wellfan

T'was me who posted the bollocks. See below. I posted a link to a ridiculous and unevidenced list of player salaries. I can't remember on which thread, but these lists are generally bollocks. This list was my favourite, particularly the supposed £130k per annum for Oxborough. https://salarysport.com/football/scottish-premiership/motherwell/

I've no idea what tool or methodology Hammell and Daws used to sign Danzaki, but it certainly wasn't their brains.

Either this means we won't see the back of Daws anytime soon, or it's replacing him. I hope it's the latter. https://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/2024/02/13/partnership-with-off-the-pitch/

I'd say that the points tally only matters at the split and the end of the season when they're counted to confirm standings. A lot can happen between now and then, including the couple of games in hand for those below us. However, if we're currently averaging 1.04 points per league game this season and there are 38 games, that should leave us with 39.54 points by the end of the season, which is usually the magic number for 10th. If that's how it ends and we're safe, then job done for a shit season, but we all know it's not as easily predictable as that, as we can't just assume that the second half of the season will pan out much like the first half for any team. We could even improve, as could Ross County, but I don't see it. I see 10th at best for the season, but the fear remains that we could be teetering close to 11th in March.

I agree with you on the goalkeeper comment. It's a between a rock and a hard place role to fill. However, if you genuinely think most of our squad are doing their level best after watching the Morton game, can I have at least 8/12ths of a glass of whatever you've been drinking?

Au contraire, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that Kettlewell and our squad will perform just as well or better than those around us. As you noted, the Morton cup game is no more a definitive indicator of how the rest of the season will go than the County league game is. However, what is an indicator of our probable league form is the almost baron run we've witnessed from September to now, excepting the Livi and County games. If we stick, I think the almost baron run will most likely continue, which is what I thought last year, and it's probably too late now anyway.

Yes.

I hear what you're saying, but Morton showed the rest of our bottom-dwelling rivals how to nullify our one-dimensional style and easily score against us. And, County game aside, Kettlewell and the team haven't given us much to show they're capable of turning draws and defeats into victories. A dogfight is incoming.

No, it's not my job, but it doesn't mean I can't call for change. And yes, I think we could find something better than what we've had to accept/endure so far this season.

It would not be surprising at all, particularly given the cup exit and the forthcoming difficult fixtures. However, at least the current management team is only under contract for this season, meaning any potential payoff wouldn't likely break the bank, and it would only repeat the cycle if we gave a new management team anything more than the rest of this season. Relegation, on the other hand, might well break the club.

The original poster referred to the people shouting for Kettlewell's head, which I am one of, and you responded by remarking that those people are a handful of trolls. As you say, we all know who they are, so if you want to be specific, be it. Otherwise, your post reads to me as a lazy judgment of all who criticise the manager on this forum.

Certain players are Teflon, and Kelly is one of them, rightly or wrongly. I think he's a good enough goalkeeper for our level, but not at the reported wage he's on anymore, and I wouldn't be too bothered if we kept him on at reduced terms or he went elsewhere. In truth, I think he may need a fresh start, as it must be hurting him to know how bad his form can and has plummeted this season.

Four from a possible eighteen is probably about right, but also awful. However, we're averaging 1.04 points per game, so perhaps we could expect 6-7 points from this run.

Do you seriously think that all the people on here who wish to see Kettlewell replaced are trolls? If so, that is an entirely unreasonable statement. I want him replaced because his record is crap this season, which isn't an unreasonable assessment, nor is it troll behaviour to espouse that view. Furthermore, most of those critical of Kettlewell also comment on most other topics, whether we win, lose or draw. To be openly critical of something/someone is not always equivalent to being a troll. Your posts are generally well-measured and enjoyable to read, but if I've read correctly, this is a pile of dismissive nonsense. You can't blanket refer to all people of the anti-Kettlewell view as trolls with unserious views. That is such a cheap and simplistic assumption to make.

Loans You've missed Montgomery's loan expiring. On Montgomery, I think we may well get him back on loan next season unless we sign a permanent LB/LWB. What about Gent? I'd love to sign him, although that's a pipedream. If Vale does well, which I am hopeful of, he'll be loaned to another club for next season. OOC The only one on this list worth fighting for is Spittal. He's probably our most important player. Maybe also McGinn due to his versatility and consistency. Nicholson may be offered a deal as he's fresh blood and has looked promising. We may offer Slattery a short deal to see him through his recovery unless his agent gets him something better. The rest can go. Under Contract I'm reasonably content with that, although some players may look to engineer a move away if we go down. I've no idea what we'll do with Tierney, but that may change should we hopefully get a new manager with more than one formation and style up their sleeve. Daws Oh shit. No thanks.

