thewelllfan

How many more signings do we think we'll realistically make? For me 3 unless their is more sales. CM , Winger, ST Our Squad Currently is GK - Paulsen, Connelly RB - Sparrow, JK, SOD (Inj) CB - Moormann, Girdwood-Reich, Knight-Lebel, McGhee (Inj), McGinn (Inj) LB - Williams, Longelo, Wilson CM - Fadinger, Preistman, Whyte, Booth AM - Said, Lowry LW - RCC, RW - Vogt, Ross ST - Maswanhise, Bjorgolfsson, Stamatelopolous (Inj), Henfry (Inj)

No we just literally do not have a fit striker, he's scored the other night and Vogt looked like he needed a lot more time to get up to speed if RCC is fit he's going to play same with Maswanhise. Bjorgolffson hasn't played in pre-season so he's not going to start that basically leaves it between. (RCC who will play there if fit, Hunter who while being thrown in at the deep end could get through the first 60 mins and leave us with more ready made options to change it from the bench or Vogt who based of his showing against Genk could do with more time to get up to speed) We chuck youth players in when you least expect it regularly so tonight may be another one of those nights

I can genuinely only guess half the starting XI Paulsen Sparrow Girdwood-Reich? Moormann Williams? Preistman Fadinger Whyte? Ross Hunter? Said If RCC is fit he'll be in over Hunter.

Based on the way he was announced I think he was brought into play CB

I think before the season starts we probably need to bring in another 7-8 players - CB (Need another one for cover until McGinn and McGhee are fit (Ideally a loan) or promote Thompson who I thought looked pretty decent against Genk but obviously lacks exposure to senior football - LB (Potentially need 2 depending on Longelo's future and Wilson isn't for me) - CM (Watt needs replaced, Whyte to fill Halliday's squad slot) - AM (Again going to need 2 Slattery is gone and Just will sadly follow) Booth/McAllister appear to be AM's but not sure either are ready. Should probably use our co-op loan partners to get them some minutes. - ST (Stama and Maswanhise will leave, Hendry is injured and Thor doesn't seem to be fit) -If i'm being greedy we could also do with a Winger as neither Vogt or Ross fill me with loads of confidence if Said/RCC get injured

I think it was pretty inevitable that team from last season was going to be ripped apart if we make the best part of £10M from it given where we were at the start of last season that sets the club up for years to come. We've allegedly made around £1.3M from JBA and Ward leaving and look to have accepted a bid around £1.75M for Watt so that's us made £3M from 3 guys we picked up for free last year. I think £7M in fees between Just and Maswanhise is very much achievable which would basically mean we're £10M better off and in the same place we're in most seasons needing to make 8-10 signings. Hopefully Just sticks around for the 2 Euro ties and we get through HB and have a bit more time to make additions to the squad before Hibs and the next round in Europe. By

Decent apart from an absolute hospital ball he tried to play into Preistman

We looked okay we struggled defensively as you would expect with a young CM playing there, we need players in before Thursday but wither they'll be fit enough to play who knows. Our team v HB now looks pretty likely to be: Paulsen (He looked decent) Sparrow Girdwood-Reich (Hopefully) Moormann Wilson Preistman Fadinger Ross? Just Said RCC Vogt needs time to get up to speed. Thor didn't even get on so I'd be surprised to see him start. Whyte is evidently not a CB so wouldn't read much into his mistake. Of the young lads Thompson looked pretty decent, Booth was tidy and took his goal well and I think Hunter touched the ball once but his finish was great. Have we got any idea when/if we're likely to see Longelo, Stama, McGhee, SOD, JK, Maswanhise? McGinn and Hendry out for months so we know we're not seeing them Watt's move appears close so he will be off soon We've got what 21/22 senior players and only around 13/14 are fit and available for selection

So Watt won't play in the European game then as there's been concrete bids for him. We need another 2 in before that game v HB as we're very light on numbers heading into that game by the looks of things

I agree with Ox being better than Connelly but given he's started the pre-season games I think he'll start where I disagree though is Just, Watt, Maswanhise will all play the Euro ties if fit and bids for them haven't been accepted. None of them have played European football before and all of them have spoke of their desire to play in Europe at various points last season. Each round we go through is worth about £250k to the club it's not like with Miller last season where he wasn't risked against lower league opposition. To me we need about 8/9 in the door before the end of the window we're light in basically every area other than RB but we also don't want to end up with a bloated squad like the Kettlewell and Alexander eras.

Who did we have playing CB then? I know we've got a guy called Aaron Thompson who captains Scotland u17's as he's been on the social media posts during last season so I'd imagine he'd be next in line but don't know too much about the rest of the youth players who play in defence

When did that news get broken? In that case I guess McGhee CB unless we bring someone in that is fit to play

SOD and JK both started v Aarhus, Just will come in for Preistman as he is our best player, Longelo I take your point on but if he's fit he plays. You'd hope he gives the 11 he plans on starting v HB 60 against Genk minus Just who he'll probably only let play 45 as he only came back on Thursday

Team for the game v HB will be: Connelly JK SOD Moormann Longelo Watt Fadinger Said Just RCC Maswanhise (If fit) if not 1 of Vogt or Stama

I think we'll lose another 3 at least of our starting xi but going into a season with about 4 starters is the norm for us so it's hard to be any more nervous/worried than I'd be any other year. The board got it right with JBA here's hoping they've done it again and we are a decent watch again this season and get that cup win.

