thewelllfan

if he's not suspended not opposed to him going in over Slattery/Just depending on who Jens wants to rest.

Team v St Mirren Ward Sparrow Mcginn Welsh Longelo Watt Slattery Nicholson Just Said Maswanhise I'd go with this Saturday

Welsh will come back in Saturday so that's fine. I assumed Preistman was out as it's a straight red but does that carry over to the Scottish cup next season then.

Agree with most of what's said here the LB situation is of surprise to nobody. The fact Jens was playing JK over Longelo there probably should have suggested that was an issue but wasn't adressed. Connelly as said above not good enough can't make mistakes like that and just in general is to small to be a GK at the level. RCC was decent enough tried to be positive with the ball although it didn't really come off for him. The whole game plan was out the window after a minute so it's hard to blame anyone other than the manager and the GK. Tonight was also the reason I wasn't keen on Welsh coming back. We all knew the cup was our best chance of a trophy and our best CB couldn't play because he was cup tied against a junior team.

All on Jens. Why would you rotate your GK in a cup tie away from home against good opposition. Then if you were going to do it why would you pick the keeper who's never played above Championship level over Ox who is a decent enough premiership GK without ever being Flashy. Gordon red card is also horrendous after being given a life line, what he is trying to do with the ball I couldn't tell you. Preistman, Gordon, Fadinger all out St Mirren game as well. Who knows what he's going to do in midfield on Saturday. Watt and Halliday thrown in from the cold? Give Mccolm a start? He'll probaly drop Slattery deeper after thinking about it. Either way best team we've had in years and won nothing it's not surprising but just leaves you wondering when if ever we're going to win something.

This for me is the best opportunity we have to go on and win a cup (I said the same about LC and we got pumped off St Mirren). Celtic and Rangers are both not as strong as they normally are and we have our best team since the McCall era. I think if we're being realistic our gaffer is gone next season as is a good few of our key players if we're going to win something in the near future you'd have to go all in on this season being it if it's not to be so be it but need to have a proper good go at it.

not at all related but the save 53 seconds in is unreal

Connelly has been given a deal to fill 1 of our homegrown spots on the basis that we qualify for Europe next season. Ox will most likely move on in the summer as he's the 3rd choice GK but on a 1st choice wage.

We weren't great today but we'll take the win. I don't know how Said managed to miss the 1 that got squared to him, Maswanhise was poor as well to be honest should of scored the 1 on 1 he had and was really selfish in general. Slattery has been poor the last few games for me but is lasting 90 mins every week. Thought Nicholson looked really good when he came off the bench and made the second goal. Defensivley we were shaky to say the least they hit the post twice and Ward made a decent save I think easily 1 or 2 of them could have gone in and we'd be sat ruing our missed chances. Mcghee coming on at RM was interesting to say the least although he did put a decent ball in for Bjorgolfsson who I can't believe never gambled and tapped in RCC shot that went straight across the goal. We should have been out of sight at HT but how many times have we said that this season .

I think the issue for Campbell has been he's barley played for the last 3 years he went from playing every game for us and Luton to sitting on various benches and his development stalled even when he's getting an oppertunity he's clearly not match fit. I reckon he's the sort of guy that will rock up at Thistle should they get promoted and return to form.

ye the 2nd RB is up for debate. Patterson, Mcrorie, Johnston, Ralston, Donovan will all be trying to get that spot, SOD i'd have in ahead of Ralston and Donovan anyway.

Is it a 25, 26 or 30 man squad for the world cup? I'd say 18 are guaranteed to go providing they don't get injured Gunn, Gordon, Hickey, Hanley, Mckenna, Souttar, Tierney, Robertson, Gilmour, Mctominay, Ferguson, Christie, Mclean, Mcginn, Doak, Adams, Dykes, Shankland That leaves us with 7, 8 or 12 slots depending on squad size and providing their aren't injuries. I'd be surprised to see Watt make the squad unless they're are lots of injuries in that area.

