A will find it difficult/impossible to address them at all. No disrespect meant to the guy, honestly, but this is when we could have done with the “safe pair of hands” ie. a Tony Docherty type that knows the Scottish game, knows the league we play in. All of this is of course my opinion and I may well be proved wrong but that’s how I see things at present.

Jimmy Sanderson, ex Radio Clyde anchor? I’m sure you’ve heard of him. I just reckon if he got a caller trying to one-up others or play the smart-arse then heard that they weren’t even at the game and indeed watched it on a dodgy stream from the other side of the Atlantic then his response would have been pretty similar to my satirical post above. As for Cheetos, I quite like them, orange or otherwise. Politics? Hate them. I prefer to simply discuss football on here Boss. 👍

I don’t think it necessarily is criticism of the new manager over last nights bounce game, more concerns being highlighted of some very glaring shortcomings in the team. The same shortcomings that were obvious throughout last season. It’s very difficult to judge how the team and the manager will fare going forward but there are clear causes for concern when looking at the squad, the team last night and the manager who is completely new and oblivious to Scottish football.

“Were you at the game caller”? ”Nah I wasn’t even in the country Jimmy” ”Okay…moving on”

Just because we’ve “got there” in the past doesn’t mean that we will get there this time around. The reality is that we are probably due to be relegated, overdue perhaps. I am not one of these Motherwell fans who sees us as this tinpot nonentity that are smaller than clubs like Falkirk, Dunfermline, Morton etc and who no doubt would be in favour of us merging with Accies “for the good of the Scottish game” and all that nonsense…but given the level we operate at the budget available to us and that clubs who are undoubtedly bigger than us have been relegated more than once during our 40 year stay in the top flight then it’s inevitable sooner or later. Looking at our current situation, a poor squad bloated with guff and devoid of quality and a manager in place who - in my opinion - was the wrong choice of appointment and won’t last the season with us then that for me points to this season finally being the one where we are relegated.

I didn’t really know what to expect. Obviously it’s difficult to read too much into pre-season games like these but defensively we looked awful and that is a cause for concern. What happens over the next month in regards to who we can bring in and how the League Cup Group Stages go is going to be much more important and indicative as to how the season is going to go but there are worrying signs even at this very, very early stage in my opinion.

Just Bloody Awful

Miller? I don’t think it’s odd at-all. He is still our player and until an offer is made, accepted and finalised then that will remain the case. An offer will come, I have no doubt of that, but I suspect it might not come until mid to late August and therefore I see no issue with him playing for us until then. He won’t still be a Motherwell player by the time the transfer window shuts regardless of how many times he starts between now and then.

This season has got disaster written all over it. An out of the box appointment with zero knowledge of the Scottish game and players signed by a previous manager just doesn’t bode well I fear. JBA = “Just Bloody Awful”

Welcome to the club Elliot Watt.

Every good manager has a degree of arrogance and swagger about them. And if their team is delivering on the park then it gets lapped up and is perfectly acceptable. Jose Mourinho with his “don’t call me arrogant but I am a European champion and I think I am a special one” quote at his Chelsea unveiling before taking that club to its first league title in 50 odd years along with a League Cup in his first season and retaining the league the next season is one of the best examples of that. At the other end of the scale you have McGhee with his self promotion and trumpet blowing about how he could have done so much better in his career had something happened in a playoff game years previous then overseeing humiliating results for the club he actually manages and constantly talking the club down. Likewise Graham Alexander needlessly changing his lineups and tactics every week and delivering dreadful football and losing but having the brass neck to come out in the media a claiming that we’d played well. As has been said, arrogance is fine but it needs to be countered by some kind of humility and perhaps more importantly delivering results on the park. (Flukey top six finishes don’t count especially when they are topped off with 0-7 defeats and European humiliations against Irish league sides).

Wah Wah Wah It’s something relevant to the club I support so I will comment on it whenever it comes up. And as far as I can see two other posters have also contributed to this particular discussion today so we can put your claim that “nobody gives a toss apart from you, apparently” firmly to bed and tuck it in with a nice wee cup of cocoa and a lullaby to help it along its way. So like I say…Wah Wah Wah

I’ve never felt as disconnected and basically scunnered with the club as I did during McGhee’s second stint. He was clearly only brought back because of good relations with people in high places at Fir Park and despite achieving top six (commendable, on paper anyway) in 2015 his attitude and comments towards and about the club sullied that. “Let me be clear here, that is the reason why and please do not misinterpret me here, why I am managing Motherwell today and not Liverpool” whilst sitting in the club tracksuit in a pre-match press conference. We would go on to lose that match 6-0 and not win another game for six weeks and we would suffer losses of 7-0, 5-0, 7-2 and 5-1(at home to DUNDEE) before he was emptied in February 2017. People talk about Kettlewell throwing the fans under the bus - and he did - but he was nothing compared to that utter prick with the way he acted towards the club. McGhee should never, ever be welcome at Fir Park again under any circumstances.

The turnaround McGhee overseen during summer ‘07 was incredible. The team that kicked off at Love Street on the opening day of 07/08 immediately looked significantly fitter and disciplined and despite containing several players who had finished the previous season and we went on to have an incredible season. Unfortunately McGhee proved to be an absolute wank of a man who treated the club and the support with contempt during his second season and second stint but the impact he had in his initial stint can’t be understated.

That season Malpas was in charge was toxic. Apart from it being obvious from very early on that it wasn’t going to work out I’ve never seen so many arguments/fights in the East Stand as I did that year. Even by Motherwell fans tendency for infighting it was off the scale until just about everyone finally started singing from the same hymsheet on the final home game of the season against st.Mirren. And the song on everybody’s lips was “Malpas, Malpas Get to ****”. ”That’s just yer Donald Duck”