You would expect we'd have a behind closed doors one next week to help them build sharpness before Genk and HB

I'd take James Furlong back if he fancied it would give us great depth at LB

I hope a few of the youth players break through. We've not really had any since Miller left (I know it was a year ago) and Wilson who had a spell in the team under Kettlewell

It was more a number thing most top flight clubs tend to have a pool of 6/7 Central Midfield players. We currently have 3 senior central midfielders (Watt, Fadinger, Preistman) with a few youth players on the fringes (Whyte, MaCallister)

Vogt you would assume is the Maswanhise replacement. Seems to be a plays across the front 3 type of attacker. Moorman replaces Welsh. He's Left footed and seems to be decent with the ball. I think we're probably still looking at another 7-10 signings before we're ready for the season: We need another CB at least maybe 2 McGinns out for months and McGhee is injury prone Need a LB. Would take James Furlong back if possible. Need a CM potentially. Need a Halliday replacement and potentially a Watt replacement if he's sold Need probably 2 attacking midfielders. Slattery is gone and Just will likely follow. Need a LW/RW what ever side we plan to use Vogt we need comp on the other side. Unless we think Luca Ross can make an impact. We need a ST. Bjorgolffson looks promising, Maswanhise is away realistically and Stamatelopolous will likely follow him out the door. Hendry looks like he'll be out for months so we need 1 potentially 2 Strikers in the door. I'd expect 5/6 to also leave - Just, Maswanhise, Watt, Stama, Oxborough, Wilson. 2/3 should be loans - CB can be cover until McGinn is back, ST to cover until Hendry is back, we have a decent track record of Loan LB signings. Gent, Furlong etc.

Ross as well I thought I had put him in already. The other few who would probably have played are John Joe Friel - CB, Aiden Thomson - CB, Mikey Booth - CM

As far as I can tell we have 18 fit first team players maybe 19 if Stama is back? Plus 3 are Gk's Ward, Connelly, Oxborough, Sparrow, JK, SOD, McGhee, Longelo, Wilson, Watt, Fadinger, Preistman, Whyte, MaCallister, Said, RCC, Bjorgolfsson, Maswanhise, Stamatelolpous (Is he back from his leave?)

Any idea who played/scored?

Out of interest what are you expecting as a transfer fee for each of those players? Me personally: Just - Had his breakout season at 26, been fantastic for us this season, PFA POTY Nominee, Fantastic WC with NZ I'd expect 4-5M Watt - Again breakout season at 26, don't think unfair to say was the best CM in the league this season, had an argument to be in Scotland WC squad. I'd expect 2-3m mainly because of his age. Maswanhise - Been resigned to losing him this summer, Golden boot winner, Won a breakout player award at AFCON. He's hardest to predict price wise could be anywhere between 3-5M. If we get more than the fees I've put there I'd be surprised but also delighted as it helps protect the clubs future. I think if we manage to get more than the fees quoted there then that would also help us selling players in future for bigger fees. I also don't think they're our only sellable assets: Ward, Fadinger, Longelo, Said could all fairly easily fetch transfer fees. Your Celtic/Rangers asking price points is fair but I imagine that Raskin or Engels would be at maximum doubling their wage, the guys leaving us you'd expect would get 4/5x at mimimum the amount their on at Motherwell. That bargaining position tends to allow them to hold out for more. The club size and reputation will also play a part in the fee we can conceivably get. On the model point yes I am very much aware. We provide players and managers a platform to showcase their abilities and make the next step in their careers. Our academy is extremely important to the model as in the past 10 years it has made us £10M between transfer fees (Miller, Turnbull) Compensation (Johnston, Campbell, Hastie) then the ones that clubs paid fees for before they played for us (McKinstry, Rice, now Greirson). As well as providing us squad players in the first team. (Maguire, Cornelius, Wilson). We also know that we need successful league and cup campaigns and to get into Europe for prize money that plugs holes in our finances, and selling players also contributes to that hence we sell our best players fairly regularly. The messaging from the club tends to be we budget for 10th and anything else is a bonus. On your hype train earlier post it is fairly obvious that the club see Whyte and MaCallister as the next 2 to be involved in the first team. They offered them 2 year deals and the reasons cited in the post about them suggest to me they will be involved with the 1st team this season. Will be interesting to see what happens with Ross and Wilson. Ross barely featured for us last season and Wilson was getting kept out the team at Raith by a 38 year old Lewis Stevenson.

Pretty sure you'll find our whole model is platforming players to get a better move if you watched the CEO's interview yesterday you'll have heard the line 'we couldn't stand in his way'. Your never going to get the club saying they actively want to sell their best players but if you've been a Motherwell fan for any length of time you'll understand we are constantly losing our best players. Even if we lost all 3 the squads probably still the strongest we've had since 12/13 going into a league campaign. Also sorry to break it to you if you think we're keeping hold of Just when he's just scored 3 at a World Cup you'll be extremley disapointed. I might even have underestimated the fee we could genuinley end up getting close to £5M for him.