I think the club tend to change targets throughout the season I think they've seen our current league position and form and think Europe is a realistic target (It is). They done it in the Graham Alexander season and had planned the next season's budget based on making Europe which we nearly bottled. As well as that Aberdeen seem to be going with a Tony Doch + Peter Leven management team to the end of the season so hopefully we can do the business against them in the next 2 games and finish their season off for them providing they don't end up in a relegation scrap. My team to play them in the league. Ward Sparrow Mcghee Welsh Longelo Preistman Watt Maswanhise Slattery Just Bjorgolfsson Subs : Connely, SOD, Mcginn, Gordon, Halliday, Nicholson, RCC, Said then 1 of Mccolm/Mcallister. I'd expect some rotation Fadinger is obviously suspended, Mcginn and SOD could probably do with a rest given their age playing 4 games in 10 days might take it of them. Longelo being the only LB at the club is going to put massive strain on him to. Bjorg deserves a start after his role in the equaliser on Wednesday.

ah can't say i watched his presser tbf Gordon on the bench for Jk then either way still a strong bench.

My team tommorow would be Ward SOD Mcginn Welsh Longelo Preistman Fadinger Just Slattery Said Maswanhise Subs Connelly, JK, Mcghee, Sparrow, Watt, Halliday, Nicholson, RCC, Bjorgolfsson. That would probably be the strongest the bench has been since December as well.

I suppose Zach Robinson must also be close to a return which will give us 3 strikers anyway. According to Andrew Joseph Sydney have an option to buy at 260K which is basically what we bought him at

No he was signed a week after Kettlewell had resigned as cover for Balcombe.

This is probably the best chance we'll have to end that statistic. Team should be fresh after not playing for a week and it's a rare chance for us to beat both of the old firm at home in the same season.

I'd imagine they could but they probably won't

That is also true but I think if you look at his overall tenure as Motherwell manager he was probably a success. His recruitment however wasn't great. Players brought in under Kettlewell 22/23 Harry Paton - Was a decent enough player for us served a purpose, Decent signing. 23/24 Summer Window Johnathan Obika - Injured constantly barley played poor signing. Connor Wilkinson - Poor Striker can't remember if we mutualled him or sold him in January but another poor signing. Pape Souare - another guy who barley played another poor signing. Davor Zdravkovski - Was decent in his first season barley played in his second decent enough signing Theo Bair - Signing got a lot of negative reaction but proved us wrong. Ended up being sold for 1.5M and turned out a great signing. Mika Beireth - What a player we only had him 6 months but he was a fantasatic footballer and great signing. Brodie Spencer - Another really good loan signing could play both sides and was a really solid player for us. Decent signing. Oli Shaw - Probably the most frustrating St we have had at Motherwell in recent years his movement was really good but could not finish at all, poor signing. Georgie Gent - Another decent loan signing didn't really play first half of the season but when he got in the team was a really solid player and had excellent delivery from that left side, decent signing January 23/24 Adam Montgommery - Looked decent enough in the 2 games he played but got injured and returned to Celtic before the window closed so I guess it was a poor signing but more due to circumstance. Andy Halliday - Been a really solid player over his time at Motherwell so was a good signing despite his lack of minutes this season. Callan Elliot - Don't think he ever played for us so was a complete waste of money and a poor signing. Sam Nicholson - Really talented player but considering he's been at the club since Jan 24 and made 9 appearances to date has to go down as a poor signing. Jack Vale Loan V1 - Decent signing had a postitive contribution second half of that season. Jill Buyabu - Turned up played 1 game fell out with the manager was sent back to Sheff Utd, Poor signing. Adam Devine - Was really average to be honest got caught ball watching to put Airdrie out the cup last night and never really impressed for us, poor signing. Moses Ebiye - Absolute Chaos caused when he was on the pitch but it never really clicked for him was probably worth the punt for his physical attributes alone tho. Summer 24/25 Zach Robinson - Signed on the back of a decent loan spell at Dundee, was a decent ST for us without really standing out did score the winner against Dundee Utd to get us in to the cup semi final but has been out for a signinificant period of time. Poor signing. Johnny Koutrombis - Wasn't used at all by Kettlewell but has been very good for us under JBA. Decent signing. Kofi Balmer - Had a giant throw in and other than that was quite poor. Poor signing. Tom Sparrow - Thought he was a weird signing at the time but was 1 of our best players last season. Good signing. Fillip Stuperavic - Scored in the league cup group stages fell out with the manager was playing well on loan at Morton but done his ACL. Poor Signing. Ross Callahan - Played about 2 games was perma crocked massive waste of money. Poor signing. Liam Gordon - Been a very solid pro since signing and seems a proper leader when he plays. Decent Signing. Kyristian Hegyi - Think most thought he'd start the season as N1 don't think he made a competitive appearance after the League Cup group stages, Poor Signing. Steve Seddon - I liked him thought he was decent whenever he played but had some troubles with injury. Decent Signing. Marvin Kaleta - Started really well then his form fell of a cliff could probably pass as a decent loan signing. Apostolous Stamatelopolous - The fact we paid a significant fee probably counts against him scored basically 1 in 3 in his games last season but has been poor this season and struggled with injury. Poor signing. Tony Watt - Was decent enough for us had some really good games for us but wasn't in the same form he was during Alexander's reign. Decent Signing. Twanda Maswanhise - What a player he's turned out to be for us. Great signing. Jair Taveres - Wasn't very good was he, Poor signing. Jack Vale V2 - This time he was just crocked the whole time and we really didn't need another St. Poor signing. Jan 24/25 Kai Andrews - Thought he was decent under Wimmer and was a decent loan signing. Archie Mair - Played 1 game broke his hand returned to Norwich. Poor signing. Ellery Balcombe - Another poor goalkeeper who probably cost us top 6 last season. Poor signing. Luke Armstrong - Had a couple of decent games and was something different to our other attackers. Decent signing. Dom Thompson - Came with some decent perdigree having been at Arsenal U21 but wasn;y very good for us. Poor signing Based on that SK made 38 signings during his time as manager : 3 were very good - Biereth, Maswanhise, Bair. 2 were good - Sparrow, Halliday. 12 were decent - Paton, Davor, Spencer, Gent, Vale V1, Koutrombis, Gordon, Seddon, Kaleta, Watt, Andrews, Armstrong 21 were poor - Obika, Wilkinson, Souare, Shaw, Montgommery, Elliot, Nicholson, Buyabu, Devine, Ebiye, Robinson, Balmer, Stuperavic, Callahan, Hegyi, Stama, Taveres, Vale V2, Mair, Balcombe, Thompson I'd say overall it was below average. The majority of his first choice Xi were already at the club and he signed a lot of poor players. Doing this also made me remember just how much shite he signed for us, he's done the same at Killie tbf I'd only really want John-Jules and Kiltie at Motherwell of the guys he signed in the summer.