Perhaps this is the type of challenge that drives people to such jobs. I'm not of that managerial/leader mindset, but many are. The vacancy doesn't have to be seen as a negative; it's also an exciting opportunity to help lead a Premiership club. The budget should also be better by summer, given we won't be funding a bloated squad or three management teams. At the end of the day, if we still can't attract and secure a suitable candidate by the end of the season, questions will have to be asked of who's making that judgement.

If you look at the run of games ahead of us and the results of most of those behind us, I don't see how we finish 8th. I think we'll be lucky to scrape 10th. Imagine we finished 11th and got Morton in the play-offs. Miller is the only positive thing this season; it's just a shame he got his injury when he did.

As I said above, we can all reassess come the summer and see if the leadership team's work and talk comes to anything other than more failure or sticking plasters.

That is correct, but he's a professional who was surely keeping himself fit over these past 7+ months. Match fitness, however? He may prove excellent, but it seems a bit daft to have signed someone who wasn't almost immediately ready to jump into the matchday squad to help a struggling team. Is he another project? Or are we his ticket back to Scotland?

What's the deal with Callan Elliot? He's not been marked as injured or doubtful for this game or others. Is he so far away from match fitness that there isn't a point in mentioning him? He's clearly behind SOD and Devine in the pecking order anyway, but I bet his contract will have expired before he's fully fit if that's the issue. Kettlewell was clear that he wasn't just signing bodies to make up numbers, but signing an unfit player and mysterious re-signing(?) of Shaw could well point to examples of what he said he wouldn't do.

It only doesn't apply because you've got a different opinion from me here. You don't know what's been happening behind closed doors, nor do I, hence the varied opinions bandied on here. You may be content with dropping to the Championship, but I am not. We've been a top-flight club since my birth year, and that's what I want to maintain. I don't have a problem finishing 7/8th in the Premiership, which should be achievable given our scale and without breaking the bank. And amongst that, we should hope to occasionally fight for the top six or scrap our way to 9th or 10th, but crucially with some fun cup runs and exciting youth development thrown into the mix. Top six and European football is now more or less unachievable because of the financial clout and success of others in the league. All of that is good enough for me. What isn't good enough for me is the complete shit show of the past few years which has led to a viewpoint developing in our fanbase that we aren't good enough for the Premiership. We are good enough; the past 38+ years highlight that, and we'll only have ourselves to blame if that ends this year.

Imrie got the better of Kettlewell the other night, but I don't think either is better. Both have pretty crap win percentages suggesting neither seems suited to the Premiership at this early stage of their respective careers.

It's merely a turn of phrase I use to sum up my assessment of recent years being that of decline, mistakes, and sticking plasters. I'm not alone in that assessment, although others do think differently, and that's fine. We can all reassess our position come summer, when we will hopefully and belatedly have a permanent CEO, a new Chair, and a new management and recruitment team. And all that should bring a strategic reset to alter the path described above. But, for now, it very much seems like a managed decay. I also don't think it's realistic for the Club to be touting for an investor(s) seeking a profit opportunity because I don't see us as a profitable entity at this stage. It could happen, though?! We're probably looking for a private benefactor(s) to come out of the woodwork, but I don't think that's realistic either, or it would've happened by now. Who knows what's been happening behind closed doors on that front in recent years; most of us on this forum certainly have our uneducated views.

What makes you think we’ll have a new CEO in place by the end of the season?

The problem is, I don't think a team limping over the line and failing at every significant hurdle is going to prove an attractive asset to invest in come the summer. That's what I mean about sleepwalking into a disaster. We’re witnessing a long slow decay via this holding pattern we seem to have been in for some time now. I don't think we can afford to use the ‘we can't afford to change things’ reasoning anymore. We needed an injection of impetus weeks/months ago, but it isn't happening because those running the club are focusing on their exits. I'd do the same if I were them to be fair, but it's a complete mess and we, the fans, will suffer the consequences of ongoing poor decision-making on and off the field. But, maybe I'm wrong.