Kettlewell wasn't a bad manager for us. When he first came in he did what everyone was screaming for Hammell to do and played a 352 which ultimately kept us in the league. Second season he developed Theo Bair into a 15 goal a season ST to replace KVV who he sold for 500K . Developed Lennon Miller and had Blair Spittal performing to a very high standard. We finished 8th but weren't in any real danger. Season 3 he sold Theo Bair for 1.5m brought in Maswanhise got us to a cup semi final and had us in the top 6 although we were probably about to drop out it when he resigned. His main issues were he tried to turn Lennon Miller into a 10 for god knows what reason, had no idea what to do with Maswanhise he could tell he was talented but had no idea how to use him in his 541. His main flaw he insisted on using a 541 with absolutely no pace in the side which allowed teams to dominate the game and continued that at Killie who I actually think had they not sacked him when they did would be a couple points better off. He got us 6M odd in transfer fees over his spell (I've added the Miller money in as he platformed him and gave him his chance in the team) I didn't enjoy his football but he was a decent enough Motherwell manager and saved the club from relegation when it looked likely. JBA is a far better coach than SK ever will be but that doesn't mean he was awful. The last Motherwell manager I properly disliked was Graham Alexander because it was an absolutely chronic watch. Getting knocked out the Confrence league of Sligo Rovers who had been beaten of our u21s a year or 2 prior was probably reason enough for that alone.

Watt was middle of Feb and Hendry was the end of Feb the last time JBA spoke to either player.

If they've picked it up for TV coverage I can't see them getting rid of it.

Rangers have benefited in 3 potential game changing decisions and been potentially cost points in 1 against Hearts but I suspect Hearts would have still won the game. Celtic have benefitted from 1 game changing decision that I can remember against Kilmarnock. I can't think of a dubious decision we've had in our favor. Said's goal against Falkirk should have stood which could have changed the game. We should of had a penalty against Rangers that could have impacted the result. When you look at that it's no wonder the monopoly in Scotland can't be broken when they're getting game defining decisions in their favor.

Did you miss the end of it where it says Hearts would be 2 points worse off? Did you miss the Celtic 2 points worse off? Did you miss Rangers being 5 points worse off (At a minimum)? I accept I have edited it from the OP but was still edited before you had replied.